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Irwindale, CA., Dec. 5 – The 12th annual Toyota Speedway at Irwindale “NASCAR Night of Champions Awards Gala” took place Sunday evening in a large tent placed at the east parking lot on the track premises with 460 persons in attendance. Red carpet arrivals and reception started at 4 pm, with a buffet beef and chicken dinner starting at 5 pm and catered by series sponsor King Taco. Awards ceremonies commenced at 6:15 and were interrupted by rain and strong wind briefly an hour later. A brief, rain-related microphone malfunction occurred near the end of the ceremonies. Celebrants said they enjoyed the food, leisurely conversations with friends, and award ceremonies despite adverse weather. The surprise, unannounced emcee was Wendy Westbrook, who flew in from her home in Texas. The former track pace car driver, infield announcer, Legends driver, KZLA 93.9fm DJ, and Irwindale track sales/marketing employee said racing is a selfless industry, while much of the entertainment industry is self-centered.
Track announcers Jason Galvin and Larry Naston also served as MCs at the podium during the ceremonies. Jeanie Atkinson, daughter of TS@I track steward Mike Atkinson, presented awards to each recipient. Jeffrey Best and Tommy Mason, of Low Budget TV, interviewed award recipients on stage. Emcees moved award ceremonies along at a brisk pace for the first TS@I track banquet on a Sunday. The first TS@I Gymkhana event Friday and Saturday made the switch from Saturday to Sunday necessary. With that in mind, ceremonies concluded by 8:05 pm as opposed to 9:25 pm last year on a Saturday night at the Hilton Hotel in Glendale. An emcee said a professional photographer was taking photos and 170 banquet were posted on the TS@I Facebook page for free downloading. Current plans call for the TS@I banquet next year to be streamed live on the Internet.
Phil Kurz, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series sponsor representative, Mike Helton, NASCAR President, and several NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers gave welcomes to banquet attendees via two large screens next to the stage. A Low Budget TV video of 2010 TS@I racing highlights followed. TS@I VP/GM Bob DeFazio then welcomed guests, thanked the banquet committee and track owner Jim Williams for providing an outstanding speedway for competitors. He gave tributes to and remembered 2010 losses of NASCAR executives Les Richter, an early and influential Irwindale track supporter, and VP Jim Hunter, plus Lennie Wood and faithful fan Donna Otis. DeFazio later confirmed that all 2010 TS@I series will return in 2011 as will all series sponsors.
CHAMPIONS: (11) – There was a video shown on the two screens of each champion in various racing action shots before each champion came on stage. They were, in the order they were called to the stage and with series sponsor in parenthesis:
> BANDOLERO (Jan's Towing) – Ryan Cansdale, 11, from Laguna Beach, won his second consecutive Bandolero title in his yellow No. 37 with four wins and 14 top five finishes in 19 races. He also ranked third in Bandolero national points even though he tied the winner in points. The repeat champion thanked the Anderson and DeLong families for their help. The diminutive lead-foot said he will race Legends next season. The top five drivers in points received TS@I plaques.
> SOUTHWEST TOUR TRUCKS - Michael Zimmerman, 31, from Hemet, drove his own black No. 15 truck and won his first track championship in the eight event season. He told the audience, “Our goal at the start of the year was not to finish out of the top five and we did that and got our first two wins too.” He added, “We will return to this truck series in 2011 to go for two championships in a row.”
> CLASSIC STOCKS (Ken Porter Auctions) – Ken Michaelian, 21, from Lawndale, won his second consecutive championship in his No. 43 Petty-blue 1975 Dodge Dart after winning six of nine point mains and finishing in the top three in every feature. The “winningest driver” in series history at the track said, “I'm moving up to super trucks in 2011.” The top five drivers in series points received plaques to commemorate their 2010 achievements.
> MINI STOCKS (Justice Brothers) – Tuxedo-clad Daryl Scoggins, 38, from Sunland, scored his second straight championship in the four-cylinder class. He drove his No. 10 Ford Pinto to seven wins and ten top five finishes. He thanked his family for putting up with his racing for five years. The top five in series points received track plaques.
> LEGEND CARS (Echo Equipment) – Chad Schug, from Oak Hills, drove his No. 29 replica 1937 Ford coupe to his first TS@I track title with one win and 14 top five main event finishes in 16 races. He said he and Darren Amidon (No. 33) are best friends; “Darren beat me by six points last year and I beat him by six points this year.” The 2009 Legends champion at I-10 Speedway in Blythe, Orange Show in San Bernardino, and California State Legends Pro Driver Champion, said he will return in the Legend division next season “because that's all we can afford.” The top five received track plaques.
> OUTLAW FIGURE 8 (Pick Your Part) - “Barefoot” Billy Ziemann, from Bloomington, was the 2000 Irwindale F-8 champion and won his second Irwindale title in 2010. He won four times in seven races and finished no worse than third in his self-built F-8 car that started out as a Cadillac. Of course he was barefoot at the banquet as expected. When asked what shoe size he wore if he had to wear shoes. “Ten and a half”, he replied. The popular champion said at the Figure 8 intersection he thinks there is nothing you can't fix with a torch and welder. He said his 2011 goal is “to win this championship again.” The top five drivers received track plaques and gift certificates from Frank's Radios.
ROOKIES OF THE YEAR: Next, co-emcee Galvin called up the track series rookies of the year. They were:
� Bandolero – R. J. Stearns (P. 5 in points).
� Legends – Blake Dunkleberger (P. 8).
� S2 – Dylan Lupton (P. 1).
� Super Stock – Jason De Long (P. 8).
� Mini Stock – Steve Patterson (P. 4).
� Super Truck – Ken Maler, Jr. (P. 4).
� Late Model – Rod Johnson, Jr. (P. 1).
� Super Late Model - Ryan Reed (P. 7).
MECHANIC OF THE YEAR: TS@I Race Director Lester Boyer presented the award to 1999 Irwindale SLM driving champion Rod Johnson, Sr, father of the 2010 ACLM champion, for all his valuable assistance to his son and to other teams in the pits.
Track announcer Naston came to the podium and thanked key TS@I people behind the scenes—drivers Nick Joanides and Pat Mintey, Jr., past track announcer John Partridge, father of the KTST champion and SLM driver Ryan Partridge, Auto Club sponsor representative Rick Lalor, and CHP Sgt. Mark Garrett. DeFazio called SLM owner/driver David Beat to the podium and presented him an appreciation gift from TS@I. Beat said he will retire as a driver and become a K & N Pro Series-West official and an Irwindale track official as well.
> S2 CARS (Langers Juice) – Kart racing veteran Dylan Lupton, 16, from Wilton, became S2 rookie of the year/champion in his first season in the two-year old division. He won three of 14 main events and never finished out of the top five. His HPR No. 56 Chevy won the S2 title in the final race by two points (636-634) over HPR teammate Roman Lagudi, from Las Vegas. Lupton, who thanked Tim Huddleston, his family and S2 car builder Jeff Schrader, of Racecar Factory, told the audience, “I'm moving up to the late models next season.” The top five S2 drivers received plaques.
> SUPER STOCKS (Vista Paint) – Third generation racer Rich De Long III, 22, from Santa Clarita, wore a white suit and accepted his first track championship with his No. 84 Chevy Impala SS in which he won eight of 15 main events. He only finished out of the top two once and that was a third place. He started racing a VPSS five years ago and won 2005 rookie of the year. He finished second in 2008 and 2009 VPSS points. The champ received a 5-ft tall trophy and each of the top ten VPSS drivers went home with a large trophy from the series sponsor. De Long thanked “everyone for being here tonight and fellow racers Bryan (Harrell) and Gary (Read)”. He added, “It's hard to believe I won eight times.” Then he thanked his sponsors, track officials, brother, sister and parents.
> SUPER TRUCKS (King Taco) – First-time truck champion Ryan Partridge, 22, from Rancho Cucamonga, ran a new track record (for any division) ten consecutive feature victories to start the season and 12 top five finishes in the 14 point main events. Two transmission failures caused him to win the championship by only 24 points over consistent top finisher Todd Cameron. Partridge also set the fastest qualifying time for the first nine races and 11 times during 2010 aboard the No. 48 Steve Latina Dodge truck. The new champion answered a question by saying, “Winning never gets old.” He thanked Jesus Christ and added, “I feel blessed.” He thanked Latina, his crew, RCF and track officials and said he hopes to win the truck and super late model championships in 2011.
OWNER CHAMPIONS:
� Steve Latina received the KTST championship owner award.
� The VPSS owner and Sportsman of the Year awards went to Rich De Long, Jr.
� ACLM owner champions were Tim and Lisa Huddleston.
� Pepsi SLM – Vision Air Racing co-owner Steve Acor accepted the award and spoke to
the audience.
> LATE MODEL (Auto Club) – Rod Johnson, Jr., 21, from Canyon Country, won his first ACLM track championship and series rookie of the year as well. The 2009 KTST champion and 2008 KTST rookie of the year won six of the ACLM features and had 14 top five finishes driving the No. 15 High Point Racing Chevy Monte Carlo. Rick Lalor, Auto Club Manager of Motor-sports Events, said the Auto Club will return in 2011 as series sponsor. For the tenth year in a row he awarded the ACLM champion a trip for two to Hawaii and stay at the Hilton Hotel. Lalor also presented a pair of grandstand tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup 500 mile race in late March at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana to the second and third place ACLM 2010 drivers—Nick Joanides and Chris Holloway. Rod, Jr. presented the Hawaii trip to his parents as he promised to do earlier this year if he won. The new ACLM champ thanked Jeff Schrader, the Huddleston family, his HPR team, and his sponsor--Sunrise Ford. He said he will race next year in the super late model division for Position One Motorsports and in some K & N Pro-West races for Sunrise Ford.
> SUPER LATE MODEL (Pepsi) – Justin Johnson, 25, from Las Vegas, dominated the premier and fastest TS@I division for his first Irwindale championship. He won ten of 19 main events in a season with six different series winners. He defeated his Vision Airlines teammate and four-time winner Dusty Davis by 66-points. He works as a driving instructor for Ron Fellows Performance Driving School in Nevada. The personable, ambitious driver has more than 100 career victories, eight championships and one track record in his ten years of competition that started in Bandoleros. The nattily-attired driver wisely used his Apple iPhone as a teleprompter for his thank you reminder source. He initially thanked people for keeping the tent together earlier despite high wind gusts and rain. He then thanked the following: “Whelen All-American Series, Pepsi, track officials Bob DeFazio for accommodating our team, team bus driver Al, our hauler driver Frank, Low Budget TV, our team, great engines, team members Chuck Wahl, crew chief, Garrett, car chief, Chris, tire expert, Jace, from Position One Motorsports, Jason Allen, my spotter, Dave Eshleman for use of a car when our team was a car down, Tom Davis, GM, Rip Michels, competition director/shock expert, Townsend Bell, PR, the 94 team car guys for help in getting my 98 car back together after a wreck, Sandy and Jodie for food all year, our photographer, and car owners Steve and Bill Acor, without whom I couldn't be here.” Johnson said he and Dusty will race K & N Pro Series West stock cars in 2011 plus some NASCAR Camping World Truck races from the Vision Airlines team shop in North Carolina. He concluded by thanking his wife Jenna Marie. “I'm ending a chapter in my life this year. You can follow my career on JustinJohnson.net or on VisionAirlines.com. Thanks to all and happy holidays.”
Track owner Jim Williams came to the podium and said the track enjoyed another safe season. He praised the TS@I fire/safety crew and track officials and called them “as good as anywhere. Congratulations to all champions and teams. We plan to do it all again in 2011. Thanks to all. Happy holidays.” The large tent used for the championship awards ceremony will be in place through December and is available to rent for company, organizational or club holiday celebrations and for Christmas and New Year's Eve parties. The next TS@I racing event will be the annual Toyota All-Star Showdown on Friday-Saturday, January 28-29, 2011. As last year, the nationally televised event (on the SPEED Network) will feature three NASCAR stock car series—K & N Pro Series--East and West, super late models and late models.
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