Spr Lt Mdls, Lt Mdls, Spr Trks, Legends, Mini Stks, Bandoleros September

Irwindale, CA., Sept. 17 - Six racing divisions and 149 drivers competed 
in six main events and crowned three track champions Saturday at Irwindale 
Speedway. Five of ten IS series titles remain to be settled during the next three 
weeks. Rookie Andrew Phipps started from pole position as fourth fastest 
qualifier and led all the way on the half-mile in the 25-car Lucas Oil Super Late 
Model 75-lap featured final race of the evening. It was his sixth victory of 
the 18-race season, giving him an impressive .333 "batting average". 
The 28-year old second-generation driver made IS history by winning his 
third consecutive track championship in two series. It was his second 
championship as a series rookie at IS. He won the 2003 Grand American Modified title as 
a rookie and repeated as champion last year. He drove Bob Bruncati's No. 21 
Sunrise Ford Taurus and defeated his own backup car, driven for the first time 
by his only championship rival-Rod Johnson, the IS 1999 SLM champion. 
Johnson's Chevy Monte Carlo blew its engine in flames during the afternoon practice. 
Sportsman Bruncati allowed Johnson to take over his backup No. 121 Ford 
that his son James Bruncati was set to drive. He wanted Phipps to race for the 
championship instead of winning it by default. Johnson trailed Phipps by 38 
points with 50-points maximum available. Johnson had recorded the 18th best 
practice speed in five laps with his own car, but he set the fastest lap 
(18.210-98.847 mph) on his 17th lap in Bruncati's Ford during the 2:15 to 3:00 practice 
with 27 drivers in action. Phipps' 18.458 on his 30th practice lap was good 
for only tenth fastest lap during the 45-minute session. Phipps later credited 
his veteran crew for making many changes that enabled him to qualify fourth 
fastest to Johnson's third fastest during time trials. 
Johnson started the main next to Phipps in the front row and chased him 
all 75 laps. He trailed by seven yards (0.413 seconds) at the finish. "It was 
pretty weird to see my own car in my rear view mirror all the way," Phipps 
said. He earned Bruncati, a Ford dealer in Fontana, his first track championship 
after five years of racing at IS. Phipps, who has a one-year only ride with 
Bruncati, hopes to be offered a ride for 2006 in NASCAR's Elite Division 
Southwest Series. Fastest qualifier and fellow rookie Brian Ickler started fourth and 
finished a closing third, 0.665 seconds back. It was his third career-best 
third place finish. He skipped four races, yet finished 11th in final points. 
Two other championships in mini stocks and King Taco Legend Cars were 
settled on the third-mile. Point leader Kevin Bernhardt started third in a 28-car 
field and led the final 30-laps of a 35-lap main in his Ford Pinto. His only 
title challenger, Steve Rogers, set fastest qualifying time, started and 
finished fourth in the double-points race. He trailed the first-time track champion 
by 22 points after a 12-race season. Fastest qualifier Tom Landreth, in a 
replica 1934 Ford coupe, won his fourth IS Legend Cars track title in five 
years. He started third in a 28-car field and finished the 35-lap race seventh. Jim 
Smith led all the way from pole position for his second triumph this season. 
Landreth won the inaugural 2001 IS Legends crown and the 2003-04 Legend 
championships. 
Other main event winners on the half-mile were Tim Huddleston and Ron 
Peterson. Huddleston, 35, led a 19-car Auto Club Late Model feature all 50-laps 
from second starting position in his Chevy Monte Carlo. It was his eighth 
victory in the 16-race IS season, giving him an amazing .500 average. The 17-year 
racing veteran won his first track championship by 108 points over Mike 
Johnson. Peterson also started second and took the 26-driver Dodge Super Truck main. 
It was his sixth victory in 13 races this season. He missed one race and is 
currently second in points with the final point race set for October 1. 
Peterson led all but the first two circuits and beat quickest qualifier/fourth 
starter Pat Mintey, Jr. by 0.851 seconds. Cory Fancy finished third and now leads 
Peterson by 32 points. 
The other winner in a third-mile main was Donny St. Ours, 11, in a 
ten-car, 15-lap race for youth ages nine to 14. He started third and led laps five 
and seven-15. St. Ours set a new track record of 17.601 during 5:00 p.m time 
trials. His mark beat the 17.678 set by Jimmy Rouse, Jr. this season on June 4 
and July 16. Rouse, the 12-year old son of Irwindale's 2004 Pure Stock 
champion, finished second by 0.659 seconds in the first main of the evening. Series 
rookie Daryl Scoggins came from 14th to finish second in the mini stock main. He 
trailed Bernhardt by 1.438 seconds. Rookie Tyler Rogers actually crossed the 
finish line second, but officials penalized him for rough driving. They placed 
him 24th, one position behind fastest qualifier and fellow rookie Brian 
Johnson. Rogers contacted and spun Johnson on lap 30 as they battled for third 
position. 
Legends runner-up Gary Scheurell trailed winner Smith by 0.184 seconds. 
Championship- contender Matt Hicks, 18, trailed Landreth by ten points 
entering the race with 50 points available for the winner and a two points drop-off 
per position. Both Hicks and Landreth had won three features this season, so 
Hicks had to finish at least five positions in front of Landreth. Hicks started 
sixth and Landreth third. Hicks did his part by passing Landreth for fourth 
place on lap 18 and finished fourth, while Landreth faded to seventh. Landreth 
won the title over Hicks by four points (480-476). 
The Legends rookie of the year battle between talented teenagers Connor 
Cantrell, 14, and female driver Lindsey King, 16, was even closer. The dynamic 
duo began the race with third place Cantrell leading fourth place King by four 
points-310 to 306. King set second fastest qualifying time in a 37-car field 
and started second in a three-car inversion. Cantrell was seventh quickest and 
started seventh. King finished a career-best third for 46 points and Cantrell 
placed fifth for 42 points, leaving them tied for third in points at 352. The 
tie-breaker is number of main event victories and Cantrell had one to none 
for King. Cantrell was named rookie of the year and he received recognition at 
finish line ceremonies. He became the youngest series rookie award winner in IS 
history. 
The starter wavedthe red flag on lap four of the Late Model main so 
paramedics could come from the infield to the main grandstand to treat a spectator 
with a critical medical emergency. Sixth starter Travis Thirkettle finished 
second, 2.153 seconds in back of Huddleston. His third place in points clinched 
L/M rookie of the year honors for the second-generation GAM veteran. Pole 
starter Chris Carmody, making only his eighth start in Huddleston's backup Monte 
Carlo, tied his career-best third place. The top three cars all carry Justice 
Brothers sponsorship. 
The fast-paced SLM main ran 47 laps before a 16th place car bounced off 
the second turn wall and veered to the infield. Third place Russell White and 
fourth place Brian Barron, driving White's backup car, took evasive action and 
collided with each other. Both cars were damaged too severely to continue, but 
all drivers were uninjured. White dropped from third to fourth in final track 
points. Hard charger honorees selected by race control officials each 
received $100. Winners were Brenda Pugh (17th to ninth-minis), Richie Altman (12th to 
fifth-L/M), Jim Kondziela (15th to sixth-trucks) and Mike Price (16th to 
fifth-SLM). Dave Beat came from 13th to his IS-best fourth place in his third SLM 
race this year. 
See IS website for complete results.