The SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series will be in action this Saturday night at Toyota Speedway for the “SPEARS MANUFACTURING 100”, the sixth race of the 2010 SRL championship.
NEWS and NOTES:
CHAMPIONSHIP PICTURE: After picking up his first win of the season at Madera Speedway on June 26, Jim Pettit II moved into the points lead 20 points ahead of Derek Thorn who had held the championship lead since his season opening win at Roseville’s All-American Speedway. Jonathon Gomez is third, just 37 points behind Pettit, followed by Ryan Foster and Kyle Cattanach.
MOMENTUM: Coming out of Madera, drivers who are carrying the most momentum into Irwindale include; Pettit with a string of four podium finishes, Gomez with a win and second place in his last two starts and Keith Spangler who moved up to seventh in the points standings after his fourth place run at Madera.
KANKE OUT: Defending SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series champion M.K. Kanke will sit out this weekend’s event due to not being released from his doctor to compete. Kanke was forced to undergo surgery following the Madera event to remove screws that were in place after breaking his hip in the spring of 2008.
VOIGT IN: After missing the last two events, 2009 SRL championship runner-up Greg Voigt will be back in action this Saturday night. Voigt is a former Super Late Model champion at Toyota Speedway.
FIRST STARTS: Nick Joanides, the 2009 Toyota Speedway champion in both Late Model and Super Late Model divisions will be making his first career SRL start this Saturday night.
Sixteen-year-old Ryan Reed of Bakersfield will also be making his debut SRL start.
K&N YOUNG GUNS: Tracy, CA driver Justin Philpott continues to lead the “K&N Young Guns Championship” heading into Irwindale.
ROOKIE LEADER: Seventeen-year-old Jacob Gomes leads the Victory Circle Chassis Rookie-of-the-Year standings with 643 points, followed by Carlos Vieira with 616.
LEGENDS: Cale Kanke is back in the top spot of the SRL Legends Tour championship with 865 points, followed closely by Austin Reed with 825.
TIMES: Spectator gates open at 4pm, the King Taco On-Track Autograph Session starts at 5:45pm followed by SRL qualifying at 7pm. Joining the SRL this Saturday night will be the Langers Juice S2 Series, Legend Cars and the Super Trucks. Kids 12 and under are free. More information; www.toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com.
