SAN BERNARDINO, California — James Cole won a Modified championship in San Antonio, Texas, and went looking for new race tracks to conquer. Saturday night he found Orange Show Speedway to his liking.
Inheriting the pole position after Riverside’s Bryan Harrell crashed in the Trophy Dash, Cole led the Lucas Oil SuperClean Modified series 75-lap main event from start to finish and held off a late charge by Riverside’s Jim Mardis to get his first victory of the season on the ASA-sanctioned quarter-mile oval.
Toni McCray turned in another dazzling performance in the ASA Late Model class, setting a track record in qualifying and holding off Linny White and Logan Mainella to post her second win in a row.
Jesse James Lawson, of Big Bear City, got his first main event win with a wire-to-wire victory in the 35-lap contest for the Pick-A-Part Street Stocks and Riverside’s Shaun Estes, in his first race of the season, captured Stock Cars USA’s 25-lap feature.
Cole, who had been third at Las Vegas May 16 in round three of the series, led by more than 2 seconds on lap 35, and after two caution periods tightened up what remained of the 22-car field the Texan rebuilt his advantage to 1.45 seconds on lap 60.
Mardis, the fastest qualifier, spent 60-plus laps trying to find some way to pass Tim Morse for second. Mardis finally made the pass on lap 65 and quickly closed the gap on Cole. On lap 72 Mardis moved high on the track and he and Cole ran side by side, but Mardis couldn’t complete the pass and fell in line behind Cole on the final turn of the final lap.
McCray, the first woman to win a main event in one of Orange Show’s premier divisions, battled Ryan Daniel for second early on, then got the lead from his father, Ron Daniel, when he and McCray touched and he spun at start-finish on lap 30. White moved in to second at the same time, but never seriously challenged.
| Lucas Oil Superclean Modifieds |
|---|
| 1. James Cole, San Antonio, Texas; 2. Jim Mardis, Riverside; 3. Tim Morse, Burbank; 4. Austin Barnes, Escondido; 5. Andrew Phipps, Simi Valley; 6. Mike Regelman, Sacramento; 7. Rod Johnson, Canyon Country; 8. Brian Collins, Encinitas; 9. Larry Gerchman, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.;10. Dave Arce, Santee; 11. Dennis Lovelady, Las Vegas; 12. Doug Carpenter, La Mesa; 13. David Gerchman, lake Havasu City; 14. Bob Meese, Poway; 15. Scott Osbourne, Las Vegas; 16. Bryan Harrell, Riverside; 17. Craig Stewart, Las Vegas; 18. Chris Gerchman, Lake Havasu City; 19. Chris Clyne, Las Vegas; 20. Doug Hamm, Las Vegas; 21. Randy Ussery, Salome, Ariz.; 22. Chris Patton, Escondido. Margin of victory – 0.242 seconds. B main winner -- Lovelady. Trophy Dash winner – Barnes. Fast qualifier – Mardis, 13.595 seconds (track record; old record 13.600, Jason Patison, 2007) |
| ASA Late Models |
| 1. Toni McCray, Highland, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 2. Linny White, Colton, Chevroley Monte Carlo; 3. Logan Mainella, Palmdale, Dodge Intrepid/Chevrolet; 4. John Mattie, Highland, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 5. Dave Arce, Santee, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 6. Matt Goodwin, Wildomar, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 7. Jeff Lawson, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Impala; 8. Ryan Daniel, Mentone, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 9. Kevin James, Yucaipa, Pontiac Grand Prix/Chevrolet; 10. Brian Malone, Redlands, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 11. Ron Daniel, Mentone, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 12. Jimmy Rouse Jr., Fontana, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 13. Jim Conklin, Big Bear City, Pontiac Grand Prix/Chevrolet. Margin of victory – unavailable. Trophy Dash winner – Ryan Daniel. Fast qualifier – McCray, 13.475 seconds (track record; old record 13.502, McCray, May 2, 2009) |
| Pick-A-Part Street Stocks |
| 1. Jesse James Lawson, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Camaro; 2. Johnny Russo, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 3. Tony Forfa Jr., San Bernardino, Chevrolet Camaro; 4. Kyle Meyer, Highland, Chevrolet Nova; 5. Mike Stone, Fontana, Chevrolet Camaro; 6. Cliff Conklin, Big Bear Lake, Chevrolet Camaro; 7. Scott Curry, Perris, Chevrolet Camaro; 8. Kevin Cook, Riverside, Chevrolet Malibu; 9. Jeff Watson, Huntington Beach, Chevrolet Nova; 10. Jerome Gipson, Highland, Oldsmobile Omega; 11. Tom Whitson, Lake Elsinore, Chevrolet Nova. Margin of victory – 0.222 seconds. Trophy Dash winner – Forfa Jr. Fast qualifier – Conklin, 14.629 seconds. |
| Stock Cars USA |
| 1. Shaun Estes, Riverside, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 2. Jimmy Rouse, San Bernardino, Chevrolet Chevelle; 3. Kevin Cook, Riverside, Chevrolet Malibu; 4. Tom Whitson, Lake Elsinore, Chevrolet Nova; 5. Jimmy Rouse Jr., Fontana, Chevrolet Nova; 6. Dave Foster, Riverside, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 7. Joel Crawford, Oak Hills, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 8. Clint Knight, Whitewater, Chevrolet Nova; 9. Don Rudd, Riverside, Chevrolet Nova; 10. Blake Usilton, Corona, Chevrolet Chevelle; 11. Matt Lauer, Riverside, Ford Thunderbird; 12. Mark Fletchall, Riverside, Buick; 13. Steve Rock, Riverside, Chevrolet Nova. Margin of victory – 1.088 seconds. Trophy Dash winner – Rouse. Fast qualifier – Whitson, 15.326 seconds. |
