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Irwindale, CA. Jul. 26 – Nick Joanides made Toyota Speedway at Irwindale history Saturday by leaving the speedway as point leader of the two premier NASCAR Whelen All-American Weekly Racing Series—the AC Delco Super Late Models and Auto Club Late Models. He drove Chevy Monte Carlos owned by Loyd McGhee and sponsored by J & M Construction/Mr. Crane in both series. More than 3,000 spectators attended the five series, six main event action-packed racing event on Auto Club Night. Joanides, 37, won the first of two SLM 40-lap features for his eighth series victory this season and finished second in the following 40-lap race to first-time SLM winner Matt Hicks, 21. Joanides increased his SLM point lead from 16 to 24 points after 13 races. Hicks made his fourth event this year because his team had to replace a blown engine and install a new body after earlier races. His first SLM triumph came after four feature trophies in a Legends car on the third-mile and eight feature triumphs in a King Taco Super Truck on the Irwindale half-mile. All of his racing equipment is owned by his father Matt, who also serves as his spotter.
The co-featured Auto Club Late Model 40-lap main event was a "barn-burner", almost literally. Tim Huddleston won his second ACLM main this year in his new 2008 Monte Carlo, giving him 35 career feature victories at the track. Second quickest qualifier Huddleston started fourth, led laps 23 through 40, and won by 30-yards (1.216 seconds) over his protege, 19-year old Lindsey King. She was driving Huddleston's 2007 Irwindale track championship car that he nicknamed "Stumper". It was her career-best feature result by one position. The NASCAR developmental driver finished third in the second event this season. Former Legends front-runner King flew back to California Thursday after she attended retired Indy Car driver Lyn St. James' "Women in the Winner's Circle" luncheon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The annual luncheon took place Wednesday, days before NASCAR's Sprint Cup Brickyard 400 at the 2.5-mile IMS. Huddleston hugged King after they stepped from their Justice Brothers High-Point Distributing blue cars at the starting line for post-race interviews. "She is NASCAR's next female superstar," Huddleston told spectators over the PA microphone. King told; the crowd, "The guys roughed me up out there tonight, but I gave it right back to them."
ACLM: The late model main had the major dramatic turns of the entertaining evening. Rookie Colin Fleming. 24, started from pole position and led the first 22 laps over third starter Mike Johnson and his boss Huddleston, who was running a close third. On lap 23 Fleming's Chevy spun out low after contact from Johnson's Chevy. Race Director Lester Boyer checked via radio with officials around the track and after receiving their input sent both Fleming and Johnson to the back of the field. They worked back to 10th (Johnson) and 11th positions by the checkered flag. Huddleston avoided his spinning protege and assumed the lead for the lap 23 restart. Point leader Andrew Myers, who passed King on lap 16, was second and King third. On lap 26 Myers' No. 15 slowed on the backstretch and leaving turn four the rear end and transmission of his Eugene Dewberry Chevy erupted into a huge fireball. He slowed further and pulled onto the pit entrance road near the first turn. He stopped without injury as the flames at the back of his car were extinguished. A ten-minute red flag ensued for track clean-up. King inherited second position but had to fight off determined third place Daniel DiGiacomo for runner-up honors. Third place DiGiacomo trailed King by 20-yards (-1.026). King moved from sixth to fifth in ACLM current point standings that show 52 drivers with 2008 points.
Brandon Loverock, in his third race aboard the No. 25 Gerald Lair Chevy, came from 12th starting spot to edge seventh starter Travis Irving by 0.016. Miles Copenhaver, a teenage ACLM rookie, finished a career-best sixth and moved from 14th to 13th in points. Sean Bennett, Mike Varela, George Atkinson and Johnson completed the top ten. Eighteen of 20 starters finished and 17 completed all 40 laps. Fastest ACLM qualifier Joanides started fifth and was sixth on lap 14 when he slowed leaving turn four with an ignition switch problem. He circled the track slowly on the inside of the half-mile and lost two laps as he diagnosed his problem while circulating the track. Joanides later said he had to stretch from his reclined seat to hold the ignition switch in place with his left hand and steered only with his right hand. Nevertheless, he ran competitive laps in mid-pack and completed 38 of 40 laps. Coupled with his twin-40 lap SLM races, Joanides ran 118 out of a possible 120 laps. "My arms are worn out," he told the media. "One time I let go of the switch and the ignition shut off again." Despite finishing 18th in the 20-car field, Joanides emerged from the race with a two-point lead (458-456) over Myers, who placed 19th because of the rear end problem and fire that sidelined his car. Remarkably, Huddleston's 50-points for his victory pulled him into a second place tie with Myers at 456 points, only two digits behind leader Joanides. Only seven ACLM races remain in the most competitive ACLM 18-race season. Johnson, despite his lap 23 penalty to the back of the field, ranks fourth with 430 points.
1ST SLM MAIN: Joanides, also the fastest SLM qualifier, started sixth and became the third race leader in a 21-car field. Stephen Peace, from the pole, led the first four laps. Third starter Andy Allen paced laps 5-12 as Joanides dropped Peace to third on the sixth lap. With Allen running the outside groove and Joanides occupying the inside groove they battled closely for three laps. Joanides made an inside pass on lap 13 and took the lead as they lapped newcomer Gail Chase on both side of his car. Joanides then opened a 30-yard lead by the lap 40 checkered flag and won by 1.133 over Allen. The all-green flag race took 12:50.220. Dan Moore, Travis Thirkettle (from 14th) and Peace finished third through fifth respectively. David Beat, Bear Rzesnowiecky, a mid-teens charger from Las Vegas, Matt Hicks, David Ross and Kevin Thompson rounded out the top ten. Eighteen of 21 cars finished and 12 drivers ran all 40 laps in the third main event of the six feature evening.
2ND SLM MAIN: Hicks led the final 38 laps of the 40-lap race from the pole in a 19-car field. Allen ran out front for the first two laps. The 17-minute race had one caution flag on lap 10 for a crash involving teens David Ross and Randel King. Joanides came from seventh starting position in this race based on his second of two qualifying laps during 4:00 pm time trials. He passed Moore for second place on lap 14 on the inside exiting turn four. He closed ground from 30-yards to 20-yards behind leader Hicks by lap 25 when they began lapping slower cars. Hicks cleared cars quickly, but one car cost Joanides some time and he trailed by 40-yards at the white flag lap. He trailed by half a straightaway (2.996 seconds) at the finish of the final main of the night. Joanides fastest lap was 18.931 and Hicks' best lap was 19.024. Thirkettle came from 12th grid position to finish third, 4.981-seconds behind first-time SLM winner Hicks. Completing the top ten were Moore, Allen, Beat, Peace, Toni McCray, in her career-best TS@I performance, rookie Luis Martinez, Jr. and visitor Duane Hunt, Jr from Tucson. Fifteen of 19 drivers crossed the finish line and ten of them ran all 40 laps.
The two SLM winners came to the press box to answer questions. Hicks said, "This is my biggest win by far." He revealed his winning SLM is nicknamed "Halo" because it is such a good-handling car. He added that current NASCAR truck racer Ron Hornaday, Jr built it in 1994 and sold it in 1995 to Hicks's father and two partners. Pat Mintey, Jr raced it successfully at Saugus Speedway and at Bakersfield. Then Mike Mendenhall won about 30 features in it at Cajon Speedway near San Diego. Hicks thanked his sponsor—Lyle Hunter Tax Service—and said Hunter also is his engine-builder and the father of his former girl friend. The car frame and cage is the same as Hornaday built them, but the car has been re-bodied as a Dodge Charger. Hicks, who always uses No. 28 on his racing vehicles, said the number is a tribute to his racing hero Auggie Vidovich (former NASCAR Elite Division star) from their kart racing days.
SUPER STOCKS: In the first main of the night, fastest qualifier Bryan Harrell started 11th in a 14-car Vista Paint Super Stock field, also on the half-mile. He became the third race leader on lap 4 and won the 35-lap main by a straight-away (5.705 seconds) in his Camaro. It was his fifth victory in eight races this year and he increased his point lead from 16 to 28 points. Larry Cerquettini was second in his Camaro in his best run to date at Irwindale. Jeff "Hibachi" Grill finished third in his Camaro for his best result this year. Curtis White's Camaro was fourth. Julianne Seeley led the first tow laps and Larry Simpson paced the third lap. Seeley finished 13th after her Camaro spun to the third turn wall on lap 8 and trapped Scott Corrigan's Camaro, which received heavy right front damage. Eleven drivers finished and eight of them ran all 35 circuits. Greg Crutcher, whose car was disqualified for engine irregularities after the last race, was not present Saturday. The three-time 2008 feature winner dropped from fourth to fifth in current point standings.
LEGENDS: Fastest qualifier Ryan Partridge, 19, drove one of three Speed Wong Racing cars in a 24-car, 35-lap Legends main on the third-mile. With a starting inversion of two, he dueled second quickest qualifier and fellow front row starter Eric Gunderson, 14, all the way. They traded the lead five times. Three-time feature winner/rookie Gunderson led the first eight laps from the pole. Partridge, who has raced in just about every division at the track, led laps 9-20. Then Gunderson made an inside move entering the third turn and took the lead on lap 21, but a caution flag nullified his pass. Partridge led laps 21-28. Gunderson was on top at lap 28 and Partridge led laps 29-35 and won by a mere 0.078. Each of their lead exchanges took place at the third turn entrance. Teenager Jeremiah Wagner, from Las Vegas, started fifth and finished a close third, 0.178 back. Point leader and five-time track champion Tom Landreth started and finished fourth. Cory Miles took fifth as 23 of 24 starters completed the 12-minute race. Twenty-one drivers finished on the lead lap.
MINI STOCKS: The Justice Brothers Mini Stock Series fielded 16 cars for a 35-lap race on the third-mile. Tyler Rogers, the 2006-07 series champion, set quick time, started second and led all the way. He edged his younger brother Jacob by five yards (0.544) in their black Ford Pintos numbered 1 and 2 appropriately. It was his fourth victory in eight mains this season. Point leader Rich Garver placed third in his Toyota Celica, 1.893 back. Pole starter Dennis Croasmun was fourth and 2005 series champion Kevin Bernhardt fifth. Eleven of 16 drivers finished and nine ran all 35 laps. The race had three cautions, including one to get the car of Ted McDonald off the track. Race control officials had moved him to the back following a second turn spin by Daryl Scoggins as they dueled for fifth position.
Hard Charger Award winners were Gary Frankovich (P 10 to P 6 in VPSS); teen Brent Scheidemantle (P 14 to P 8 in Legends); Steve Rogers (P 13 to P 8 in JBMS); Loverock (P 12 to P 4 in ACLM), plus Thirkettle (P 14 to P 4 in 1st SLM main) and Martinez, Jr (P19 to P 9 in 2nd SLM main). Martinez is the teenage son of the King Taco Restaurants owner and long-time Super Truck series sponsor at TS@I. Fastest qualifying speeds by division were: (on third-mile)—T. Rogers – 69.945 mph (JBMS) and Partridge – 70.843 mph (LC); (on half-mile)--Harrell- 85.964 mph (VPSS); Joanides – 94.409 mph (ACLM), and Joanides – 97.906 mph (ACD SLM).
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