Irwindale, CA., Apr. 2, 2011 – Opening night for the 13th season of NASCAR Whelen All-American Weekly Racing Series produced a near capacity 6,000 persons to watch a field of 21 Auto Club Late Models race twin 40-lap mains and 19 King Taco Super Trucks on the half-mile. Two special attractions—eight Monster Jam monster trucks in the infield--and two Metal Mulisha free-style motocross jumpers helped swell the crowd on a cool evening. They performed a variety of aerial tricks during mid-air flights from a smaller launch ramp to a larger landing ramp on the third-mile front straight.

Twin 40-lap ACLM mains launched the track's late model division as the national point championship series for the first time in track history. Brandon Davis, the fastest qualifier and one-lap late model track record holder since January, won both ACLM features. The 25-year old sports car racing veteran from Henderson, NV started fifth in the first 40 at 7:12. He started second in the second 40 as the final oval track race started at 9:12. Wrecks punctuated both races and enabled Davis to win the second and third Irwindale features of his two-year stock car career. He won the final point race on October 16, so he has three consecutive victories and counting. He drove one of five Tim Huddleston's High Point Racing entries.

The outstanding weekend at the track began a day earlier for Davis, the 2010 ACLM rookie of the year. During Friday night open practice Davis had his girl friend, Erica Lindeman, look at the hood of his blue No. 55 HPR Chevy Monte Carlo built in Irwindale by Racecar Factory. He had placed the words “Marry Me” on the hood. She looked shocked, couldn't speak immediately, but nodded yes. “It was a great way to start the year,” Davis said Saturday after his successful proposal and twin victories. He admitted that crashes helped him win both races.

The 40-lap KTST main had 18 of 19 trucks present in action between the twin late model features. Dominant KTST 2010 champion Ryan Partridge, 22, continued where he left off last season. He started fifth in the same No. 48 Steve Latina Toyota Tundra, now with LA Racing and Lucas Oil sponsorship, and won race one of the 16 race season. However, it was not easy. “About halfway through my transmission began smoking up through the inside of the truck, but it held up to the end,” Partridge stated. He won the first ten mains last season before transmission failure ended that record streak. Failed transmissions caused two dropouts in the closing races. The 48 team has several transmissions in its arsenal this season to avoid a repeat of the “Achilles heel” that almost cost Partridge the 2010 track championship

Connor Cantrell, 20, returned to action at Irwindale for the first time since the 2008 season. He said he was ready to move to North Carolina for 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck season to race the No. 8 truck that Chad McCumbee had raced. However, his sponsor—Expedia.com—backed out so he never moved east. With his older truck sold, the Cantrell team built a new Chevy truck for Irwindale this year after two sponsors contacted them and supplied the money to race. Cantrell proved two years absence from Irwindale racing did not deter him. He ran the fastest lap of the race—19.836 (90.744 mph)--on lap 2. He set fourth fastest qualifying time, started on the pole in a four-truck inversion and was “gone” in the feature. He opened a growing 50-yard lead by lap 21 when the first of two caution flags flew. Robert Manley hit the backstretch wall almost head-on after contact from another truck. He was unhurt, but a wrecker towed his battered truck to the pits. With double-file restarts in effect, Partridge lined up next to Cantrell on the inside and beat him into the first turn to lead the final 20 laps by a narrow margin. Cantrell had another chance to regain the lead on lap 32 after another brief yellow. Partridge selected the outside row and powered back to the front. Cantrell lagged at the start and held up third place Todd Cameron, allowing Dennis Arena to jump from fourth to second. Cameron took third from Cantrell on lap 34, but Cantrell reclaimed third on lap 36. On the final circuit, Cameron spun out of fourth position and came close to hitting the metal landing ramp used by the cycle jumpers. He returned to the track but finished last—15th. Arena, Cantrell, FQ Matt Kimball, Ken Maler, Jr. the 20-year old 2010 series rookie of the year, Andrew Anderson, Kenny Smith, Jameson Spies, Phillip Lauck and Ken Brown completed the top ten.

Classic Stock 2009-2010 champion Ken Michaelian, 22, made his truck debut in the ex-No. 15 Rod Johnson, Jr Chevy and finished 13th. All 15 drivers in the 18 truck field completed 40 laps. Cantrell stated, “We had a fast truck on long runs. Unfortunately, Ryan and Dennis had faster trucks after the yellow.” Winner Partridge told the crowd, “We have a fast truck this year, but the 90 (Kimball) and others (34, 9 and 99) are fast too. It's going to be an awesome season.” The winner added that he will race both super trucks and super late models at Irwindale this year and try to race the K & N July 4th weekend race at Irwindale as well.

ACLM 1ST 40: Tim Huddleston, three-time ACLM champion and owner of five HPR cars in the field, started second and led the first 15 laps. He held a ten yard advantage over pole sitter Travis Irving on lap 16 when the caution flew after Chris Holloway's Chevy got into the No. 03 Position One car of 16-year old ACLM rookie Taylor Miinch, from Alpine. Miinch spun in the third turn without wall contact and returned to finish seventh in his series debut. On lap 2 Huddleston ran the fastest lap of the race—18.881 (95.334 mph). As lap 16 restarted with a double file lineup, a five-car collision ensued in turn four. The crash eliminated the cars of Darren Cheek, Taylor Cuzick and Kyle McGrady. Huddleston and Irving had to restart at the back. Davis led laps 16-40 and had half a straight lead with two laps remaining. He eased his pace and won by 40-yards (2.330 seconds).

Toni Marie McCray, enjoyed her career-best feature finish at Irwindale by charging from 13^th starting spot to finish second. She welcomed her new sponsor—Westrux International, a Santa Fe Springs International truck dealership—on her No. 90 Chevy. The daughter of 2009-2010 Orange Show Speedway racing promoter/retired driver Rick McCray was eighth at the lap 16 red flag to clear damaged cars from turn four. She restarted third, took second immediately and and held it all 35 laps to the checkers, despite pressure from third finisher Tim Smith, of Bakersfield. It also was his best Irwindale finish. Devon Ostheimer, 17-year old Ocean Speedway (Watsonville, CA) 2010 winged sprint car rookie of the year from Morgan Hill, made his late model debut in the HPR No. 57 memorable. He came from 20th starting position to finish an impressive fourth, only three seconds in back of the winner.

Nik Romano, another ACLM rookie, started 11th and placed fifth. The 20-year old USAC Ford Focus Midget veteran from Atherton has won rookie of the year titles three years in a row. He has climbed racing ranks since age nine from quarter midgets, micro sprints, Formula Fords, a Ron Sutton FF Midget and modifieds last year. He drove his first late model race in the 2010 Irwindale finale. He is driving the HPR No. 51 for his 2011 rookie season. Irving, Miinch, Mike Johnson, Rodney Peacher and 2009 TS@I super stock champion Larry Cerquettini completed the top ten. Thirteen of 21 starters finished and all logged 40 laps. Huddleston brought up the rear in his damaged No. 50 Chevy.

ACLM 2ND 40: With 90 minutes between the end of the first 40 and start of the second 40, 19 cars returned, including a replacement car for Kyle McGrady. HPR cars 56 and 55 of rookie Dylan Lupton, the 2010 S2 Series track champion, and first 40 winner Davis started from row one. Lupton led the first four laps over Davis. On lap 5 a solo spinner in the second corner caused a brief yellow flag. On the restart Davis outgunned his rookie teammate Lupton, who dropped from first to fourth. At the second turn Lupton looped in the low groove and his teammate Romano hit his car, sending both HPR cars to the pits on the business end of wreckers. Davis ran away from runner-up Holloway, who passed Huddleston on lap 9. A lap 34 crash occurred as drivers running fourth through sixth—Huddleston, Holloway and Mike Johnson--entered the front straight three-wide. Johnson's inside car got into Holloway's car, which contacted Huddleston, who spun across the starting line. His car almost contacted the third-mile attenuator as it looped to a stop. Both Johnson and Huddleston had to restart at the back. The top ten behind Davis and Holloway were: Irving, Toni McCray, T. Smith, rookie Ostheimer, SWTT champion/ACLM rookie Jeff Williams, rookie Benjanim Mahan, 15, Johnson and Cerquettini. Again 13 cars finished and all ran 40 laps, with Huddleston's damaged No. 50 last to finish at 9:42. Each of the ACLM mains took 30-minutes to complete.

MONSTER TRUCKS: Eight monster trucks competed in two segments with the first round of Chicago-style, 2 X 2 match races in the infield. For the first time at Irwindale there were mounds of dirt left in place after the March 25-26 Global Rally-cross event. The first matches were run following the first ACLM 40 and two more rounds entertained fans after the truck race. The pickup truck bodies mounted over four huge tires launched the vehicles over dirt mounds and groups of old cars to get air time. Wheelies and donuts were commonplace. Jimmy Creten, driving Bounty Hunter, defeated Germain Arena aboard Razin' Kane after three rounds of match races.

Monster trucks returned after the second ACLM 40 to close out the program shortly before 10:30. They ran the free-style event in which individual monster trucks perform tricks for points. Three young fans selected at random in the grandstand judged each run during timed sessions. They each awarded points from 1 to 10 based on performance. After several trucks recorded combined scores of 19, and 23, Creten came out last and scored tens from all three judges for a perfect score of 30. The monster trucks came to Irwindale directly from the Monster Jam event last weekend at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, where Creten finished second. Other monster trucks present Saturday included: Iron Outlaw, King Krunch, McGruff, the Crime Dog, El Matador, Obsession and Obsessed, which is driven by 15-year old Eric Swanson,--”the world's youngest monster truck driver”.