SAN BERNARDINO, California — The second round of championship fights is scheduled for Orange Show Speedway Saturday night (Sept. 10) and at least two more drivers will join Super Late Model titlist Mark Shackleford in the throne room.
"The attention, and the pressure, will be on the Late Models, Super Stocks, Pony Stocks, Factory Fours, Stock Cars USA, Legends Cars and Bandoleros."
The toughest competition probably won’t be in the two classes concluding their California Speed Jams seasons, though, not with the contenders in five other classes trying to position themselves for the final events of the year. And that should guarantee terrific racing action from the start to the finish of the program on the ASA-sanctioned quarter-mile oval.
Three-time champion Shackleford and his rivals in the Super Late Models division will be on hand for their final race of the year, but they’ll definitely be a supporting act this time. The attention, and the pressure, will be on the Late Models, Super Stocks, Pony Stocks, Factory Fours, Stock Cars USA, Legends Cars and Bandoleros. And after they’ve taken the fans on an emotional thrill ride during their 200-plus laps of racing, the wildly-entertaining Trailer racers will bring the night to a wonderful end.
Spectator gates will open at 5 p.m. and the first race is scheduled for 7 p.m. following an on-track autograph session. Admission is $15 for adults and $12 for seniors (65 and over), students (13 to 18) with identification and active military personnel with identification. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Parking is $5 with entry through Gate 4 off Mill Street.
The autograph session will be highlighted by the appearance of a military color guard as a rememberance of the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
It will be the final time out this year for both the Legends Cars and Bandoleros, who also will race during Friday night’s open practice session, so either Matt Hicks or Ryan Cansdale in the Legends Cars and Mikael Lovas or Case Brinksma in the Bandoleros will join Shackleford in the hall of champions. Hicks goes into the weekend with a 12-point edge over Cansdale and Lovas is 6 up on Brinksma.
A race winner gets 50 points and there is a 2-point decline for every position after that – 48 for second, 46 for third and so on.
It’s that points structure and the leads enjoyed by the pacesetters that make the other classes so interesting, too.
Only in the Pony Stocks, where Erik Spring has a 32-point advantage over Beaumont (Ca.) neighbor Jack Hughes, is there more than 12 points separating first and second. And in the ultra-competitive Late Models, five-race winner Brandon Loverock has both Jesse James Lawson and Matt Goodwin within 8 points of him with three races to go.
The outlook in the Late Models division changed dramatically in the most recent race, Aug. 6. Loverock was involved in an accident while leading and finished eighth. Goodwin and Lawson finished second and third, respectively, behind winner Tim Smith. As a result Goodwin gained 12 points and Lawson picked up 10.
The Super Stock class is a two-man battle with two points races to go and Stevie Smith leading Kyle Meyer by 8 and in the Factory Fours leader Tony Forfa III is trying to hold off a group of five contenders, including his son, over the final three events. The closest to Forfa is Dwayne Blay, who is 12 points back, and Danny French rounds out the quintet, 26 points behind. Tony Forfa IV is in fifth place, 20 points behind.
Closest of all are the Stock Cars USA, where Steven Clark and Mark Fletchall share the lead and Dave Foster and Scott Groom are 8 and 12 points behind, respectively, with two races remaining.
The Super Stocks and Stock cars USA both have an additional race on their schedules, however, on Oct. 22. That’s the 1-800LoanMart USA Shootout, an event for Super Stocks and Street Stocks that is attracting attention throughout the West because it will pay $4,000 to win.
Orange Show Speedway promoter Mark Brinksma and chief technical officials Gary Camp and Duane Chapin have worked hard to produce a small rules package designed to give cars from every paved and dirt track in the area an opportunity to compete on equal terms. Those rules are available on the OSS web site at www.CaliforniaSpeedJams.com.
The Super Stocks and Stock Cars USA will end their points races Oct. 1, when the Late Models, Pony Stocks and Factory Fours also will be in action, and California Event Management’s first season will conclude with that big Oct. 22 program.
It all adds up to a “don’t miss it” finish.
