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Irwindale, CA., Aug. 28, 2010 – Toyota Speedway at Irwindale racing Saturday was thrilling and wild in the top two divisions during family night in front of about 1,500 spectators. Ryan Partridge was a key participant in both races. As NASCAR Super Late Model fastest qualifier (with a NTR) he led 42 laps of the 50-lap Pepsi SLM feature that concluded a six main event evening at 9:52 pm. Las Vegan Justin Johnson ran virtually side-by-side with Partridge during laps 30-43, with Partridge high and Johnson low. Johnson, 25, made an inside pass in turn four on lap 43 and pulled away to a 15-yard victory margin (-0.165) over Partridge, a one-time 2010 SLM winner. Johnson, the track and California state NASCAR Whelen All-American Series point leader and a driving instructor for Ron Fellows road racing course in Pahrump, NV, won his tenth TS@I feature in 17 SLM races this season (588 average). It was the second time he has won four features in a row.
Partridge, 22, was the spotlighted driver in the King Taco Super Truck 40-lap main that preceded the SLM feature. He again set the fastest qualifying time in a 20-truck field after being the second quickest qualifier at the last event two weeks ago. He was going for his 11th consecutive KTST feature victory in the 11th race of 2010. If he reached that goal he would tie the track record 11 consecutive main event triumphs set by two-time KTST champion Ron Peterson over two seasons (2005-06). Partridge did his part by charging forward quickly from fifth starting spot to third on the initial lap. He became the third race leader on lap 3 with an inside pass exiting the fourth turn. Partridge quickly opened a 30-yard lead by the first caution flag on lap 19. He was still the leader on lap 25 when his transmission failed. The Rancho Cucamonga driver slowed his Dodge Dakota and pulled into the infield from second place amid a cloud of white smoke. Most of the seven yellow flags followed. When the checkered flag flew after a 49-minute event, veteran Ryan Fortier, of Granada Hills, was a first-time feature winner.
The other main event on the half-mile was a Langers Juice S2 nine-car main. FQ Dave Busby enjoyed winning the last S2 main event so much he did it again from fifth starting position. Three other divisions used the third-mile track. Officials ran a separate Ken Porter Auctions Classic Stocks 15-lap main as promised to competitors when a 12-car field materialized, including four first-time TS@I drivers. Tom Whitson started and finished first in his Chevy Nova. The opening race at 7:20 pm was a six-car Jan's Towing Bandolero race with six starters. FQ R. J. Stearns, 10, won the 15-lap race that did not offer track points. He also set fast time and won a 15-lap main during Friday night's open practice in the same six-car field.
With 22 Ken Porter Auctions Open Competition cars present, 18 started the 35-lap race with seven different series represented in the field. FQ/fifth starter Austin Murphy, 18, made his second Irwindale start this year in the fifth-ever open comp race. He used his late model Chevy to lead laps 9-35 and repeat his victory in the first open comp race on May 29. He has been on a ministry to Mexico building houses and is back home in Lancaster for three weeks. The open comp race finish had a late model, S2 car, SLM, late model, Figure 8, S2, modified, super truck and classic stock in the top nine finishing positions, proving that the versatile field in a viable event.
PEPSI SLM: With 20 cars present, 18 cars qualified and two did not. Eighteen drivers (including non-qualifiers Keith Spangler and Rob Kiemele) started. FQ Partridge came from the pole in ex-Fontana mayor Dave Eshleman's No. 11. TT were run from 7:04-7:19 pm in point order (from lowest to highest in points) in cooler temperatures than the usual late afternoon heat. As the 15th driver to qualify, Partridge turned a 17.698 (101.706 mph) best lap on his first of two laps. His time broke the five year old TR of 17.712 (101.626 mph) set by Andrew Phipps on 3/12/05 in the No. 21 Speed Wong Chevy. Second quickest Randel King ran 17.889 (0.191 slower). Partridge shot into the lead at the 9:36 pm green flag and opened a ten-yard lead by lap 20. Second starter King and third starter Johnson raced within a length from lap 16-22 when Johnson's Vision Airlines Ford Fusion with Chevy power took P. 2 on the inside exiting turn four. Johnson's 98 chased Partridge's 11 relentlessly from lap 25 on and their side-by-side, nose-top-tail battle thrilled onlookers. The all-time one-lap track record holder and one-time SLM winner was holding off the Irwindale and California state point leader with nine SLM victories to that point. Both drivers are enjoying career years. They lapped cars up to 11th place Brian (Metal Mulisha) Deegan, who ran the high groove favored by leader Partridge. On lap 38 in the third turn Partridge (outside)and Johnson (inside) lapped mid-track runner Deegan simultaneously. At lap 40 Partridge held a half-length lead. Johnson's 98 prevailed two laps later and made his pass stick.
The all-green light 50 laps flew by in a rapid 15:31.986. Fifteen of 18 starters finished and eight drivers completed all 50 laps. King finished third, 4.848 seconds in back of the winner in his Position One Motor-sports Molecule ride. Andrew Allen (-7.727), VAL second driver Dusty Davis (-10.907), Extenze-backed rookie Chris Winter (-11.243), David Beat (-12.816) and Tucson's Duane Hunt, Jr. (-18.893) followed. Dennis Furden, Kevin Thompson, Deegan, and Mike Eshleman rounded out the top 12 and they ran 49 laps. Fifth place Travis Thirkettle dropped out on lap 30. Hunt received hard charger honors and Thompson accepted the hard luck award. Johnson told the crowd over the PA system, “Thanks to everybody, Pepsi, team owner Steve (Acor), Vision Airlines, my crew and Toyota Speedway for a great track.” Runner-up Partridge said, “It is too much to believe for one night. My truck blew going for 11 straight, a new track record in super late qualifying, and leading the main more than 40 laps until the car went away.”
KTST: The wildest truck race in years had twists and turns throughout. Partridge's route to track history went up in smoke on lap 25 when his transmission failed. Another team posted the $1,000 protest fee after the August 14 race and an engine tear-down followed for the leaders. The crankshaft of Partridge's No. 48 truck was sent out for testing and found to be legal. The team practiced Friday, August 27 and blew the engine that had posted ten straight feature victories. They installed an engine borrowed from Tim Huddleston and set the fastest qualifying time for the tenth time in 11 events. The Steve Latina 48 truck team did not rebuild its engine/transmission themselves. Partridge felt the transmission starting to fail during the race, but he continued in pursuit of his 11th consecutive triumph until the tranny let go. If the protest of his legal truck had not occurred two weeks ago would his winning stretch be ongoing? We'll never know. Second starter Matt Kimball inherited the lead as track clean-up work progressed. Double-file restarts were required after several tangles. Glenn Schwenger spun in turn one catching up to the field. Then he spun across the starting line and rammed the outside wall just past the starter's stand, tearing off his front bumper.
Another two truck mishap caused officials to count yellow flag laps from lap 26-32. At the lap 33 green, two-time series champion Pat Mintey, Jr. went low and passed Kimball leaving turn four. On lap 35 the P. 3 truck dived low and contacted Kimball's second place truck, which hit the wall and stopped. P. 3 Todd Cameron and P. 5 Jameson Spies also received damage in the incident and left the track. Yellow flag laps counted through lap 38. The hectic green, white, checkered-flag finish followed. At the green, leader Mintey suddenly slowed with a flat tire and P. 2 Andrew Anderson contacted the slowing truck and also slowed briefly, falling to fifth place. Fortier, the 11th starter, was sixth at the lap 35 first turn crash. He was third at the lap 39 green and suddenly found himself the race leader when the first two trucks slowed at the same time. He led the final two laps and edged rookie Lucas McNeil by 0.438 (five yards) with super stock veteran Rich DeLong III third (-0.459). Dennis Arena and Kenny Smith followed as 13 of 20 starters finished. Kenny Brown was the hard luck recipient and grandfather K. Smith received the hard charger gift certificate. The carnage included four trucks (Ken Maler, Jr., Arena, Cameron and Brandon Toy) that pitted and returned with damaged front end bodywork removed.
Langers S2: The High Point Racing blue car team occupied four of the first five starting positions with FQ/race winner Busby starting fifth. His teammates Roman Lagudi and Dylan Lupton finished second and thirds respectively. They ended the night tied for the series point lead. Joe Anderson started and finished fourth in the HPR No. 59. Andrew Porter, Gary Waters, Bobby Kelley (from ninth), Kendall Lopez and Bill Waters rounded out the field. All nine drivers completed 25 laps. The all-green light race took 8:40.536.
Open Comp: Of 22 cars/trucks present and scheduled to race, 18 drivers started, including grandfather Kenny Smith and his grandson Andrew Porter, 16. The race had three No. 43 racers from the seven classes represented in the diverse field. A Figure-8 car led lap 1, an S2 led laps 2-8 and then FQ Austin Murphy, 18, led laps 9-35 in his late model. Luis Martinez, Jr trailed Murphy by 0.684. Adrianne Murlin's SLM finished third, 6.132 back and the winner's brother Brock Murphy, 16, was fourth, 6.864 back after trading third with Murlin twice. He also won the hard charger award. Jerry Toporek's lone Figure-8 car placed fifth, ten seconds behind the winner. The 15 minute race had one caution on lap 8 when grandpa Smith hit the third turn attenuator head-on and injured one of his legs. Fifteen of 18 starters were running at the end and six ran all 35 laps.
KPA Classic Stocks: The 12 starters included four first-time TS@I racers, who helped give the series a separate 15-lap main. Tom Whitson, from Lake Elsinore, led all 15 laps from the pole. Second starter Mike Colato, Jr. ran second all the way and trailed Whitson by 50 yards (3.774 seconds). FQ Ken Michaelian came from 12th to third, five seconds back. Newcomer Mark Fetchell finished fourth in his Irwindale debut. Harry Michaelian's 1975 Dodge Dart was fifth, six seconds back. All 12 starters finished with ten drivers on the lead lap.
Bandos: The non-track points weekend doubleheader was a sweep for R. J. Stearns, 10, of Rancho Cucamonga. He set the fastest qualifying time Friday and Saturday in six-car fields and won both 15-lap main events. Reigning TS@I Bando champion Ryan Cansdale, 11, finished second Saturday (-0.194), with rookie Blaine Perkins, 10, third. Friday night at 8:00 pm Stearns defeated Perkins and Cansdale as they raced only for national Bandolero points.
NTRs in Qualifying: New Track Records were set in three of the six divisions in action Saturday. In addition to the SLM one-lap track mark set by Partridge, two series had new standards established during the 70+ degree afternoon. Shortly after 3 pm Ken Michaelian eclipsed his own one-lap classic stock record of 17.166 (69.836 mph) that he set on 4/3/10. His new record is 17.086 (70.163 mph). At 3:30 pm A. Murphy beat his open comp stock 15.792 (75.912 mph) track record set on 5/29/10. His new mark is 15.569 (76.999 mph).
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