TOP TWO IRWINDALE DIVISIONS COMPETE IN FIVE DIVISION CARD

Source: TOP TWO IRWINDALE DIVISIONS COMPETE IN FIVE DIVISI
Date: 05/22/2007

IRWINDALE, California -- The top two racing divisions of the Whelen All-American Racing Series at Irwindale Speedway shared top billing in a five-division event Saturday at the progressively banked half-mile track. Rip Michels, a three-time IS track champion, won the AC Delco NASCAR Super Late Model 50-lap main event in front of about 3,000 spectators. The co-featured Auto Club Late Model 40-lap race went to Tim Huddleston, the 2005 series champion. It was the first time since opening night nine weeks ago that both IS premier circuits competed on the same program. Track management again rented a 20' X 27' screen to show fans in the grandstand the Fox Network telecast of NASCAR's Nextel Cup All-Star Challenge race at Charlotte, N.C. The huge screen, sponsored this year by Lucas Oil, was located on the outside of turn four next to the track administration building.

Fastest qualifier Michels, a winner in three different series, won his 47th main event at IS. His third consecutive SLM victory in six races this season placed him 11 triumphs above the next most prolific winner, Todd Burns, at the eight-year old speedway. Huddleston won his first feature of 2007 in the fifth late model race of the year. His 31st main event victory at IS broke his three-way tie at 30 victories with T. K. Karvasek (a current contestant on the Speed TV show "Setup") and five-time Legend Cars champion Tom Landreth. Huddleston is now tied with 2004 and 2006 Super Truck champion Ron Peterson for third place in most victories at IS.

SUPER TRUCKS: A King Taco Super Truck 40-lap main event turned into the most exciting race of the night. The 19-truck race had three-wide passes and four race leaders during the final ten laps. John Israel started second and led the first 30-laps. He held a 35-yard advantage when the first caution appeared after a solo spinout in turn four. On the lap 31 resumption of racing pole starter Connor Cantrell, a 15-year old truck rookie and Legends graduate, passed Israel on the inside as they raced into the first turn. Israel faded with "a bottom end engine problem" and did not finish. Cantrell, a newcomer to racing on the half-mile track, paced laps 31-36. Multiple truck feature winners Pat Mintey, Jr and Joe Herold were on his tailgate all the way. Point leader Mintey led lap 37. In three-wide racing, ninth-starter Kenny Smith shot from third position to first on lap 38 and led the final three laps in his No. 43 Chevy S-10.

Smith, the ageless former NASCAR Grand National West driver from nearby El Monte, won his first truck feature and first IS half-mile triumph. It was his first feature victory at IS since 2000 when he captured a pair of MSRA Pro 4 Modified main events on the third-mile track. In 1994 Smith won several million dollars in the California Lottery. He used the surprise windfall to start Quick-pick Racing in the then Winston West Series. Smith won by ten yards over fast-rising Cantrell, who is fifth in points on a list of 29 truck racers. Mintey and Herold followed in a tight, four-truck finish. Smith, a grandfather whose grandson Andrew Porter, 13, races Bandolero cars, saw his grandson win a 15-lap IS main for the small cars this season. Grandpa Smith became the fifth different winner in the competitive truck series after five races this season.

LEGEND CARS: Chad Schug enjoyed winning his first Legend cars main event on the third-mile track so much April 21 he did it again in his colorful No. 29 sedan. He started fourth and passed pole starter Austin Grabowski, the early leader, on the ninth lap. Schug then led every lap to the lap 30 checkered flag and edged May 5 feature winner Darren Amidon by a few yards (0.164 of a second officially). Grabowski finished third and annual championship contender Tom Landreth was fourth. The 17-minute race had three caution flags for spinouts. The 29-car field had 20 cars finish all 30-laps. Three cars spun simultaneously in turn four on the final lap as the dueling leaders approached in the third turn. All three cars continued before the leaders arrived in the final turn and the race remained green to the finish.

BANDOLEROS: A nine-driver, 15-lap Bandolero race on the third-mile oval for youngsters age 8 to 14 went to 10-year old Eric Sloan. He led all but the first two laps. Aaron Anderson, 11, finished second. Ninth starter Tyler Fabrozzi, 10, collected third. Las Vegas residents Ashlee Ambriz and Brianna Holley, both 14, completed the top five. All nine youngsters finished. The series groups drivers into two classes by age and the top three finishers in the young guns (age 12 up) and bandits (under age 12) pull to the finish line for trophies and interviews. Lexi Moore, at age 8, the youngest driver in the race was the third finishing bandit in her red and white pint-size racing uniform. When interviewed by pit reporter Gordon (LuggNuttz on Speed Freaks) Stewart, Lexi said, "I want to be a race car driver." Her father Dan Moore won the SLM 6-lap trophy dash for the 12th -18th fastest qualifiers in the event that preceded her race. He started last and took the lead on the final lap.

LATE MODELS: Pole starter Jace Meier, an 18-year old LM rookie from Las Vegas, led the first six laps in one of Huddleston's four Racecar Factory-built Justice Brothers High-Point Distributing Chevy Monte Carlos. Team owner Huddleston took the point by passing his protégé Meier on the inside through turns one and two and opened a 20-yard lead by lap 25. Aaron Staudinger, the May 12 feature winner, passed Meier for second on the inside at the third turn on lap 10. Meier reclaimed second from Staudinger on lap 35 and proceeded to cut into his bosses' lead during the final five laps. Meier trailed by seven yards (0.370) at the finish line for his best result on the IS half-mile. Staudinger finished third. Fastest qualifier/point leader Chris Carmody, the 22-year old April 28 feature winner, finished fourth in another of the blue Huddleston team cars. Mike Johnson, Michael Wright, Brian Jones, Legends vet Austin Grabowski, Kevin Callahan and Chris Johnson completed the top ten in a strong 30-car field. Twenty-nine drivers finished the 16-minute race with 19 drivers on the lead lap. There was one caution flag on lap 3 for a spin by rookie Scott Jenkins in the fourth Huddleston Monte Carlo.

SLM MAIN: Nick Joanides started on the pole in one of three Speed Wong Racing Monte Carlos and led the first six laps of the 23-car, 50-lap SLM main. Fifth starter Michels, in Bob Bruncati's Sunrise Ford/Turbo Torq Ford Fusion, executed an inside pass from turn four to the starting line on lap seven. He outdistanced fellow Elite Division Southwest Series driver Joanides to the finish line. He won by 25-yards (0.852). Joanides edged point leader Andrew Phipps and Travis Thirkettle, who battled for third place all the way. Derek Becker started sixth and finished fifth for his best showing to date. Rounding out the top ten were Dustin Ash, the second place driver in points at the Las Vegas Bullring who was making his first IS ride in a Speed Wong Chevy, David Beat, Linny White, Stephen Peace and Dan O'Donnell. Only 13 of the 24 starters finished and 12 ran all 50 circuits.

CRASHES: A seven-car crash in the SLM main on lap 29 high in the second turn sidelined every involved car with serious damage. Officials also parked Scott Dodd, who got into 11th place Peace and triggered the melee, for causing the crash because involved cars were unable to continue. The cars of Russell White and Gary Jenkins were damaged heavily, but all drivers walked away without serious injuries. In the LM main, eighth starter Scott Jenkins, from Portland, OR, spun his No. 51high in the third corner on lap 3. Richie Altman's passing car contacted the RF front fender of Jenkins' car and flattened Altman's RF tire. He pitted and did not return. Jenkins continued in his damaged Chevy, lost two laps and finished 26th. The most serious looking crash occurred on lap 2 in the truck race. Three trucks were racing side by side on the backstretch for ninth position. Matthew Hicks (inside) and Logan Henson (middle) made contact, causing Hicks to veer to his right and into the truck of outside running Jeff Williams. Both trucks went nose-first together into the outer wall just beyond the track entrance road. The trucks hit the wall hard and ricocheted to the third turn before stopping on the track. A 17-minute red flag followed. Hicks, the May 5 feature winner, had the front end of his truck pushed back almost to the firewall and had back end damage as well. He complained about a sore ankle. Both trucks were hauled away by wreckers from Jan's Towing.

HARD CHARGERS: Trucks-Richard Legere in a Speed Wong No. 72 came from 19th to finish 11th. Legends-Josh Geer raced from 19th to 14th. LM-Rookie Travis Irving won his second consecutive hard charger award by coming from 16th to 11th. SLM-Scott Conaway earned his hard charger $100 bonus by starting 18th and finishing 11th. Fastest qualifiers were: Legends-Darren Amidon (16.911), Bandoleros-Andrew Anderson (18.793), S/T-Mintey (19.891), LM-Carmody (19.030), and SLM-Michels (18.056). It was Michels' third consecutive fastest qualifying time.

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