CANTRELL TOPS IRWINDALE SUPER TRUCKS – SIX OTHER DIVISONS RACE SEPT. 2011
By noderel:
Irwindale, CA., Sept. 24 – Toyota Speedway at Irwindale management presented seven racing divisions for the first Saturday of the fall season. The busy night of racing had two track records fall during qualifying, a first-time, upset winner in a preliminary main event, and point leader Connor Cantrell dominate the King Taco Super Truck 40-lap feature on a cool evening. Cantrell, 21, set his fifth consecutive (sixth of the year) fast time in a 20-truck field and won his fourth straight main event by leading every lap. His victory opened his point lead from 12 to 42 points over 2010 series champion Ryan Partridge, who was scheduled to start from pole position. However, Partridge pulled into the infield before the first lap green flag with a transmission problem and finished last. Only one point race remains before Cantrell can claim his first TS@I track championship.
The annual “Truckers Night” event had varied working trucks lining the infield on the front straight facing the grandstand during opening ceremonies at 7:00 pm. All the trucks paraded around the track several times following a sensational rendition of the National Anthem by a female soloist standing in the starters' stand. The 24 working trucks included three 18-wheelers, a water tanker, a fully loaded automobile hauler, a heavy-duty tow truck, a vintage fire truck, a drag racing truck, a restored 1940s International truck, and the Jan's Towing fleet of tow trucks and utility trucks that work all TS@I events.
During mid-afternoon qualifying, two one-lap track records fell. Ryan Bragdon's 1979 Ford Mustang II mini stock circled the third-mile at 16.796 (71.374 mph) to lower the 16.901 (70.931 mph) record he set last October 16 in the same car. Twenty minutes later Darren Amidon reset the Legends one-lap mark to 16.312 (73.491 mph). He lowered the series standard set by Chad Schug at 16.436 (72.937 mph) on May 14, 2011. Four divisions ran on the half-mile track. They were: the KTST, Langers Juice S2 Cars, Vista Paint Super Stocks, and Drive Tech Racing School Late Models. Three series—Justice Brothers Mini Stocks, Echo Equipment Legend Cars, and Ken Porter Auctions Open Comp--used the inner third-mile oval. Race accounts follow.
KTST 40: R. Partridge, winner of six of 13 series features this year, vacated pole position on a parade lap and exited to the infield with a transmission problem. That malady also sidelined his No. 48 Steve Latina truck twice last season and almost derailed his 2010 championship run. That retirement enabled FQ/third starter Cantrell to move up from inside row two to the pole. The hottest driver currently at TS@I then led all 40 laps over outside row one starter Matt Kimball. Cantrell's Apecs Motorsports mount had opened a 20-yard lead when the only caution of the 16-minute race flew on lap 20 after a solo spin. Cantrell selected the outside for the 2 by 2 restart. He held off a reinvigorated Kimball by a steady 10-yards for the final 21 laps and won by 0.917. A five truck battle for third place in two abreast racing a straightaway (7 seconds) behind the two leaders captured fan interest. Veteran Kenny Brown took third on lap 37 from fourth finisher Dennis Arena. Todd Cameron and series rookie/2010 Classic Stock champion Ken Michaelian, 22, finished a close fifth and sixth, 8-seconds back. Lucas McNeil, Ryan Fortier, Kenny (Quick Pick Motorsports) Smith, 65, and first-time truck racer Jason Curtis completed the top ten. Curtis, a veteran motorcycle racer from Valencia, started in the back row and ran tenth in his debut aboard the ex-No. 18 Mason Britton truck out of Sacramento. Fifteen trucks finished and 14 drivers completed all 40 laps. The seventh and final race Saturday started at 9:5l and concluded at 10.09 pm.
LANGERS JUICE S2: Nine of the Racecar Factory-built cars unique to TS@I competed in the sixth of seven races. Mike Coleto, Jr, 29-year old classic stocks veteran, had his first HPR team ride in the 55 car and started on the pole as sixth fastest qualifier. He led the first six laps before stock car rookie teammate Devon Ostheimer, 17, made an inside pass in the fourth turn and opened a 20-yard advantage by the lap 20 checkered flag. It was his third S2 feature victory. A six-car pack traded positions during mid-race laps. Runner-up Joe Anderson, 25, from Valencia, took P. 2 on lap 14. He trailed by 1.625 at the end. Andrew Anderson, 19, of Lancaster, placed third after passing Andrew Potter, 17, on lap 16 on the outside in turn four. Trevor Huddleston, 15, enjoyed his S2 best finish (P. 5). Colato, Austin Dyne, 19, and the Waters brothers—Gary, 59, and Bill, 53, completed the top nine and all logged 20 laps. The only caution flag flew on lap 16 when Dyne's P. 6 HPR car hit the back of P. 5 teammate Colato entering the first turn, spinning both cars to the wall. Huddleston also spun to avoid contact. All avoided the wall and restarted at the back. A. Anderson entered the race with an 18-point lead over Porter and now has a 20-point lead over him (434-414).
VPSS 25: A 14-car field of super stocks competed in the first race Saturday at 7:30 pm. The event took 33 minutes because of two cautions for spins and a lap 20 red flag after a multi-car crash resulted in wall-contact by two spinners. Eric Sunness led the first 16 laps by as much as 30-yards. A two-car spin involved Chevy Impala SS cars of Gary Frankovich and 2010 series champion Rich DeLong III, 23. Sunness parked in the infield. Curtis White led lap 17-19. On lap 20 P. 2 Gary Read hit the back of leader White, who spun and retired for P. 9 instead of gaining another victory. Three cars tangled in turn two and the red flag flew for track clean-up work. Rookie Zack Green, 21, took charge and led the final six laps to the lap 25 checkers. Read finished 0.926 back and Aaron Coonfield, from the San Joaquin Valley, placed third, but his car did not meet track specs and he agreed to compete for experience without points or money. Frankovich, despite a battered left rear end from wall contact, inherited third. Brad Keegan was the only other finisher with 25 laps. Rookie Jeff Watson was fifth, a lap down. Green, son of the 2000-01 VPSS track champion, won his second main this year, duplicating his June 18 triumph in a 35-lap main. The race ended in a first place tie at 444 points between former point leader White and 2010 VPSS champion DeLong, who made up his six points deficit by placing sixth Saturday.
DRIVE TECH SCHOOL LATE MODELS: The racing school had seven cars in the pits for five student drivers and used all cars for the five driver field. The scheduled 20 lap race ended on lap 2 after three cars collided in the second turn. Only three cars were able to continue with David Sear out front. Track officials terminated the event at that point.
JUSTICE BROS. MINI STOCKS: Seven drivers started with a four-car inversion placing FQ Bragdon outside row two. Track champion Daryl Scoggins started third and led the first three laps in his Ford Pinto, which he then pulled into the infield with a mechanical problem. Richie Altman and Bragdon traded the lead four times with Altman's No. 33 Pinto in front on laps 4-7, 9 and 13. Bragdon's No. 86 Ford Mustang II had the point on laps 8, and 10-12. Seth Wilson (No. 29) was a close third every lap. On lap 14 at turn two Bragdon hit the back of Altman's car, which spun out. Officials penalized Bragdon to the back of the now six car field for causing the caution. They charged up to P. 2-3 on lap 14 of the 15 lap race and received the checkers in a three-car bumper to bumper alignment behind first-time feature winner Wilson, 24, of Pasadena. The thrilled winner bought the ex-No. 37 Carl Farless 1979 Ford Mustang II in 2009 to begin racing. Now in his third season, his best feature was a P. 5 earlier this season. Seth and his dad Brent are a two-man family team with a friend from Detroit assisting during his memorable race. Altman and Bragdon finished in P 2-3 as the tight finish thrilled fans rooting for an upset victory by the little team that could. Rookie Aubree Porter, 16, earned her career-best fourth. P. 5 Richard Boker also was on the lead lap. After the finish angry Altman walked to Bragdon's car to express his feelings about his driving. On the PA system Altman said, “Some people don't know how to drive. He's never going to finish a race here again.”
EELC 35: Twenty legend cars started, with FQ Darren Amidon, 26, launching from P. 2. Pole starter Brent Scheidemantle, 18, led lap 1. Amidon was out front for the final 34 laps for his second TS@I triumph this season. San Diegan Eric Gunderson, 17, charged from P. 7 on the grid to take second on lap 14 and trailed by 0.269. Scheidemantle was third, 0.699 back. Reigning series champion Chad Schug, 24, came from 20th to fourth, 0.954 from the lead. He set second FQ time but worked on his car following qualifying, necessitating his move to the back row. Schug reached P. 5 by lap 21 and took fourth on a lap 32 restart after the second of two cautions for solo spins by Racin Vernon, 13. The race took 14 minutes. Completing the top ten were: Tony Green, Mark Borchetta (in the Green No. 88) Jared Torres, 17, Aaron Wells, 17, Jordan Hyland, and 2009-10 Bandolero champion Ryan Cansdale, 12. Nineteen of 20 starters finished and 18 drivers ran all 35 laps. Schug entered the race four points in front of Scheidemantle and now leads him by only two points (688-686).
KPA OPEN COMP 25: Fifteen varied cars/trucks raced on the third-mile. The field consisted of 1 SLM, 3 late models, 1 SWT truck, 1 winged modified, 1 IMCA dirt modified, 1 Figure 8, 3 classic stocks, 3 super stocks and 1 SCCA Super Production Car (Olds Cutlass). FQ Craig Rayburn (LM) started sixth. Anthony Mainella's No. 61 SLM had pole position and led the first 11 laps. Joe Anderson came from fifth grid spot to lead laps 12-25 in the oldest HPR Chevy (RCF chassis # 7). He won by 20-yards (1.562 seconds) over Mainella. Jerry Toporek's Figure 8 car was third, 1.858 back. Richie Altman started third and finished fourth in his No. 31 late model. Jeff Williams (SWT truck), Rich DeLong III (winged modified), Rayburn, Harry Michaelian (classic stock), Michael Parr (super stock) and Garrett Crow, 20, (CS) completed the top ten. Seven drivers finished all 25 laps. The race had two cautions and two red flags. An engine oil fire under caution caused a red flag on lap 13 after Trent Morley's IMCA dirt track modified broke an oil line on the front straight. On lap 21 Rayburn passed DeLong on the inside in the first turn and angered DeLong. On the white flag lap, DeLong hit and spun Rayburn's car in turn two. Both restarted at the back and charged forward during the final two laps of the18 minute race. Upset drivers in both the second (JBMS) and fourth (KPA open comp ) races led to an increased presence in the pits by watchful eyes of track pit staff. No fists flew. Season championship point battles will make the remaining point races on October 1 and 15 memorable in several divisions.