SAN BERNARDINO, California — NASCAR Sprint Cup driver David Gilliland made a guest appearance but Toni McCray was the star of the show Saturday night at Orange Show Speedway.
Twice sent to the end of the lead lap for impolite driving, McCray had no trouble overcoming the penalties to lead the final quarter of a 100-lap ASA Late Model main event and claim her third win of the season in the class and her fourth overall counting a Super Late Model victory Oct. 3.
McCray, of Highland, got her Lucas Oil Chevrolet to the checkered flag 2 seconds ahead of Jim Conklin, of Big Bear City, with Barry Karr of Redlands third, Ryan Daniel fourth and Steve Smith after leading the first 75 laps of an event that was changed from a twin 50-lap format to a single 100-lap race for double points.
Gilliland, who had finished eighth in the Nationwide Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana earlier Saturday, was seventh in his first race at the ASA-sanctioned quarter-mile oval.
Daniel, 31, of Mentone, won his first track championship. He had gone into the evening 18 points ahead of Kevin James and 40 in front of John Mattie and finished 40 in front of past champion Conklin. James, of Yucaipa, got married at 5 p.m. Saturday and did not race and Mattie was forced to pit for several laps early in the race due to a flat tire and finished ninth.
McCray’s win left her third in points, even though she missed the opening race of the season, with Mattie fourth, rookie Matt Goodwin, of Wildomar, fifth and James sixth.
McCray and Ryan Daniel tied for the class lead with three wins apiece.
Johnny Russo, a 56-year-old retiree from Big Bear City, faded to an eighth-place finish in the 35-lap San Bernardino Pick-A-Part Street Stock main, but that was more than good enough to secure his sixth class championship. Russo, who went into the night 20 points ahead of Kyle Meyer and Cliff Conklin, finished 12 points ahead of Conklin and 14 up on Meyer.
While all that was going on, however, Jesse James Lawson, of Big Bear City, won for the fourth time in five races, beating Jeff Grill by 0.170 of a second in the closest finish of the season. Lawson finished fourth in the standings, 18 points behind.
| Late Models |
|---|
| 1. Toni McCray, Highland, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 2. Jim Conklin, Big Bear Lake, Pontiac Grand Prix/Chevrolet; 3. Barry Karr, Redlands, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 4. Ryan Daniel, Mentone, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 5. Steve Smith, San Bernardino, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 6. Matt Goodwin, Wildomar, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 7. David Gilliland, Mooresville, N.C., Toyota Camry/Chevrolet; 8. Brian Malone, Redlands, Chevrolet Monte carlo; 9. John Mattie, Highland, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 10. Jeff Watson, Huntington Beach, Ford Fusion; 11. Jeff Lawson, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Impala; 12. Sam Newcomer, Apple Valley, Dodge Charger/Chevrolet; 13. Glen Cummings, Highland, Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Margin of victory – 2.001 seconds. Average speed – 35.843 miles per hour. Trophy Dash winners – Malone (fast qualifiers); Lawson (slow qualifiers). Top qualifier – McCray, 13.478 seconds. |
| Street Stocks |
| 1. Jesse Lawson, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Camaro; 2. Jeff Grill, Rosamond, Chevrolet Camaro; 3. Jay Henson, Oak Hills, Chevrolet Camaro; 4. Cliff Conklin, Big Bear Lake, Chevrolet Camaro; 5. Kyle Meyer, Highland, Chevrolet Nova; 6. John Reid, Perris, Chevrolet Camaro; 7. Tony Forfa Jr., San Bernardino, Chevrolet Camaro; 8. Johnny Russo, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 9. Russ Walker, San Bernardino, Chevrolet Camaro; 10. Mike Stone, Fontana, Chevrolet Camaro; 11. Ed Brodd, Lancaster, Pontiac Grand-Am; 12. Dave Foster, Riverside, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 13. Jon Christenson, Las Vegas, Chevrolet Chevelle. Margin of victory – 0.170 seconds. Average speed – 27.756 mph. Trophy Dash winners – Lawson (fast qualifiers); Reid (slow quaifiers). Top qualifier – Grill, 14.628 seconds. |
| WRA Midgets |
| 1. Les Stark, Apple Valley, Offenhauser; 2. Al Ervine, Phoenix, Offenhauser; 3. Dick Hughes, West Covina, Chevrolet II. Heat race winner – Steve Enright, Tustin, Offenhauser |
| WRA Sprint Cars |
| 1. Jack Kersell, Santee, Chevrolet V-8; 2. Richard Mastroleo, Azusa, Chevrolet V-8; 3. Greg Dierks, Rancho Palos Verdes, Chevrolet V-8. Heat race winner – Mastroleo. |
