IRWINDALE, California — Andrew Phipps, the 2009 Lucas Oil Modified touring series champion, started second and led all 50-laps of the inaugural Toyota Speedway at Irwindale Lucas Oil Modified Series North-South Shootout on the banked half-mile. The non-point event attracted 16 teams vying for a $10,275 payoff for the fender-less front wheel modified competitors. It was the first race for modifieds at Irwindale since 2006. Phipps won his 31st Irwindale feature (in three divisions) and moved into sole possession of eighth place on the list of TS@I main event winners. About 3,500 spectators witnessed the action on dollar hot dogs night with six main events from 7:00 to 10:19 pm. Mike Johnson started from pole position and led all 40-laps of the co-featured Auto Club Late Model race on the half-mile.
Three track series used the four-degree banked third-mile. Ryan Cansdale, 11, started first in a 16-car Jan's Towing Bandolero field that included three girls. He led all 20 laps in his Briggs & Stratton-powered car in the opening main. He currently ranks second in Bandolero national point standings. Reigning Justice Brothers Mini Stock champion Daryl Scoggins also started first as fastest qualifier in a ten-car field and led all 35 laps in his Ford Pinto. He reclaimed his series point lead after a DNF in the July 24 race dropped him to second in points. Darren Amidon started third as Echo Equipment Legend Car fastest qualifier in a 16-car field. He chased pole starter Brent Scheidemantle for 21 laps and passed him on lap 22 of the 35-lap race.
The final race of the night was a 25-lap trailer race on the third-mile with nine starters. Trailers contained items such as a rowboat, tractor tires, ski-doo watercraft, a couch and even a metal backyard swing set frame. Drivers ran the first 15 laps in a counter-clockwise direction with Robert Rice, towing a rowboat, leading all 15 laps. On lap 16 Rice and second place Bill Thiebert exited the race with blown engines. A red flag followed for track cleanup. Adam Ditto, towing a ski-doo, led the final ten laps and beat runner-up Jonathon DeStefano by 35-yards (3.104 seconds). They were the only lead lap finishers as seven of nine cars reached the finish line intact. The couch flew off a trailer and rested next to the third turn crash-wall. Fans cheered for its destruction by passing cars.To spice things, racing director Lester Boyer had all teams restart two abreast on lap 16 and race in a clockwise direction. Cheryl Hyland, driving a pink sedan, towing a ski-doo, finished third.
LUCAS OIL MODIFIEDS: Fourteen modifieds practiced Friday during the weekly 5 to 9 pm open practice session. The $2,000 to win ($250 to start) race started all 16 cars present. Drivers included two from northern California who were racing in Irwindale for the first time. They were All-American Speedway in Roseville veteran Scott Winters, from Tracy, and Shasta Speedway driver Glen Young, from Eureka. Las Vegas resident Chris Cline also was an out-of-state competitor. Past Irwindale track champions Phipps, Rod Johnson, Sr. and Bryan Harrell raced their own modifieds. Three modified veterans from Arizona towed to TS@I for their first race as well. Second generation racer Chris Gerchman, a 22-year old Lake Havasu 95 Speedway modified champion, made his Irwindale debut and “liked the track a lot.” He set fastest qualifying time of 19.265 (93.434 mph) during group qualifying Saturday afternoon. He has won four of five Lucas Oil Modified point mains this season in his colorful No. 26 Peggys's Sunrise Cafe car backed by his mom's Lake Havasu restaurant. As quickest qualifier, he drew the starting field inversion number (with 3 to 8 possible) and he drew a three. However, Gershman had to start from the back row for making an unapproved change (shims) to his car.
Simi Valley resident Phipps, a two-time Grand American Modified (2003-04) and 2005 Super Late Model track champion at Irwindale, shot into the lead over pole starter Austin Barnes, 15, of Escondido. Phipps led all 50 laps despite early pressure from Barnes to lap 26 when Barnes spun, and then from R. Johnson, Sr., Irwindale's 1999 SLM champion., from lap 26 to lap 48. The first five cars ran virtually nose-to-tail from lap 38 to the end. Phipps ran the outside groove as did Winters and Gershman, with Johnson using the inside lane. On lap 48 Johnson tried to pass Phipps but “applied too much throttle too soon” and spun out low. He did not return to the race because his car ran out of fuel despite filling it completely before the race. On the lap 48 restart the top three runners ran in close formation. Gershman took second from Winters with an inside move in the second turn on lap 49. He was closing quickly on leader Phipps. Before that lap could be completed by the field cars racing for positions six through tenth got together and spun entering the first turn. Heavy damage sidelined sixth place Cline, Tim Morse, Zach Sawyers, Joe Ruggles and Bryan Harrell and stopped all five cars. Only Harrell restarted after the red flag.
Driver Ruggles, from Palmdale, had heavy impact on the right side of his car and required medical attention track-side. He stood and walked to the ambulance wearing a neck collar. The ambulance transported him to a local hospital for medical evaluation. Cline said he lost consciousness briefly but he remained in the pits. Only nine cars restarted the race for the three final laps. Phipps, Winters and Gershman were in a three-way dogfight to the checkers. Phipps earned the $2,000 winner's check by one length ((0.183) over Winters. Third place Gershman was 0.665 in back of Phipps. Paul Megna, from Tucson, placed fourth (-1.476) with teenager Barnes fifth, 2.135 seconds back in his first Irwindale race. Harrell, Brian Collins, Roger Brown all completed 50 laps. Ninth went to Phillip Watterman, down two laps. The fastest lap of the race honor was close. Phipps ran 19.570 on lap 2, Gershman's best was 19.623 also on lap 2, Winters ran his best lap of 19.646 on lap 49 trying to hold off Gershman. Johnson's best lap on lap 5 was 19.757.
Winner Phipps thanked sponsor Spartan Roll-off Truck Manufacturing and the Lake Havasu-based builder of his 388 cu. in. Chevy engine. He said the Lucas modifieds had too much power to use completely because cars were under-tired on Hoosier tires. He added that drivers had to be careful with the throttle when applying power. Gershman's charge through the field captured the attention of fans. He came from 15th grid position, was ninth after two laps, eighth at lap 4, P. 7 at lap 6, fifth on lap 7, P. 7 on lap 8, P. 6 on lap 9, fifth at lap 26, fourth on lap 30, second at the lap 49 red flag and third from laps 48-50. The 22-minute race had two yellow flags in addition to the lap 48 red flag. Lucas Oil Modifieds ran the first race of the night in a 6-lap trophy dash for the six quickest qualifiers with a completely inverted start based on qualifying times. Cline started second and led all six circuits over Collins. Sixth starter Gershman took third in a race time of 1:56.428.
ACLM: It became another Chevy-powered Johnson and Johnson show from lap 4 to the lap 40 checkers. Mike J, 53, got interested in racing when Irwindale Speedway opening in 1999 and decided to go racing in the ACLM series in his 40s. He started from pole position as the second fastest qualifier and led all 40 laps for a $1,000 payday. ACLM rookie Rod Johnson, Jr., 20, started third, took second on the first lap and re-passed reigning series champion Nick Joanides for second on lap 4. The first four cars ran in a tight pack for the first ten laps with Joanides the only inside groove occupant. FQ/second starter Brandon Davis, 24, took fourth from Joanides on lap 10 and a lap later they made contact leaving turn two with Davis spinning his HPR No. 56 to the backstretch infield. Officials sent both drivers to the back of the 16-car field even though Joanides protested over his radio that Davis had come down on him. Travis Irving, 25, started sixth in his No. 85 CHP Toyota Camry and ran third from lap 11-40. Point leader R. Johnson, the 2009 King Taco Super Truck track champion, trailed the winner by 0.233 at the finish. Irving was 1.903 behind the winner. Rookie Christian Copley came from 11th to earn fourth with Darren Cheek fifth. Davis came from the back to sixth, with Las Vegas teen Dylan Kwasniewski, Chris Holloway, Chris Winter, a 20-year old rookie, and Kyle McGrady rounding out the top ten. All 15 finishers completed 40 laps in a 17-minute contest with one caution flag for a spin. Winner Johnson ran the fastest race lap at 19.090 (94.290 mph) on lap 3. The Covina resident thanked his No. 1l7 Hot-wire Electric Chevy spotter Mike Horn for coming out to spot for him as usual even though it was his wedding anniversary.
LEGENDS: Sixteen legend cars took the green with a three-car inversion. Pole-man Brent Scheidemantle, 16, led the first 21 laps until FQ/third starter D. Amidon made an inside pass entering turn one on lap 22. He led the rest of the way and won by ten yards (0-.655) over three-time 2010 winner Scheidemantle. Mark Borchetta came from fourth grid position to earn third, 1.973 back. Reno's Hunter Colodny was fourth. Chad Schug ran third until a lap 6 spin-out. He restarted at the back and charged forward to finish fifth. Jordan Hyland, Josh Geer, Terry Matthiensen, rookie Jared Torres and Bandolero graduate Blake Dunkleberger completed the top ten. All ran 35 laps. A first lap crash at turn three sidelined cars of Gary Scheuerell, Rick Clark, Aaron Wells and Aaron Anderson. The race took 23 minutes because of two yellows (lap 6-20 were run under caution). Winner Amidon, a past Legends track champion, now has won six of the last seven TS@I Legend features.
MINIS: Fast timer/pole starter D. Scoggins led all 35 laps in his Pinto for his fifth win in the last seven races. Outside front row starter Ryan Bragdon took second on lap 5, lost it to Tyler Rogers on lap 10 and reclaimed it for good on lap 23 with an inside pass exiting turn four. He crossed the finish line 0.561 behind the winner. T. Rogers was 0.789 back in third. Jacob Rogers was fourth and newcomer Bill Cable took fifth in his first TS@I race. Nine of ten starters finished and seven ran all 35 laps in a 20-minute race with one yellow and one red for track cleanup. Rod Schmitt blew the engine of his third place Pinto entering the first turn on lap 12 and oiled the track.
BANDOLEROS:
Saturday – FQ Cansdale led all 20 laps from pole position over second-starter Christian McGhee, who trailed by 2.172 seconds. It was victory number three of 2010 for the track 2009 champion/rookie of the year. Two-time 2010 feature winner Amanda Poertner made like Indy Car driver Simona de Silvestro and also gained respect from her fellow drivers. The 13-year old lass from Fullerton came from eighth starting spot to finish third. Brandon “Shorty” Weaver and newcomer Blaine Perkins finished fourth and fifth. Eight drivers (50% of the field) ran all 20 laps, with four finishers down a lap. An opening lap six-car crash on the back-stretch sidelined point leader Trevor Huddleston, Ricky Schlick, R. J. Stearns and Lexi Moore.
Friday – During the regular Friday 5 to 9 pm open practice session, 14 Bandolero teams practiced, qualified and raced a 20-lap main at 8:20 pm on the third-mile. FQ Schlick, 12, started and finished first to earn his second feature win of the season. McGhee, Weaver, Huddleston and Evan Garvy completed the top five. All 14 starters finished 20 laps in a 13-minute event with three yellow flags for solo spins. The first yellow flew on lap 4 after P. 3 Stearns bumped and spun P. 2 Cansdale. With body damage, Cansdale pitted and had his team tape a fender of his No. 37 Bando. He returned down a lap and spun out eight-running Stearns. The retaliatory move caused a yellow and allowed Cansdale to return to the lead lap as the “lucky dog”. Cansdale finished ninth and Stearns 11th.
