IRWINDALE, California – A NASCAR tripe header of racing action under the lights highlight’s this Saturday’s (August 16) PIPE CAREERS 200 Presented by the Pipe Trades event at TOYOTA Speedway at Irwindale. Three races are scheduled including a 200 lap NASCAR Camping World Series West race as well as 40 lap feature races in the Auto Club Late Model and King Taco Super Truck divisions.
Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Series race is the 11th event on the 2008 schedule and the second of two races taking place at TOYOTA Speedway. The first race was held on July 4th in which local driver Jason Bowles of Ontario scored his first series win on an oval track. Bowles is in second place in the series standings with 1,564 points, trailing leader Eric Holmes of Escalon (1,621) by 57 points. Holmes has four wins on the season but has yet to register a victory at Irwindale. However, he has three second-place finishes and one third-place finish on the half mile oval.
The Auto Club Late Model division returns to action on Saturday for the first time since August 2 when Lindsey King became the first woman driver to win a Late Model feature race at the Speedway. The 19 year old Cherry Valley resident who is a member of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, started from the pole position, led the entire race holding off Nick Joanides of Woodland Hills and beat him to the finish line by 0.218 seconds. Joanides leads the division standings with 506 points including a four point lead over Tim Huddleston of Agoura Hills with 502 points. Andrew Myers of Huntington Beach, who is expected to perform double duty by competing in both the Camping World Series and Late Model races, is in third place with 494 points. Travis Irving of Long Beach who is sixth in the points will be debuting a new California Highway Patrol sponsored Toyota Camry prepared by Racecar Factory.
In King Taco Super Trucks action, 17 year old Connor Cantrell of Valencia will be attempting to erase the eight point gap separating him and division points leader Pat Mintey Jr. of Quartz Hill. Cantrell has been on a roll winning four of his last six starts including the last race on August 2. Mintey’s division lead has been a result of consistency throughout the season with podium finishes in seven of nine races including two wins.
Alex Castro, also known as Militia on the NBC television show American Gladiators, will serve as the Grand Marshal for Saturday’s event. Castro will be the honorary starter of the Camping World Series race and will be available to be sign autographs before racing activities get under way.
Spectator gates open at 4 p.m. with Camping World Series qualifying beginning at 4:30 p.m. The King Taco fan appreciation autograph session with drivers, crews and cars will take place on the track beginning at 5:45 p.m. Green flag racing action begins at 7 p.m.
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Tickets for all TOYOTA Speedway at Irwindale events are available for purchase on line at www.toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com, at the Speedway ticket office and by calling (626) 358-1100. Advance tickets are also available for next Saturday’s (August 23) Lucas Oil NASCAR Ultimate Viewing Party. Fans attending the event will be able watch ESPN’s live broadcast of the Sharpie 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway on a giant vision screen while watching NASCAR weekly racing on the Speedway’s half and third mile oval tracks. It is also Firefighters Appreciation night with all Southern California firefighter employees admitted for free. Auto Club of Southern California members receive a 10% discount off of the purchase of up to four (4) adult general admission tickets for Saturday oval track races when they show their AAA membership card. Restrictions may apply.
TOYOTA Speedway at Irwindale is located at 500 Speedway Drive off of Live Oak Ave. and the I-605 freeway, between the I-10 and 210 freeways in Irwindale, Calif. Log on to www.toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com for information and schedules.
