Irwindale, CA., Jun. 16 - Brent Reynolds and Tim Woods III shared twin victories Saturday in a pair of 50-lap NASCAR Food 4 Less Super Late Model features before 5,115 at the half-mile Irwindale Speedway.
It was the first career SLM feature triumph for 30-year old, second year SLM driver and pony stock car-graduate Reynolds, from Escondido. Woods, a Chino Hills driver who won once during 1999 and twice last year at Irwindale, tallied his fourth career SLM victory at the track. Reynolds raced his Ingersoll-Rand, Cornwell Tools Pontiac Grand Prix from the outside front row and led all the way. He defeated 1999 NASCAR Winston/West champion Sean Woodside by 0.411 seconds. Woods, wearing his new Jack Roush Racing driving uniform for the first time prior to joining the famed organization's truck team next season, drove his family-owned Chino Hills Ford-backed Ford Taurus.
Undefeated Dean Kuhn won the 35-lap NASCAR Grand American Modified feature for his sixth victory in six tries during the seven events held so far this year. He did not race in the third event of the year because of mechanical problems. Guy Tripp led all the way in a 35-lap Mod 4 (mini stock) race on the third-mile.
The GAM event was the Larry Krieger Memorial race in honor of Irwindale's 1999 GAM champion. Krieger, 35, succumbed this year on February 17 to viral meningitis that afflicted his brain. His diagnosis was made only four months before his death and his son, Dean Jared was born January 24 this year. The Krieger family added money to the GAM purse Saturday. His widow and infant son were present at the start/finish line to congratulate winner Kuhn, a friend of the late Krieger.
Kuhn's victorious ride started from the fourth grid position. He passed front row starter and early leader Steve Luecht on lap four. Kuhn's winning time 11:11.859 in the all green flag 15-car race. Runner-up Luecht trailed by 1.308 seconds as eight drivers completed all 35 circuits. Tripp, in a Ford Pinto, started on the pole and led the entire Mod 4 feature to defeat Lee Ladd by 2.560 seconds. Tripp drove to victory with a Los Angeles Lakers flag waving in the breeze, a common sight on streets in Los Angeles County since the team became the dominant NBA playoff contender. Following his victory, Tripp copied the "Spiderman" routine popularized by Indy 500/CART winner Helio Castroneves by climbing the wire fence on the front straight and saluting fans.
The first SLM race had 33 cars on the starting grid. Charles Utts, the SLM point leader by ten points entering the race, retired his Chevy with an engine problem before the initial green flag. Todd Burns, in Tommy Fry's backup car, also did not start. Bobby James pitted his car during a caution period caused by the immobilized car of Rip Michels on the front straight. In a show of good sportsmanship James turned over his Chevy to Utts to race for points in the two 50-lappers.
Utts returned to the track seven laps down. When racing resumed Utts became involved in a three-car collision in turn four on lap 23 in which the Utts substitute car got airborne. The James/Utts car received heavy damage to the front end and resulted in a red flag of almost 30 minutes for EMTs to attend to Utts and to clear damaged cars. Utts had a bruised chest and lower back pain. He was taken by ambulance to nearby Arcadia Methodist Hospital where he was kept overnight for medical evaluation. (UPDATE: Utts was transferred early on Sunday morning to Community Hospital in Ventura where he was found to have two broke vertebra and bruised internal organs. -IS Staff)
Twenty of the 33 cars finished the first SLM main and 17 ran all 50 laps. Only 26 cars made the call to start the second 50-lap race and 20 cars were running at the finish again. A third lap collision between Kevin Vernon and James Bruncatti sent Bruncatti's Ford into the front straight wall, inflicting major damage top the car. An angry Bruncatti made his feelings known by pointing at Vernon during the caution.
The second SLM 50 became a four-car, nose-to-tail battle from lap 30 to the checkered flag. Brandon Loverock and Woodside traded second spot three times a car length behind Woods. As second place Loverock exited turn four on lap 44 his car got loose and spun into the infield. He lost 11 positions because of the spin and finished 13th, still on the lead lap.
"I was pressed hard all the way by Woodside and Loverock," winner Woods said. "When going for the victory you fight harder to stay ahead than if you were back in fifth or sixth place," Woods added. He said he will compete in Winston West races as his first priority this year, but he also will make as many SLM races as possible at Irwindale.
Utts' misfortune dropped him from first to fifth in current SLM point standings at the track. By virtue of his two-second place finishes Saturday third-ranked Woodside became the new (unofficial) point-leader with 362. Reynolds' first and fifth positions elevated him from fourth to second with 352. Nathan Wulff dropped from second to third with 348. David Gilliland's 296 ranked fourth and Utts followed with 288.
NASCAR MOD 4s:
Fast Time: Steve Rogers, 17.828.
Dash: Guy Tripp, Lee Ladd, Rogers, Tim Ross, Fred Adams, Terry Limberopoulos.
Main: Tripp, Ladd, Limberopoulos, Tim Ross, Fred Adams, Rogers, Greg Didoha, Rick LeMaster, Tommy Fowler, John Reed, R. C. Zimmerman, Dusty Morgan, Rod Hicks, Howard Brown, Robert Lovas, Ron Pugh, Danny Rowe, John Morrow, Pat Ackley, Scott Corrigan, Nick Orsillo, Greg Tucker.
GRAND AMERICAN MODIFIEDS:
Fast Time: Dean Kuhn, 18.702.
Dash: Travis Thirkettle, Roger Carufel, Jr, Steve Luecht, Kuhn, Mike Bush, Rick Crow.
Main: Kuhn, Luecht, Thirkettle, Mike Bush, Eddie Ernst, Henry Ford, Robert Rice, Rick Crow, Joe Nuccitelli, Garrett Yamada, Andy Schoening, Mike Trottochau, John Watkinson III, Carufel, Mike Knapp.
FOOD 4 LESS SUPER LATE MODELS:
Fast Time: tie Sean Woodside and Nick DeFazio, 18.256.
Dash: Tim Woods III, Brandon Loverock, David Gilliland, DeFazio, Woodside, Brent Reynolds.
1st Main: Brent Reynolds, Woodside, Loverock, Woods, Keith Spangler, DeFazio, Greg Voigt, Gilliland, Tony Greem. Nathan Wulff, Kevin Vernon, James Bruncatti, Russell White, Kazuto Yanagawa, Shawn Brink, James Weston, Mike Walker, David Beat, Dennis Arena, Todd Southwell, Tim Clark, Tommy Fry, John Tyczki, Doug Renno, Tony Bruncatti, Lloyd Mack, Randy Jackson, Chris Skelton, BobbyJames/Charles Utts, Rip Michels, Joe Perez, Utts, Todd Burns. 2nd Main: Woods III, Woodside, Spangler, Wulff, Reynolds, Green, Gillialnd, DeFazio, Voigt, Fry, White, Yanagawa, Loverock, T. Bruncatti, Renno, Weston, Beat, Arena, Southwell, Brink, Tyczki, Clark, Perez, Vernon, J. Bruncati, Walker. -TK
