IT’S A NIGHT FOR WOMEN DRIVERS AT OSS AS MCCRAY, MARZULLO WIN MAIN EVENTS

SAN BERNARDINO, California — It was Ladies Night at Orange Show Speedway Saturday when Toni McCray got the first main event win of her career and Kim Marzullo got her first victory of the year.

McCray bested 14 male rivals to win the 50-lap ASA Late Model main event and Marzullo outran eight male foes to claim the 35-lap Factory Fours feature. Both women won their 4-lap Trophy Dashes as well.

It took two tries to get the Late Model main started, but it finally was under way McCray, 32, of Highland, had a lead she never relinquished despite having to endure nine caution flags and late pressure from Ryan Daniel in a contest that was more of a Demolition Derby than the one that closed the show for an estimated 2,000 spectators.

Dan DiGiammarino, who had dominated the 100-lap Late Model race May 30, was an early victim of Saturday night’s carnage and finished 15th, and potential contenders Ron Daniel, Barry Karr, Logan Mainella and Kevin James all suffered early-race setbacks.

McCray, the marketing director for Best in the West Racing and the ASA-sanctioned quarter-mile oval, got an excellent restart after the final caution on lap 45 and finished 0.647 seconds ahead of Ryan Daniel, with Jim Conklin third.

Marzullo, 43, of San Bernardino, went into the evening third in points in the Factory Fours class and strengthened her hold on that spot with her 0.137-second victory over championship leader Ben Mahan.

The San Bernardino High School teacher and coach started eighth in the nine-car field in her lime green Toyota pickup, but took the lead from Daniel Allred on lap 6 and never was pressured after that.

Four-time and reigning JAM Sportswear Pony Stock champion Jim Edmiston got his third win in four races this season, but spent the first 28 laps of the 35-lap race trying to stay with and find a way to pass Robby Hornsby, 17, of Yucaipa. Those two ran almost nose-to-tail from the start and put the rest of the 15-car field well behind.

Edmiston finally made his pass by getting inside Hornsby going into Turn 1 on lap 29, and as the lap ended the motor in Hornsby’s Ford Pinto exploded, relegating him to a 12th-place finish. Second went to Riverside’s Sean Spencer, who went from first to last at the start when he had to make a quick pit stop due to a fluid leak.

David Glidewell led from start to finish in a Pro 4 main event shortened from 35 to 25 laps after a lengthy, and scary, delay when the Chevrolet of Tony Edwards caught fire in Turn 2 on lap 13. Edwards was able to exit the car safely with the help of corner worker Chris Singleton, but the car burned for several minutes.

Orange Show Speedway will be dark July 4. Racing will resume July 11 with the first appearance of the Lucas Oil SuperClean Modifieds, ASA Late Models, Pick-A-Part Street Stocks and Stock Cars USA.