Tuesday, September 24, 2013

NASCAR at Irwindale: Coca Cola presents Hispanic Heritage Night


   

NOTES FROM IRWINDALE EVENT CENTER
SEPTEMBER 24, 2013


  Coca Cola Presents Hispanic Heritage Night
NASCAR Stock Cars at Irwindale
This Saturday Night: September 28, 2013
Super Late Model/Lucas Oil Late Model Double Header Set

Irwindale, Calif. - - As the 2013 NASCAR Home Track season speeds to a conclusion at Irwindale Speedway yet another exciting night of NASCAR short track racing is on schedule at the family-friendly track that all the fans call: "LA's Half-Mile Superspeedway".

Irwindale Event Center Hispanic Heritage Night/Coca-Cola Night Commercial
Irwindale Event Center Hispanic Heritage Night/Coca-Cola Night Commercial

"We've got both of our two top divisions, the NASCAR Super Late Models and our Lucas Oil Late Models running on Saturday night and it'll be the second-to-last race of the 2013 championship season for both. Adding to the show, we'll also feature the Superior Automotive Engineering Super Stocks, a quick turnaround visit from the Pick Your Part Southwest Tour Trucks, and our own Open Comp division on the third mile as well," said track GM Bob Klein.

Of the three points-paying Irwindale divisions competing on Saturday night the Lucas Oil Late Models have the greatest points difference between first and second and that's the 34 point advantage that Rancho Cucamonga's Ryan Partridge carries into Saturday's race over Highland, California's Toni McCray (she's got 306, and Partridge has 340). La Verne's young Andrew Porter has acquitted himself well over the season so far with a string of good finishes that see him third in points (292) and way out front in the run for 2013 Rookie of the Year honors. Thirty-three different drivers from 29 different cities have scored points in this year's LOLM series.

The next-closest points battle is in the NASCAR Super Late Models where Rip Michels hold a slim 18-point lead over none other than Toni McCray who's doing double duty driving in both divisions and who will be running her legs off between rides all day long and well into the night on Saturday.  
The season-long NASCAR Super Late Model  "Rip and Tony Show" continues this Saturday.  Steve Coffee photo
As everyone in the racing world must know by now, the San Fernando-domiciled Michels is the winningest driver ever at Irwindale; but his "problem" this year is that McCray seems to be shadowing his every move only finishing off the podium once (and it was a fourth place at that). McCray is comes into the race only the aforementioned 18 back with 50 up for grabs on Saturday eve. Twenty-nine drivers have picked up points so far in the 2013 Lucas Oil edition of the Late Models.

One of the oldest clichés in the book is: "Close is only important in horseshoes and hand grenades." Perhaps we ought to modify that to include the Superior Automotive Engineering Super Stocks where four (not so) paltry points make the difference over whose name is listed first on the Irwindale website racing points page. And that name would be La Verne's very own Gary Read, whose 232 points put him a slim 4 markers ahead of Long Beach's favorite (Super Stock) driver Zack Green. At five races with this one and one more after that to go, the points scene is definitely tight here. Greg Crutcher (Covina) is only 10 points behind Green in third and Robert Dezerov is just 6 back of Crutcher!   At this point in space and time the statement, "Anything can happen here ..." could not have any more meaning. Fifty points to win. Nineteen drivers have run under the Superior Super Stock banner this year.

Local resident (Arcadia), firefighter, points leader, and all-round hale fellow, Neil Conrad, coming in with a very popular win at last week's race, will be the man that everyone's looking to best on Saturday in the Pick Your Part Southwest Tour Trucks when the always exciting touring series makes their final 2013 visit to the Irwindale oval.

And just for fun and short track excitement Irwindale's own Open Comp class will take to the inner oval for a race that is open to just about every type of car (or truck) that normally runs the half-mile with the stipulation that they run a 8-inch tire and use all half-mile safety gear.

The fan gates open at 5PM, there's great fun for the whole family at the official On-Track Autograph Session at 5:45 and racing starts on the dot at 7PM. Fans are always guaranteed a great time at Irwindale Speedway!

Discount tickets and directions to all the
fun are available on-line right now at:




IRWINDALE EVENT CENTER | 626-358-1100
500 Speedway Drive
Irwindale, CA 91706



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