Lair toys with Late Model field in winning
Toys for Tots 100 at Orange Show Speedway
SAN BERNARDINO (Nov. 18, 2007) –
Gerald Lair won the richest race of the season for the BSR West Late
Models with a wire-to-wire domination of the Toys for Tots 100 Saturday
night at Orange Show Speedway.
Lair, who quit his job as a speedway official to
return to the driver’s seat at midseason, started his Tri City
Towing Chevrolet Monte Carlo on the pole after posting the fast time
in qualifying on the ASA-sanctioned quarter-mile oval.
He bested front-row mate Steve Smith in the early
drag race for the lead, avoided numerous incidents in the first 40 laps,
and then held off Smith over the final 55 laps, which were run without
interruption.
Smith repeatedly pulled up on Lair’s rear bumper
in the corners, only to have the leader pull away slightly exiting the
turns. Smith bumped Lair slightly as they went through Turn 4 on 96,
but Lair managed to avoid a spin and Smith fell back slightly over the
final four laps.
The win was worth $1,150 to Lair and car owner Clay
Wooster, $1,000 for the victory, $50 for fast qualifying time and $100
for leading the most laps. Barry Karr, in Wooster ’s second car,
earned another $100 bonus by finishing third after starting 10th.
Following the season-ending race, Lair and Wooster
donated half their prize money to the Toys for Tots Fund, the U.S. Marine
Corps Reserve holiday charity program that also received half the speedway
proceeds for the night.
It took three attempts to get the race under way
due to accidents and the second of those eliminated two-time and reigning
champion Jim Conklin as a contender. Conklin, who originally shared
the front row with Lair, was forced to the pits for repairs and was
three laps down when he returned to the track.
The closest points battle of the season in any class
was decided in favor of Santee ’s Darren Amidon, who won the Leno’s
Rico Taco Legends Cars title over Riverside ’s Bree Brewer based
on second-place finishes.
Amidon led from start to finish to win the 30-lap
main event and make up a 4-point deficit to Brewer, who finished third.
That left them tied with 600 points and four wins each, and Amidon took
the championship with five runner-up finishes to one for Brewer.
The Orange Show Speedway title gave Amidon a trifecta
for the year. He also won the Irwindale Speedway championship and the
California Pro Asphalt title.
Lakewood’s Tom Smith, who had clinched the
Lucas Oil Outlaw Figure 8 title several weeks ago, completed a perfect
season by capturing his 14th main event and Jim Edmiston, of Highland,
put the finishing touch on his ASA Stock Pony championship by running
a close second to Wildomar’s Matt Goodwin in that 30-lap feature.
Edmiston has also won Stock Pony championships in
1996 and 2005 and the Sport Truck title last season.
ORANGE SHOW SPEEDWAY
Saturday, November 17, 2007
RACE RESULTS
LATE MODELS (100 laps) – 1.
Gerald Lair, Highland , Chevrolet Monte Carlo ; 2. Steve Smith, San
Bernardino , Chevrolet Monte Carlo ; 3. Barry Karr, Redlands , Chevrolet
Monte Carlo ; 4. Rodney Peacher, North Hills, Chevrolet Monte Carlo
; 5. Anthony Mainella, Palmdale, Ford Fusion.
Trophy dash winner—Smith. Fast qualifier –
Lair.
OUTLAW FIGURE 8 (20 laps) –
1. Tom Smith, Lakewood , Chevrolet; 2. Rusty Stewart, Long Beach ; 3.
Jay Henson, Oak Hills, Chevrolet; 4. Robert Snyder, Sun City ; 5. Harry
Kuenniger, San Bernardino , Chevrolet.
Heat race winners – Rod Proctor, Riverside
, Chevrolet; Billy Zieman, Bloomington , Chevrolet. Trophy dash winner
– Tom Smith, Lakewood , Chevrolet. Fast qualifier – Jay
Henson, Oak Hills, Chevrolet.
Division champion – Tom Smith, Lakewood
, Chevrolet.
STOCK PONY (30 laps) – 1.
Matt Goodwin, Wildomar, Ford Pinto; 2. Jim Edmiston, Highland , Ford
Pinto; 3. Rob Hornsby, San Bernardino , Ford Pinto; 4. Adrianne Murlin,
Corona , Ford Pinto; 5. Ryan Bragdon, Beaumont, Ford Pinto.
Heat race winners – Bragdon; Goodwin. Trophy
dash winner – Goodwin. Fast qualifier – Edmiston.
Division champion – Jim Edmiston, Highland
, Ford Pinto.
LEGENDS CARS (30 laps) – 1.
Darren Amidon, Santee , ’34 Ford/Yamaha; 2. Tom Landreth, Rancho
Cucamonga , ’34 Ford/Yamaha; 3. Bree Brewer, Riverside , ’34
Ford/Yamaha; 4. Ryan O’Connor, Vista , ’34 Ford/Yamaha;
5. Brent Scheidmantle, Alta Loma, ’37 Dodge/Yamaha.
B main (20 laps) winner – Broc Murphy, Lancaster,
’34 Ford/Yamaha. Heat race winners – Jordan Hyland, North
Hills, ’34 Ford/Yamaha; Murphy; Ryan O’Connor, Vista , ’34
Ford/Yamaha. Trophy dash winner – Bree Brewer, Riverside , ’34
Ford/Yamaha. Fast qualifier – Darren Amidon, Santee , ’34
Ford/Yamaha.
Division champion – Darren Amidon,
Santee , ’34 Ford/Yamaha.
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 Coporation, L. Curti Truck and Equipment, One Stop Landscape
Supply, Extreme Exhibits & Logistics, Little Green Onions and the
San Bernardino County Sun.
For further information, contact Jim Short at 951-203-2649
or jimshort65@sbcglobal.net, call Orange Show Speedway at 909-888-6788,
X438, or visit the web site at www.nosevents.com.
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