TIM KENNEDY COMMENTS ON A FULL NIGHT OF GREAT RACING AT IRWINDALE ...

IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY 
RACE REPORT - JULY 16, 2005
By Tim Kennedy
 
Irwindale, CA., Jul. 16 - Six racing divisions, 147 racing cars/trucks and 266 laps of racing entertained spectators Saturday night on Irwindale Speedway's half and third-mile tracks. Tim Huddleston won the Automobile Club of Southern California Late Model 50-lap feature in his Justice Bros. Chevy Monte Carlo. 

The fastest qualifier started on the pole and chased second starter Mike Johnson for 26 laps before he made his winning move in the west turn on lap 27. Huddleston moved away to a 1.142-second victory over Johnson in a 20-car field. It was his seventh victory 
this season and 25th at IS. The series point leader now has an 80-point advantage with four races remaining in the 16-event season.
 
The touring ASA Speed Truck Challenge CMKXtreme.com series staged its second 
race at IS this season. Second-year series driver Steve Guccione, from Orange 
County, won the first feature of his career in a 75-lap run, also on the 
half-mile. As sixth fastest qualifier he started on the pole and led laps three-75 
in his Dodge Dakota. He won by 0.405 seconds and became the sixth different 
winner in nine ASA races this year. Four of the 2005 winners are ASA rookies. 
Rookies occupied the top four point positions and six of the top ten spots 
entering the IS event. On lap 74 ASA 2004 champion Lee Hatch took second from 
fastest qualifier/sixth starter Clayton Andrews, a rookie. A caution period (lap 
69-73) caused a green, white checker finish. Earlier third finisher Andrews won 
a six-truck, six-lap trophy dash.
 
Fastest qualifier Jimmy Sloan, 23, started his Ruark Racing Camaro second 
and led all 40-laps of the Vista Paint Super Stock 23-car main on the 
half-mile. It was the third career victory (all this year) in nine races. The 
second-year S/S driver ranks second in points, only ten digits behind leader Robin 
Bourgeois, a double winner this season. Steve Smith started fourth and finished 
second, 0.366 seconds back, despite his involvement in a fiery crash during 
lap 29. The car of second place Bryan Harrell stopped in the first turn low 
groove on lap 29. Third place Smith slammed into the back of Harrell's car and 
continued. Track emergency workers arrived quickly. In a matter of seconds fuel 
from Harrell's split fuel cell ignited and flames rose 20 to 30 feet. Firemen 
quickly extinguished the flames and no injuries resulted.
 
Action on the third-mile included the 35-lap Mini Stock main. It went to 
three-time winner Kevin Bernhardt in his Ford Pinto. He started third and led 
laps 10 and 14-35. Pole starter Tom Dye enjoyed his best night and led the 
first nine laps and laps 11-13 in his Toyota Celica. Runner-up Eric Reed on lap 
34 dropped Dye to his ultimate finishing position (third). Brock Murphy, 11, 
took the 14-car 15-lap Bandolero race. Donny St. Ours, 11, was second, 35-yards 
back. Twelve of 14 drivers finished. A first lap crash in turn two sidelined 
second generation driver Jimmy Rouse, Jr., 12, who tied the one-lap qualifying 
record of 17.678 that he set originally June 4.
 
Tom Landreth started third and led the first 11 laps and the final five 
laps of the King Taco Legend Cars 35-lap main. Ryan Partridge started seventh 
and led laps 12-30. Landreth made his winning pass inside in the fourth turn 
and beat Partridge by 0.200 seconds. It was his third victory in seven races 
this year along with his three runner-up runs. His 50-points earned give him a 
52-point lead over Matt Hicks with four races remaining. Hicks finished third. A 
pair of rookies surrounded fifth place Kenton Gray. Second quickest qualifier 
Lindsey King (a female) was fourth and 14-year old Connor Cantrell was sixth 
in a 28-car field. Twenty-three drivers finished and 17 completed all 35-laps. 
 
The 38-car Legends field required a ten-lap B main that moved the first 
four finishers to the A main. IS diversity program winner Lindsay Kernohan, a 
17-year old USAC Ford Focus Midget rookie, took her first ride in the Legends 
sedan donated for the IS program by 600 Racing. She was 34th fastest in time 
trials after recording the 26th quickest practice time during the afternoon. She 
started eighth and finished seventh to miss starting her first Legends main 
by three positions. Eric Brett won the 13-car, 10-lap B main.
 
The 19-minute Late Model feature included one caution period from lap 
30-37 when first-time Irwindale driver Satoshi Hoshina, from Kyoto, Japan, spun 
and hit the third turn wall in a solo accident. During late afternoon time 
trials the newcomer qualifier ninth fastest of 19 qualifiers. In the feature, 
Andrew Myers, a 2004 IS Late Model veteran and current Grand National West rookie, 
started fifth and finished third in his own No. 44 Chevy. The 25-year old 
driver from Newport Beach made his first 2005 LM start at IS to get track time 
for the July 23 GNW race. He passed Travis Thirkettle for third on lap 25, lost 
it back to Thirkettle in a lap and regained the show position for good on lap 
30. He edged Thirkettle by ten yards.
 
Hard charger award winners named by race control were Rod Schmitt (mini 
stocks), George Ruark (Late Models), and Larry Cerquettini, a first-time racer 
in his home-built Camaro. He came from 19th to tenth, and finished on the lead 
lap (Super Stocks). Four first-time IS racers competed in Legend Cars and 
John Duckett, Jr, from Cottonwood, won hard charger honors for coming from 13th 
to finish eighth. 
 
 
BANDOLEROS: (14 cars)
Fast Time: Jimmy Rouse, Jr, 17.678 (tied own 1-lap TR set on June 4).
Main: Brock Murphy, Donny St. Ours, Jack Madrid, Tyler Fabozzi, Johnathan 
St. Ours, Justin Hurdle, Trevor Hurdle, Carter Calhoun, Brent Schneidemantle, 
Ryan Bragdon, Andre Prescott, Nicole DeLong, Rouse, Jeremy Birch. 
 
MINI STOCKS: (23 cars)
Fast Time: Kevin Berhhardt, 17.365.
 Main: Bernhardt, Eric Reed, Tom Dye, Bob Reed, Steve Rogers, Dennis 
Croasmun, Virgil Young, Tyler Rogers, Tim Ross, Jim McNear, Richie Altman, Rod 
Schmitt, Glenn Duffin, Dustin Morgan, Brenda Pugh, Daryl Scoggins, Ron Schmitt, Ed 
Lavender, Mario Ruiz, R. C. Zimmerman, Kris Melleby, Kory Russell. DNS-J. D. 
Manger.
 
KING TACO LEGEND CARS: (38 cars)
Fast Time: Tom Landreth, 16.899.
B main: Eric Brett, Larry Meredith, Bree Brewer, Dennis Howell, Austin 
Murphy, Lindsay Kernohan, Bill Calhoun, Bill Watson, Carl Wuersch, Brian 
Vandehey, Mike Smith, Larry Alsop.
 
A main: T. Landreth, Ryan Partridge, Matt Hicks, Lindsey King, Kenton 
Gray, Connor Cantrell, Bob Landreth, John Duckett, Jr, Joshua Gross, Tom Skahill, 
Brett, Steve Rzesnowiecky, Mark Gaiser, Jason Alsop, Meredith, Greg Garcia, 
John London, Bill Bonney, Brewer, Larry Stone, Steve Twilligear, Lynn Sours, 
Brian Wong, Howell, Joe Daniello, J. D. Hendley, Cory Miles, Chad Schug. 
 
VISTA PAINT SUPER STOCKS: (25 cars)
Fast Time: Jimmy Sloan, 21.398.
Main: Sloan, Steve Smith, Lee Ladd, Kenny Brown, Greg Crutcher, Robin 
Bourgeois, Steve Gilmore, Garry Howell, Jeff Grill, Larry Cerquettini, Rich 
DeLong III, Victor Wu, Bobby Dezarov, Tim Gardner, Roy Moore, Bill Shoemaker, Dan 
Rodgers, Rich Hansen, Joe DeGuevara, Mike Gilmore, Bryan Harrell, Keith Wood, 
Ed Dazzo. DNS-Al Sallie, Jamie Barnett.
 
ASA SPEED TRUCK CMKXtreme.com CHALLANGE: (27 trucks)
Fast Time: Clayton Andrews, 19.800.
Dash: Andrews, Lee Hatch, Steve Guccione, Darren Young, Scott Dodd, 
Justin Fisher. 2:00.759.
Main: Guccione, Hatch, Andrews, Andrew Allen, Alex Haase, Kyle Cattanach, 
Dodd, Matt Jaskol, Bobby McGowan, Moses Smith, Young, Scott Franchimone, Joe 
Farre, George Antill, Jimmy Putman, Matt Daly, Brandon Arciero, Patrick 
Britain, Joey Mogar, Gary Bryant, Bo Ridley, Victor Pflluger, Bud Budaveri, Fisher, 
Gabi DiCarlo, Marcus Smith, Ron Nava.
 
AUTO CLUB LATE MODELS: (20 cars)
Fast Time: Tim Huddleston, 19.114.
Main: Huddleston, Mike Johnson, Andrew Myers, Travis Thirkettle, Scott 
Youngren, Jameel Saied, Brian Jones, George Ruark, Dan DiGiamarino, Richie 
Altman, Robert Rice, Sean Bennett, Brian Kelley, Mike Mulhall, Daniel DiGiacomo, 
Justin Lofton, Craig Yeaton, Satoshi Hoshina, Austin Grabowski, Brandon 
Mulvihill. 
 


THANKS!
-STOKES