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NASCAR Late Models: Home Depot 100 to kick off Irwindale Speedway 2000 season

25 February 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Irwindale, Calif.--It was announced today that Irwindale Speedway's March 25 opening night feature race would be called the "Home Depot 100" for NASCAR Super Late Models. "We're kicking our season off with Home Depot's participation, first race!" said Robert DeFazio the track's VP/COO. "We expect more than 65 cars to be here to compete for the 30 available starting positions in the 100-lap main event."

And that 100-lap main is going to be a good payday ... "The winner of our first NASCAR Super Late Model event is looking at a healthy $3000.00 winner's check on Opening Night 2000 ... We think that it's a great way to jump start our 2000 season and to pump up the $$$ volume for our drivers," said DeFazio.

"We'll pay $100.00 for fastest time and $100.00 to the trophy dash winner." Second and third place finishers in the 100-lap main event will go home with $1,500.00 and $1,000 respectively, with the total payoff going through all 30 places in the main event. "Even last place (30th) in this one pays at least double the $100.00 entry fee."

The race format will qualify 24 cars though time trials with the final six cars transferring from the B-main. The first five yellow flags will be counted in the 100-lap main event.

Leading the charge is sure to be last year's SLM champion Rod Johnson of Santa Clarita back with his legendary car owner/father Donnie Johnson in their #15 Chevy Monte Carlo. Johnson won the '99 championship (his first ever) with seemingly equal portions of speed and consistency. His workmanship behind the wheel on the fast Irwindale Speedway oval made race-watching a pleasure last season and his quest to repeat that performance should make for even more exciting race viewing in 2000.

Thus the Speedway embarks on an ambitious 36-event second-year schedule of "Super Saturday" nights with an exciting medley of both NASCAR stock car races, national caliber USAC open wheel events, and specially-selected new events (such as the West Coast's first-ever United States Formula 3 Championship race on Oct 11). Trucks, USAC Silver Crown Cars, Midgets, Sprint Cars, & TQs, Super Modifieds, Formula Mazdas, Mini-Stockars, and Legends Cars are all set to perform for the crowds at fan-friendly Irwindale.

Irwindale Speedway is located at Live Oak Avenue and the 605 Freeway in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley about 18 miles East of downtown Los Angeles. For a personalized map and driving instructions from anywhere in the United States to Irwindale's front gate, simply log on to: www.irwindalespeedway.com.

Text provided by Irwindale Speedway

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.