BIG BEAR CITY, California – The Conklin Brothers Racing team had a new crew member Saturday night (August 27) at Orange Show Speedway. It was a woman known as Lady Luck, and she played a key role in Cliff Conklin’s second-place finish in the 30-lap Super Stock main event.
"It was flaming hot."— Cliff Conklin
“That was luck because I didn’t have a second place car,” said Cliff, the only one of the brothers in action on the eighth night of the California Speed Jams season at the historic quarter-mile oval. “It’s a real successful night when you can salvage something like that from a bad-handling car.”
A handling problem caused by a failing left rear leaf spring wasn’t the only thing Conklin had to overcome in his MyIrishPride.com/Alpine Slide Chevrolet Camaro. There also was the heat that at mid-afternoon registered 117 on the thermometer on one of the race team’s trailers. The heat in the pits was magnified, though, because of the asphalt surface, and it was hotter still – perhaps 150 or more – inside a race car.
“It was flaming hot,” Conklin said. “I’ve raced in heat like that before, but this was probably the most humid it’s been. My arms were sweating. But I don’t think I lost any focus or concentration.”
What Conklin did lose early in the race was track position, when he and eventual winner Jesse James Lawson got together and Conklin spun on lap 7. Both recovered quickly, but with 3 laps to go Conklin was looking at a fifth-place finish. Then leaders Steve Smith and Kyle Meyer bumped and spun in Turn 1, sending them to the rear of the field, and third-place Johnny Russo pulled into the pits with mechanical woes. Lawson was able to hold on for the win while Conklin held off Smith for second.
“The car was not friendly at all,” Cliff said, “but I gained points on both of the guys in front of me (Smith and Meyer) so the end result was not too bad.”
The Conklin brothers will return to Orange Show Speedway on Sept. 10, when both Jim in his Late Model and Cliff in his Super Stock will be in action. And both are busy preparing for the final event of the season, a recently-announced Super Stock-Street Stock race sponsored by 1-800LoanMart that will pay an unheard-of $4,000 to win and is expected to attract entries from throughout the West.
Jim Conklin said that in addition to fine-tuning Cliff’s Camaro they are refreshing the car Cliff used to win the track’s 2007 Street Stock title, and Jim will drive that one. They also have a third car, the one Jim used en route to the 1998 championship, and Jim said they have numerous inquiries about that car from drivers wanting to be a part of the season-ending race.
Conklin Racing is sponsored by MyIrishPride.com, Alpine Slide, Timberline Spas, Conklin Hot Rods, Azteca Grill and Restaurant, Conklin Paints, Domino’s Pizza, VoMar Starfire, Mark Dolan Realty Executives and SND Construction.
