TWIN 100 LATE MODEL RACES AT MESA MARIN AND IRWINDALE

IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY AND MESA MARIN ANNOUNCE
TWIN LATE MODEL RACES FOR "STATE CHAMPIONSHIP"


September 12, 2002 - - Irwindale Speedway (in the Los Angeles area) and Mesa Marin Raceway (located in Bakersfield) have jointly announced a newly-minted "California State Late Model Championship" award to the LM driver who puts up the best overall placing at Irwindale's October 12 event and at Mesa Marin's October Classic race on the twentieth.

The top-placing NASCAR Late Model driver who competes in both track's season-ending events will be presented with a special trophy and a $1,000 cash bonus.  Late Model Drivers from up and down the state of California have indicated that they'll be visiting the two well known half-mile tracks for a shot at the money and the state title as well.

"We're very pleased to be working with Irwindale to give these drivers this extra recognition for their hard work this season," said Mesa Marin Senior Vice President Larry Collins.  "These drivers and their crews are the backbone of the Dodge Weekly Racing Series in NASCAR … They always put on a great show week after week … This is our way of saying THANKS to them."

"The October Classic has been a marquee event for us for twenty-five year now and this championship, combining the two biggest NASCAR Late Model races in the state to crown one champion will make the event even more awesome," Collins concluded.

Mesa Marin's October Classic is a two-day affair running October 19 and 20 and features the second-to-last race of NASCAR's 2002 Featherlite Southwest Series, Super Late Models, the Ultra Wheels Super Trucks, Pro Fours, the Cal Spas Super TT Motorcycles, and "round two" (of two) of the Late Model State Championship.  The track will be open on Friday, October 18 for pre-event testing and technical inspection.

The October 12 Late Model race at Irwindale will be a 100-lap affair sponsored by the "Always There" people of the Automobile Club of Southern California.  Also on the event card for that night are the Vista Paint Super Stocks, a Pick-Your-Part Figure 8 race and a $1,500 to win Demolition Derby also sponsored by Pick-Your-Part.  All of the cars (along with drivers and crews) will be on display to the public before the races at 6PM during the track's regular "On-Track Autograph Session".

"This kind of state-wide recognition for local drivers is really terrific,"  said Bob DeFazio, Irwindale's Vice President/Chief Operating Officer.  "Our Late Model Division never fails to put on some of the most-competitive and entertaining races we see at the Speedway … We're could be more pleased to be working with the Bakersfield management to shine the spotlight on some great competitors and their hard-working crews." 

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TICKETS FOR THE IRWINDALE RACE ARE AVAILABLE AT: 626-358-1100
& FOR THE BAKERSFIELD RACE AT: 661-366-5711

MEDIA: PLEASE CONTACT INDIVIDUAL TRACK FOR CREDENTIALS