IRWINDALE, California — A diverse Toyota Speedway at Irwindale seven event program entertained almost 6,000 fans Saturday on “Breast Cancer Awareness Night” on a warm, mid-80s evening. Award-winning actress Katey Sagal, who co-starred as Peg Bundy on the long-time Fox TV show Married with Children and currently on the TV show Sons of Anarchy, served as grand marshal. She addressed the crowd from the starting line during opening ceremonies and encouraged donations to cure caner. Receptacles for cash donations and auctioned items collected thousands of dollars (including $700+ for a pink guitar autographed by Sagal and female demo derby drivers). Pink was the dominant color on caps and t-shirts sold to spectators as well.
The seventh and final event at 10 pm was an all-women demolition derby featuring women in eight front wheel drive cars. Track workers watered and soaped the infield demo derby arena marked off by large white tires. Late model and super late model driver Toni Marie McCray won the 14-minute event in a Honda for her first victory a the Irwindale track. She had just finished eighth in the 75-lap SLM feature an hour earlier. Other DD participants included two TS@I scorers—sisters Sarah and Jannie Atkinson, SLM drivers Bailey “The BRAT” Thompson and Molly Saleen (daughter of ex-racer and car constructor Steve Saleen), and track employee Quebet King. Autoweek and Hot Rod magazines sent reporters/photographers to cover the once a year slam-fest.
Feature winners were: (on half-mile) – Rod Johnson, Jr., 22, in a Lucas Oil Slick Mist 75-lap feature in a thriller duel with lap 1-38 leader/fastest qualifier Ryan Partridge. It was his 25th career feature victory at the track, tying fellow multi-series winner Partridge on the most career victories chart. Andrew Porter, 17, took the Langers Juice S2 Cars 25-lap race. ... On the third-mile – Mikael Lovas, 13, won the Jan's Towing Bandoleros 15-lap main for his first triumph in the series. Robby Hornsby, the fastest qualifier in a Ford Pinto, led every lap in a 25-lap Justice Brothers Mini Stock feature. Chad Schug, 24, won his eighth feature this season in a 25-lap Echo Equipment Legend cars main. ... Steve Stewart captured the 20-lap Pick Your Part Outlaw Figure 8 infield course race in the penultimate event of the night. ... Toni McCray took the very active all-women demo derby that held fans attention to the final checkered flag of the night.
SLM 75: A strong field of 18 cars took the green flag at 8:16 pm and ran a semi-wild 75 laps with five caution flags. FQ Partridge used the backup No. 88 Eshleman Racing car dubbed “Superman” and led R. Johnson, Jr. and Jason Patison in a close, three-car break-away. The first yellow light at lap 25 for a solo spinner caused the first of four double-file restarts. Partridge retained P. 1. On the second restart at lap 39 following a two car spin, “RJ” got the jump on outside starting Partridge and took command for good in his King Taco Position One Motor-sports No. 03. Randel King made his first start of the season in the second Position One car—No. 30. He had taken P. 3 from Patison on the lap 25 green flag and made it a captivating three-way dog-fight for the lead. King took second from Partridge on lap 48 with an inside pass exiting turn 2. Partridge reclaimed P. 2 on a lap 52 restart following contact between Dennis Furden and Kyle Neveau and a spin by Neveau. Angry Neveau pursued Furden's car on the track, but cooler heads prevailed. Rookie Griffin Steinfeld, 17-year old high school senior and brother of “True Grit” academy award nominated actress Hayley Steinfeld, 14, started tenth and was in P. 9 on lap 64 when he hit the fourth turn wall. His car had to be towed to the pits. The green flew on lap 72 and “RJ” ran off to a ten-yard victory (-0.691) over Partridge, who edged P. 3 King by 0.223. Jack Madrid, 16, Patison, Race Liberante,16, Kevin Thompson (P. 4 lap 39-73), Toni McCray, Furden and Gail Chase. Eleven of 18 starters finished and all ran 75 laps in a 41-minute event.
S2 CARS: Nine cars started the first race of the night at 7:12. A. Porter, grandson of driver Kenny (Quickpick Motor-sports) Smith, led all 25 laps after starting third. He held off FQ/fifth starter Andrew Anderson, 19, by five yards (0.501). Anderson took P. 2 from unrelated Joe Anderson, 25, on lap 8 with an inside move leaving turn 4. Nik Romano, 21, and Trevor Huddleston, 15, finished fourth and fifth. A lap 6 spectacular/fiery crash eliminated the P. 6-9 cars. Mike Colato, Jr. had purchased the HPR No. 55 and put his classic stock No. 71 on it. He started second and was sixth when he spun leaving turn 4. Following cars of Austin Dyne and brothers Bill and Gary Waters quickly slammed into Colato's stalled car. Dyne's 51 car erupted into large flames at the engine area from spilled fuel that also caught fire as fuel rolled towards the infield. Emergency crews arrived promptly and extinguished the flames. All drivers escaped injury, but all four cars had to be towed to the pits. The red flag flew for 15 minutes for rescue and cleanup work.
BANDOLEROS: Sixteen Briggs & Stratton-powered cars produced a 15-lap, 14-minute thriller as well. Four cautions for spins led to three final green laps with three and four-wide racing. FQ/race-long leader Christian McGhee, 13, led the first 14 laps from the pole. Fellow title-hopeful Danny Nikolai, 14, ran second from lap 10 to the final lap when he spun out high in turn 3 after contact as cars sped towards the waving checkers. P. 8 starter Mikael Lovas, 13, shot from P. 4 on the white flag lap to the inside entering the third turn when he saw an open inside lane. He took the point in turn 4 and won his first main event at Irwindale in 2011 event 26 for the small cars. McGhee finished second with Ricky Schlick,14, Ian Wesolowsi,12, and Brett Scoggins,10, following as 15 finishers completed every lap.
MINI STOCKS 25: Ten 4-cylinders mini stocks used a straight-up start based on time trials. FQ Robby Hornsby, from Yucaipa, led every lap in his No. 61 Ford Pinto for his second official victory at TS@I by 0.386. Runner-up Daryl Scoggins, 39, started and finished second and won his third consecutive JBMS championship. The LAPD officer celebrated by running tire-smoking donuts in the infield. The three-time champ told the crowd, “I wanted this one so bad. I dedicate this race to my mom.” He thanked his brother and said he is proud of his son Brett, a Bandolero driver. He added that his No. 10 Pinto is for sale because he is moving up to the Langers S2 division next season. Ryan Bragdon, Kevin Bernhardt and September 24 first-time series winner Seth Wilson completed the top five with eight cars still on the track.
LEGENDS 25: A 16-car field of Legends had a four-car inverted start. Mark Borchetta led the first three laps and finished third. Chad Schug, from Oak Hills, led the final 22 laps for his eighth victory in 17 races. He won in his own 29 car after winning four mains in the No. 88 car, one of 14 Legends owned by Tony Green (the Tim Huddleston-like impresario of Legends racing). Schug, 24, repeated his 2010 EELC series championship with one race remaining when P. 2 in points--Brent Scheidemantle--was not present. FQ/runner-up Cale Kanke, son of SRL champion “M.K”, finished 0.393 back. Jordan Hyland and Aaron Wells completed the top five. Sub-teen and teenage drivers from the ranks of go-karting and Bandolero racing populated the back of the 16-car field. Go-karter Zane Smith, 12, set seventh fastest qualifying time, but he had to start a the back in his first TS@I race. He drove his brand new No. 66 Tony Green-built replica 1934 Ford coupe up to a closing sixth position with 15 cars still racing at the end. Jared Torres, 17, Mark Iungerick, 66, Terry Matthiesen, and newcomer Andrew Bruncati, 12-year old son of ex-SLM driver Tony Bruncati, completed the top ten. Bando point leader McGhee, 13, Lacie Price, 13-year old daughter of ex-late model feature winner Mike Price, Bando winner Ricky Schlick, 14, and Bando rookie Ian Wesolowski, 12, also finished.
PYP OUTLAW FIGURE 8S 20: Steve Stewart led the final 18 laps over FQ/pole starter Jay Henson, the first two laps leader. Kendall Scheidecker also ran 20 laps. P 4-6 drivers Andrew Schoening, Willem Voesten and Jerry Toporek all completed 18 laps. Jeff Marquet and Ron Davis also finished in a ten car field. The all-green light race took 6:22.170. Henson returned from competing in the 35th annual World Figure 8 Championship three-hour F-8 race on the Indianapolis Speedrome fifth-mile paved track on September 10. The race paid $20,000 to the winner. With 53 drivers present, the race started 33 drivers and added alternates as cars dropped out. The winner completed 434 laps and Henson finished fifth with 416 laps, two laps in back of the P 3-4 drivers. Other TS@I F-8 drivers who ran the Indianapolis F-8 event were P. 22 A. Schoening (No. 3-16) with 205 laps, P. 42 Rod Proctor (No. 21) with 46 laps, P. 44 Billy Ziemann (No. 3) with 38 laps. Henson won the race rookie of the year award as the highest finishing newcomer to the classic F-8 event. Henson's runner-up finish in Irwindale's final PYP F-8 race earned him his initial TS@I track championship.
ALL WOMEN DEMO DERBY: The final event won by Toni McCray lasted 14 minutes and concluded at 10:18 pm. The smashing and bashing event had several hard hits worthy of veteran demo derby male drivers. One RR wheel of a backing car landed into the engine of a bigger car and both vehicles continued. With three cars eliminated early, four cars battled almost to the end with the Atkinson sisters (daughters of NASCAR track steward Mike Atkinson), Q. King and M. Koffman coming close to victory. TS@I oval track racing will return on October 15 after drifting competition takes over the track next weekend.
