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IRWINDALE, CA., Aug. 16 – Three racing series competed on the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale banked half-mile Saturday in front of about 6,000 fans. Championship point chases tightened in all three series following checkered flags in a pair of 40-lap track series and in the touring NASCAR Camping World Series-West Pipe Careers 200-lap feature. Jason Bowles, a 25-year old from Ontario with past weekly racing experience at Irwindale, dominated the NCWS-W event. He set fastest qualifying time for the fourth time this season, started and finished first after leading all 200-laps in the final race of the evening. He repeated his first victory at Irwindale in the NCWS-W California Highway Patrol 200 on July 4. It was his third victory in the 11th race of the year and followed two victories on road courses last year. The winner cut 48 points from the 57 point lead of Eric Holmes, who finished eighth, and now leads Bowles 1763 to 1754. Bowles drove Bob Bruncati's Sunrise Ford-sponsored Ford Fusion and won $8,050 from the $115,232 NCWC-W purse. His winning time of 1:18.46 (76.174 mph) broke the old 200-lap track record of 1:18.53 (76.067 mph) set by Austin Cameron on July 27, 2002.
In the opening race, Connor Cantrell, ranked second in King Taco Super Truck point standings, closed ground in his determined battle with consistent point leader, two-time feature winner Pat Mintey, Jr. Cantrell's sixth victory of the season in KTST race ten enabled the talented teen to lop four points from Mintey's eight-point lead with four races remaining. Mintey leads Cantrell 458-454. After almost crashing his No. 9 HollywoodRentals.com Chevy S-10 after a mechanical malfunction during open practice Friday night, Cantrell skipped both early afternoon practice sessions Saturday. Yet the 17-year old Valencia High senior still set fastest qualifying time during time trials in a 24-truck field.
Tim Huddleston and NASCAR Auto Club Late Model point leader Nick Joanides dueled all 40-laps in the second race. Fifth starter/outside running Huddleston won by one length (0.104) over sixth starter/inside runner Joanides, the fastest qualifier. Second ranked Huddleston, the 2005 and 2007 ACLM track champion, cut two points from Joanides' four point advantage and now trails 552 to 554 with four races remaining. Joanides is seeking his first championship at the track and is currently leading both the ACLM and AC Delco Super Late Model point standings. It was Huddleston's 36th main event victory at the track, all in the ACLM series. He tied 2002-03 ACLM champion Todd Burns for third place on the list of drivers with the most feature wins at the state of the art track that opened on March 27, 1999.
NCWS-W 200: The race started at 8:50; Bowles led the first 101 laps to the mandatory mid-race, ten minute full-field break for service. Bowles and David Mayhew made it a two-car race to lap 60 when second fastest qualifier Chris Johnson made it a three-car party. Johnson was Irwindale's 2004-05 Pro Truck champion and a starter in ACLM and SLM races during the past three seasons. After dropping from second starting spot to fourth on the initial lap, Johnson charged back in the No. 50 TCR Ford. He passed Johnny Borneman for third on lap 35 and chased the two leaders. Johnson used an outside pass in turn four on lap 60 to take second from Mayhew as the three leaders lapped slower cars in close formation. Johnson pulled to the inside several times to pass leader Bowles, but he got into the second turn wall with a RF tire problem and pitted, losing a lap. A multi-car crash on lap 82 in turn four involved Mike Gallegos and Greg Pursley, whose new No. 70 ride is a 2007 Richard Childress Chevy (Clint Bowyer's former Jack Daniels No. 07). Pursley parked and finished last in the 29 car field. The first half concluded at 9:32with 25 cars still on the track and 12 cars on the lead lap. The field took the lap 102 green flag at 9:45 with Bowles leading Mayhew, Borneman, series rookie Jason Patison, point leader Holmes, Jeff Barkshire, Eric Richardson, Jim Inglebright, Moses Smith, Andrew Myers, Brett Thompson, Mike David and Johnson, who received the "lucky dog" pass because of the halfway yellow flag and returned to the lead lap.
Bowles, Mayhew and Borneman, with ten yards between each car, made it a three-car contest by lap 120 as they pulled away from fourth running Holmes. Then Bowles opened a 30-yard lead by lap 140 as Mayhew and Borneman raced closely for second. It got too close with contact on lap165 spinning Mayhew in the second turn. He drove up next to Borneman under caution to show his anger. Officials sent Borneman to the back of the field for rough driving. The top ten scoring pylon at lap 170 showed the running order as Bowles, Barkshire, Patison, Thompson, Mayhew, Holmes and a fast-moving Johnson, who picked off five lead lap cars on his march forward from one-lap down after his tire problem. Myers in eighth, Smith, a charging Borneman, Inglebright, Richardson and 2007 series champion Mike David followed. Bowles drove away from Barkshire during the final 28 green-flag laps and opened a 40-yard lead by lap 190. He eased his pace during the final two laps and won by 20-yards (0.674) over Barkshire, a one-time 2008 feature winner in his No. 46 Centennial Battery Dodge. The second finisher and leading rookie in points earned $3,815. Third place Patison, 27, finished 2.816 seconds behind the winner and received $2,500 for his best series finish in the No. 17 Jim Beam/Lucas Oil Ford. Thompson, Mayhew, Borneman, Johnson, Holmes, Smith and Myers completed the top ten with eighth through tenth finishers all 11-seconds in back of the winner. Inglebright and Richardson were the only other drivers who finished all 200 laps as 24 of 29 starters finished the race that checkered at 10:22 pm. There were four cautions for 21 laps.
The top three drivers came to the press box to answer media questions. Winner Bowles said: " My car was great all the way. It practically drove itself. I thought I had a flat tire four times. The car got free in the first half and I couldn't get by lapped traffic very well. We tightened it up for the second half. I'm amazed we led every lap. I thought the 21 (Mayhew) would be tough. Number 50 was tough until he got a flat. He is a bit inexperienced in these cars." Runner-up Barkshire stated: "My car was terrible the first half. My crew chief made changes at halftime. I saw the 8 (Borneman) and 21 cars bump and when 21 went around I just missed him." Third place Patison, an Irwindale SLM and late model veteran in his second year of NCWS-W series action, added, "We finally got our luck turned around and finished a race. Bill Sedgwick (former NASCAR driver) is our crew chief and you couldn't ask for anyone better. My super late experience here helped a lot to run low" The NCWS-W teams now have two races remaining in the 13-race series during the next two months at Altamont and Roseville, which replaced the date for the new Kern County track in Bakersfield that has not been completed pending additional funding.
ACLM: With a six-car inverted start, sixth quickest qualifier Lindsey King had pole position over HPD Racing teammate Benny Moon, who was making his second ACLM start of 2008 in the No. 51 Ford. King led the first lap over Moon. On the second lap exiting turn four King spun 360 degrees after contact. Travis Motley also did a 360 spin and had his back bumper knocked off by a passing car as Robbie Brand and Rodney Peacher also spun to avoid contact. Everyone restarted, but officials sent King and championship contender Andrew Myers to the back. They complied and began charging forward at the green.. Huddleston led the second lap to the end after he passed his protege Moon at the restarted second lap. At lap 14 race control radioed 12th place Myers to do a stop and go for another infraction. He complied again and lost a lap, relegating; him to 16th place at the finish. The 27-minute race had four yellow flags. At lap 30, outside running Huddleston and inside challenger Joanides had pulled away and Joanides made frequent bids for the lead. He finished half a length back (0.104). Huddleston's fastest lap was 19.481 and Joanides best lap of the race was 19.528. Fast-improving Travis Irving started and finished third in his new 2008 Toyota Camry sponsored by the CHP was painted black and white to resemble a CHP patrol car. Irving was ten yards in back of the dueling leaders and trailed by 0.551. ACLM rookie teammates Colin Fleming and Moon raced for fourth position; Fleming dropped Moon to fifth at the end. Sean Woodside, the 1999 NASCAR Grand National West champion and 2001 Irwindale SLM champion, made his third start this year and came from 12th in the 24-car field to sixth place. Rookie Logan Henson, King, rookie Miles Copenhaver and Mike Varela completed the top ten as 22 of 24 drivers finished and 15 drivers ran all 40 laps.
Mike Johnson, the fourth place driver in points, was only 36 points behind leader Joanides entering Saturday's race. Johnson wrecked his own No. 17 Chevy on his first lap during 3:45 pm time trials when he spun hard into the front straight K-rails lining the inside of the front straight to protect NCWS-W pits. He was unhurt but his car was heavily damaged and sidelined. Brandon Loverock stepped out of the No. 25 Gerald Lair Chevy and allowed Johnson to chase vital points. Johnson started 16th and finished 12th to keep his first TS@I driving championship hopes alive. He now trails Joanides by 56 points and still ranks fourth. Five-time ACLM main event winner Myers, the point leader to mid-season, entered the race only 12 points behind Joanides. Myers still ranks third, but he is now 32 points off the lead now with only four races remaining in this competitive season. He is seeking his first track championship after racing as an ACLM regular in 2003-04. In 2005 Myers joined the NCWS-W series where he scored two victories in 36 starts. He is running selected NCWS-W races this year while driving the No. 15 Eugene Dewberry Chevy in every ACLM race at Irwindale. He also raced the No. 77 Joe Nava Toyota and was the only driver to race in two series Saturday. Myers completed 239 of 240 possible laps.
KTST: Cantrell, the fastest qualifier in 3:30 pm time trials, started second in the first race of the night. He won his 40-lap KTST 40-lap run by 0.186 over pole starter/series rookie Rod Johnson, Jr., of Canyon Country. Johnson, the son of the track's 1999 SLM champion, led the first ten laps before Cantrell passed him on the inside during lap 11 from the fourth turn to the starting line. Cantrell led the final 30 laps. Mintey started and finished third, but he dropped to fifth position from lap 3-19 before he rallied at lap 20 to take fourth. On lap 35 Mintey took third to diminish his point loss at two points per position. Todd Cameron started fifth and finished fourth with second generation rookie Jeff Peterson coming from sixth to fifth. Mason Britton was third at the lap 35 restart following a multi-truck collision between the first two corners. Britton's truck did not accelerate normally at the green and he dropped four positions before reaching the first turn. He regained one spot and finished sixth. Rookie Grant Hebner, Paul Brennan, former West Coast Pro Truck driver Bob Wright (in his first KTST race) and Joe Anderson completed the top ten . Fifteen of 24 trucks reached the finish line and all 15 logged 40 laps in a time of 30:29.113 in a race slowed by four caution flags.
Fastest qualifiers were: Cantrell (KTST) – 89.829 mph; Joanides (ACLM) – 94.807 mph; Bowles – 96.701 mph. Hard charger honorees selected by race control officials for most positions gained from starting to finishing positions were: Bob Wright (P 22 to P 9 in KTST) and Robert Rice (P 20 to P 13 in ACLM). Jeff Williams, the TS@ I 2006-07 WCPT driving champion, sub-drove Ron Mongenel's No 58 KTST for the first time in the truck main event. He dropped out after the lap 35 multi-truck crash in the first corner.
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