SAN BERNARDINO, California — The coronation should be a mere formality for David Ross.
The 21-year-old from Colton (Ca.) returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in four races Saturday night at Orange Show Speedway and, in the process, did all but officially clinch the Super Late Model championship.
Ross, whose win was his seventh in 11 starts, added 2 points to his lead over runner-up Mark Shackleford. That gives Ross a 30-point advantage going into the October 9 season finale and means Shackleford must finish 16 positions ahead of his rival to claim his second straight title.
Ross started the 50-lap contest on the outside of the front row, took the lead from pole-sitter Jeremy Edwards on the first lap and led all but one lap in a race slowed by five yellow caution flags in the first 35 laps. Shackleford, who started seventh, was up and down in the top five until settling into second and he was followed across the finish line by Frankie Gould, Rob Kiemele and Edwards.
While Ross’s coronation was delayed, recent Yucaipa (Ca.) High School graduate Robby Hornsby Jr., 18, wrapped up his first Team Too Pony Stock championship by winning for the ninth time in 10 races and Parker Malone, 13, posted his fifth win of the season to clinch the M.C. Erectors Bandoleros title.
Two other divisions have potentially dramatic finales in store.
Dan French got his fourth straight win and Dwayne Blay finished two spots ahead of Kim Marzullo to take a 4-point lead in the standings going into the October 2 finale for the Interstate Batteries Factory Fours. And in the Pick-A-Part Street Stocks, Cliff Conklin got his third straight win to create a three-man log jam. Reigning champion Johnny Russo leads Jesse Lawson by 10 points and Conklin by 12 with two events left – September 11 and October 2.
In the other race of the evening, recently crowned Budweiser Legends Cars champion Riley Sawyers got his sixth win of the season in a 20-lap main event.
| Super Late Models (50 Laps) |
|---|
| 1. David Ross, Colton, Chevrolet Impala; 2. Mark Shackleford, Riverside, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 3. Frankie Gould, Woodland Hills, Monte Carlo; 4. Rob Kiemele, Riverside, Toyota Camry/Ford; 5. Jeremy Edwards, Yucaipa, Monte Carlo; 6. Glen Cummings, Highland, Monte Carlo; 7. Jack Madrid, Ladera Ranch, Monte Carlo; 8. Dee Canble, Santee, Monte Carlo; 9. Jimmy Rouse Jr., San Bernardino, Monte Carlo; 10. Kendall Scheidecker, Hesperia, Monte Carlo;11. Johnny Soares, San Bernardino, Monte Carlo; 12. Dave Scheidecker, Rialto, Pontiac Grand Prix/Chevrolet; 13. Brett Edwards, Yucaipa, Monte Carlo; 14. Randy Davidhizar, Calimesa, Monte Carlo; 15. Matt Hicks, Lakeside, Monte Carlo; 16. Adrianne Murlin, Corona, Monte Carlo. Margin of victory – 0.959 seconds. Average speed – 24.090 mph. Trophy Dash winner – K. Scheidecker. Leading qualifier – Kiemele, 12.930 seconds/69.606 mph. |
| Team Too Pony Stocks (35 Laps) |
| 1. Robby Hornsby Jr., Yucaipa, Ford Pinto; 2. Kevin Meador, San Bernardino, Pinto; 3. Erik Spring, Beaumont, Pinto; 4. Bill Cottrell, Highland, Pinto; 5. Eddie Collins, Desert Hot Springs, Pinto; 6. Evan McCray, Riverside, Pinto; 7. Josh Hodges, Adelanto, Pinto; 8. Jack Hughes, Beaumont, Pinto; 9. Kevin Myrick, Chino, Pinto; 10. Bud Smith, Long Beach, Pinto. Margin of victory – 0.690 seconds. Average speed – 30.695 mph. Trophy Dash winner -- Hornsby. Leading qualifier – Meador, 14.502/62.060. |
| Pick-A-Part Street Stocks (35 laps) |
| 1. Cliff Conklin, Big Bear Lake, Chevrolet Camaro; 2. Johnny Russo, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 3. Jesse Lawson, Big Bear City, Camaro; 4. Mike Stone, Fontana, Camaro; 5. Tony Forfa Jr., San Bernardino, Camaro; 6. Marissa Henson, Oak Hills, Camaro; 7. Kyle Meyer, Highland, Chevrolet Nova; 8. Jeff Henson, Fallbrook, Camaro; 9. Steve Clark, Riverside, Monte Carlo. Margin of victory – 1.200 seconds. Average speed – 18.025 mph. Trophy Dash winner -- Stone. Leading qualifier – Lawson, 14.836/60.663. |
| Interstate Batteries Factory Fours (35 laps) |
| 1. Dan French, Claremont, Toyota truck; 2. Dwayne Blay, Riverside, Toyota truck; 3. Andy Reed, Bloomington, Toyota truck; 4. Kim Marzullo, San Bernardino, Toyota truck; 5. Danny Gutierrez, Redlands, Toyota truck; 6. Tony Forfa IV, Redlands, BMW 318i; 7. Tony Forfa III, Redlands, Ford truck; 8. Greg France, Claremont, Toyota truck; 9. Jeff Imbriani, San Bernardino, Nissan; 10. Victor Garcia, San Bernardino, Toyota truck; 11. Gary Mendoza, Bloomington, Mazda truck; 12. Gary McLaughlin, Garden Grove, Toyota sedan. Margin of victory – 0.954 seconds. Average speed – 54.084 mph. Trophy Dash winner – Forfa IV. Leading qualifier – French, 15.780/57.034 (record; was 15.834, Cary Cecil, April 10, 2010). |
| Budweiser Legends Cars (30 laps) |
| 1. Riley Sawyers, Gilbert, Ariz., ’34 Chevrolet/Yamaha; 2. Ian Anderson, Las Vegas, ’36 Ford/Yamaha; 3. Derek Lacey, Costa mesa, ’34 Ford/Yamaha; 4. Chancellor Tiscareno, Menifee, ’37 Chevrolet/Yamaha; 5. Parker Malone, Redlands, ’34 Ford/Yamaha. Margin of victory – 0.813 seconds. Average speed – 36.849 mph. Trophy Dash winner – Anderson. Leading qualifier – Sawyers, 14.981/60.076. |
| MC Erectors Bandoleros (15 laps) |
| 1. Parker Malone, Redlands; 2. Ivan Gudmestad, Crestline; 3. Matthew Davey, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; 4. Chancellor Tiscareno, Menifee. Margin of victory – 5.273 seconds. Average speed — 57.325 mph. Trophy Dash winner -- Tiscareno. Leading qualifier – Malone, 15.555/57.859. |
