Source: Tim Kennedy
Date: 07/30/2007

IRWINDALE, California -- Rip "Trackmeister" Michels did it again at Irwindale Speedway Saturday night with approximately 4,500 spectators marveling at his expertise behind the wheel of a racing car. The 45-year old San Fernando resident started third and led all 50-laps of the AC Delco NASCAR Super Late Model feature during weekly Whelen All-American Series action. It was his eighth main event victory in 13 races this season and his track record 52nd feature triumph in three series. His winning margin was 2.142-seconds over pole starter Dan Moore, who chased Michels all 50-laps and trailed by 40-yards at the finish.

Point leader Michels, the 2006 NASCAR Elite Division Southwest Series champion in the series final season, increased his SLM series point advantage from six to 38-points (538-500). Series rookie and 2006 Auto Club Late Model champion Travis Thirkettle, who led the point chase until the last event, had to use a slower, back-up car after his primary car had significant damage during the July 14 event. He dropped out on lap 5 Saturday and finished 17th in the 18-car field. Five races remain in the 18-race SLM season. The all-green flag race took only 15:55.781 to complete this week.

SUPER STOCKS: Greg Crutcher ended the two-man feature victory monopoly by title-contenders Bryan Harrell and Darren Cheek. They have each won four of the eight Vista Paint Super Stock 30 and 35-lap main events this season. Crutcher started sixth in a 14-car field of 13 Camaros and a Pontiac Grand Am. He became the fourth different race leader on lap 18 and held off fastest qualifier/eighth starter Cheek by 0.315. Pole starter Rich DeLong III led the opening lap. Larry Sampson paced lap 2-10 and Eric Sunness led lap 1-17.

SUPER TRUCKS: Matthew Hicks started and finished first in the King Taco Super Truck 40-lap main event, also on the banked half-mile. It was his third consecutive and fourth victory in nine features this season. The second-ranked point driver moved to within 28-points of point leader Pat Mintey, Jr., who finished sixth. His winning margin was 10-yards (0.593) over June 9 main event winner John Israel. Connor Cantrell, 16-year old series rookie, started third as second fastest qualifier in the 18-truck field and finished third. Quickest qualifier Logan Henson was fourth and 2006 Grand American Modified track champion John Watkinson took fifth after starting 13th. It is his initial truck-racing season after many years of GAM competition.

USAC FORD FOCUS MIDGETS: Fastest qualifier Tim Skoglund, 18, started sixth and led the final seven laps of the 35-lap K & N Filters USAC Ford Focus Midget feature. It was the only race of the evening run on the third-mile track. The all-green flag race took 8:38.107. Mike Maier started first and led the initial 28 laps before Skoglund went to the inside and took the lead racing through the third and fourth turns. He opened a 15-yard advantage (0.846) at the checkered flag. Maier was second and Nic Faas third, 1.410 behind the winner. Ian Millie and Tom Dyer finished fourth and fifth respectively. All 13 starters finished and eight drivers completed the full 35-lap run. Skoglund, who also won the June 23 Irwindale feature, has now won five of the ten series races this season at seven different paved tracks in three western states. He increased his USAC 2007 point lead to nine points (608-599) over Faas in USAC paved track series points. Skoglund also went from two to eight points (100-92) over Faas in K & N Filters Irwindale series points.

In the VPSS main event Harrell, the second fastest qualifier and point leader by two points over quick qualifier Cheek, started next to Cheek in the fourth row. They raced forward together in three and four-wide action during early laps. Cheek was second and Harrell third from lap 20 to lap 30 when Harrell's engine blew and he pulled into the infield. Cheek took the point lead by 20-points (438-418) over Harrell after nine of the 14 scheduled VPSS events. Sunness, DeLong and Dan Fitzgerald completed the top five finishers. Twelve drivers finished and ten of them ran all 35-laps.

The AC Delco SLM main had 14 of 18 starters racing at the conclusion and 11 drivers ran all 50-laps. Andrew Phipps, the fastest qualifier by 0.002 over Michels, finished third, 6.247-seconds (one-straight-away) behind the winner. Gary Jenkins survived a serious SLM crash at turn two July 14 and had to get his race car rebuilt by Steve Teets Racing. He also received a doctor clearance to race again. Rescuers had cut off the roof and roll-bar of his Chevy Monte Carlo to extricate him after the left front tire of Brian Wong's car entered his cockpit and stopped next to Jenkins' helmet. He regained consciousness before he exited his car; he was examined overnight and released early the next day from Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. The religious driver has a "Jesus Saves" sticker on his car and he believes that phrase even more now. He has been to one prior post-race interview as hard charger where he gave testimony to his faith.

Jenkins, a 58-year old financial expert from El Cajon, is a 37-year racing veteran with racing laps at Talladgea, AL and Charlotte, N.C tracks and his hometown track, the now closed Cajon Speedway. He started his No. 79 Chevy tenth Saturday and raced forward in an inspired drive to his best finish of the year-fourth. His best result had been sixth twice this season and his career-best finish in five years of IS competition was fifth place. Running the inside groove, Jenkins engaged six other drivers battling for third through ninth positions during the final 40-laps. The two leaders were a straight-away ahead of the battling drivers. Jenkins made his passing moves on the inside in turn four. He was tenth on lap 10, ninth lap 19, eighth lap 30, seventh lap 34, sixth lap 35, fifth lap 40 and fourth on the final lap with his pass of Derek Becker. Completing the top ten were Linny White, series rookie Scott Dodd, David Beat, Mike Price and Scott Conaway. Fourteen drivers finished and 11 ran all 50 laps.

Hard charger award winners were (ST)--Watkinson (13th to 5th); (SS)-Julianne Seeley (9th to 7th) and Jenkins (10th to 4th). Fastest qualifiers by divisions were (USAC FF)-Skoglund - 14.549 (82.397 mph); (SS)-Cheek - 21.009 (85.678 mph); (ST) - Henson - 19.879 (90.548 mph) and (SLM) - Phipps - 18.298 (98.371 mph).

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