Cajon Speedway preview 2002-07-20

Supermodifieds return to Cajon <pre> Point standings for the Supermodified Racing League

1.      Troy Regier     Dinuba, CA              3 wins  410
2.      Lonnie Adamson  Salt Lake City, UT      3 wins  393
3.      Bob Bigiogni    Salinas, CA                     323
4.      Rick Veenstra   Emmet, ID                       288
5.      Jim Birges      Fresno, CA                      283
6.      Eric Silsby     Carson City, NV         1 win   232
7.      Mike Baisch     Salt Lake City, UT              211
8.      Kenny Hamilton  Boise, ID               1 win   211
9.      Ray Stebbins    Tukqila, WA                     205
10.     Jeff Russell    Boise, ID                       204

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EL CAJON, CA. The battle in the fastest short track race cars in the country is coming to the fastest 3/8-mile paved oval on the west coast. Yes, this Saturday night, the Supermodified Racing League is coming to town. Race time is 6:45 PM. Qualifying runs start at 5:15 PM. Practice starts and the gates open at 4:00. Admission prices are $12 for adults on the east side and $10 on the west side. Children aged from 6 -- 12 are $5. Kids under age 6 are free when accompanied by an adult.

Sharing the track with the supermodifieds this weekend will be the local Grand American modified clan, and the visiting legend cars. Also on tap will be the annual visit of the vintage race cars.

A supermodified is an open-wheeled race car with a large wing mounted over the cockpit and the engine hanging out the left side of the chassis. With up to 68% left side weight and the specially built, highly modified motors putting out over 800 horsepower, the supermodified is capable of very high speeds even on short tracks like El Cajon. In fact there has only been one time when a car averaged over 100 mph for a lap on Cajon's 3/8-pavement. That came in a supermodified wheeled by Davey Hamilton, who owns the SRL, back in 1990.

Troy Regier of Dinuba, California has won the last four divisional championships for the traveling series. But this year he is facing a serious challenge. Lonnie Adamson of Salt Lake City is driving for Hamilton this year. Both Regier and Adamson have won three times this year. Regier, the current point leader by just 17 markers over Adamson, was triumphant at Altamont (in Tracy, CA), Madera, and most recently two weeks ago at Carson City. Adamson won the prestigious Copper World Classic on the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway in March. He has followed up with victories at Meridian Speedway near Boise, Idaho and on July 4 at his home track in Salt Lake City.

Kenny Hamilton won one of the other two races. He prevailed at the second-half of the doubleheader at Meridian. Eric Silsby picked up his first career trophy at Twin Falls, Idaho.

The supermodifieds have run at Cajon nine previous times dating back to 1988. Regier is the only driver to visit victory lane twice. He won last year's event. Adamson's best Cajon run came in his only visit to the track two years ago when he finished second to Dale Lamborn.

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