IRWINDALE, California — Week four of Toyota Speedway at Irwindale NASCAR Whelen All-American Series competition on Pipe Trades Night produced entertaining racing action on “Super Saturday”. There were repeat winners in three series and first-time winners in two divisions that made 2011 season debuts. Series rookie Rod Johnson, Jr, 21, raced in his fourth super late model event and second SLM point race, the only event on the half-mile this week. All he did was set fast time in qualifying and lead every lap of the scheduled 75-lap Lucas Oil Slick Mist feature. It was his second such performance in the series this year. Johnson made his SLM debut for the Position One Motor-sports team of Baldwin Park on November 27 last season in the track's non-point first California Classic. He set quick time in his SLM debut with a new track record and placed second in the 75-lap feature. He also set fast time in the car during his second SLM effort this season on January 28 in the Toyota All-Star Showdown before settling for 15th in the support feature to the K & N Pro Series 225.
Chad Schug, the 2010 series champion, took his third Echo Equipment Legend Cars main in three events this year. Christian McGhee, 12-year old son of 2009-10 SLM and 2009 late model car owner champion Loyd McGhee, won his third consecutive Jan's Towing Bandolero race, also on the third-mile. The two new series winners on the third-mile were father and son drivers. Son Richie Altman took his first Justice Brothers Mini Stock main driving a Ford Pinto. His father James Altman, also from Wildomar, dominated Saturday's final race, a Seidner's Collision Centers Skid Plate Cars event. He started sixth in a 26-car field, led all 15 laps in a 1993 Ford Escort, and won by two laps. He lapped the second and third place drivers again on the final lap in front of about 1,000 hearty fans on another chilly night.
LUCAS OIL SLM: With 15 cars present for afternoon practice,14 cars qualified about 7:30 pm following the Legends feature. Final qualifier R Johnson, Jr, son of the track's initial SLM champion in 1999, broke his own 17.571 (102.442 mph) track record from last November. His record first lap Saturday was 17.558 (102.571 mph) in his fourth ride aboard the Position One Sunrise Ford/King Taco Ford. The 2010 Auto Club Late Model track champion & rookie of the year and 2009 King Taco Super Truck champion/2008 KTST rookie of the year, is trying to win his third track title this season on the half-mile in his third different division. The Canyon Country resident will be making his road racing debut next Saturday in a NASCAR K & N Pro Series-West race at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah aboard Bob Bruncati's No. 9 Sunrise Ford Fusion.
The SLM race ran past the 75-lap distance for the second consecutive event this season. The April 9 opener logged 76 laps because of a green, white, checkers finish. Saturday's 75 went 79 laps because of fifth-place Kyle Neveau's lap 73 one-car accident against the third turn wall. Johnson's fast time gave him pole position in the No. 03 Ford and he stayed in front all the way, despite challenges from two other drivers on restarts after cautions. It was his 20th feature victory in four series at the track. Series rookie Jack Madrid, 16, started sixth and was 25-yards in back of Johnson at the lap 73 caution. Madrid pulled into the infield under caution and parked the ex-Linny White car with an engine problem. Kevin Thompson, 37, came from seventh starting spot in the 14-car field to earn second, 1.169 seconds behind the winner. Jason Patison started second and finished third, 1.737 back.
Rookie SLM driver Brian Deegan, founder and star of the Metal Mulisha freestyle motocross team, made his SLM debut for the Position One team. After a last minute agreement, he drove the No. 30 Ford. His goal was a top five finish. He started ninth and took fourth place by inches with an inside pass at the finish line. Race Liberante, one of three 16-year old SLM 2011 rookies with Legends and ASA Speed Truck racing experience, started tenth and finished fifth. Liberante said, “I slowed near the finish line because the 17 car (Patison) lost a cylinder and slowed suddenly in front of me.” Patison confirmed an engine problem during his post-race interview. Dennis Furden placed sixth in the 36-minute race. Series rookies Jason Bradshaw and Andre Prescott also ran 79 laps after receiving “lucky dog” free passes back to the lead lap during three cautions. Jeff Eshleman was ninth with 74 laps. DNFers Madrid and Neveau did not complete lap 73 and followed. Top five runners Ryan Partridge, 22, and Alex Haase, 21, both dropped out on lap 21 with mechanical problems.
Winner Johnson, whose rookie SLM career record now stands at four for four in fast times and two for four in main event triumphs, thanked his sponsors and his team for solving a vibration issue earlier during the day. We changed so many different things I don't know what the problem was. It just stopped. The crew figured it out.” He also said he received valuable advice over the telephone from track-master Rip Michels in North Carolina. “I have learned in trucks and late models how to roll through the corners so that is a big advantage on the straights. Guys running super lates have a bunch of horsepower and drive really deep, brake, turn and get back on the gas. My momentum getting onto the straights has been the key for me.”
EE LEGENDS: A 17-car field of Legends ran 35-laps in 12-minutes with one brief yellow on lap 4 after two cars spun. The race had three leaders—Brent Scheidemantle (L 1-7), recent USAC Ford Focus east coast midget driver Eric Gunderson (L 8) and Schug (L 9-35). The winner drove the No 88 Ford coupe owned by Tony Green Racing. Schug's own No. 29 received extensive damage during his flip at a Las Vegas Motor Speedway road race near the track's Bullring oval. The reigning class champion started sixth Saturday and now has won EELC mains in the same borrowed car three consecutive Saturdays to build his early season point lead. Runner-up Gunderson trailed by 0.605, with Scheidemantle 3.102 seconds in back of Schug. Mark Borchetta, pole starter Aaron Wells and 13-year old rookie/kart racer Mitchell DeJong, the second fastest qualifier and fifth starter, completed the top six. Sixteen of 17 starters finished with Donny St. Ours, 17, and Legends rookie Ryan Cansdale, 12, in P. 11-12 and the last drivers on the lead lap. Afterward, St. Ours showed onlookers two loose engine bolts that caused a loss of compression and reduced power. Cansdale, the 2009-10 Bandolero track champion, drove an ex-Speed Wong Racing car that his father purchased after selling one of their two No. 37 Bandoleros.
JUSTICE BROS. MINIS: Fourteen 4-cylinder minis made the first 2011 event. Three drivers led the 35-lap contest. Poleman Ron Schmitt, in a Datsun 510, paced the first four laps. Dusty Morgan put his Ford Pinto in front from laps 5-15. Then seventh starter Richie Altman, who moved to P. 2 on lap 11, put his No. 33 Pinto in front to stay. Quickest qualifier Ryan Bragdon, 19, drove his 1979 Ford Mustang II body car on a Pinto frame into second on lap 24. He closed steadily on Altman but he fell one length short (-0.184) at the finish. Dennis Croasmun made the pass of the race leaving turn four on lap 32. He took the inside in three-wide racing to move from fifth to third in his Pinto. Kevin Bernhardt and 2010 series champion Daryl Scoggins were to his right and settled for P. 4-5 respectively. The 12-minute race had one yellow flag and 11 finishers, nine on the lead lap. Bragdon ran the fastest race lap (L 9) at 17.070 (70.228 mph).
SKID PLATE: The fan-pleasing event that debuted here two years ago has a new series sponsor for 2011 with Seidner's Collision Centers coming on-board. Appropriately, spins and collisions marked the race on the third-mile as 26 cars negotiated the oval on two front tires and two metal skid plates mounted on rims instead of rear tires. Graybeard James Altman started sixth in his 1993 Ford Escort and led every lap. He ran the fastest lap of the race on lap 10 at 32.756 (36.598 mph). He lapped second place Jim Smith at mid-race and lapped both Smith and third place Daryl Scoggins for the second time on lap 15 of 15. Angela DeFazio, daughter of track GM/COO Bob DeFazio, finished fourth, with Jonathon DeStefano fifth. Sixth through tenth finishers were: Legends veteran Gary Scheuerell, LM/SLM champion Nick Joanides, Rick Dial, Tom Joanides (Nick's dad), and Larry DiGregorio. The all-green flag race took 8:44.132. The winner dodged debris plus spinning or stalled cars all the way to record an average speed of 34.308 mph.
An amazing story emerged from the skid plate race. Robert Rice had his fleet of skid plate cars for rent as usual, as did mini stock champ and two-time skid plate race winner Scoggins. A first-time entrant was Kevin Furden, 19-year old son of SLM driver Dennis Furden. Kevin, a student at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita and soon to be US Marine Corps enlistee, sold his non-drivable Jeep and Friday purchased a faded red 1994 Acura Integra V-Tech with 250,000 miles on the odometer. He drove it to the track from his home in Stevenson Ranch (near Magic Mountain) and planned to drive it home after racing it. He knocked out the back window before gutting the car's interior for safety and weight reduction. Kevin taped a yellow number 43 (his dad's SLM number) on the doors and installed a transponder for electronic scoring. All 26 drivers drew pills to set the starting lineup. Rookie skid plate racer Kevn, a past street stock racer at the dirt Santa Maria Speedway, drew 23. He raced with the California license plates on the car. Kevin looped the Acura several times as expected, but finished eight of 15 laps. He was one of 19 cars still moving forward at the checkered flag. He performed several donut “burnouts or spark-outs” in the infield after finishing. In the pits he found only a minor dent on his left front fender. As other drivers loaded their skid plate cars on trailers to see action another day, Kevin accomplished a skid plate car first. He drove his race-tested Acura home via the 210 and I-5 freeways.
JAN'S TOWING BANDOLEROS: Sixteen Bandolero drivers followed Chicago Cubs baseball star Ernie Banks famous advice, “Let's play two.” They raced 20-lap main events Friday and Saturday nights. R. J (Ron) Stearns, 11, broke the old one-lap track record of 18.258 set by Christian McGhee two weeks ago. Stearns turned 18.225 (65.778 mph) Friday during the Bando portion of regular Friday 5 to 9 pm open practice for all divisions. Stearns bettered his own day-old record Saturday with a lap of 18.189 (65.908 mph). McGhee passed L 1-6 leader Stearns on lap 7 Friday and won his second main this year by leading the final 14 laps. Ricky Schlick trailed by 0.230. Third finisher Brandon “Shorty” Weaver was 0.573 back. Troy Wesolowski, 10, came from ninth to fourth with Mikael Lovas fifth. All 15 finishers ran 20 laps. Saturday Bando action had 20 cars present. Stearns' record fast time again put him on the pole for the main. The top three finishers were the same as Friday. Third starter McGhee led all the way for his third victory to start the season. Weaver was second, 0.193 back and Schlick took third, 0.750 back. Danny Nikolai and rookie Ricky Lewis completed the top five. Two females raced. Alexis Mann, 12, started 15th and finished tenth. Hailie Deegan, 8-year old daughter of SLM fourth place finisher Brian Deegan, made her second-ever Bando start. She started 16th and finished 14th. Eighteen of 20 drivers finished and 15 completed all 20 laps.
