Irwindale, CA., Jul. 6 – Three racing divisions and a Salute to America 15-minute fireworks show after the final main event attracted about 5,000 spectators to Irwindale Speedway Saturday night. Team 211 Entertainment and Whelen Engineering were presenting sponsors on a shirt-sleeve summer evening with temps in the upper 70s. Connor Cantrell, 22, won the opening feature, a 50-lap Progressive Painting Race Trucks contest on the half-mile. Second fastest qualifier Ryan Partridge started fifth and led all but the first four laps of a 50-lap Lucas Oil NASCAR Late Model feature on the half-mile.

An aircraft jet engine powered pickup truck named “Inferno” also made exhibition runs during an intermission from racing action. The loud, smoking, short bursts of flame-throwing power on the front straight entertained fans. The final race was a 33-car, 20-lap Pick Your Part Skid Plate Cars (SPC) on the third-mile race that concluded shortly after 9:00 pm. Employees from a professional pyrotechnics firm then launched a 15-minute colorful fireworks show from beyond the backstretch. The aerial fireworks were accompanied by music in honor of the Independence Day holiday weekend.

TRUCKS 50: All 19 pickup trucks started with with a four-truck inverted lineup based on afternoon time trials. Fastest qualifier Cantrell started fourth. Past winners Todd Cameron and Ryan Partridge launched from row one. Partridge, in Steve Latina's No. 48 Loan Mart Toyota Tundra led the early laps over Cameron and Cantrell, who took second on lap four. The leading duo raced in close proximity for 22 laps. On lap 23 Partridge caught the first truck to be lapped as they entered the first turn. “My spotter talked to the No. 11 spotter and he said his driver would go low and allow me to pass.” However, the 11 truck stayed in the high groove at the end of the front straight, blocking the surprised Partridge. He expected the slower 11 truck to pull to the inside and stayed in the high groove.

Cantrell, a truck length back, recognized his opportunity and shot to the inside entering the first turn in his No. 9 Chevy S-10 and passed both trucks. He took advantage of the “jam truck” and seized the lead. Partridge stayed close to lap 40 when smoke was noticeable from the right side of his truck. He slowed a bit and finished 20-yards in back of winner Cantrell (-1.359). Later, Partridge said “a broken fuel pump gasket caused oil to leak out and spray onto my tires.” He said his truck was ill handling for about the last 20 laps and he could have been black-flagged for leaking oil.

Lucas McNeil came from 12th starting slot to earn third place, 5.251 seconds off the lead. Teenager Christian McGhee, point leader Darren Cheek, Cameron, Blake Dunkleberger, Dennis Arena, newcomer Jeff Bischofberger and Ken Michaelian completed the top ten. All 19 starters finished and 14 completed all 50 laps. The all-green light race took 17:03.093 for an average speed of 87.969 mph. McNeil ran the fastest race lap of 90.235 mph. The PPRT Series now has run four races this season and Cantrell became the fourth different winner. The series also has four different fastest qualifiers. Cantrell ran the April 6 season opener and was not present for the next two events because team members lacked time to prepare the truck for racing. He credited his team sponsors—APECS Motorsports and So. Calif. Diesel of Valencia for enabling him to race. “The first place check will help as well,” he said.

LATE MODEL 50: The fourth of nine scheduled late model races this season had 18 cars present. That included the three car Justice Brothers “blue crew” team of Tim Huddleston. He had Racecar Factory-built Chevrolets for three teenagers making their first Irwindale late model starts. Cole Custer, 15, set fastest qualifying time in the No. 55. Huddleston's son Trevor, 17, was sixth quickest in the No. 50 and started on the pole. Ryan Cansdale, 14-year old two-time Irwindale champion in smaller cars and frequent Bandolero and Legend Car winner, made his late model debut in the No. 51 after racing impressively this season in touring SRL S2 cars. He qualified 15th fastest and also raced all 50 laps, losing a lap only in traffic as he approached the waving checkered flag in ninth position. Another first-time late model driver was Brent Scheidemantle, a 20-year old Legends champion, who raced the Dennis Furden 43 car for the first time and had his usual No. 98 on it. He set ninth fastest time and was in the top ten on lap 30 when his alternator failed and he lost power, ending his solid debut. He said Furden now just wants to be a car owner. He said he really enjoyed racing a late model.

At the initial green flag Mike Johnson shot from inside row two and led the first four laps over late model rookie Andrew Porter, Partridge, Custer and Huddleston. Race Director Mike Atkinson radioed to Johnson “give it back” to Porter because he had passed too early. On lap 5 Johnson moved to the inside and let Porter, 19, have the lead. Johnson quickly dropped to fifth in the fast-moving field as the yellow flag flew for a second turn spin by Shaun Estes. On the lap 5 green flag, Partridge shot past Porter and led the final 46 laps in Steve Latina's Loan Mart Toyota Camry. It is the older ex-No. 85 CHP-sponsored Toyota that Latina bought from Travis Irving last year. Partridge's second feature triumph of 2013 matched Toni McCray's victory total and moved him past her for the point lead by four points (192-188).

The race took 22 minutes. Partridge won by half a straight (3.453 seconds) over Porter, a graduate of several slower Irwindale divisions. It was his second 2013 late model runner-up finish. Third place Custer trailed Porter by 0.031. Johnson was fourth, 3.909 seconds behind the winner. McCray took fifth, 6.839 seconds back. Huddleston completed his first late model main sixth (-7.613) in the No. 50 that his dad had raced to three Irwindale late model series championships and 44 feature victories. Billy Helgeson, Kyle McGrady, Cansdale and past West Coast Pro Truck champion Jeff Williams completed the top ten as 14 drivers finished.

SKID PLATE CARS: The 33-car field raced on the third-mile oval in a counter-clockwise direction with metal skid plates replacing both rear tires. The two-by-two standing start with backstretch lights turned off accentuated the visual effect of sparks flying off skid plates contact with the asphalt. The 20-lap race had four leaders and four lead changes before Michael DiGregorio, of Temple City, became a first-time SPC feature winner. He started his 1995 Honda Accord in 25th position and took command on lap 18. His winning car had 289,510 miles on the odometer in its first SPC race. Pole starter Jim Cook led the first two laps. Fifth starter Zach Hawthorne, a 2008 sprint car driver at Perris, led laps 3-5 and 8-16 in a VW Golf. Jim Smith led lap 6 before spinning. He lost all forward gears so he ran laps in reverse gear and backed to the finish, five laps down in P. 22. Officials saw leader Hawthorne cut through the third and fourth turns infield on two consecutive laps, so they docked him two laps for the shortcuts.

At the lap 10 halfway mark, the winner was in ninth position. He was in P. 2 at lap 15 and took the lead for good with Hawthorne's penalty. Hawthorne placed 13th. DiGregorio received $300 and a coveted gold/bronze mini helmet trophy. Andy Partridge, younger brother of the late model winner, drove his Honda Accord (with 230,000+ miles on the odometer) from 24th to second place. He traded positions on the last lap with Robert Rice, the originator of SPC racing at Irwindale. P 4-7 finishers were: Randy Kruse, Fred Adams, Todd Browne and Steve Belling. All four drivers completed 20 laps with seventh place Belling 33.894 seconds behind the winner. Sean Brennan, a two-time SPC winner, started 27th and was up to tenth place on the scoring pylon by lap 8. He was fourth on lap 18 when he spun on the front straight, almost costing him a lap. He was lapped by the winner as he approached the finish line in traffic with the checkered flag waving at 9:04 pm.

Brennan took eighth with 19 laps. Late model feature winner R. Partridge (in his third feature of the night) was ninth with 19 laps logged. Andrew Brittain ran 18 laps and placed tenth. Twenty-two of 33 starters were racing at the finish. The all-green light race took 12:37.052 and the winning speed was 31.670 mph. Hawthorne ran the fastest lap of 32.780 for a fastest speed of 36.571 mph. After the checkered flag, the 88 and 28 cars performed six to eight tandem, rapid donuts in the infield as the crowd applauded and cheered.

Following the race trucks main event, skid plate drivers ran the first ever trophy dash for the series with eight drivers going six laps. Legend cars veteran Gary Scheuerell started fifth and led all six laps to beat Robert Rice by 20-yards (3.790 seconds). A. Partridge, Brennan, R. Partridge, Smith, Steve Dien and Dusty Morgan all finished, with the latter three drivers down a lap. The winning time of 3:14.191 is an automatic NTR.

The next race night at Irwindale Speedway, round eight of 15, will be Saturday, July 20.