TIM KENNEDY'S SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL ... IRWINDALE ... JULY 23, 2005
GN West, Lt Mdls, Spr Trks - By Tim Kennedy Irwindale, CA., Jul 23 - NASCAR's Grand National West Regional Series pulled into Irwindale Speedway Saturday for round five of the 12 race touring series that will visit nine tracks in six states (CA, AZ, WA, CO, OR and TX). With $104,895 in posted awards, 29 racing teams competed, including three Irwindale racers making their GNW debuts. Steve Portenga won the King Taco 150-lap race, his fifth career feature triumph in the series and his first this season. He earned $7,063 and solidified his hold on second place in GNW points. Six drivers have won the 12 prior GNW races at IS since 1999. Portenga, 35, won the first GNW main at Irwindale on June 19, 1999. His 2005 winning team, Bill McAnally's NAPA Auto Parts Chevy Monte Carlo, now has won seven of the last eight features at IS with three drivers-Brendan Gaughan (3), Austin Cameron (3) and Portenga. The driver from Sparks, NV, who now resides in Bakersfield, raced in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series in 1995 and 2002. After returning to GNW driving in 2003, Portenga worked as crew chief last year. Portenga told the press, "I came here confident and determined to win. I learned a long time ago the hardest person to beat on a race-track is the person who thinks he can't be beat. That was my attitude tonight. I just had extra confidence." The winner said he "was feeling pressure to win because everyone who drives the NAPA car wins." He added, "the team wanted to race chassis number 12 here tonight and I wanted to race chassis 32, so when we used chassis 32 I had to win in it. We said earlier this year we want to lead laps, win races and win the championship." A crowd of about 5,500 including Grand Marshall Ernie Irvan, the retired NASCAR driving star, and driver Austin Cameron (recovering from recent surgery) watched action. Irvan, 46, was in the area to accept induction Friday in the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame. The first GNW race since April 30 produced a lively contest on Irwindale's multi-groove, banked half-mile. The "lucky dog pass" used in Nextel Cup was utilized for the first time in GNW competition. Four drivers used the "lucky dog" to regain a lap five times. P. J. Abbott used it twice to come from two laps down back to the lead lap before lap 100. The GNW feature had five lead changes among four drivers. Rookie Andrew Myers, 25, led the first 13 laps. Fastest qualifier/pole starter Mike Duncan paced laps 14-41 and 70-107. Mike David led laps 42-43. Portenga was on top the scoring pylon from laps 44-69 and 108-150. He made his winning pass by using a lapped car as a pick entering turn three. He cut to the inside and passed the outside-running lapped car and trapped leader. Duncan dropped from second position to sixth on lap 139 in turn two after contact. Point-leader Scott Lynch, the 2003 rookie of the year and GNW champion, leapfrogged from fifth to second place in his Dodge Intrepid. He finished 1.156 seconds behind Portenga and earned $5,263. Lynch, 25, was the last driver to defeat McAnally's NAPA Chevy at Irwindale in 2003. He confirmed he has been selected by Jack Roush Racing as one of the 25 drivers out of 1,700+ candidates to compete in the annual "gong show" to audition future Roush drivers. He will be going south soon to the test at Darlington and Martinsville. The GNW 150-lap run had eight caution flags for 37 laps. A red flag on lap 143 stopped racing following a three-car crash on the front straight that involved Jason Small, former Fontana mayor David Eshleman and Eric Hardin. Eshleman was examined trackside in the ambulance and released. Eighteen of 29 starters finished, including tenth-running Chris Oddo and 11th place Chris Schmelzie who spun together on the final lap in turn four with the checker being waved by starter Matt Pattison. Schmelzie got into the left side of Oddo's car to precipitate the crash. Oddo limped across the line as the last car home. Brett Thompson, Duncan, David Gilliland, Scott Gaylord, Myers, Sarah Fisher, Darryl Harr and first-time GNW driver Dan DiGiacomo completed the top ten. Fisher, the 24-year old five-time IRL Indianapolis 500 competitor, started 21st and ran on the lead lap throughout the race. She was the final driver on the lead lap. It was her sixth stock car race and first race at IS. She drove the No. 20 McAnally Racing Monte Carlo in cooperation with the drive for diversity program of Richard Childress Racing. Fisher tested a Childress Busch Series car Tuesday at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis for a possible Busch Series race later this year. HDNet-TV staff provided a live, two-hour television broadcast of the GNW Irwindale 150 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. Broadcasters were Mike Hogeboom and Pat Patterson. The Irwindale telecast, which used six cameras, was taped and will be repeated with enhancements on Speed Channel on Friday, August 12 at 5:30 p.m EDT (2:30 p.m PDT). Two Irwindale-based series provided racing action from 6:55 to 8:00 p.m. Ron Peterson, in a Dodge Dakota, started second and passed early leader Cory Fancy's Chevy S-10 on the third lap. He led the final 48 laps of a 50-lap Dodge Super Truck race. The two drivers entered the race tied for the IS point lead at 426. It was Peterson's fifth victory in ten IS races this year. He later qualified tenth fastest for the featured GNW race in his first attempt since 1997 at Fontana. Two-time winner Fancy brushed wheels with Peterson on the front straight during their lead change duel. Peterson's right front tire smoked for several laps entering the turns. Fancy kept applying pressure all the way and trailed by 0.563 seconds at the finish. Seven cautions resulted in a 34-minute race. Eighteen of 25 starters finished; 13 completed all 50 laps. Series rookie Travis Thirkettle, 27, started fourth and won his third main event in 13 Auto Club Late Model features. He drove his High-Point Distributing/National Paper 2005 Monte Carlo and traded the lead twice with front row starter Mike Johnson. Time constraints for the live on-air HDNetpTV telecast ended the scheduled 50-lap race four laps early with Thirkettle leading Johnson by 0.558 seconds. First year driver Chris Carmody, in a Monte Carlo, came from sixth in a 24-car field and finished a close third. It was the best finish of his five-race old L/M career. Point leader Tim Huddleston finished fourth. Rookie Austin Grabowski took fifth. Nineteen drivers finished; 16 were on the lead lap. George Ruark came from 15th to sixth and earned hard charger cash. Summary: (pickup agate) DODGE SUPER TRUCKS: (25 trucks) Fast Time: Cory Fancy, 19.743. Main: Ron Peterson, Fancy, Dave Scarcella, Paul Brennan, Louis Mammolito, Dana Higgins, Scott Davidson, Josh Barker, Ken Maler, Dante Cerchio, Bob Barker, Scott Fortier, Steve Latina, Ryan Fortier, Tim Doyle, Justin Carmody, Randy Colling, Pat Mintey, Jr, Jim Kondziela, Rick Miller, Danny Mathus, Brian Reed, Joe Anderson, Matt Saied, Logan Henson. AUTO CLUB LATE MODELS: (25 cars) Fast Time: Justin Lofton, 19.030. Main: Travis Thirkettle, Mike Johnson, Chris Carmody, Tim Huddleston, Austin Grabowski, George Ruark, Dan DiGiamarino, Brian Kelley, Sean Bennett, Robert Rice, Chris Houwen, Jameel Saied, Satoshi Hoshino, Craig Yeaton, Pat Ackley, Doug Hamm, Dennis Schlarbaum, Brian Jones, Mark Windel, Rod Peacher, Richie Altman, Danny Rebnko, Lofton, Scott Youngren. -DNS Mike Mulhall. GRAND NATIONAL WEST: (29 cars) Fast Time: Mike Duncan, 18.338. Main: Steve Portenga, Scott Lynch, Brett Thompson, Duncan, David Gilliland, Scott Gaylord, Andrew Myers, Sarah Fisher, Daryl Harr, Dan DiGiacomo, Jeff Davis, Robbie Brand, Chris Schmelzie, Chris Oddo, P. J. Abbott, Johnny Borneman, Andrew Lewis, Mike David, Eric Hardin, Tim Woods III, Jason Small, David Eshleman, Tim Smith, Ron Peterson, Jason Jefferson, Takuma Koga, Bobby Hillis, Spencer Clark, Jack Sellers. THANKS! -STOKES