SAN BERNARDINO, California — Toni McCray got her first Super Late Model main event win and reigning champion Linny White added a little padding to his points lead Saturday night at Orange Show Speedway.
McCray, who started on the outside of the front row alongside brother Rickey, inherited the lead on lap 15 when Rickey was forced to pit because of a rear quarter-panel rubbing on his right rear tire.
Once in front, Toni McCray never put a wheel wrong on her NAPA/Lucas Oil Chevrolet, withstanding race-long pressure from past champion Glen Cummings and taking the checkered flag at the end of 50 laps 0.427 seconds in front of Cummings, with White third, Mark Shackleford fourth and Jim Conklin fifth.
That order of finish enabled White to gain two points on Shackleford in their head-to-head battle for the title and White will take a 6-point lead into the two 50-lap races that will close the season at the ASA-sanctioned quarter-mile oval on Oct. 17.
Toni McCray, who is fifth in the standings, won a Late Model main event June 27. Her best previous Super Late Model finish was a second to Shackleford Aug. 22.
Earlier in the evening Jim Edmiston of Highland celebrated his third straight Pony Stock championship by winning that 35-lap main event, Corona’s Cary Cecil won the 35-lap main event and Riverside’s Dwayne Blay claimed the title in the Factory Four division, and Riverside’s Kevin Cook won the 25-lap Stock Cars USA feature after Lake Elsinore’s Tom Whitson had taken the title by starting the race. Riverside’s Shaun Estes took the checkered flag in front, but was penalized to the end of the lead lap for a technical infraction and finished eighth.
Chase Catania of El Cajon took the 35-lap Legends Cars feature and Aaron Anderson of Lancaster won the 20-lap Bandolero race.
The only points battle really decided was the one between Blay and Ben Mahan of Oak Hills in the Factory Four class. Blay went into the night with a 4-point lead in the standings and a touch of drama was added early in the day, when second-place Ben Mahan lost second gear in his BMW. Mahan had to move into the driver’s seat of the Isuzu pickup Moreno Valley’s Ed Reid had brought to the track for the first time this season.
It got a little more tense during the race, when Blay twice was involved in incidents that sent him to the rear of the field. But while he charged back to finish third, Mahan faded, taking the checkered flag in sixth and wind up 10 points behind Blay.
| Super Late Models |
|---|
| 1. Toni McCray, Highland, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 2. Glen Cummings, Highland, Pontiac Grand Prix/Chevrolet; 3. Linny White, Colton, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 4. Mark Shackleford, Riverside, Chevrolet Monte carlo; 5. Jim Conklin, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 6. Jack Madrid, Ladera Ranch, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 7. Andre Prescott, La Quinta, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 8. Frankie Gould, Woodland Hills, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 9. Dee Cable, Santee, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 10. Rob Kiemele, Riverside, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 11. Richard Boker, Phelan, Pontiac Grand Prix/Chevrolet; 12. Rickey McCray, Highland, Ford Taurus; 13. John Manke, Ramona, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 14. Jake Engle, El Cajon, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 15. Austin Murphy, Lancaster, Ford Fusion; 16. Stephen Peace, El Cajon, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 17. Dave Scheidecker, Rialto, Pontiac Grand Prix/Chevrolet; 18. Barry Karr, Redlands, Chevrolet Impala. Margin of victory – 0.427 seconds. Average speed – 22.247 mph. Trophy Dash winner -- Shackleford. Fast qualifier – Kiemele, 12.983. |
| Pony Stocks |
| 1. Jim Edmiston, Highland, Ford Pinto; 2. Adrianne Murlin, Corona, Ford Pinto; 3. Bud Smith, Orange, Ford Pinto; 4. Robby Hornsby, Yucaipa, Ford Pinto; 5. Jim Gebhart, Yucaipa, Ford Pinto; 6. Sean Spencer, Riverside, Ford Pinto; 7. Jeremy Perez, Chino, Ford Mustang; 8. Spencer Samaro, San Bernardino, Ford Pinto; 9. Joe Bubbico, Perris, Ford Pinto; 10. Larry Hile, Redlands, Ford Pinto; 11. Jim Belter, Corona, Ford Pinto; 12. Lucas McCray, Riverside, Ford Pinto; 13. Josh Hodges, Yucaipa, Ford Pinto; 14. Joe Van Sant, San Bernardino, Ford Pinto; 15. Harold Young, Mentone, Ford Pinto;16. Darrell Kelsoe, San Bernardino, Ford Pinto; 17. Evan McCray, Riverside, Ford Pinto. Margin of victory – 1.838 seconds. Average speed – 12.449 mph. Trophy Dash winner -- Hornsby. Fast qualifier – Edmiston, 14.695. |
| Stock Cars USA |
| 1. Kevin Cook, Riverside, Chevrolet Malibu; 3. Dave Foster, Riverside, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 4. Mark Fletchall, Riverside, Chevrolet Chevelle; 5. Allen Hevy, Yucca Valley, Chevrolet Nova; 6. Scott Groom, Anaheim, Chevrolet Nova; 7. Joel Crawford, Oak Hills, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 8. Don Rudd, Riverside, Chevrolet Nova; 9. Dave Vreatt, Riverside, Chevrolet Nova; 10. Tom Whitson, Lake Elsinore, Chevrolet Nova; 11. Blake Usilton, Corona, Chevrolet Chevelle. Margin of victory – 1.664 seconds. Average speed – 18.974 mph. Trophy Dash winner -- Estes. Fast qualifier – Cook, 15.095 (track record; old record 15.141 by Whitson, April 4, 2009). |
| Facotry Fours |
| 1. Cary Cecil, Corona, Toyota truck; 2. Tony Dumont, Irvine, Mercedes-Benz sedan; 3. Dwayne Blay, Riverside, Toyota truck; 4. Victor Garcia, San Bernardino, Toyota truck; 5. Kim Marzullo, San Bernardino, Toyota truck; 6. Ben Mahan, Oak Hills, Isuzu truck; 7. Andrew Reed, Bloomington, Toyota truck; 8. Art Ramirez, Walnut, Toyota Celica; 9. Brad Barnett, Hemet, Toyota sedan; 10. Nick Davis, Bloomington, Ford Escort; 11. Jeff Imbriani, San Bernardino, Mazda truck; 12. Stan Chatwood, Bloomington, Honda Prelude; 13. Gil Everhart, Bloomington, Toyota truck. Margin of victory – 0.181 seconds. Average speed – 23.231 mph. Trophy Dash winner -- Chatwood. Fast qualifier – Dumont, 16.197. |
| Legend Cars |
| 1. Chase Catania, El Cajon, ’34 Ford coupe; 2. Chad Schug, Oak Hills, ’37 Ford coupe; 3. Mark Borchetta, Valencia, ’34 Ford coupe; 4. Ryan Schug, Oak Hills, Ford coupe; 5. Bree Brewer, Riverside, ’34 Ford coupe; 6. Brian Tyzcki, El Cajon, ’34 Ford coupe; 7. Brent Scheidemantle, Alta Loma, ’34 Ford coupe; 8. Robert Chavez, El Cajon, ’37 Ford sedan; 9. Josh White, El Cajon, Ford coupe. Margin of victory – 0.693 seconds. Average speed – 41.363 mph. Trophy Dash winner -- Scheidemantle. Fast qualifier – Catania, 14.592. |
| Bandoleros |
| 1. Aaron Anderson, Lancaster; 2. Ryan Cansdale, Laguna Beach; 3. Blake Dunkleberger, Simi Valley; 4. Randy Schlick, Claremont; 5. Parker Malone, Redlands; 6. Ivan Gudmestad, Crestline; 7. Jacob Hennie, Alta Loma. Trophy Dash winner -- Schlick. Fast qualifier – Cansdale, 15.21. |
