Stockman will go after second Orange Show
win when Super Late Models return Saturday night
SAN BERNARDINO –Travis Stockman was ready
for what happened two weeks ago. He just didn’t expect it to happen
this early in the Orange Show Speedway season.
“I
didn’t think I was going to get a win until the end of the season,
at the earliest,” said Stockman, 20. Instead, on May 19 the Highland
resident drove his McCray’s RV Solutions/Stock All Services Chevrolet
Monte Carlo to victory in the Hype Manufacturing Super Late Model main
event.
Stockman started the 40-lap race on the pole and
led every inch of the race on the quarter-mile paved oval at the National
Orange Show Events Center . He had pressure early from fast qualifier
Charles Price, until Price encountered transmission problems, and then
from points leader Rick Chavez. Stockman also survived the tension of
six yellow caution flag restarts before getting the checkered flag.
“It was pretty exciting, especially with
Chavez back there,” said Stockman, who had finished a career-best
fourth in his previous race. “Glen Cummings (the defending class
champion) helped me on the setup quite a bit. He coached me all week
and gave me a few pointers and helped me out a ton.”
Chances are, Stockman will get a little less help
Saturday (June 2), when the Super Late Models assemble for the sixth
event in their 15-race season. Also on the schedule are the ASA Pro
4, ASA Stock Pony, Factory Four and Street Stock classes.
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. In addition,
in June members of the California Department of Forestry (CDF) and California
Department of Corrections (CDC) who present their badges at the ticket
office may receive up to four free tickets, courtesy of Orange Show
Speedway management.
Parking is $4 per car with entry through Gate 3 off
Mill Street .
Stockman, whose brother, Danny, is the truck chief
for NASCAR Craftsman Truck series driver Ron Hornaday Jr., got some
criticism immediately after the race for setting a slow pace on restarts.
He said he was guilty of being too slow on one of them, but “I
was always told that the leader always sets the pace, so I set a pace
where I felt comfortable, just like any other driver would. I watched
the Hornaday tape (of last fall’s Hornaday 100 at Orange Show
Speedway) five or six times. I learned a lot from that and I took what
I learned and used it.”
The main response to his win was positive, though,
with a number of drivers and crew members expressing congratulations,
and that’s what made Stockman feel good.
“There are no hurt feelings at all,”
he said. “They all respected me and that’s the number one
thing on the race track. There’s a point where you’re driving
hard and a point where you’re over-driving. It’s a fine
line. But if you run into the back of someone and turn them, you’ve
crossed that line.
“Respect is the number one thing. It
makes better races for all of us.”
Chavez, the only driver who has finished in the top
five every week, has a 26-point lead over Frankie Gould with Cummings
two points farther behind after five races. Stockman, who missed the
race March 31, is in 11th place, 100 points behind the leader.
Logistic engineer Rex Lockwood of Victorville leads
the Pro 4 standings by 14 points over Chuck Becker II and 28 over Eddie
Secord, who has won four of the five races but also sat out the March
31 event due to mechanical problems.
With three wins in five starts in the Stock Pony
division, 2005 champion Jim Edmiston has a 28-point lead over Matt Goodwin,
and in the Factory Fours class, 2005 Sportsman Truck champion Spencer
Samaro has a 12-point lead over three-time winner Tony Dumont and is
18 points ahead of Martin Huizenga.
This will be just the third race of the season for
the Street Stock class.
Racing at Orange Show Speedway is sponsored by Lucas
Oil, Blackhawk Protection, Hype Manufacturing, Del Taco, 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, Center Chevrolet, Pepsi,
Matich Coporation, La Salle Medical Associates, 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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