Three-man fight for Super Late Models championship
highlights Saturday action at Orange Show Speedway
SAN BERNARDINO (Oct. 31, 2007) –
John Manke has been in this situation once.
Saturday night (Nov. 3), for the second time in three
seasons, the Ramona resident will go into the final race of the season
at Orange Show Speedway with a chance to win the Hype Manufacturing
Super Late Model championship.
The ASA Pro 4s, Aflac Factory Fours, Street Stocks
and Mini StocKars also are on the schedule, with championships to be
decided in the Street Stock and Mini classes, but the spotlight will
be on the three-man battle for the Super Late Model title.
Manke, who got his third win of the season in the
most recent race Oct. 20, will go into Saturday’s main event on
the ASA-sanctioned quarter-mile oval leading Rick Chavez by six points
and Frankie Gould by eight.
Compared to 2005, when Manke and Ron Overman went
into the final race tied and Manke won the title by two points, this
year’s race is a runaway. But all that lead really does is give
Manke a small margin of error while Chavez and Gould have none.
Chavez, who led for most of the season, is overjoyed
just to have a chance. His car suffered heavy damage in a collision
Sept. 8 and he finished 11th to fall from first into a tie with Manke
for second, 10 points behind Gould.
Chavez said because of the extent of the damage to
his Chevrolet-powered Ford Fusion and the expense involved in repairing
it, he did not expect to race again this season. But Hemet ’s
Martin Huizenga, a two-time Factory Four winner, offered Chavez the
use of the Chevrolet Super Late Model he recently had purchased. Chavez
drove the car to a fourth-place finish and emerged from the night in
second place after an oil leak sidelined Gould with 13 laps to go and
relegated him to 10th place – his only finish below seventh this
season.
“There’s no way I’d have
a shot at it without Marty,” Chavez said. “I’ve really
got to thank the guy. He’s one of a kind.”
Chavez said his crew has rebuilt the right front
suspension and straightened the rear end on his Ford and he expects
to have it ready for Saturday’s finale. But Huizenga has offered
the use of his car again, just in case.
Several scenarios will be in play Saturday night.
Manke will win the title by finishing ahead of his rivals; he will win
by finishing within four positions of Gould; and he will win by finishing
within three positions of Chavez – unless Chavez wins the race.
In that case, Manke would need to finish at least third. If Chavez wins
and Manke finishes fourth, they would be tied in points and in victories
and Chavez would take the crown thanks to a second-place finish on May
19. Gould needs to finish two places ahead of Chavez and five in front
of Manke.
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, and for this week only entry
will be through Gate 1, which is just north of the speedway on E Street.
Signs will be posted to assist those who are unfamiliar with the area.
Those unable to make it to the speedway still can
follow the action with “Orange Show Speedway Live,” the
radio broadcast on KTTD (AM 1350) that begins at 8 p.m. and is simulcast
on the Internet at www.nixacountry.com.
There will be a lot of action to follow, too, with
the title races in the Street Stock and Mini StocKar classes still undecided.
The Street Stock crown is Cliff Conklin’s to
lose. His win Oct. 20 broke a three-way tie with Bobby Dezarov and John
Reiman and he’ll go into Saturday’s finale eight points
ahead of Reiman and 14 up on Desarov. The Big Bear paint store owner,
who helped older brother Jim Conklin win the BSR West Late Model title,
only needs to finish fifth to claim his first championship.
In the Mini StocKar class, four-time winner Mike
O’Hara leads defending champion Dean Caskey by four points. But
O’Hara and Caskey have finished 1-2 in all six races this season,
so four points may be an insurmountable lead for O’Hara.
Eddie Secord, who has won nine of the 13 races, is
46 points ahead of Chuck Becker II and will win the ASA Pro 4 title
simply by taking the green flag for the main event.
Spencer Samaro doesn’t even need to do that.
The 18-year-old from San Bernardino already has clinched the Aflac Factory
Four championship, his second title in three years. The attention in
that class will be on Huizenga and Tony Dumont, who are tied for second
place.
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.
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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