AUTO RACING, VOLLEYBALL IN PERFECT HARMONY OAKS CHRISTIAN'S UTTS FINDS TIME TO EXCEL IN BOTH.Byline: Tim Haddock haddock: see cod. haddock Valuable North American food fish (Melanogrammus aeglefinus, family Gadidae). A bottom-dweller that feeds on invertebrates and fishes, it resembles the cod, with its chin barbel (fleshy feeler) and two anal and three dorsal Staff Writer Ashley Utts was a little torn when asked which sport she prefers, auto racing or volleyball. For the past year, the Oaks Christian High School  This article or section is written like an .Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising for , using . junior has been the area expert in both. She plays volleyball for her high school team in Westlake Village and drives a Ford Mustang For other Ford Mustang models and concepts, see . The Ford Mustang is an automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company, originally based on the Ford Falcon compact.[1] in the pony stock class at Ventura Country Raceway. Utts says playing high school volleyball brings out a competitive spirit in her that racing stock cars doesn't. ``But, it's not really a contact sport,'' the 17-year-old Utts said. She was reminded that auto racing isn't supposed to be a contact sport either. She laughed, then said racing her Ford Mustang on Saturday nights is more exciting than any volleyball game. Four races into her auto racing career, Utts is still learning her way around Ventura County Raceway. Between club and high school teams, she is also developing her skills on the volleyball court. In time, she could find herself playing collegiate col·le·giate adj. 1. Of, relating to, or held to resemble a college. 2. Of, for, or typical of college students. 3. Of or relating to a collegiate church. volleyball or perhaps racing in a NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. touring division. Her father, Charles, was admittedly anxious when his daughter - his only child - got behind the wheel of a race car for the first time over the summer. It was during the Ventura County Fair, when some of the top drivers in the area come out for a night of racing stock cars at the tiny seaside dirt track. Utts was making her pony stock debut in a car that was once owned by one of the raceway regulars. It wasn't exactly the ideal environment for a teenage driver who only recently got her driver's license Noun 1. driver's license - a license authorizing the bearer to drive a motor vehicle driver's licence, driving licence, driving license license, permit, licence - a legal document giving official permission to do something to learn the nuisances of a tricky, muddy oval. ``All I can remember is getting on the track and going wild,'' Utts said about her first practice laps. ``It was weird getting used to other people on the track. One of the first things First Things is a monthly ecumenical journal concerned with the creation of a "religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society" (First Things website). I told my dad was he's got to put a mirror in here.'' She adapted quickly. Utts worked her way through the heat races, started in the back of the field for the feature and by the end of the night was penalized pe·nal·ize tr.v. pe·nal·ized, pe·nal·iz·ing, pe·nal·iz·es 1. To subject to a penalty, especially for infringement of a law or official regulation. See Synonyms at punish. 2. for rough driving, fighting for position and rubbing rubbing, v creating friction and heat by drawing the hands across the body at varying speeds, rhythms, and depths. Benefits include muscle elongation, tension release, and increased flexibility. bumpers with another driver in the race. ``I had always hoped that she would want to take up racing,'' her father Charles said. ``For a while, she didn't want to go to the races. She didn't want nothing to do with it.'' A few months later, Utts, an opposite side hitter on the Oaks Christian High School volleyball team, was playing in the Southern Section Division IV playoffs. Oaks Christian advanced to the quarterfinals, eventually losing to La Salle La Salle, city (1990 pop. 9,717), La Salle co., N Ill., on the Illinois River; settled 1830, inc. 1852. It forms a tricity unit with Peru and Oglesby. Corn, wheat, and soybeans are grown, and cattle and hogs are raised. High. Amber Nungester, Utts' coach at Oaks Christian High School and one of the administrators of her club team, remembers the day when Charles told her about his daughter's racing interest. ``I wasn't surprised when Charles told me that,'' Nungester said. ``She's the type of person who's willing to try anything. He didn't have any fears or reservations about it. I like that she has other interests other than volleyball. It's helped her focus in volleyball, as long as she doesn't crash.'' The pony stock season at Ventura County Raceway opened March 6, with Utts posting an 11th-place finish, her best showing at the track. The following weekend, she went to Kansas City Kansas City, two adjacent cities of the same name, one (1990 pop. 149,767), seat of Wyandotte co., NE Kansas (inc. 1859), the other (1990 pop. 435,146), Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties, NW Mo. (inc. 1850). to play in a volleyball tournament with her club team, Point West, which is based in Westalke Village. Then it was back to racing the weekend after that. She will keep balancing her club volleyball and auto racing schedules through spring and summer. Once school starts again in the fall, she will have to add her high school schedule into the mix. ``I'd like to play in college, but if I don't play college volleyball, it wouldn't be the end of the world,'' Utts said. ``I would like to end up racing trucks. I'm just doing it for fun. I don't see myself going into anything higher than a Super Late Model.'' Tim Haddock, (818) 713-3715 timothy.haddock(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Ashley Utts admits auto racing is more exciting than playing a volleyball game. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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