SAN BERNARDINO, California — It was a night of survival at Orange Show Speedway Saturday, with racers in the California Speed James 2011 series battling the heat and each other on a busy racing program.
John Manke survived a 50-lap battle with Matt Hicks and Mark Shackleford to win the Super Late Models feature by a scant 0.075 seconds, about the length of a front fender. Brandon Loverock didn’t survive a mid-race incident with Matt Goodwin and had his win streak snapped at four races when Jesse James Lawson got his first Late Model victory. And Jacob Rogers survived the night’s worst incident when he rolled over several times and emerged unhurt in the Pony Stock main event.
Michael Reid of Orange was the surprise winner of the Pony Stock main over Jim Mardis, whose win last win had triggered some angry, profane protests and led to a two-race suspension for one car owner. By the time they took the checkered flag, however, several cars had been rendered unusable and one of Rogers’ supporters allegedly had gotten into a confrontation with track officials and safety workers and attacked one of the firemen on duty.
The rest of the temper tantrums were on the track, where Steve Smith posted his second Super Stock win in three starts, Tom Whitson took the Stock Cars USA feature, Hicks won the Legends Cars main and Ricky Schlick took the Bandoleros feature.
Manke, of Ramona, Ca., started his Redlands Ford Fusion on the pole and he, Hicks and Shackleford ran in tandem throughout the 50 laps. Shackleford never could get in position to challenge for the lead. Hicks tried to get to the inside of Manke coming off Turn 4 a couple of times, but couldn’t do it until the final lap, only to have Manke win the drag race to the finish.
Lawson, of Big Bear City, got help in his Late Model win from Loverock and Goodwin, who were running one-two when Goodwin bumped Loverock on lap 31 and caused both of them to go to the rear of the field. That left Lawson in front with a car strong enough to hold off Big Bear City neighbor Jim Conklin to the finish.
Smith, of San Bernardino, dominated the Super Stock competition, posting fast tie in qualifying, taking the lead on lap 3 of 35 and winning by 2.747 seconds despite a late-race yellow.
Whitson, the 2009 Stock Cars USA champion, took the lead on lap 14 of 35 and wasn’t really challenged.
CALIFORNIA SPEED JAMS
At Orange Show Speedway
Race Results
Saturday, July 2, 2011
SUPER LATE MODELS (50 laps) – 1. John Manke, Ramona, Ford Fusion; 2. Matt Hicks, Lakeside, Dodge Charger/Chevrolet; 3. Mark Shackleford, Riverside, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 4. Dave Scheidecker, Rialto, Monte Carlo; 5. Anthony Mainella, Palmdale, Monte Carlo; 6. Dee Cable, Santee, Monte Carlo; 7. Frankie Gould, Woodland Hills, Monte Carlo; 8. Dennis “JR” Stout, Riverside, Chevrolet Impala; 9. Stephen Peace, El Cajon, Ford Fusion; 10. Gary Rodriguez, Bonita, Monte Carlo; 11. Barry Kelperis Jr., Whittier, Monte Carlo.
Margin of victory – 0.075 seconds. Average speed – not available. Trophy Dash winner – Kelperis. Fast qualifier – Hicks, 13.010 seconds/69.178 mph.
LATE MODELS (40 laps) – 1. Jesse Lawson, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Impala; 2. Jim Conklin, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 3. Brandon Loverock, Highland, Toyota Camry/Chevrolet; 4. Matt Goodwin, Wildomar, Monte Carlo; 5. Jeremy Perez, Chino, Monte Carlo; 6. Roger Gates, Beaumont, Toyota Camry/Chevrolet; 7. Shawn Rizzone, Colton, Monte Carlo; 8. Brian Jackson, San Bernardino, Dodge Charger/Chevrolet; 9. J.D. Reyes, Yucaipa, Ford Taurus; 10. Tony Edwards, Mentone, Monte Carlo; 11. Stan Chatwood, Bloomington, Monte Carlo.
Margin of victory – 0.291 seconds. Average speed – 26.411 mph. Trophy Dash winner – Gates. Fast qualifier – Goodwin, 13.734/65.531.
PONY STOCKS (27 laps) – 1. Michael Reid, Orange, Ford Mustang; 2. Jim Mardis, Moreno Valley, Ford Pinto; 3. Joe Fernandez, Fontana, Pinto; 4. Kevin Meador, San Bernardino, Pinto; 5. Evan McCray, Riverside, Pinto; 6. Dennis Croasmun, Rancho Cucamonga, Pinto; 7. Jacob Rogers, Riverside, Pinto; 8. Josh Hodges, Adelanto, Pinto; 9. Bud Smith, Orange, Pinto; 10. Darrell Kelsoe, San Bernardino, Pinto; 11. Joe Van Sant, San Bernardino, Pinto.
Margin of victory – 0.242 seconds. Average speed – not available. Trophy Dash winner – Rogers. Fast qualifier – Mardis, 14.935/60.261.
STOCK CARS USA (35 laps) – 1. Tom Whitson, Riverside, Chevrolet Chevelle; 2. Mark Fletchall, Riverside, Chevelle; 3. Steven Clark, Riverside, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 4. Dave Vreatt, Riverside, Chevrolet Nova; 5. Blake Usilton, Corona, Chevelle; 6. Dave Foster, Riverside, Monte Carlo; 7. Leon Schrader, Mentone, Monte Carlo; 8. Scott Groom, Anaheim, Chevelle.
Margin of victory – 1.126 seconds. Average speed – 41.696 mph. Trophy Dash winner – Vreatt. Fast qualifier – Whitson, 15.205/59.191.
SUPER STOCKS (35 laps) – 1. Steve Smith, San Bernardino, Chevrolet Nova; 2. Jeff Lawson, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Camaro; 3. Kyle Meyer, Highland, Nova; 4. Johnny Russo, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Monte Carlo; 5. Mike Scheidecker, San Bernardino, Nova; 6. Marissa Henson, Oak Hills, Camaro; 7. Jerome Gipson, Highland, Nova; 8. Cliff Conklin, Big Bear Lake, Camaro; 9. Jesse Lawson, Big Bear City, Chevrolet Impala.
Margin of victory – 2.747 seconds. Average speed – not available. Trophy Dash winner – Meyer. Fast qualifier – Smith, 14.630/61.517.
LEGENDS CARS (35 laps) – 1. Matt Hicks, Lakeside, ’34 Ford; 2. Brent Scheidemantle, Alta Loma, ’37 Chevrolet; 3. Darren Amidon, Alpine, ’34 Ford; 4. Chad Schug, Oak Hills, ’34 Ford; 5. Ryan Cansdale, Laguna Beach, ’34 Ford; 6. Jared Torres, Perris, ’37 Chevrolet; 7. Parker Malone, Redlands, ’42 Ford; 8. Aaron Wells, Studio City,. ’34 Ford; 9. Chancellor Tiscareno, Menifee, ’37 Chevrolet; 10. Derek Lacey, Tustin, ’34 Ford;
11. Mitchell DeJong, Temecula, ’37 Chevrolet; 12. Frank Baker, Fountain Valley, ’37 Chrysler.
Margin of victory – 0.472 seconds. Average speed – 44.685 mph. Trophy Dash winner – Lacey. Fast qualifier – Amidon, 14.622/61.551.
FRIDAY’S RACE (35 laps) -- 1. Scheidemantle; 2. Hicks; 3. Schug; 4. DeJong; 5. Torres; 6. Cansdale; 7. Todd Hunsaker, Chino, ’40 Ford; 8. Tiscareno; 9. Malone.
Margin of victory – 0.321 seconds. Average speed – 60.587 mph.
BANDOLEROS (25 laps) – 1. Ricky Schlick, Claremont; 2. Mikael Lovas, Menifee; 3. Blaine Perkins, Bakersfield; 4. Ian Wesolowski, Canyon Lake; 5. Troy Wesolowski, Canyon Lake; 6. Case Brinksma, Montclair; 7. Tanner Cervantes, Hemet.
Margin of victory – 0.158 seconds. Average speed – 34.859 mph. Trophy Dash winner – I. Wesolowski. Fast qualifier – Lovas, 15.269/58.943.
FRIDAY’S RACE (25 laps) – 1. Perkins; 2. Lovas; 3. I. Wesolowski; 4. T. Wesolowski; 5. Schlick; 6. Brinksma; 7. Cervantes.
Margin of victory – 0.549 seconds. Average speed – 36.397 mph.
