SAN BERNARDINO, California — Best in the West Racing honored the 2009 Orange Show Speedway champions Saturday night with a beautifully-executed dinner and awards ceremony at the San Bernardino Hilton Hotel.
The evening was a celebration of the successful completion of Best in the West Racing Inc.’s inaugural season promoting weekly racing programs at the historic quarter-mile oval adjacent to the National Orange Show grounds.
Farmers Insurance Group sponsored the ceremony.
Best in the West president Rick McCray thanked the racers, his staff and the public for their cooperation and enthusiasm during what many termed a year of rebirth for the 62-year-old facility. Dennis Huth, whose American Speed Association sanctions the activity at the track, said during his remarks that he seldom had attended a banquet with such a positive, electric atmosphere and added his praise for all involved in the effort.
The track was without a promoter and in danger of being closed until McCray signed a long-term lease on the afternoon of Feb. 15. The owner of a San Bernardino truck repair business and former NASCAR race winner, McCray outlined his plans to an estimated 200 attendees at a public meeting just hours after signing the lease and began making improvements.
Timing and scoring was modernized by the use of transponders, concrete pads were laid in the pits, a superb sound system was installed and the services of famed announcer Bruce Flanders obtained, new vendors solicited and the cadre of officials assembled.
The season opened March 28 with a program headlined by the premier Super Late Model class and closed Oct. 24 with the Lucas Oil/Pick-A-Part Outlaw Figure 8 West Coast Championship, a late addition to the schedule.
Opening night turned out to be a harbinger of things to come, with Mark Shackleford of Riverside winning the Super Late Model main, Jim Edmiston of Highland capturing the JAM Sportswear Pony Stock feature and Chad Schug of Oak Hills taking the Legends Cars race. All three went on to win their class championships.
It was the second Super Late Model title and the seventh championship overall for Shackleford and the fifth Pony Stock crown and sixth championship overall for Edmiston.
The other repeat champions were Johnny Russo of Big Bear City, who won his sixth Pick-A-Part Street Stock title, and Don Minut of Moreno Valley, who took home his second Pro 4 trophy.
The roll call of first-time champions included Schug, Ryan Daniel of Mentone (Late Model), Dwayne Blay of Riverside (Factory Four), Tom Whitson of Lake Elsinore (Stock Cars USA), Dave Foster of Riverside (USA Figure 8) and Aaron Anderson of Lancaster (Bandoleros).
All were presented with trophies, awards and champions’ jackets.
McCray and his wife, Sandy, were given several standing ovations during the evening.
Planning for the 2010 season is well under way, with both the competition rule book and a tentative schedule expected to be available this week.
For information on sponsorship and promotional opportunities, please contact Best in the West Racing by telephone at 909-885-9000 or visit the new web site at www.BestInTheWestRacing.com.
For all other information, please contact Jim Short by telephone at 951-203-2649 or by e-mail at jimshort65@sbcglobal.net.
