TITLE FIGHTS IN FINAL ROUNDS AT ORANGE SHOW SPEEDWAY

SAN BERNARDINO – There are three weeks remaining in the season and five championships to be decided at Orange Show Speedway.

Two of those titles will be at issue Saturday (Oct. 20), when the Hype Manufacturing Super Late Models, ASA Pro 4s, Street Stocks, Stock Cars USA and Jr. Mini StocKars compete on the quarter-mile paved oval on Del Taco Hat Night.

Spectator gates open at 5 p.m. and racing gets under way at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (62 and over), handicapped and juniors (13-16) and $2 for children (6-12). Active military personnel and veterans with valid military identification are admitted free of charge. Parking is $4 per car with entry through Gate 3 off Mill Street.

The first 500 spectators to arrive at the track at the National Orange Show Events Center will receive free baseball caps courtesy of Del Taco. Then they can use the caps to make sure the hair is out of their eyes and they have a clear view of the bright new Lucas Oil-sponsored electronic scoreboard and the activity on the oval.

The Hype Manufacturing Super Late Models, after taking a break for a 100-lap open comp race won by Linny White Oct. 6, go into the final two races of their season with 10 points separating three drivers.

Frankie Gould, of Woodland Hills, is atop the standings, with former leader Rick Chavez, of Murrieta, and 2005 champion John Manke, of Ramona, tied for second. Gould’s 10-point lead represents five finishing positions in Orange Show Speedway’s scoring system (50-48-46-44-42-etc.). That’s not a big enough lead to allow Gould to relax or to make Chavez and Manke start writing concession speeches with only this race and the Nov. 3 season finale to go. Both Chavez and Manke have won twice this season, which gives them an advantage over the winless Gould should there be a tie for the title.

A tie is a real possibility in the Street Stock class, where Palm Desert’s Bobby Dezarov, Big Bear’s Cliff Conklin and John Reiman, of Rosamond, share the top spot with two events remaining. But, like Gould, Dezarov is winless and could be the loser in a tiebreaker. Conklin has won three of the seven races and Reiman has one victory.

Conklin, 50, was third in the standings last year and second in 2005. His older brother, Jim, recently won his second straight BSR West Late Model championship.

In contrast to the Super Late Models and Street Stocks, the crowning of the champions in the ASA Pro 4 and Stock Cars USA divisions are mere formalities.

Eddie Secord, of Oak Hills, needs to finish only 13th or better in the final two races to claim the Pro 4 title and Mark Whitson, of Riverside, carries an insurmountable 44-point lead into the final Stock Cars USA race.

Secord officially leads Rex Lockwood by just 14 points. But Lockwood, of Victorville, conceded the top spot to Secord by sitting out the most recent race, Oct. 6, and said he has no plans to compete in the final two events.

“I’m going to run in the SRL (Late Model touring series) next year,” said Lockwood, who recently sold his Pro 4 entry. “I drove Tim’s (Carruthers) car in one race (Sept. 8) and he would have let me use it, but I thought for the long-range I’d be better off putting the money into the new car.

“It’s a tough one to give up, but Eddie’s won the most races (9 of 12) and he deserves it.”

Chuck Becker II, who won the most recent Pro 4 main event, is third in the standings, 48 points behind Secord.

Racing at Orange Show Speedway is sponsored by Lucas Oil, Blackhawk Protection, Hype Manufacturing, Del Taco, Aflac Insurance, KTTD radio (AM 1350), Leno’s Rico Taco, Soboba Casino, Budweiser, Hoosier Racing Tires, Frank’s Radio Service, Torco Racing Fuels, Parker Pumper/BSR West, Eibach Springs, JP Striping, Star Auto Parts, Pepsi, Matich Corporation, L. Curti Truck and Equipment, One Stop Landscape Supply, Extreme Exhibits & Logistics, Little Green Onions and the San Bernardino County Sun.

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