IRWINDALE, California – Auggie Vidovich and series point leader Nick Joanides split the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale NASCAR AC Delco Super Late Model twin 40-lap main events Saturday in front of about 3,500 spectators. It was the first SLM victory at the track for Vidovich, a champion of NASCAR's now extinct Elite Division Southwest Series. It was the ninth SLM triumph for Joanides in 15 races this season aboard his Loyd McGhee-owned J & M Construction/Mr. Crane 2008 Chevy Monte Carlo. Vidovich, from Lakeside, drove the No. 20 Chevy, one of three Speed Wong Racing cars in the race. A SLM time trial field of 27 tied the opening night (March 22) season-high car count. Joanides, who is trying to win his first series championship at the track, won his ninth SLM feature in 15 races this year. He increased his point lead from 24 to 40 points with five races remaining.
The 11-car Pick Your Part Outlaw Figure 8 Series 20-lap, $2,000 race concluded the five series, six main event evening. It was the make-up race for the July 12 rained-out race. The Figure 8 race provided the most serious crash of the night. Fastest qualifier/pole starter Jay Henson, 38, led the opening lap and was at the X intersection on his second lap when eighth place Sean Hansen slammed into the right side of Henson's car with a loud impact. Hansen escaped serious injury. Henson's car lost much of its bodywork and spun to a stop on the third-mile front straight. Henson was in and out of consciousness reportedly and was in discomfort from the full-speed impact. A 20-minute red flag ensued as track safety workers used the "jaws of life" to cut through roll-cage bars on the driver side to remove Henson. He was transported by Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for tests and treatment.
FIGURE 8: a complete restart resulted in 2000 track champion Billy Ziemann moving forward from third to first starting position in the now nine-car field. He led all 20-laps of the seven minute, all green-flag race. Ziemann, who earned $1,000, won by 15-yards (1.156 seconds) over point leader/second starter Steve Stewart, the 2005 and 2007 F-8 track champion. The runner-up had set the fastest qualifying time and won four of four TS@I PYP F-8 features this year. His older brother Rusty Stewart came from fourth to run a close third all 20 circuits. Fourth place Tony Curtis was the only other finisher on the lead lap. Jerry Toporek and Jared Henson, younger brother of the injured driver, were the only other finishers. The field included a super truck, super stock and pure stock that competed for the several hundred dollar guaranteed starting money.
SUPER STOCKS: Point leader Bryan Harrell was the fastest qualifier and eighth starter in a 35-lap Vista Paint Super Stock feature on the half-mile. In a 16-car field, Harrell became the third leader on lap 16 and won by 0.318 over a closing Rich De Long III, the lap 3-15 leader, who found more speed during the final four laps. Both leaders drove 1977 Chevy Camaros. Harrell now leads De Long by 28-points. Harrell ranks tenth on the list of all-time feature winners at the track with 24 victories, all in the VPSS division. His latest triumph moved him into sole possession of the most VPSS feature victories. Scott Corrigan started and finished third in his Camaro that had to be repaired after severe RF end damage sidelined it in the feature two weeks ago. Gary Read and Curtis White finished fourth and fifth with 13 of 16 drivers running at the end. Eleven drivers ran all 35 laps. Pole starter Frank Burnette led the first two laps and finished ninth. The 15-minute race had one caution flag for a two-car accident involving Julianne Seeley and Jason De Long in the third turn.
MINI STOCKS: A 16-car field of four-cylinder Justice Brothers Mini Stocks ran 35 laps on the third-mile in a ten-minute, all green flag race. Point leader Rich Garver started third in his 1980 Toyota Celica and led lap 15 to the checkered flag. It was his first victory this season after four seconds, two thirds and a pair of fourths in the eight prior 2008 races. Garver expanded his lead from 26 to 36 points over runner-up Jacob Rogers, who advanced from third to second in points in his Ford Pinto after nine of 13 scheduled races. Richie Altman took third in another "Pinto pony". Four-time 2008 feature winner Tyler Rogers drove the Pinto usually driven by his father Steve from eighth starting spot to fourth. Rod Schmitt was fifth in his Pinto. Early leaders were pole-man Daryl Scoggins (L 1) and fastest qualifier/second starter Dennis Croasmun (L 2-14). Croasmun's fourth place Pinto was black-flagged on lap 22 for smoking.
BANDOLEROS: "Little" Al Simpson, 11, led the final three laps of a 20-lap D & D Construction Bandolero main on the third-mile. It was his first victory in only his fourth race. A season-high 11 cars competed. Aaron Anderson, 12, trailed by 1.306 seconds. Rookie Ricky Schlick took third in his No. 24 car that is painted like Jeff Gordon's Chevy. J. A. Junior, driving in just his second race, followed his second place in the last feature by starting first in a four-car inverted lineup. He led the first 17 laps. Second running Misty Balser, in her third race, got into the back of the leader's car in turn four. Both drivers spun out and were unable to continue. On the restart brother and sister Andrew, 14, and Audree Porter, 13, collided and spun out in the fourth corner. They restarted and finished fourth (Andrew) and fifth (Audree) with eight of 11 starters racing at the finish. Rapidly improving Lexi Moore, 9, set her initial fast time and entered the race as the series point leader. She started fourth, climbed to second on lap 2 and then spun twice. She finished seventh and lost the point lead to Anderson (344-338). A five-car spin-out on the third lap in turn two was the first of three cautions in the 17-minute race. One race remains (on September 6) for the Bandolero youngsters in their Briggs & Stratton-powered cars.
SLM RACE 1: Twenty-five of 27 drivers present took the green flag in the SLM first 40. David Ross shot from the inside second row via an inside move past front row starters Vidovich and Joanides in three-wide racing as they entered turn three. Ross emerged from turn four with the lead and paced the first two laps. A multi-car crash on lap 2 exiting turn four sidelined three cars. Drivers Dustin Ash, from Las Vegas in the Speed Wong No. 21, Jobe Spyres and Matthew Eshleman were eliminated. It was the only yellow flag of the 18-minute race. Vidovich raced past Ross during lap 3 from turn four to the starting line. Joanides and David Beat dropped Ross from second to fourth on lap 6. Joanides, who was crew chief and driver for Speed Wong Racing last year, chased his former 2007 SLM ride that he drove to mid-year. He was 15-yards behind Vidovich at lap 20 and 20-yards (0.760) in back of Vidovich at the conclusion. Andy Allen came from fifth starting spot to finish third after passing Beat on lap 32. Allen ran the second fastest lap of the race at 18.594. Beat took fourth, 4.062-seconds behind the winner. Ross, Travis Thirkettle, Matt Hicks, and Grand National West driver Jason Patison ran in a tight, four-car pack for the final 30 laps and finished in that order. Hicks turned the fastest lap of the race at 18.585. Dan Moore and Brian Wong (Speed Wong 89) completed the top ten as 13 drivers among 17 finishers ran all 40 laps.
SLM RACE 2: Only 22 cars appeared for the second SLM 40 and the starting order was the finishing order of the first 40. Pole starter Vidovich led the opening lap on the inside over outside running Joanides, who took the lead on lap 2. Joanides then received contact from Allen's car and spun 360 degrees to the inside of the track at the end of the backstretch. He continued non-stop as the yellow flag flew because Allen's car glanced off the mid-backstretch wall and slowed. The RF fender of Vidovich's Chevy received damage as well, but he continued. Officials sent Allen to the back of the field (18th). Joanides resumed his position as race leader over Vidovich, Beat, Thirkettle and Ross. By lap 10 Joanides had a 30-yard lead over Thirkettle and Beat, who traded second position on lap 12. Vidovich's shattered RF fender shed debris at turn three and officials called for a yellow flag on lap 21 to remove the metal piece at the outside wall. On lap 32 Hicks took second from Beat and closed quickly on leader Joanides. Then a "family feud" produced the third and final caution flag. Rickey McCray and his sister Toni were racing for 14th position in turn four when they collided on lap 37. Toni veered into the outside wall and caved in her RF end, while Rickey stopped his disabled car at the inside of turn four.
At lap 35 Hicks was on the inside of Joanides, half a length from the lead, as he tried to win his second SLM feature in recent weeks. At the lap 37 green flag, Beat passed Hicks, whose car did not accelerate quickly. "I think my engine lost a cylinder at the end," Hicks said. Beat trailed Joanides by ten yards (0.579) at the finish and third place Hicks was 0.831 in back of the winner. Vidovich held on for fourth despite missing most of his RF fender. Thirkettle took fifth, 1.710 seconds back. Rounding out the top ten were Patison, Allen, Moore, Wong and Ross. All 15 finishers completed 40 laps in a 27-minute event. Allen ran the fastest lap of the race at 18.798 as he raced from 18th to seventh following his lap 2 penalty. Joanides was next quickest at 18.866. The SLM series has twin features on August 23 and September 6 (which includes the make-up race for the July 12 rained-out event) plus the final point race on September 13.
The opening races at 7:00 pm were a pair of six-lap trophy dashes for the six fastest qualifiers in each division with inverted starting lineups. Gary Read won in super stocks and Richie Altman took the mini stock race. Hard charger award recipients selected by race control staff were: Dusty Morgan (MS), Curtis White (SS), and in SLM # 1 – Luis Martinez, Jr and SLM # 2 - Jeff Eshleman . Fastest qualifiers were: Bandoleros – Lexi Moore, Mini Stocks – Croasmun, Super Stocks – Harrell for the ninth time in nine races this year, Figure 8 – Jay Henson, and SLM – Joanides (for the last ten consecutive SLM events after Charles Price had fast time on opening night).
