IRWINDALE, Ca — High Point Racing owner and driver, Tim Huddleston’s three race winning streak came to an end last Saturday night, but it was the teams overall performance that was most impressive. While Huddleston started on the outside row, beside long time competitor Mike Johnson, two of his young drivers started on the inside in the rows just behind him. Huddleston’s qualifying effort landed him with the fast time award, but the invert flopped the front row. Reno, NV drivers Beau DeBard and Dallas Colodny started on the inside of rows 2 and 3 respectively.
At the drop of the green flag, Huddleston and Johnson ran side by side. As the field spread out off of turn two, DeBard was stuck in the bottom line with Nick Joanides on the outside of him. Behind Joanides a hole opened up and the #51 of Dallas Colodny quickly moved into the faster groove and was able to overcome DeBard.
Finding the gap behind Colodny, DeBard settled in the fifth position as the top five began to break away from the rest of the group. Huddleston ran hard, but the car that was almost a full tenth of a second faster than anyone else in qualifying, just couldn’t keep pace with Johnson who was leading with clean air in front of him.
Further back in the field, High Point Racing drivers, Travis Motley and Cassie Gannis were busy making moves and fighting back from the qualifying efforts that left them starting the race in 10 and 15 respectively. Two cautions interrupted the 40 lap main event but none of them involved blue cars.
By nights end, Gannis had fought her way back up to the tenth spot and Motley was running in ninth. All five cars finished the race without any damage and in the top ten. “This is the first time that we’ve finished five in the top ten and to occupy half of the top ten cars is something we’re really proud of,” owner Huddleston said.
Huddleston inched 2 points closer to Joanides in the championship battle, while Colodny gained four points toward the fourth spot over Travis Irving. Beau DeBard also moved up two positions to take over the sixth spot and moves closer to making a real battle for the Rookie of the Year title between him and his fellow HPR driver, Dallas Colodny. Cassie Gannis and Travis Motley sit 10th and 12th in the points battle and coming up on the half way mark of the schedule, look to be able to land both cars in the top ten by seasons end.
High Point Racing late model action returns June 27th at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. For more information on High Point Racing, visit www.highpointracing.com.
