Irwindale race summary 2005-07-16

IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY RACE REPORT - JULY 16, 2005
By Tim Kennedy

Irwindale, CA., Jul. 16 - Six racing divisions, 147 racing cars/trucks and 266 laps of racing entertained spectators Saturday night on Irwindale Speedway's half and third-mile tracks. Tim Huddleston won the Automobile Club of Southern California Late Model 50-lap feature in his Justice Bros. Chevy Monte Carlo.

The fastest qualifier started on the pole and chased second starter Mike Johnson for 26 laps before he made his winning move in the west turn on lap 27. Huddleston moved away to a 1.142-second victory over Johnson in a 20-car field. It was his seventh victory this season and 25th at IS. The series point leader now has an 80-point advantage with four races remaining in the 16-event season.

The touring ASA Speed Truck Challenge CMKXtreme.com series staged its second race at IS this season. Second-year series driver Steve Guccione, from Orange County, won the first feature of his career in a 75-lap run, also on the half-mile. As sixth fastest qualifier he started on the pole and led laps three-75 in his Dodge Dakota. He won by 0.405 seconds and became the sixth different winner in nine ASA races this year. Four of the 2005 winners are ASA rookies. Rookies occupied the top four point positions and six of the top ten spots entering the IS event. On lap 74 ASA 2004 champion Lee Hatch took second from fastest qualifier/sixth starter Clayton Andrews, a rookie. A caution period (lap 69-73) caused a green, white checker finish. Earlier third finisher Andrews won a six-truck, six-lap trophy dash.

Fastest qualifier Jimmy Sloan, 23, started his Ruark Racing Camaro second and led all 40-laps of the Vista Paint Super Stock 23-car main on the half-mile. It was the third career victory (all this year) in nine races. The second-year S/S driver ranks second in points, only ten digits behind leader Robin Bourgeois, a double winner this season. Steve Smith started fourth and finished second, 0.366 seconds back, despite his involvement in a fiery crash during lap 29. The car of second place Bryan Harrell stopped in the first turn low groove on lap 29. Third place Smith slammed into the back of Harrell's car and continued. Track emergency workers arrived quickly. In a matter of seconds fuel from Harrell's split fuel cell ignited and flames rose 20 to 30 feet. Firemen quickly extinguished the flames and no injuries resulted.

Action on the third-mile included the 35-lap Mini Stock main. It went to three-time winner Kevin Bernhardt in his Ford Pinto. He started third and led laps 10 and 14-35. Pole starter Tom Dye enjoyed his best night and led the first nine laps and laps 11-13 in his Toyota Celica. Runner-up Eric Reed on lap 34 dropped Dye to his ultimate finishing position (third). Brock Murphy, 11, took the 14-car 15-lap Bandolero race. Donny St. Ours, 11, was second, 35-yards back. Twelve of 14 drivers finished. A first lap crash in turn two sidelined second generation driver Jimmy Rouse, Jr., 12, who tied the one-lap qualifying record of 17.678 that he set originally June 4.

Tom Landreth started third and led the first 11 laps and the final five laps of the King Taco Legend Cars 35-lap main. Ryan Partridge started seventh and led laps 12-30. Landreth made his winning pass inside in the fourth turn and beat Partridge by 0.200 seconds. It was his third victory in seven races this year along with his three runner-up runs. His 50-points earned give him a 52-point lead over Matt Hicks with four races remaining. Hicks finished third. A pair of rookies surrounded fifth place Kenton Gray. Second quickest qualifier Lindsey King (a female) was fourth and 14-year old Connor Cantrell was sixth in a 28-car field. Twenty-three drivers finished and 17 completed all 35-laps.

The 38-car Legends field required a ten-lap B main that moved the first four finishers to the A main. IS diversity program winner Lindsay Kernohan, a 17-year old USAC Ford Focus Midget rookie, took her first ride in the Legends sedan donated for the IS program by 600 Racing. She was 34th fastest in time trials after recording the 26th quickest practice time during the afternoon. She started eighth and finished seventh to miss starting her first Legends main by three positions. Eric Brett won the 13-car, 10-lap B main.

The 19-minute Late Model feature included one caution period from lap 30-37 when first-time Irwindale driver Satoshi Hoshina, from Kyoto, Japan, spun and hit the third turn wall in a solo accident. During late afternoon time trials the newcomer qualifier ninth fastest of 19 qualifiers. In the feature, Andrew Myers, a 2004 IS Late Model veteran and current Grand National West rookie, started fifth and finished third in his own No. 44 Chevy. The 25-year old driver from Newport Beach made his first 2005 LM start at IS to get track time for the July 23 GNW race. He passed Travis Thirkettle for third on lap 25, lost it back to Thirkettle in a lap and regained the show position for good on lap 30. He edged Thirkettle by ten yards.

Hard charger award winners named by race control were Rod Schmitt (mini stocks), George Ruark (Late Models), and Larry Cerquettini, a first-time racer in his home-built Camaro. He came from 19th to tenth, and finished on the lead lap (Super Stocks). Four first-time IS racers competed in Legend Cars and John Duckett, Jr, from Cottonwood, won hard charger honors for coming from 13th to finish eighth.

BANDOLEROS: (14 cars)
Fast Time: Jimmy Rouse, Jr, 17.678 (tied own 1-lap TR set on June 4).

Main: Brock Murphy, Donny St. Ours, Jack Madrid, Tyler Fabozzi, Johnathan St. Ours, Justin Hurdle, Trevor Hurdle, Carter Calhoun, Brent Schneidemantle, Ryan Bragdon, Andre Prescott, Nicole DeLong, Rouse, Jeremy Birch.

MINI STOCKS: (23 cars)
Fast Time: Kevin Berhhardt, 17.365.

Main: Bernhardt, Eric Reed, Tom Dye, Bob Reed, Steve Rogers, Dennis Croasmun, Virgil Young, Tyler Rogers, Tim Ross, Jim McNear, Richie Altman, Rod Schmitt, Glenn Duffin, Dustin Morgan, Brenda Pugh, Daryl Scoggins, Ron Schmitt, Ed Lavender, Mario Ruiz, R. C. Zimmerman, Kris Melleby, Kory Russell. DNS-J. D. Manger.

KING TACO LEGEND CARS: (38 cars)
Fast Time: Tom Landreth, 16.899.

B main: Eric Brett, Larry Meredith, Bree Brewer, Dennis Howell, Austin Murphy, Lindsay Kernohan, Bill Calhoun, Bill Watson, Carl Wuersch, Brian Vandehey, Mike Smith, Larry Alsop.

A main: T. Landreth, Ryan Partridge, Matt Hicks, Lindsey King, Kenton Gray, Connor Cantrell, Bob Landreth, John Duckett, Jr, Joshua Gross, Tom Skahill, Brett, Steve Rzesnowiecky, Mark Gaiser, Jason Alsop, Meredith, Greg Garcia, John London, Bill Bonney, Brewer, Larry Stone, Steve Twilligear, Lynn Sours, Brian Wong, Howell, Joe Daniello, J. D. Hendley, Cory Miles, Chad Schug.

VISTA PAINT SUPER STOCKS: (25 cars)
Fast Time: Jimmy Sloan, 21.398.

Main: Sloan, Steve Smith, Lee Ladd, Kenny Brown, Greg Crutcher, Robin Bourgeois, Steve Gilmore, Garry Howell, Jeff Grill, Larry Cerquettini, Rich DeLong III, Victor Wu, Bobby Dezarov, Tim Gardner, Roy Moore, Bill Shoemaker, Dan Rodgers, Rich Hansen, Joe DeGuevara, Mike Gilmore, Bryan Harrell, Keith Wood, Ed Dazzo. DNS-Al Sallie, Jamie Barnett.

ASA SPEED TRUCK CMKXtreme.com CHALLANGE: (27 trucks)
Fast Time: Clayton Andrews, 19.800.

Dash: Andrews, Lee Hatch, Steve Guccione, Darren Young, Scott Dodd, Justin Fisher. 2:00.759.

Main: Guccione, Hatch, Andrews, Andrew Allen, Alex Haase, Kyle Cattanach, Dodd, Matt Jaskol, Bobby McGowan, Moses Smith, Young, Scott Franchimone, Joe Farre, George Antill, Jimmy Putman, Matt Daly, Brandon Arciero, Patrick Britain, Joey Mogar, Gary Bryant, Bo Ridley, Victor Pflluger, Bud Budaveri, Fisher, Gabi DiCarlo, Marcus Smith, Ron Nava.

AUTO CLUB LATE MODELS: (20 cars)
Fast Time: Tim Huddleston, 19.114.

Main: Huddleston, Mike Johnson, Andrew Myers, Travis Thirkettle, Scott Youngren, Jameel Saied, Brian Jones, George Ruark, Dan DiGiamarino, Richie Altman, Robert Rice, Sean Bennett, Brian Kelley, Mike Mulhall, Daniel DiGiacomo, Justin Lofton, Craig Yeaton, Satoshi Hoshina, Austin Grabowski, Brandon Mulvihill.

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