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Irwindale, CA., Jul. 24 - Derek Thorn, a talented 24-year old rising racing star, loves racing on the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale progressively-banked half-mile. A week after he finished second (-0.012) in the SRL Southwest Tour 100 lap feature the driver from Bakersfield started sixth in a 19-car Auto Club Late Model field and dominated the 40-lap feature for his first victory at Irwindale. The busy Saturday night schedule entertained about 4,000 spectators on a mid-70 degree evening. Thorn started sixth in the No. 4 Four Star Fruit Chevy team of Chris Holloway and charged past early leader Travis Irving's CHP Toyota Camry on the outside on lap 19. He opened a 35-yard lead within a few laps. Then a four-car crash on lap 28 in turn two caused a caution flag. On the double-file restart Thorn chose the outside and again ran away from the field and opened a 40-yard (3.341 seconds) winning margin over Irving of the 27-minute race slowed by two cautions.
“Kids Against Cancer Night presented by Toyota” had numerous pediatric cancer patients and hundreds of family members and supporters in attendance for a welcome night out. TS@I management provided the event in association with America's Baby Cancer Association, Children's Hospital of Orange County, Loma Linda University Hospital, and the City of Hope Hospital in nearby Duarte. It also was the annual “Harleys on the half-mile”. Approximately 100 motorcycle riders staged in the infield and made parade laps on the half-mile oval behind the Toyota Camry Hybrid pace car before racing commenced. Other events on the busy eight event schedule included a drifting demonstration by a NOS Energy Drink Nissan 350 convertible, which blew a rear tire on its final pass. The eighth and final event featured “Terminal Velocity”, a top-fuel dragster-appearing exhibition car powered by a Pratt & Whitney J-60 jet engine. With more than 100,000 miles on the J-60 in a private jet, FAA rules prohibited its use in aviation, so owner/driver Tony Franco, of Ventura, bought it for $75,000. He made demo runs on the half-mile earlier before racing started. As the grand finale, Franco used his jet-car to torch an old Chevy Astro van with flames from his jet exhaust at the center of the Figure 8 intersection. After two minutes of jet exhaust, flames the fiery van was almost obliterated. Track firemen extinguished the blaze as spectators exited about 10:40 pm.
On track racing involved six classes of cars and trucks. The ACLM late models and Southwest Tour trucks used the half-mile. Jan's Towing Bandoleros, Justice Brothers Mini Stocks, Echo Equipment Legend Cars and skid plate cars raced on the four-degree banked third-mile. Main event winners were: Michael Zimmerman, 31, in the 11-truck, 35-lap truck race; Ryan Cansdale, 11, in an 19-car, 20-lap Bandolero main; Dustin Morgan, in the 11-car Justice Brothers Mini Stock race; Darren Amidon, in a 17-car Legends main, and Jonathon DeStefano in a 23-car race for skid plate cars, the final race before the “jet-car burn down”.
ACLM: Nineteen late models took the green flag at 9:33. A four-car inversion put Travis Irving and Mike Johnson alongside in row one. HPR rookies Brandon Davis, 24, and fastest qualifier Rod Johnson, Jr., 20, occupied row two. A red & yellow No. 95 as driven by “Lightning McQueen” in the movie “Cars” (starring actor Owen Wilson) occupied the third row with Thorn. Past ACLM track champion Tim “Lightning” Huddleston drove his renumbered ex-No. 51 HPR Chevy. Irving led the first ten laps in a close battle with M. Johnson. Irving ran the outside and Johnson the inside groove as the pair were separated by a mere 0.001 on lap 8. On lap 12 R. Johnson took second from M. Johnson on the outside in turn four. The entire rapid field was on the same straight when the first caution flag flew on lap 17 for a solo spin by the last place car. For the lap 17 restart, leader Irving selected the outside and beat the two Johnsons back to the line. The next three drivers raced three-wide for a full lap with M. Johnson low, Rod J in the middle and Thorn on the outside next to the wall. Thorn shot from P. 4 to P. 2 on lap 18 in the outside groove and then used the same route a lap later to pass Irving for the lead. He was uncatchable for the rest of the race. Irving held off R. Johnson by 0.249 and fourth place M. Johnson was 0.079 in back of third place in the close three-way battle for second.
Dylan Kwasniewski, a 15-year old Las Vegas resident, took fifth on the lap 28 restart following a four-car crash in turn two that involved P. 11-14 cars of Christian Copley, rookie Chris Winter, Mark Whitson and Rodney Peacher. Only Whitson continued. Winner Thorn addressed the enthusiastic crowd, including many first time visitors to an auto race. “Kids fighting cancer keep fighting. Don't give up.” He added, “At these late model races everyone is so competitive. Thanks to Four Star Fruit for letting me drive their second car. I'm glad to bring home a win for them.” It was his fourth race at TS@I for the team this season and topped his prior P. 3 finish. He said the race gives him more TS@I experience for the next SRL SW touring series race at the track on September 4. Irving thanked his crew “for getting me back out here after we've sucked in recent races.” He also thanked the CHP Designated Driver Program for sponsorship. He is now tied for third place in series points with Chris Holloway at 408. Third finisher R. Johnson, an ACLM rookie, said, “I think we regained the point lead. We need to get top threes and top fives.” He entered the race four points in back of reigning ACLM champion Nick Joanides and scored eight points more than Joanides, so Rod now leads Nick 432-428 after ten of 17 ACLM point races. Hard charger award winner Kwasniewski finished fifth. “Lightning” (Huddleston), Joanides, Davis, second year ACLM driver Kyle McGrady, 17, and Thorn's teammate C. Holloway (No. 44) completed the top ten. All 15 finishers ran 40 laps. Lightning's No.95 car came to the finish line also and a message played for kids as a microphone was placed near the front grille of the car.
SWT TRUCKS: The 11-truck race had a three-truck inverted starting lineup based on qualifying times. Fastest qualifier Jeff Williams shot from third to first entering the first turn and led front row starters Michael Zimmerman and Brady Helm for 15 laps. Then a truck spun to the infield leaving turn two with no yellow flag resulting. Williams slowed to sixth place. Second year driver Zimmerman led laps 17-35 and won his second consecutive feature by ten yards (0.597) over Helm. Early leader Williams slowed even more with a mechanical problem and was lapped on lap 22.At lap 24 Williams exiting the fourth turn with sparks showing from his RF tire. The lapped truck of Glenn Schwenger slammed into the right side of Williams' truck and the front straight wall near the starting line. Both damaged trucks crossed the line and stopped on the front straight without driver injuries. Seven trucks finished and all ran 35 laps. Neil Conrad placed third in his rebuilt No. 87 truck. “I hit the wall near the third turn at 80 mph during our last race. Thanks to all who helped me rebuilt it.” Point leader Zimmerman, who won his first ever main on June 19, now leads Conrad by six points (326-320) after seven of ten events.
MINI STOCKS: Dustin Morgan, in a Ford Pinto, started second and led every lap in the JBMS 35. Pole-man Ryan Bragdon placed second, 0.178 back. Jacob Rogers came from the back in the 11-car field in the family No. 1 Pinto after blowing the engine in his No. 2 Pinto during afternoon practice.. He took third place from Richie Altman on the last lap with an inside pass in the final turn. Eric Reed made his first 2010 start and placed fifth in his Pinto. FQ/point leader Daryl Scoggins was sidelined on lap 2 in a two-car crash on the backstretch. He held a 16-point lead entering the race, but he now trails new point leader J. Rogers by two points (354-352).
LEGENDS: There were 17 starters in a 35-lap race and all finished the 9:51.631—all green flag race. FQ Darren Amidon started third in a race with three leaders. Pole starter Chad Schug led two laps before yielding the point to fellow front row occupant Brent Scheidemantle, 17, who led lap 3-27. Amidon's sedan dueled Scheidemantle's coupe closely from lap 4-28 when Amidon made an inside pass in the second turn for the lead he held to the end. He won by 0.462 over point leader Scheidemantle, who extended his lead from 16 to 36 points as he seeks his first TS@I championship. Matthew Hicks was third, 3.709 seconds off the lead. Mark Borchetta and Jeremy Wood, from Tracy, followed. Schug, in P. 5, spun on lap 34 and continued in 12th position as the track stayed green. He was the final driver on the lead lap.
SKID PLATE: A 23-car field took the green Saturday in the final race in a ten-lap event instead of 20-laps because of the busy schedule. It was the fourth skid plate race this season. Cars ran counter-clockwise again and there were three leaders. Last skid plate winner Daryl Scoggins led laps 2-6. Jonathon DeStefano came from row three to make a pass entering turn one; he won by five yards (0.536) over 2009 mini stock track champion Scoggins in the 5:47.373—all green flag race. Twenty of 23 drivers on the starting line finished at 10:21 pm with seven drivers on the lead lap. Kris Kurisaki finished third in his first race. March 27 winner John Zimmerman placed fourth, with veteran driver April Shaw-Johns fifth, Adam Ditto sixth and Richie Altman seventh from 21st starting slot. All the front-wheel drive, four-cylinder cars had spark-producing metal skid plates welded onto the back wheels instead of tires.
BANDOLEROS: The largest Bando field this year ran 20 laps with a straight-up start for 18 drivers, including two girls and three first-time Bando drivers. Outside front row starter Ryan Cansdale, 11, led all 20 laps in a tight, three-way contest up front. Fastest qualifier R. J. Stearns and Ricky Schlick followed. They finish in that order with Stearns 0.286 behind 2009 track champion/rookie of the year Cansdale. Point leader Trevor Huddleston, 13, and Christian McGhee, 11, rounded out the top five. Twelve drivers finished. A lap 10 crash in turn three sidelined six cars and required a red flag to clear debris. The race took 14 minutes and was the second race of the weekend for the youngsters.
During Friday's regular 4:30-9:00 pm open practice, 16 Bando drivers practiced, qualified and raced in a scheduled 20-lap race at 8:50. FQ Jacob Tilton, a 13-year old Las Vegan, started first and led all 12 laps. The race was red flagged on lap 13 after P. 8 Brandon “Shorty” Weaver, 9, spun leaving turn four. The P. 12 car of Daniel Nickolai slammed into the RF of Weaver's HPR No. 56 with a loud impact. L.A. County Fire paramedics were called after Weaver complained about a sore chin/neck. As he was about to be placed in an ambulance for a hospital trip, he said he was OK and joined his concerned Bando drivers after his father signed a release for the ambulance crew. Both of the involved drivers returned and raced in the same cars Saturday. Friday's official finish reverted to the last green flag lap (12). LVMS “Bullring” driver Tilton won his second Friday night TS@I feature to go along with a second place in his only other Irwindale race. Huddleston finished second, 0.119 back. Cansdale, McGhee, Stearns, Schlick, first-time Bando driver/Ventura mini-dwarf car veteran Ricky Lewis, 11, Evan Garvy, Mikael Lovas, and 16-year old LVMS Legends driver Patrick O'Hanley (Tilton's Las Vegas teammate) completed the top ten in a 3:45.905 race.
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