With the same regular event ticket price schedule that the track opened with in 1999, Irwindale Speedway will put on a seven race night of oval racing that will see the track’s feature division racing not once, but twice on the fast half-mile oval that’s know far and wide as: “LA’s Half-Mile Superspeedway”. Adult tickets are still pegged at only $15 at the gate for a great night of NASCAR thrills.
And … they’re an even better ($5 off) deal if purchased before Friday midnight, June 24 on the facility’s website.
Leading off Saturday night’s very full deck of rubber-tired racing entertainment are the NASCAR National Championship Pick Your Part Late Models where, after fully 12 races have been hotly contested , so far, first through third in points are only separated by 48 points and where first place has an uncomfortable lead of only 8 points. Trevor Huddleston from Agoura Hills has 576 markers to Claremont’s Christian McGhee 568.
Rounding out the top three is Woodland Hill’s Nick Joanides (who won both ends of the track’s June 11 Late Model double-header) is the guy only 48 out of first who would likely tell you (if you ask) that every race on the schedule pays 40 points to win and that there are still nine races (including this one) left in the season and one goes about winning them one at a time. (With two complete, points-paying races on most Late Model race nights!)
The Seidner’s Collision Centers Irwindale Race Trucks will be back on Saturday night with a nice scramble going in their ranks … Lucas McNeil (Saugus) leading the pack with 294 points after the first six of this year’s 10-race season. McNeil has won four of the races and second-in-points Conner Cantrell (Valencia) has take one but his good finishes see him only 24 points behind at 270 with consistant finisher Dennis Arena (Duarte) hanging close in third at 264.
Just turning the halfway corner in their 12-race 2016 championship runs, the INEX Bandoleros will be lead to the line by Kayla Eshelman from Fontana, with one win and 286 points. Ten points back, with no wins but a strong finishing record, Madison Gay from Lakeside has 276 points. Again, showing how vitally important it is to do well in every race at Irwindale, Allison Gay’s Bando did not pass tech at the last race (netting her a 0 in the points column) and her three previous wins, a second, and a third add up to 244 for third in the points chase for this young Lakeside driver.
And … at exactly halfway in the INEX Legends Cars ten-race 2016 season Darren Amidon of Lakeside (there MUST be something in that North County San Diego water!) has the lead over Parker Steel from Peoria, Arizona 240 to 236. No calculator needed here to note that’s only four points after 5 races! And that fact is not lost on North Hills’ Jordan Hyland and Chad Schug from Oak Hills who are locked up in third place only 12 points back at 224 each. (Just for reference, the distance between the above “Hillls” is a 1 hour 42 minute drive of 93.1 miles … mostly on the 210 freeway).
Roger Harder will lead the Robertson Solar South West Tour Trucks into Irwindale with a four-race total of 198 points which puts him 17 ducats up on Dan Coburn with 181. Zack St. Onge (173 points), Rookie Derek Robertson (164), and George Perret (163) fill out the top five in this West Coast touring spec truck series.
And another West Coast touring series will take to the Irwindale half-mile oval on Saturday night … the Racecar Factory Limited Late Models. Designed and build about 2 miles from the Speedway, these sturdy stock cars are identical in every aspect from the ground up (except for the paint job). The idea is a car that someone can learn the art and science of oval track stock car racing in safety, at a reasonable price. There’s no “latest” “winning” speed pieces to buy … careful car preparation and clean driving are the real “speed secrets” here. Sierra Madre’s own Todd Conrad sits atop the points pile with 144, followed by Dylan Garner (Yorba Linda) with 136, and Craig Yeaton with 124.
As always … and always a highlight of the night for everyone fans as well as the drivers, Irwindale’s On-Track Autograph Session will start at 5:45PM with every car racing that night parked on the front straight of the race course, it’s driver race with pen (for autographs) and big smile (for photographs) at the ready. Kids clamber into real racing cars, fans meet the drivers who’ll shortly be turning unimaginably fast laps, and everyone has a great time. The best thing of all is that all of the above on-track fun is always free with admission. Gates open at 4PM. Racing starts at 7.