Irwindale Event Center's "Night of Champions 2014" Has Tight Points Battles In 3 Of 5 Events

The crazy-wild Lucas Oil Terminal Velocity Jet Dragster will be making a special appearance on the oval track and is scheduled to do a spectacular "burn down" (and that means to the ground) of a cast-off automobile or two during the "Night of Champions 2014" at IEC. Image Credit: Irwindale Event Center

Irwindale Event Center's "Night of Champions 2014" Has Tight Points Battles In 3 Of 5 Events

Irwindale Event Center's "Night of Champions 2014" Presented by 805 will be held this coming Saturday, October 18, 2014. Five Speedway divisions and one west coast touring series will take to the banked asphalt at Irwindale with five 2014 track championships at stake all on one exciting night.

NASCAR sanctioned Pick Your Part Super Late Models. Image Credit: Irwindale Event Center

The featured NASCAR sanctioned Pick Your Part Super Late Models division have put on great show at every race this year and now head into their final race with the first two competitors tied in points at 274 each. It just can't get any closer than a tie for first place points after completing the first six of a seven race championship season.

The leading duo: Toni McCray from Highland has won one of the six races, finished second twice and has a string of good finishes to her name, and Corona's Jason Patison has a three-race winning streak in the "Supers" going in.

Stringing together a lot of very good finishes, Linny White (Fontana) is right there in third at 272 points, only 2 scant clicks behind McCray and Patison. If anyone doesn't think that Mister White is coiled-up like a cobra and ready to strike, they've been watching the wrong races. Almost like a one-race "chase", the first points for this one have been figuratively reset to zero and there's Linny looking for a way to grab that 100* smackers and win the whole Super Late show on the very last go-round.

Image Credit: Irwindale Event Center

... And the Seidner's Collision Centers Mini Stocks division are only 2 points shy of a tie coming in on Saturday night. Covina's Dusty Morgan has not won a race all year but smart driving and a string of top finishes sees him here two (full) points up on Robby Harryman from Anaheim (316 -314). Harryman has won two races in the eight-race series, but also had a couple of not-so-hot finishes, keeping the points close and the competition (Garrett Green from Long Beach is only 4 points behind Harryman in third!) so tantalizingly tough and tight among the mighty mini stocks.

Universal Studios Hollywood™ Bandoleros division. Image Credit: Irwindale Event Center

Thirty-eight points separate Twin Peaks' McKenzie Eshleman from Lomita's Ryan Vargas in the Universal Studios Hollywood™ Bandoleros division. Vargas has been perfect in 2014, winning each and every one of the ten "Bando" events run thus far at Irwindale.

Under any other set of circumstances Eshleman would be said to be having a great year, the young lady notching high finishes at every event, but then there's Vargas winning every race that see the two 38 points apart first from second. Now factor in Allison Gay from Lakeside who is only 16 markers back in third. There are two races and 150 points still on the table for these youngsters (50 on Friday night and 100 for the finale on Saturday). Can Vargas go undefeated for an entire season?

Stand by (better still, the public is urged to go to www.irwindaleeventcenter.com right now and grab a whole handful of discount tickets for October 18 to witness the battle for a shot at track history).

Irwindale Race Trucks division. Image Credit: Irwindale Event Center

Running race nine of a 10-event 2014 season, the Irwindale Race Trucks division points leader has what looks (by the above standards anyway) like a huge 40 point jump on second place, but we must remind again that this one is for 100 (not the standard 50) points.

Already crowned as the 2104 Lucas Oil Late Model division champion, Rancho Cucamonga's own Ryan Partridge has a 40-point lead over his neighbor Christian McGhee (from Claremont) who, in turn has a 20-point advantage over rookie sensation Lacie Price from Bellflower. Partridge has won the lion's share of the IRT races this year (7 of the 9 run so far) but the Irwindale points system (and some very good driving by youngsters McGhee and Price) have kept the show close and the championship outcome to be determined on October 18.

In what is the largest lead in divisional points for the Irwindale championship events running on Saturday night, Alta Loma's Brent Scheidemantle will lead the INEX Legend Cars division onto the Speedway's low-banked (and tricky) third-mile track with a 72-point cushion over Studio City's Aaron Wells (442 to 370).

This will be the tenth and final race of the 2014 season for these very popular and very quick little motorcycle-engined replicas of early NASCAR stockers. Chad Schug (Oak Hills) is third only 20 back of Wells in the closely-matched "spec" series. There's a hundred to be had in the points pile, which means, of course, that a misstep can cost a lot to a frontrunner in terms of final placings on the points page in the big book of racing for 2014 at Irwindale.

The Spears S2 Tour Series will be back for their final Irwindale visit on October 18 with young Brandon Weaver from Bakersfield leading the points with 1,428 after the first seven of their 10-race touring season. Nastasia Dodd from Bass Lake is 129 points back at 1,299 with Bill Waters (Simi Valley) only 10 behind her. Johnny Butler from Arcadia and Kenny Smith from Oak Hills round out the S-2 top five at 1,261 and 1,180 points respectively. The S-2's are a locally-designed and built "spec" (all components and engines are identical) class and the racing is always razor-sharp and exceedingly close.

In addition to all of the above high-level championship short track competition, the crazy-wild Lucas Oil Terminal Velocity Jet Dragster will be making a special appearance on the oval track and is scheduled to do a spectacular "burn down" (and that means to the ground) of a cast-off automobile or two.

Figure-8 Chain Racing (two cars chained together on each team). Image Credit: Irwindale Event Center

The night will also feature the return of Figure-8 Chain Racing (two cars chained together on each team) in a wild exhibition event!

For those who attend and are over 21, Firestone Walker Brewing Company will be on hand with $2 beers for all of their brands on site, including their very popular 805 - hence "Presented by 805!"
(ht: IEC)

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K&N Pro Series returns to Irwindale!

The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season promises to be a year of exciting change for Clint Bowyer. The former paint-and-body man at Kansas car dealerships has moved up in the world. Image Credit: 5-hour ENERGY Racing (2014)

K&N Pro Series returns to Irwindale!
NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 MARCH 22 - Special Guest: 'Cup' Driver Clint Bowyer

Irwindale, Calif. - - After a two-year absence, all the short track action and excitement of the K&N Pro Series West will be back at "LA's Half-Mile Superspeedway" when the Napa Auto Parts 150 championship series event roars to life on Saturday night, March 22, 2014!
"We're all very pleased to have this top pro series back at Irwindale ... we really missed them," said Race Director Mike Atkinson. "These these drivers and their teams are some of the most competitive in the business.

If you haven't witnessed twenty-six K&N West drivers mixing it up on a fast half-mile track like Irwindale, you've really missed some very exciting short-course stock car racing."
This event will be the first race on the busy Irwindale Speedway calendar for 2014 and will feature a very special guest appearance by Clint Bowyer, driver of the #15 5-Hour Energy Sprint Cup Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing.

Irwindale Speedway and Dragstrip has announced that it will honor its 2013 NASCAR and NHRA champions at a special dinner and awards ceremony at the Courtyard by Marriott Monrovia. The event is set for Friday evening, March 7 and will begin with an informal reception at 6:30pm followed by dinner at 7:00pm, with the awards presentations following directly thereafter.Image Credit: performanceracing.com (2012)

Tickets for the March 22 K&N event are now available on the website: www.irwindaleeventcenter.com as well as by telephone at the Speedway ticket office: 626-358-1100

SPECIAL NOTE: This year's season ticket package gives fans all 18 races on the Irwindale 2014 NASCAR calendar for the incredibly low price of only $99 and that includes the above K&N Pro race. Fans can further enhance their Speedway experience by adding close-in VIP $99 reserved parking at all 18 NASCAR events. There's even a "bundled" price of $189 for tickets and special parking at every event. More info. 626.358.1100

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Irwindale Event Center To Host NASCAR Event April 6, 2013

The West end of the one-half mile oval at Irwindale Speedway. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013) 

 Irwindale Event Center To Host NASCAR Event April 6, 2013

NASCAR is back at Irwindale Speedway. After a year "dark" of NASCAR stock car racing, the nationally-known Southern California area short track will bring back the action and excitement of professional stock car racing to the "up close and personal" confines of the facility that many have called one of the best in the nation for fan accommodations and racing competition.

Won & Done is headed to the airwaves of MAVTv, a cable network owned and operated by Forrest Lucas the the team at Lucas Oil, on Thursday evenings beginning this April. Image Credit: MAVTv via Dragzine.com

Irwindale Speedway is the oval track "department" at re-opened Irwindale Event Center that also features the NHRA Street Legal Irwindale Dragstrip (home of MAVTv's wild new "Won & Done" drag racing reality show that debuts on April 4), the Advanced Driving Dynamics street safety driving school, the LA Racing Experience stock car racing school, and the new fun karting center.

"Many of the top ten drivers from our 2011 season will be back along with a number of new drivers many of whom are destined to be fan favorites before the 2013 season is in the books," assured Event Center GM Bob Klein - pictured above. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)

"There's a renewed attitude, a great sense of adventure. Drivers, crews and fans all telling us that they can't wait for this coming Saturday night," said track GM Bob Klein. "We're very excited to be back in the stock car racing business, everyone on our staff is ready to get back to what Irwindale Speedway was built to do; and that's put on a short track racing show that's second to none. We had a great final open practice this past Saturday, and everything is in place for the fans."

The new Irwindale operating team has pegged ticket prices at the same amount as when the track opened in 1999: only $15 for adults and $5 for kids 6-12. "We want to keep the NASCAR experience affordable for all families," Klein said. "We've got over 6,000 great seats and 14 action-packed nights of NASCAR from now until October. We want our fans to come back many, many times during the season."

Spectator gates will open at 5pm on Saturday night April 6 with the track's famous "On-Track Autograph Session" first up on the night's agenda at 5:45pm. This personal opportunity for fans to meet the drivers, get a close-up look at their cars, and walk on the banked racetrack, is something that should be a part of every fan's experience at Irwindale. It's free with event admission and it sets the pace for a great night of stock car speed and excitement.

"We're very proud to be a NASCAR Home Track, and we take that description to heart. Our drivers are all always available to our fans right on the racetrack before our races," said Klein.

2013 Opening Ceremonies will take place at 6:30pm with a tribute to the fourteen driving champions from the last year of NASCAR and NHRA competition at the track (2011) who've been named the co-opening night Grand Marshals. Hot new recording star Paul Scott will sing the National Anthem as well as his hit single "NASCAR Crazy" (right from the starter's stand where he'll flag off a race), and police and fire vehicles will be on track to accept the track's thanks for their work in public safety.

Saturday night's line up of NASCAR races will kick off with the Lucas Oil Late Models, and feature Super Late Models, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, and a wild Demolition Derby to end the night with a little friendly fender-crunching fun. Racing will begin at 7pm and run until 10pm, and there will be a special fireworks show to celebrate NASCAR's return to Irwindale Speedway.

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Oval Track Racing Events Return To Irwindale Speedway For 2013

Just about everything with wheels can be found racing on the Irwindale Event Center twin ovals ... Stock Cars, Sprint Cars, Midgets, Supermodifieds, Legends, Trucks, and more can all be seen in wheel-to-wheel competition action at this great new facility! Image Credit: Irwindale Event Center

Oval Track Racing Events Return To Irwindale Speedway For 2013

"We're very pleased to announce that oval track racing will return to Irwindale for the 2013 season." With that direct statement, Team 211 Entertainment's President/CEO Jim Cohan ended a long 11-month period of uncertainty about regular racing competition at the well-known Southern California motorsports and family entertainment facility.

"Our master lease with the property owners, Nu-Way Industries, has been broadened and now includes all forms of racing activities on the 6,500-seat twin oval track. We are now working very hard to put all of the pieces together to be able to run a 2013 racing season," said Cohan.

"Our company name has the word 'TEAM' in it," he pointed out. "We need everyone to understand that name is not an affectation. It's a statement of our commitment to the process of re-building the legacy of Irwindale Speedway."

This Thursday - 12-20-2012 - is the final Thursday of Drag Racing in 2012. The next year of Thursday night Drag Racing at the Irwindale Event Center begins on January 10th 2013. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2012)

"We've re-named the entire property 'Irwindale Event Center' to better reflect the wide range of public and private events that can be accommodated here and invite everyone to join us in what we feel will be a great new era of operation for this venue.

Corporations, businesses small and large, competitors, individual fans, everyone: you are all welcome, if you want to be a part of this facility, we'll find a place for you." Cohan concluded.
Cohan's announcement also indicated that long-time employee Bob Klein has been named the event center's Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, and that veteran publicist Doug Stokes would be re-joining the facility on the first of the year as the Vice President of Communications. Both men will report directly to Jim Cohan.

At the same time, experienced competition manager Mike Atkinson was named the track's Race Director. Atkinson has been working behind the scenes with representatives of the new Kern County Raceway Park track to put together a common set of technical rules which will allow racers in a number of divisions to compete fairly at both tracks.

"We know that we're starting out a couple of laps behind," Cohan candidly admitted. "But we also know that we have the support of a great number of former racers, sponsors, and most importantly, our fans who have stood by waiting for this track to come back on line again. We'll really need everyone's good will and support, and we'll be trying very hard to return the favor by running a facility that always puts the customer first."

A 2013 oval track competition event schedule will be published shortly.

... notes from The EDJE


** Article first published as Oval Track Racing Events Return To Irwindale Speedway For 2013 on Technorati **

Ford To Display Tanner Foust Signature Focus At LA Auto Show

The new TF logo-ed very high-powered Foust signature Ford Focus at the Irwindale Event Center (SEMA Video HERE). Image Credit: Doug Stokes (2012)

Ford To Display Tanner Foust Signature Focus At LA Auto Show

Multi-discipline race driver, movie stuntman, TV star, and now car designer, Tanner Foust, visited the Irwindale Event Center on Sunday to "break in" a (very) special, limited-edition Focus that not only looked like something Foust would be driving on the streets, but that had his name and his distinctive TF logo emblazoned all over it.

Close up of the "TF" logo-ed racing stripe on the new signature Ford Focus. Image Credit: Doug Stokes (2012)

The car was just "off the boat"(actually it had come over to LA by truck) from an award-winning turn as one of the stars of the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The four door hatchback had barely 50 miles on the clock, and, although Foust had been behind the wheel for a whole bunch of publicity shots at SEMA ... He had not yet driven the sexy-bad prototype.

View slideshow: Ford to display signature Tanner Foust Focus at LA Auto Show

That's where an off-day on the vast, empty East parking lot at IEC came in handy. At 'Vegas the car was never even fired up, or let alone driven, so there was some interest in breaking it in and getting a bit of actual seat time before it was to be on display at the LA Auto Show scheduled to open to the press on Wednesday, the 28th.

As one might expect, the car ran flawlessly. There were no formal specs officially available at the IEC shakedown runs.  But, we can indicate that this special Foust-signature model was "loaded" with cool features, and that the horsepower rating for this very special edition turbo-charged 6-speed Focus ST model was (and we quote:) "Oh ... somewhere around 300."

Close up of the "TF" logo-ed rocker panel racing stripe on the side of the new signature Ford Focus. Image Credit: Doug Stokes (2012)

Foust's willing co-conspirator in the custom body, trick semi-gloss silvery paint, and cool interior work was none other than Mike Spagnola, chief instigator and grand major-domo of Street Scene Equipment the well-known southern California custom body parts manufacturer. The basic look here is best explained as "stylistically belligerent". Subtlety is sure not the strong suite here. They WILL see you coming in this one (and a millisecond later they'll see you going).

All of the (by now) frothing at the bit Focus fans will have to wait for the magazine articles and web reviews to get all of the specs as well as to find out the information on where to buy one of these way cool little Ford supercars designed (and now test-driven at Irwindale) by Foust, who admitted to being much more familiar with the race track than the parking lot, having tested many cars for TV and raced successfully there numerous times in pro Drifting and Rallycross events there over the past years.

See the Tanner Foust signature Ford Focus on display at the LA Auto Show which opens on November 30th, 2012 and runs through December 9th, 2012.
(ht: Irwindale Event Center)

... notes from The EDJE 


** Article first published as Ford To Display Tanner Foust Signature Focus At LA Auto Show on Technorati **