IRWINDALE, California — Toyota Speedway at Irwindale presented six in-house series with six main events Saturday night. Mike Johnson, 53, won the featured Auto Club Late Model 40-lap feature in the fifth race of the evening. He drove his own No. 17 Hot-wire Electric Chevy on the progressively banked half-mile. The annual”Salute to Law Enforcement Night” admitted all sworn officers and administrative personnel free and attracted about 2,000 spectators. LAPD gang officer Kristina Ripatti, a 37-year old mother of two, presided over the NASCAR races as grand marshal. She was shot by a suspect and paralyzed from the chest down on June 3, 2006 while performing her police duties. She uses a three-wheel bicycle for mobility and participated recently in a 3,000 mile California to Maryland race run in nine days.
Johnson, as second fastest qualifier in a 16-car field, started from pole position after FQ Rod Johnson, Jr. rolled a two for the inversion. He shot into the lead immediately and led all the way in a close, three-way battle. Johnson, from Covina, collected $1,000; for his third feature victory this season. Other winners on the half-mile were: Jeff Williams in a 35-lap Southwest Truck race and Gerrit Cromsigt in a 30-lap Vista Paint Super Stock event. Third-mile race winners were LAPD police officer Daryl Scoggins in a 35-lap Justice Brothers Mini Stock race and Darren Amidon in the Echo Equipment Legend Cars 35-lap contest. They both were the fastest qualifiers. Scoggins started sixth and Amidon started from the pole. The Pick Your Part Outlaw Figure 8 20-lap race went to four-time series champion Steve Stewart, of Long Beach. The second quickest qualifier led the final 19 laps and beat fastest qualifier/pole sitter Andy Schoening by eight seconds, or half a lap. It was his second victory in six TS@I races this year. Four-time 2010 feature winner “Barefoot” Billy Ziemann, the point leader, placed third.
ACLM 40: M. Johnson and R. Johnson, Jr. ran one-two for the first five laps. Fourth starter Nick Joanides ran with them in P. 3 to lap 6 when he took second on the inside leaving turn four. Rod J. regained second a lap later. Joanides retook second from Rod on lap 23 with an inside move in the fourth turn. M. Johnson gained a 30-yard lead as his two pursuers ran side-by-side for second lap after lap. Joanides gradually cut the lead deficit to ten yards by lap 30. He trailed by only five yards with five laps remaining and hoped for a yellow flag and double-file restart. Joanides trailed by 0.793 seconds at the checkers in an all green-flag, 13:09.663 race. “I was the meat in a Johnson and Johnson sandwich,” Joanides stated. Mike J said he respects Joanides for his professionalism and his advice and help given to other teams. “In fact, Nick told me that I use up my car too early in races and I should save something for the closing laps. I did that tonight and his advice to me might have cost him tonight. My car has been fast all year,” the winner continued. “”I would have more wins, except for bad luck. But I plan to win all the remaining main events this year.”
Chris Holloway finished fourth, three seconds back, with 15-year old Las Vegas driver Dylan Kwasniewski fifth, four seconds behind the winner. Brandon Davis, Kyle McGrady, George Atkinson, Travis Irving (in a CHP-backed Toyota Camry), and Christian Copley completed the top ten. Fifteen of 16 starters finished and 14 drivers ran all 40 circuits. The ACLM hard luck award went to the CHP No. 85 Toyota of Irving, whose right rear fender caromed off the fourth turn wall on lap 28 after contact from Copley's passing car. Irving dropped two positions from P. 7 to P. 9 during the incident. Seventh place McGrady, 17, received the hard charger honors in finish line ceremonies. The 10th starter said, “It was a hard race. It was really fun though.” Joanides ran the fastest lap of the race at 19.262 (93.448 mph) on lap 3. Mike Johnson had the next quickest lap at 19.280 on lap 2.
SWT TRUCKS: In the first race at 7:20 pm, J. Williams started second as FQ and led all 35 laps for a 3.170 second victory over last starter/championship contender Neil Conrad. It was his fourth victory in eight races this year. Nine trucks started in the smallest field in series history. The battle for third place was the most compelling contest. Point leader Mike Zimmerman held third from lap 20 (after Conrad took second spot from the two-time feature winner) to the final turn on the last lap. Zimmerman looped low exiting the fourth turn. P. 3 rival Brady Helm avoided contact as he inherited third, 7.955 seconds behind Williams. Zimmerman lost ten seconds during his 360 degree spin and he continued non-stop. He placed fourth, 17 seconds behind the winner. Tony Curtis and Kirk Knostman followed and also ran 35 laps of the 12:05.974 all-green light race.
VPSS: Fastest qualifier Gerrit Cromsigt had pole position and used it to lead all 30 laps aboard his No. 5 Camaro. It was his fourth triumph in the last five races. He said his family and three children were present for added motivation. The former late model racer at Irwindale ten years ago won the 16-minute race that was slowed by two caution flags for debris and a spin. He won by 30-yards (1.954 seconds) over point leader/five-time feature winner Rich DeLong III in the No. 84 Impala SS. Camaro. drivers Eric Sunness, Gary Read and Bryan Harrell completed the top five in a 13-car field. Ten of 11 finishers ran every lap.
JBMS: An eight-car field, tied for the season-low car count, took the green flag in the second race of the night. The leading car spun in turn two and was t-boned by Steve Rogers. The restarted race ran 35 caution-free laps in ten minutes. Richie Altman's Pinto led the first five laps. Then FQ/six feature winner Scoggins, the 2009 series champion, executed an inside pass at turn four and ran away to a 35-yard victory margin in his Pinto. Ryan Bragdon, Altman, one-time 2010 series winner Rod Schmitt, and S. Rogers followed. The first four drivers completed all 35 laps. Scoggins ran the fastest lap of the race at 20.921 on lap 1. DeLong's 21.035 on lap 2 was the next fastest lap.
EELC: Fastest qualifier Amidon led the final 34 laps of a 17-car Legends field and won by 2.218 seconds over Chad Schug. Former late model driver Tony Green brought his No. 89 home third in his first start this season. Second year L/C driver Hunter Colodny, a 16-year old Reno resident, had his highest finish--fourth. The best race of the night was the three-way battle for fifth. Michael Smith started fifth and led the first lap over third-starter Brent Scheidemantle, who bumped Smith into a turn two spin on lap two. Everyone avoided contact. Smith returned to the back of the field and the racing director sent Scheidemantle to the back as well for spinning Smith. The motivated, unhappy duo charged forward together, passing cars each lap in tandem. From lap 6 to 14 they worked their way to sixth and seventh and swapped sixth on lap 13. Donny St. Ours, who made the recent Charlotte Motor Speedway Legends Million feature, spun out on lap 4 in the fourth turn. He restarted at the back and also charged to the front. On lap 31 St. Ours raced past both Scheidemantle and Smith on the outside leaving turn four. The P. 5 battle became an intense three-way dogfight at that point. Smith took sixth from Scheidemantle on lap 32 and then passed St. Ours for fifth on lap 34 on the inside at turn four. Scheidemantle dropped St. Ours to P. 7 on the final lap as the three drivers finished within 0.188 seconds. Josh Geer, Aaron Wells and Gary Scheurell completed the top ten. Sixteen of 17 starters finished the 15-minute race that had three caution lights. Six drivers finished with 34 laps.
PYP F-8: FQ Andy Schoening started first in a nine-car field and led the initial lap. S. Stewart, in the orange No. 7 Pick Your Part car, took charge on lap 2 and ran away to a convincing half-lap lead by lap 15. He won by 8.636 seconds over Schoening and “Barefoot” Billy, the Z man, who trailed the runner-up by 0.001. Only the top three drivers completed all 20 laps. Robert Rice and Willy Voesten ran 19 laps. Jerry Toporek and Sean Hansen were down two laps. Richie Altman, who raced in the mini stock and late model mains, started his late model (P. 14 in the ACLM main) last in the Figure 8 main. Altman was up to seventh place before he pulled out of action to the infield after being lapped and having a close call at the intersection. Stewart's 18.857 (71.973 mph) on lap 4 was the only sub-19 second lap of the race. The all-green flag race took 6:07.610. The final checkered flag of the night waved at 9:30 pm.
