Tracks: November 6 is 'Open Wheel Spectacular' at Irwindale
30 October 1999
THREE (3) STORY LINES IN ONE ... TAKE YOUR CHOICE:
* Ultimate Lap Record Holder Hamilton Returns To "His Favorite Short Track"
* Can Young Bud Kaeding Regain His Sprint Car Dominance and Go 6 for 7?
* MCI Midget Masters Go For The Gold & The Experience Prepping for T-Nite GP
Irwindale, Calif. - - All racing events have multiple story lines, each driver,
crew person, official, fan, journalist, photog, souvenir seller and hot dog hawker
has his or her own reason for being there. At Irwindale Speedway this Saturday
night, there are at least three major storylines developing, each of which will
make for an interesting evening for fans of top professional open wheel short
track racing:
I) Davey Hamilton, Indy Racing League ("IRL") driver and holder of Irwindale's
fastest-ever lap (a ripping 15.655-second blast into the record books on opening
night, March 27,1999) will be back, fittingly driving car number 1 and looking
to ice his record for a good long time with a dip into the 14's, "If everything
is right." The Las Vegas-living Hamilton, who finished fourth in the IRL points
standings this year, has always felt that there is at least another half-second
in the track. "I'm anxious to get back to IS ... it is, with out a doubt my
favorite short track ... one of the best ovals I have ever driven on regardless
of size, anywhere."
Saturday night, with a warm, well-seasoned track, and some cool air flowing into
his 850+-horsepower V-8's nostrils, might just be the night for the breakthrough.
On A Related News Note: Davey Hamilton just announced (Oct. 27, 1999) that he
will fire off a new Supermodified Racing League ("SRL") in the 2000 season which
will sanction races throughout the western United States beginning in February.
His contention that there over 60 such racing cars in the West and that only
a bare handful show up for major events making the basis for the formation of
the new Super League. The hard-working, hard-charging Hamilton, who now adds
"Racing Association Owner/Promoter" to his already long list of job titles, will
(natch) be available to discuss any of the above on or before raceday.
II) Bud Kaeding, had his string of consecutive Irwindale Speedway USAC Sprint
Car victories snapped at five three weeks ago here at IS. Needless to say the
young (19) charger from Campbell, California was not too thrilled with his 8th
place in the Sprint Car main on that night. This Saturday, he'll be back, ready
and raring to regain the kind of track dominance that he showed for the first
five months of the season. "The competition in USAC's Western States Sprint
Car Division just keeps getting tougher and smarter," observed track VP Robert
(Bob) DeFazio. "Our last USAC Sprint Car was the fastest 30 lap race ever run
at Irwindale: 8 minutes, 32 seconds ... No yellows, just wire-to-wire, pure flat-out
racing. It was almost a blur, the Sprint Car drivers have got a lot of this
place figured out ..."
Company, er competition for the Kaeding kid will come from all quarters including
Bobby McMahan from Rio Linda, Rick Williams from San Leandro, Mike Boat from
Arizona, Rick Hendrix from Canoga Park, and Tony Hunt from Fair Oaks.
III) Jay Drake, the 30 year old, journeyman open wheel driver from Val Verde,
California won last year's Turkey Night Grand Prix by a whisker over Jason Leffler
on the tight, tacky 1/3-mile clay oval at Bakersfield Speedway in Oildale, and,
in doing so added his name to the incredible list of victors (attached) in the
most prestigious USAC Midget event of them all. This year the 59th running of
the classic will take place on the paved banks of Irwindale Speedway which has
become one of the West fastest and most-competitive 1/2-mile raceways.
So, what has this got to do with Saturday night's MCI Worldcom Western States
Midget Car race? How about everything? "Yes, we all want to win each and every
race that we enter," but Turkey Night is the Indy 500 or Daytona, or LeMans,
or (you name it) for Midget drivers," said Wally Pankratz, the veteran driver
who has been trying to catch the Turkey Night gold ring for almost 20 years now.
"Saturday night's race will be a race within a race, one for the win, the other
to get the car, driver, crew, everyone tuned up for Turkey Night a few weeks
later on the same track. Its perfect timing, virtually all the other tracks
have ended their seasons, all the eastern hotshoes will want a last (paying)
shot at Irwindale before November 25th ... It's going to be a race to remember!"
There you have it, it's a three-ring circus with more storylines than you can
shake a stick at. And, Irwindale Speedway will further entice open wheel fans
by offer this first 5,000 through the gates (opening at 2:00 pm by the way) a
free die cast scale model of a Sprint Car. The 1/43rd scale collectors' edition
'99 Inaugural Season model is decked-out in Irwindale red, black, and white and
packaged with its own tiny display stand, perfect for that place of honor in
any collection.
Ticketing opens at noon, gates open the public at 2:00, qualifying will start
at 4:00 and racing will begin at 7:00. After the races have concluded for the
evening, fans are invited to join the racers and their crews in the pits for
a handshake, a slap on the back, a hug, photos, autographs and just general camaraderie
.. It's a short track tradition that always adds enormous value to every fan's
visit.