TRACKS: First 'Super Saturday' Line-up at Irwindale Speedway
1 August 1999
USAC OPEN WHEELERS, A PAIR … NASCAR LATE MODEL "TWIN 30'S" & CALIFORNIA ASPHALT MODIFIED "360" SUPER MODIFIEDS Irwindale's New "Super Saturdays" Begin: Saturday August 7th ! Irwindale, Calif. (July 30, 1999) - - Irwindale Speedway's newly-announced "Super Saturdays" are set to light up the warm southern California evening with a spectacular set of four different racing divisions all competing in one action-packed evening of racing on Saturday, August 7. For the open wheel fans USAC's hyper-fast Sprint Cars and snarling TQ Midgets will be on tap along with the wild, winged cars called, "C.A.M. 360 Super Modifieds". And, adding a shot of NASCAR energy to the show, the Late Models will run not one, but two "main" events; a set of "Twin 30's"; thirty-lap races that will each carry a full purse and full points toward the season's championship. Leading the USAC Sprint Cars back to Irwindale will be young (19!) Bud Kaeding of Campbell, California. Kaeding has been unbeatable on the Irwindale ½-mile so far this year going three for three. Setting the division class record on his first appearance (March 27, opening night), he bettered those numbers (17.895) by over a second on his last visit to IS on June 5. Third-generation driver Kaeding is thought by many to posses some sort of mystical power over Irwindale Speedway. Others think that its simply a case of tremendous driving talent hooked up with great equipment. Whatever the case, Bud Kaeding is surely one of "the ones to watch" in the USAC pavement Sprint Cars at this Speedway. The USAC Three-Quarter Midget competition picture at Irwindale has been a highly-competitive one with wins chalked-up by three different drivers on the fast 1/3-mile inner oval. Josh Wise from Riverside, Greg Edenholdm of Agoura, and Walt Johnson from Burbank have all won TQ main events at IS this year. "Bridesmaid" is an inapt term for TQ racer Randi Pankratz who has "figured" strongly in every TQ race held at Irwindale and who owns the track lap record for the division (14.521). As hungry for a win as anyone who has ever sat in a race car, the lady from Atascadero will be out to finish first on Saturday night, bet on it. CAM 360 Super Modifieds, the "run-what-you-brung" division with plenty of room for innovation are the third open wheel division for the first "Super Saturday" at Irwindale. The last time these machines festooned with all manner of wild aerodynamic wings, spoilers, diaplanes, splitters and what-have-you, raced at Irwindale they put on a breath-taking passing (and re-passing!) show that had a 4th of July capacity crowd on their feet and screaming for the final ten laps of the main. Jim Tartaglia of Reedly, California was the victor, but only after some spectacular inside-out moves that had even the most seasoned race fans rubbing their eyes in disbelief and mumbling, "How'd he do THAT?" to themselves. Which brings us to the NASCAR Late Models whose stars include Gerrit Cromsigt (from the picturesquely-named town of Pine Mountain Club, California) with 7 wins, Dusty McDonald of Simi Valley with two main events , and Riverside's own Todd Burns with a single victory at IS. The Late models are one of the "scappingest" full-bodied divisions that run at Irwindale, with outcomes rarely "in the bag" until the last part of the last lap. On Saturday night Irwindale will set off two 30-lap mains for these stepping stones to the big leagues of NASCAR … Fans always expect high energy from these sleek stockers and they'll be seeing plenty on August 7th. Stand by for close combat. A Quick reminder: ALL of the above are ALL competing on one night at one place. The on-site ticket office opens at noon, the spectator gates go wide at 2:00, qualifying will begin at 5:00, and racing will commence at 7:00 pm sharp. The entirely new Irwindale Speedway Super Saturdays Schedule is now available to fans in a number of convenient ways: On site at the track's ticket windows, souvenir shops, in each and every racing program, by phone (call 626-358-1100, leave your mailing info. and one will be sent), or via the world wide web by accessing the track's website at: www.irwindalespeedway.com ADD: Just as we were about to send this release we received word that IRL driver (and ultimate IS track record-holder at 15.655 on opening night in a Super Modified), Davey Hamilton was tapped to be at the controls of the latest "Tamale Wagon" owned by Alex (Andy) Morales III. Legendary in west coast Sprint Car racing, the "Tamale Wagon" driven by the very talented Hamilton will be a welcome addition to Irwindale's first "Super Saturday" race. Let The New Irwindale Speedway Super Saturdays Begin! # - # - #