ST. PADDY'S DAY RACING AT IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY

Source: IS Media Relations
Date: 03/21/2001

Sometimes being in the right place at the right time is a good thing. It was like that for Simi Valley's Tommy Fry in Saturday night's season-starting "Advantage Ford 100 for the Food 4 Less Super Late Models" feature race. Fry, who qualified fourth fastest on the night, had spent the first 54 laps in the lead before seeing Goleta's Greg Voigt fly by on the high side and into a lead that Voigt would hold until the white flag lap of the scheduled 100 circuits.

Following Voigt closely, and hounded from behind by rookie F4LSLM driver Nathan Wulff from Escondido, Fry had figured that he did not have enough for the 2000 series champion and had decided that a second place finish was better than a possible altercation and a potential bad finish.

And then it happened … Going past the white flag, with Fry only a few yards behind, Voigt felt something snap in his drive line, his car went wide, slowed dramatically and went down the track, right in front of the fully committed Fry. Fry checked up just slightly tapping Greg, and then drove around the wounded number 89 car dragging Nathan Wulff and Camarillo's Charlie Utts along in his tow. Voigt's momentum was enough to gather up fifth place with what appeared to be drive to only one wheel in the crowd-shocking finish of a spectacular opening night feature.

In a post-race interview Fry told the press box, "I was sure that I couldn't catch him (Voigt), I just figured we were going to finish that way and then, all of a sudden, he slowed up and went high. When Greg slowed, I was really more concerned with not collecting him than with having the others pass me." Hey, right place, right time, and you're suddenly $3,000 richer.

The fourth place finisher was a story all unto himself as Sean Woodside drove his #45 Walker Racing entry from last to fourth in the 100-lap contest. Qualifying on the pole for the main event, he had his 18.274 time taken off the board after his fuel was found to be out of spec in the post-qualifying tech inspection. Forced to start at the "south pole" (last) in the 21-car, 25-lap B-main, the Saugus speedster went right to the front passing cars on virtually every lap and winning the "race to get into the race" by just over 5 seconds. His performance in the main event 100-lapper was nothing short of super as well. Again, firing off from the last row (this time in a full 36-car field) the 1999 Winston West champ picked up 32 places for the drive of the race.

The Food 4 Less Super Late Models well and truly established themselves as Irwindale's premier NASCAR Weekly Racing Division with this first of 18 events in the 2001 season. After the race, almost every one of the 5,460 fans on hand took the opportunity to visit the pits and pay their personal compliments to the drivers and crews who had put on such a terrific first night show.

In the supporting races Dean Kuhn of Oceanside got the Grand American Modified win over Roger Carufel, Jr. of Santa Clarita, and Steve Luecht of Chula Vista. These three speed merchants put on a tight show with Kuhn prevailing by about a hair and half at the checker.

Northridge's John Wilkes won the 30-lap NASCAR Super Stock affair besting the "out of retirement" polesitter TK Karvasek of North Hills, Palmdale's Will Cottrell made the podium with 2000 champ Jeff Green (Long Beach) having a "bad night" (for him) in fourth.

Due to time constraints, the Mechanix Wear Speed Truck event needed to be cut from 50 laps to 30, but that only made the race more exciting. When it was all over, old had (in a new car) Ron Peterson from San Berdoo (San Bernardino) won his umpteenth Speed Truck show, over Tempe, Arizona's Chris Hines and Orange, California's Jeff Davis (himself driving for a new team).

The night's 147 entries was second only to the track's all-time high of 171 set last year on a five division night (Saturday's was only four). Fans and racers alike were all happy to be back at "LA's ½-Mile Super Speedway" after a four-month Winter break. On the calendar Spring was right around the corner Saturday night, on the track Spring was in full swing and the long range eport was for "fast weather" ahead for the rest of the season.

NEXT WEEK AT IS: Open wheel heaven with a bit of NASCAR door-slammers thrown in for good … March 24 at Irwindale Speedway will feature the only West Coast appearance of the United States Auto Club Coors Light Silver Bullet cars and the opening event of USAC's Sprint Car season. Adding to the fun will be the first 2001 season appearance of the Auto Club of Southern California NASCAR Late Models. Sort of a "mini" (old-style) "Copper World". Something for everyone, a true racefan's delight. … BE THERE!

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