Source: Jim Short
Date: 07/15/2007

SAN BERNARDINO, California – Brian Malone won the BSR West Late Model main event with a third-place car Saturday night at Orange Show Speedway.

Malone, 39, of Grand Terrace, got his second straight win and third of the season overall courtesy of the latest incident in a season full of controversy for the class. This incident occurred when leader Kevin James was nudged by Jim Conklin and spun on the final lap of the 35-lap race.

Conklin crossed the finish line first. But track officials ruled that he could have avoided the contact with James and gave the checkered flag to Malone in his Palm Canyon Contractors Chevrolet. Conklin was penalized by being placed last among the cars running at the end and officially finished ninth in the 10-car field. James was an angry eighth.

“I’ll take it any way I can get it,” said Malone, who started the season with a win March 3. “I had a third-place car, so I figured I’d bide my time and see if they got together, and sure enough, they did. It just shows you the fastest car doesn’t always win the race.”

Malone took the checkered flag ahead of Dave Arce, of Santee, and those two now are tied for second in the points, 16 behind Conklin after nine of the 15 races.

The ASA Speed Truck Challenge made its second and final visit of the season to the ASA-sanctioned quarter-mile oval, and with a crowd of about 2,500 looking on series points leader Victor Pfluger wound up an easy winner over Randel King of Riverside.

An incident early in the 75-lap race sent contenders Darren Young and Bear Rzesnowiecky to the rear of the 12-truck field and ended Young’s bid for a fourth straight win. The defending series champion instead finished fourth.

Tom Smith continued his perfect season in the Outlaw Figure 8 class, starting on the pole and leading all 25 laps of the main event for his ninth win of the year. San Bernardino’s Harry Kuenniger took second for his best finish of the season.

Jim Mardis, who said before the race that he had his Ford Pinto running well again, proved it by returning to the Stock Pony victory lane for the first time since March 17. Mardis, 22, of Riverside, who has missed three of the nine races, started fourth after posting the fast time in qualifying and raced just off the pace as Jim Gebhart and Jim Edmiston took turns leading the first half of the 30-lap event. Mardis took the lead on lap 16 and wasn’t challenged thereafter in beating Matt Goodwin and Edmiston to the finish.

The 30-lap Legends Cars feature also saw the end of a lengthy victory drought as Darren Amidon claimed the win over Gary Scheuerell, of Murrieta, and points leader Bree Brewer, of Riverside. Amidon, 22, of Santee, won the first two races of the season, but had been shut out the past six races – four of which Brewer won to build her points lead.

Brewer led the first 22 laps this time. Amidon took first on lap 23, on a restart after a caution, then lost the lead to Chad Schug on lap 25 and regained it on lap 27, when Schug slowed with mechanical woes.

See Also .:

• Orange Show Speedway Track Page

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