JOANIDES WINS SUPER LATE MODEL TWINS-AGAIN

Source: Tim Kennedy
Date: 05/05/2008

IRWINDALE, California - Crashing and bashing was prevalent Saturday night during the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale four division, five main event card on "Family Night" in front of about 2,000 spectators. Nick Joanides, in a Jackson Race-Cars chassis with Ed Hansen-built engine, swept his second consecutive NASCAR AC DELCO Super Late Model twin 40-lap features in Whelen All-American Series action on the banked half-mile. He drove Loyd McGhee's No. 71 J & M Construction/Mr. Crane 2008 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Joanides also won the twin-50-lap mains two weeks ago for his first SLM victories at the track. He became the first driver to win back-to-back SLM twin features since Greg Pursley turned the trick in 2004. Pursley, NASCAR's 2004 National Short Track champion, and Rip Michels, Irwindale's 2007 SLM track champion, are the only other drivers to sweep SLM twins at Irwindale.

SLM: Joanides set fastest qualifying time on both of his qualifying laps during late afternoon single-car SLM qualification runs. He pulled a six for the first race inversion number in a 22-car field. He then pulled a five for the second feature inversion. It made little difference to him because he took the lead on lap 27 in the first race and on lap 7 during the second main. After having problems in the first two SLM events this season, Joanides, from Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley, entered Saturday's twins ranked sixth in points. His twin wins elevated "Slick Nick" to fourth in point standings, only 30-points behind new SLM Series point leader Dan Moore.

LEGENDS: Other winners predictably were veteran past winners. Fastest qualifier/pole-starter Tom Landreth, the point leader after three races, led all 30-laps in the Legend straight-up start main on the third-mile track. It was his first victory this season and broke his tie at 36 Irwindale victories with Late Model champion Todd Burns. Landreth's triumph was his 37th in the Legend Series. Michels leads all drivers with 55 feature victories at Irwindale. Ryan Reed, 14-year old son of veteran Grand National West driver Mark Reed, of Bakersfield, continued his strong rookie season. He raced from fourth starting spot in a 25-car field to second place, 0.549 behind Landreth. The youngster took second from 2007 Legends track champion Darren Amidon on lap 21 with an inside pass entering turn one. Reed climbed from fourth to second in current Legend points. Eric Gunderson and Mark Iungerich followed. Twenty-three of the 25 starters finished; 23 of them ran all 30-laps in a 14:15.715-timed race with two caution-flags at mid-race.

SUPER STOCKS: Fastest qualifier Bryan Harrell, the 2006 Vista Paint Super Stock track champion, started eighth in the Vista Paint Super Stock 35-lap race on the half-mile. He reached second place on lap 7, put his Centre Builders-sponsored 1977 Chevy Camaro into the lead on lap 9, and led the final 26 laps. Amazingly, Christopher Harness shot his Camaro from fifth starting slot into the lead and paced the first eight laps. He trailed by ten yards (0.593) at the conclusion. Third finisher Rich DeLong III enjoyed his best finish with his Camaro despite a fourth turn spin on lap 12 and a stop in turn four on lap 16 to avoid a spinning car. Thirteen of the 17 starters finished and 12 starters completed all 35 laps. Harrell, whose wife is his spotter, climbed from third to second in points, only two points in back of point leader Kenny Brown (140-138). Greg Crutcher has 136 points and DeLong is fourth with 132.

BANDOLEROS: Usual D & D Construction Bandolero winner/point leader Aaron Anderson, 12, set fastest qualifying time, started first, took the lead on lap 4 and won the 20-lap Bandolero main. It was contested on the third-mile as the initial main of the evening. However, post-race technical inspection resulted in his car being disqualified for reported use of a spacer in the car's rear bar. Runner-up Eric Sloan, leader of the first three laps, inherited the victory as a result of Anderson'd DQ. New point leader Aubree Poreter, 13, and her brother Andrew, 14, followed. They are the grandchildren of King Taco Super Truck driver Kenny Smith. Lexi Moore, the 9-year old daughter of SLM point leader Dan Moore, placed fourth in the eight-car race. Anderson ran the only 18-second laps of the race with a best lap of 18.659. He reached the checkers of the all-green flag race in a time of 7:48.11. Sloan's official winning time was 8:00.913.

1st SLM MAIN: The first SLM 40-lap main had two yellow flags and one red flag. A multi-car crash on lap 37 entering the first turn led to an official 39-lap event because of time-consuming repairs required after the crash. The David Ross 11th place car slammed nose first into the protective attenuator at the pit entrance opening. His No. 57 car got airborne and bent a support pole before landing upright back of the track next to the two cars he was attempting to pass on the outside when his car was bumped. He was not injured, but his new car was unable to start the second SLM 40. The cars of Brian Fitzgibbons and 16-year old Randel King were the other cars involved and both drivers were set back several positions for jumping the lap 37 green flag. After lengthy repairs to the attenuator, race director Lester Boyer had the cars run two laps on the third-mile under the yellow flag before the starter displayed the checkered and yellow flags simultaneously. The 39-lap event time was 24:28.082. Pole starter Andrew Allen led the opening lap over Scott Conaway, Travis Thirkettle, Ross, Moore and Joanides. On lap 3 Ross got into the back of Thirkettle's car, which spun out leaving turn two. Ross was penalized to the back along with spinner Thirkettle. Joanides reached second place on lap 6 and on lap 27 he passed lap 1-26 leader Allen on the inside exiting the second turn. Joanides quickly opened a 20-yard lead and won by 1.440 seconds over Allen. Conaway was third. Moore and Chris Johnson completed the top five finishers. Jason Patison, Brian Wong, Ryan Partridge, Thirkettle and Stephen Peace finished sixth through tenth respectively.

2nd SLM 40: Joanides fourth consecutive and fourth career SLM victory took longer-36:59.874-than his first triumph because of more caution flags. He passed Moore, the first six-laps leader, in the fourth turn and won by 25-yards (0.936) over Thirkettle, who took second from Moore on lap 12. Thirkettle could not keep pace with Joanides despite five of the seven yellow flags coming after he took second place. Moore earned third and his 48-points enabled him to move from second to first in season points by 12 points over former leader Charles Price and Conaway who are tied for second at 246 points. Speed Wong Chevy team driver Ryan Partridge, Peace, Kevin Wong, Randel King, rookie Luis Martinez, Jr, Price (sub-driving the 88 team car from David Eshleman's fleet of four SLM cars), and Conaway completed the top ten. Only 20 cars were able to start the second 40; 15 finished, with 13 drivers on the lead lap. On lap 33 sixth place Allen got into the fifth place car of Johnson. Both cars slid up the track to the outer wall near the third turn. They retired to the pits on the back of tow trucks. A two-car crash occurred as drivers entered the first turn on lap 21. The contact sidelined cars of Mark Perry and Jason Patison.

DASH: Greg Crutcher came from fourth slot in the Super Stock 6-lap trophy dash for the six fastest VPSS qualifiers. He led the final five laps to barely edge sixth starter Harrell by a mere 0.020. Main event hard charger award winners were Bob Landreth (Legends), Kenny Brown (SS) and Jobe Spyres (SLM). Bob is the father of Legends winner/point leader Tom Landreth and 60+-year old Bob ranks tenth in 2008 point standings.

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