HUDDLESTON WINS THIRD LATE MODEL MAIN OF YEAR & 33RD AT IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY

Source: Tim Kennedy
Date: 07/23/2007

It was Huddleston's third triumph in ten races this season and his 33rd feature victory (all in late models) at Irwindale. He ranks third in IS main event triumphs, only three behind Todd Burns, who won all 36 of his victories at IS in the ACLM series in a Racecar Factory car. Huddleston picked off other drivers one by one from the initial lap to lap 19 when he passed second-starter, race-long leader Michael Wright on the inside in the fourth turn. Huddleston's No. 50 Racecar Factory-built Chevy was the only car able to use the inside groove so effectively. He pulled away to half a straight-away victory margin (2.522 seconds) over sixth-starter Dan DiGiacomo's RCF-built Monte Carlo.

SUPER TRUCKS: Fastest qualifier Matthew Hicks, the 2006 King Taco Super Trucks rookie of the year, started ninth and became the third race leader on lap 35 of the KTST feature. He paced the balance of the 20-truck, 40-lap race in his Chevy S-10. It was his third main event victory in eight races and he is the only repeat winner in the series. Second-ranked in 2007 series points, Hicks cut ten points from the leader's advantage and now trails Pat Mintey by 38-points. Front row starters Nick Joanides, a NASCAR Elite Division veteran, and KTST rookie Connor Cantrell traded the lead three-times until 16-year old Legend Cars graduate Cantrell took command on lap 9 and led through lap 34. Cantrell had a steady 15-yard lead when the first of two caution flags flew on lap 27 after seventh place KTST rookie Miles Copenhaver spun in turn four. Instantly, Cantrell's significant advantage evaporated as his pursuers closed to his back bumper under caution.

Hicks, third place on lap 27, passed seventh starter Ray Robinson for second on lap 30 and closed on leader Cantrell. On lap 34 Hicks ducked under Cantrell's truck in turn four and made contact. Both Chevys got out of shape briefly exiting the turn, corrected and continued. Cantrell dropped to third behind Hicks and Robinson during the incident. On the backstretch during lap 35 the trucks of Cantrell and another competitor came together and both spun. They restarted at the back and Cantrell raced back to 12th place during the final five laps. Only one of 20 starters did not finish and 17 drivers completed all 40-laps. Media members agreed that Cantrell, a two-year Legends veteran and double winner on the third-mile, would have won his first feature on the half-mile if the caution had not flown on lap 27. He would've joined Austin Grabowski, a 16-year old rookie winner two years ago in the super late model division, as the youngest feature winners on the IS half-mile.

ASA SPEED TRUCKS: The touring ASA Speed Truck Challenge Series made the first of two visits this season to IS. It was the ninth of 13 scheduled races this year in California, Arizona and Nevada for the competitive series. The scheduled 75-lap feature, which was taped for later telecast, was the final race of the night. On lap 30 officials radioed to drivers and spotters that the event would terminate after 50 laps because of time constraints. A 37-minute red flag early in the ACLM race had pushed the ASA truck race start to 10:13. The checkers flew at 10:33 p.m for the latest conclusion of racing at IS this year. Darren Young, from Gilbert, AZ, started fourth and led all the way in a 21-truck race. He won by 1.406 of a second over fastest qualifier Andrew Allen, who started fifth. Young's 12th feature victory at Irwindale solidifies his status as the most prolific winner in the speed truck series at IS. Steve Rzesnowiecky, Jason Black and teenage point leader Victor Pfluger completed the top five. Twenty of 21 starters finished and 15 drivers ran all 50 laps.

THIRD-MILE MAINS: Feature winners on the third-mile were many-time winners at Irwindale. Andrew Anderson, 14, set fastest qualifying time in a nine-car field of youngsters ages 8-14 in Bandolero cars powered by Briggs & Stratton engines. The winner started first and led all 15-laps in a 4:45.866-timed all-green flag race. It was his third victory in IS 2007main events. He started each main event from pole position as the quickest qualifier. Brianna Holley, a 14-year old Las Vegas resident, trailed by 2.483-seconds. The winner's brother Aaron, 11, was 4 seconds back in third, with Las Vegan Ashlee Ambriz, 14, fourth and Andrew Porter, 13, fifth. All nine drivers finished with six on the lead lap.

Five-time Legend Cars champion Tom Landreth, 39, won his third feature this season (three of the last four) in the Legends division. It was his 32nd IS feature triumph (all in Legends). His replica 1934 Ford coupe started third in a five-car inversion for a 29-car field. Point leader Darren Amidon, 22, started first in his replica 1934 Ford sedan and led the first 13 laps. Landreth passed him on the inside from the fourth turn to the starting line when Amidon slipped wide on lap 14. The first four cars ran virtually nose-to-tail from the third lap to the first of four cautions on lap 18. Landreth edged Amidon by 0.599, with fastest qualifier Gary Scheurell third and Chad Schug fourth at the conclusion. Super Truck winner Hicks came from 11th to fifth. Twenty of 29 starters finished and 19 drivers ran all 35 laps. Landreth's victory Saturday guaranteed him a starting position at the 3/8-mile Las Vegas Bullring track for the October 11-13 Legends National race. Landreth moved from third to second in IS 2007 points. Amidon increased his point lead from 40 to 48 points after eight of 14 scheduled races.

FIERY CRASH: A 37-minute red flag in the 30-car ACLM feature resulted after an eight-car crash in the second turn on lap 2. Fastest qualifier Chris Carmody started ninth in a nine-car inverted start. The eighth-place driver, teammate Scott Jenkins, "came down on me". Contact spun Carmody's Chevy in mid-track and it faced oncoming cars. With cars still bunched closely, drivers veered left and right to avoid contact with Carmody's car. Contact resulted and George Ruark, Clay Wattenbarger, Marty Wallace, Gerald Lair and Tommy Rizzo slammed together nose-to-tail next to the crash-wall. Rodney Peacher and George Atkinson spun low and avoided contact. Jonathan Greaney had body damage to his Chevy but continued. The front of Wattenbarger's Chevy quickly erupted into flames after the fuel pump broke and fuel line separated. He climbed out unhurt as flames at the front of his car shot higher.

Track emergency workers arrived quickly and extinguished the flames with CO2. However, flames re-erupted several times before they gained the upper hand and prevented more serious damage to the car. Eight cars were involved in "the big one" and five cars were eliminated for the night with significant damage. Wattenbarger, Ruark, Wallace, Lair and Rizzo cars were towed to the pits and finished in positions 25-30 respectively. No serious injuries resulted from the mayhem. Track crews took extra time to wash down the track in the top groove to prevent gasoline and chemicals from eating into the asphalt. Following the final race of the night they gave the site an even more comprehensive soap and water scrub and wash-down.

ACLM front row starters Michael Wright and Mike Johnson (both 2007 ACLM feature winners) ran one-two through lap 13. Huddleston was sixth on lap 2, fifth lap 3, fourth lap 4 and third on lap 8 after he passed his 18-year old rookie protégé, Jace Meier, in one of four Huddleston-owned blue Chevys. Huddleston, on the inside, and Johnson, on the outside, battled evenly for five laps before Huddleston passed Johnson in the fourth turn. The winner chased leader Wright for four laps before he executed another inside pass in the fourth turn for the lead he would not relinquish. Huddleston spoke to spectators and thanked his "blue crew" team for preparing his strong four-car team, and praised his Jeff Schrader-built cars. "I was at the Colorado River at Havasu on vacation with my family and got back today with the car prepared perfectly," Huddleston told the media with his impressed 11-year old son by his side.

DiGiacomo passed Wright (the July 4 feature winner) on lap 32 for second position. He closed slightly on Huddleston during the final eight laps, "but he (Huddleston) was only going as fast as he had to go that close to the finish," the runner-up said. Wright finished third, 4.290-seconds behind the winner. Johnson earned fourth. ACLM rookies and recent high school graduates finished fifth and sixth in a close personal battle from lap 18-40. Brian Wong passed fellow 18-year old Meier on lap 37 and finished fifth with Meier sixth, 0.536 behind Wong. Richie Altman, 18-year old three-division driver Austin Grabowski, rookie Scott Jenkins (in a third Huddleston blue car) and super stock graduate Jimmy Sloan completed the top ten. There were 23 of 30 cars on the track at the finish and 17 drivers were on the lead lap. The 22-minute race, which began at 9:09 and concluded at 10:04, had only one yellow flag on lap six for a solo spinout.

The 18-minute ASA Speed Truck race started at 10:13 and had one caution for a solo spinner. Yellow flag laps (1-19) counted. With 10:30 rapidly approaching, race controllers radioed to competitors on lap 30 that 25 laps had been lopped off the race distance. The only top position change took place six laps from the end when Steve "Bear" Rzesnowiecky passed fellow ASA rookie Jason Black for third place. Point leader Victor Pfluger finished fifth and lost point ground to second-ranked point driver Young, the feature winner. Twenty of 21 starters finished and 15 drivers ran all 50 laps.

A pair of six-lap trophy dashes with six starters in each began racing at 7:00. Gerald Lair started fifth and led the final two laps of the ACLM dash for the six slowest qualifiers. Fast timer Andrew Allen started and finished first in the ASA Speed Truck race for the six fastest truck qualifiers. Fastest qualifiers in the five series were (Bandoleros)-Andrew Anderson, 18.719; (LC)-Scheurell, 17.020; (ST)-Hicks, 19.942; (ASA Spd Trks)-Allen, 20.042, and (LM)-Carmody, 18.925.

Hard charger award winners by division were (LC)-Andrew Anderson (drove both Bandolero and Legend cars) for charging from 23rd to 9th; (ST)-Todd Cameron, 15th to 9th; (LM)-Rodney Peacher 28th to 19th; (ASA Spd Trks)-two drivers gained six positions - Rzesnowiecki 9th to 3rd and Dallas Colodny 13th to 7th. The spotter for Colodny was the most cheer-leading, demanding, tough love-type spotter on the radio to a driver all year during radio contact with his rookie driver. He earned the Vince Lombardi (late NFL football head coach) inspirational award if there was such a thing. He cajoled his driver to pass the No. 11 truck for seventh place in mid-race. Dialogue went "why are you so nice to him, he's not nice to you. The trucks behind you are closing in on you and they will pass you if you don't pass him now." The spotter talked his driver to a seventh place finish in his first race at IS.

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