By Tim Kennedy
(Irwindale) – Series rookie Rod Johnson, Jr., 20, set the fastest qualifying time, started first and led all 40-laps of the Auto Club Late Model feature Saturday on the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale half-mile. It was his third victory in seven races aboard the No. 15 HPR Chevy Monte Carlo.
He now ranks second in points and trails the leader by two points. Benjamin Mahan, 14, made track history by becoming the youngest driver to win a main event in a late model. He did so on the third-mile track in a 35-lap open competition race that included super stocks and also served as a point race for the Ken Porter Auctions Classic Stock Series. Ryan “Perfect” Partridge lived up to his new nickname again in the King Taco Super Truck Series. The 22-year old Rancho Cucamonga resident again set quick time in the 18-truck field and led every lap on the half-mile. In six KTST events this season, Partridge has been the fastest qualifier and feature winner at all six events.
Two other main events entertained about 1,200 persons present during “Teen Safe Driving Night” in which students from two high schools received safe driving tips from law enforcement representatives and viewed auto safety displays on the main concourse. The opening main event of the evening went to Gerrit Cromsigt, of Saugus, in a 30-lap Vista Paint Super Stock race. He started second in the 11-car field in a six-car inverted start on the half-mile. Fourteen drivers from ages 8 through 14 took part in the next race—a 20-lap run for the Briggs & Stratton-powered Bandolero cars on the third-mile oval. Fastest qualifier Trevor Huddleston, 13, started and finished first in his blue No. 50 that is a tribute to his father Tim, a three-time ACLM track champion, and his No. 50 ACLM Chevy.
The final event on a six-event card was the second auto soccer match of 2010. In tribute to FIFA World Cup matches underway in South Africa, six motorized auto soccer participants used sedans to push a huge, round propane tank “metal ball” (painted white with black spots). Huge tires marked goals at the east and west end of the infield. This time three white cars from Jan’s Towing took on a first-time team, three orange cars from Team Hobart. Teams consisted of two striker cars per team and a goalie car stationed in front of each goal. Following a 16-minute contest, the score ended as a 1-1 tie, just as the score of the big World Cup match of the day between England and the USA ended hours earlier. Team Hobart scored first, but Jan’s Towing scored and prevented defeat before a checkered flag concluded the event at 9:52 pm. It was the first-ever tie in eight auto soccer matches at TS@I dating back to the first one in November 2007. The new TS@I year 12 of racing printed program was distributed for the second week in a row in the suites on the third level. Earlier, arriving grandstand spectators also received a copy of the free, 32-page color program from ticket-takers at the main entrance gate.
ACLM: Pole-starter R. Johnson, Jr., who will turn 21 in three months, set sail immediately in a 40-lap race aboard the No. 15 HPR Chevy Monte Carlo owned by Huddleston. Second starter Chris Holloway, 22, started second and slipped to third behind Mike Johnson for eight laps. The Bakersfield driver used the outside groove from the second through fourth turns to take second place from M. Johnson on lap 9. Holloway’s Four Star Fruit Monte Carlo pressed leader R.J until the only yellow flag flew on lap 33. Truck racer/ACLM rookie Dalton Kuhn caused the yellow after being tapped and spinning low in the fourth turn. Holloway said the caution broke his momentum as he was about top make his first attempt to pass RJ on the inside and the yellow interrupted his charge. Still seeking his first ACLM feature victory, Holloway could not catch RJ after the lap 33 restart after Johnson opened a quick advantage at the green flag. Holloway trailed by 0.491 at the conclusion. M. Johnson finished third, 1.642 seconds back. Sean Woodside the runner-up in the last two ACLM mains, came from seventh starting spot to earn fourth by passing reigning ACLM champion Nick Joanides on the lap 33 restart. Joanides, Travis Irving, Travis Motley, rookie Brandon Davis, second year series driver Kyle McGrady and ACLM rookie Christian Copley completed the top ten. Fourteen of 15 starters finished the 15-minute race and all ran 40 laps. Huddleston missed his first ACLM event in about ten years because two of his May 29 severely damaged four cars in his five-car Chevy team, including his No. 50, could not be repaired in time to race June 12.
KPACS/Open Stocks: Nineteen cars lined up for the second-ever TS@I open competition stock car race. The field included one late model, 11 super stocks and seven classic stocks;18 cars actually raced. Unlike the first non-point open race two weeks ago, this event had a race within a race. Ken Porter Auction Classic Stocks received P. 1 and lower points no matter where they finished. Classic stock driver Tom Whitson started and finished fourth and received the KPACS 50 first-place points. The sensation of the race was first-time TS@I competitor Benjamin Mahan, a 14-year old high school sophomore from Oak Hills. He started 11th in his Irwindale debut, “marked time early to let the field string out” and picked them off one or two cars per lap during the 35-lap race. With all seven C/S cars starting in the first seven positions, Harry Michaelian started second and led the first six laps. Then 16th starting G. Cromsigt (No. 5 SS) made an outside pass on lap 7 at turn four and opened a half-straightaway lead by lap 15 over Whitson’s No. 12 Chevy Nova C/S. Mahan’s blue & white No. 12 Monte Carlo L/M took second on lap 16 and steadily reeled in Cromsigt until the teen took the lead on lap 23 in the fourth turn. He ran away to a 5.859 second victory margin (a straightaway). In the pits Mahan said it was his fourth race in the ex-ACLM No. 99 Michael Varela, of Bakersfield, ride. Mahan raced the car three times this season at Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino and crashed twice. The former mini cup car racer and friend of ACLM driver K. McGrady, won’t be eligible to race his ACLM-legal Chevy on the TS@I half-mile until he turns 16 on August 28, 2011. He said he really had fun racing on Irwindale’s “roomy” third-mile and passing so many cars. Mahan ran the fastest lap of the race at 16.390 (73.142 mph).
All top ten open stock finishers received $250 and all other starters received $100 each. Mahan said he plans to race in upcoming TS@I open stock car events on the third-mile. Ten drivers finished and the top four completed all 35 laps. Only two drivers ran all 30 laps in the inaugural open stock race on May 29. Cromsigt finished second in his super stock Camaro. Bryan Harrell, the SS fastest qualifier, placed third, 13-seconds back. Fourth place and C/S winner Whitson was 15 seconds behind overall race winner Mahan. Ken Michaelian and his dad Harry, in their Petty-blue C/S 1975 Dodge Darts, Rick Crow, in his Olds Cutlass S/S, Jason DeLong (Camaro SS), Tommy Mason (Chevy MC S/S) and Mark Brinksma (Chevy Impala SS) completed the top ten. Position 5 through P. 9 completed 34 laps. The 25-minute race had three caution flags. The most serious crash on lap 6 among the close first four cars involved second running Mike Coleto’s 1976 Chevy Nova and third place Robert Dezarov’s Camaro. Colato’s car spun hard into the wall and caved in the RF end before spinning to the bottom of the track. Angry Coleto climbed out and threw something at Dezarov’s passing car under caution. Officials sent Dezarov to the back and after initially complying he pulled into the pits before the green flag. Austin Murphy, 18-year old winner of the May 29 open comp race in his Havasu 95 Speedway-legal late model, was not present. Reportedly, he was out of the country on a mission for his church.
KTST: The rapid 13:30.610 KTST race ran 40 all-green laps. Winner Partridge gradually lengthened his advantage to 40-yards over fellow front row starter Todd Cameron, his closest pursuer all season. Cameron now has four second place results and two thirds in six races as he pursues his career-first KTST feature victory. The inversion was two and FQ Partridge shot into the lead immediately from his second starting position. He beat Cameron by 3.598 seconds. With the first two drivers long-gone, the truck series race of the night was the five-truck dogfight for P.3. Pat Mintey, Jr., the 2007-08 series track champion, held P. 3 for the first 36 laps. Charging fifth-starter Matt Kimball took fourth on lap 18 and used the inside groove to battle Mintey lap after lap until lap 37 when he made a successful pass for P. 3 and earn his third podium finish of 2010. He trailed Partridge by 8.448-seconds. Mintey took fourth, 8.688 back. Dennis Arena, Jameson Spies, Ken Maler, Jr., Ken Brown, Bob Barker and Mark Black rounded out the top ten. All 18 starters finished the competitive race and 12 drivers ran all 40 circuits.
VPSS: Nine of 11 starters were racing at the end of 30-laps and all nine completed every lap. Cromsigt (from second) and point leader/four-time 2010 feature winner Rich DeLong III (from fourth) were separated by 1.954 seconds at the checkers. It was his first VPSS victory this season. He lost his season-opening win via a mechanical disqualification. FQ Harrell (from sixth) took third, 3.587 seconds from the winner. Pole starter Gary Read and third-starter Eric Sunness, a two-time main event winner this year, completed the top five. Gary Frankovich, Curtis White, Jason DeLong and Brad Keegan followed in a 16-minute race.
BANDOLEROS: Jan’s Towing Bandolero drivers agreed with Chicago Cubs infielder Ernie Banks quote, “Let’s play two.” The age 8-14 racers ran a pair of 20-lap main events—one Saturday and one during the regular Friday 5:00-9:00 pm open practice for all divisions.
Saturday – FQ/point leader Trevor Huddleston started and finished first in a five driver breakaway. The second-year Bando driver won his third main event in nine mains this season. Las Vegas visitor Jacob Tilton, a first-time driver at Irwindale, trailed by 0.439 after starting second as the second FQ. Amanda Poertner, 13, started sixth and finished third (-0.599). Ricky Schlick, 12, was fourth, 0.760 behind the winner and 2009 track champion/rookie of the year Ryan Cansdale, 11, was fifth. The first five finishers were within 0.900 a the end. R. J. Stearns, 8, Brandon Weaver, 9, Christian McGhee, 11, Michael Womack, 10, and Mikael Lovas, 12, completed the top ten. All 14 drivers ran 20 laps.
Friday – FQ Cansdale set a new one-lap track record with Bandos using restrictor plates to slow top speed this year. His 18.278 (65.587 mph) run is 0.797 (3.059 mph) slower than the 17.481 (68.646 mph) Bandolero one-lap all-time track record set without a restrictor plate by Jimmy Rouse, Jr on 4/29/06. Las Vegan Jacob Tilton enjoyed his first TS@I competition by setting second quickest qualifying time and finished second in the main, 6.102-seconds back. T. Huddleston started and finished third, 6.327 seconds in back of the winner. B. Weaver and the last winner A. Poertner followed. Eleven of the 14 drivers finished and seven ran all 20 laps in a 20 minute race. A lap 2 tangle sidelined three cars.
Leave a Reply