Conklin holds off Malone for Late Model
title, Smith stays perfect at Orange Show Speedway
SAN BERNARDINO (Sept. 30, 2007) –
Jim Conklin did what was required to win a championship and Tom Smith
stayed undefeated for the year Saturday night at Orange Show Speedway.
Conklin, 54, of Big Bear, went into the final points
race of the season for the BSR West Late Models with a 10-point lead
over Brian Malone and needing to finish within four spots of Malone
to successfully defend his class title.
Malone, 40, of Grand Terrace, did all he could do
by claiming his sixth win of the season in dominating fashion. But Conklin
did what was necessary and finished fourth in the 30-lap main event,
behind Malone, Gerald Lair and Steven Werner. That gave Conklin the
championship by 4 points over Malone, with fifth-place finisher Dave
Arce, of Santee , 20 points back in third.
Smith, of Lakewood , already had clinched the Lucas
Oil Outlaw Figure 8 title. So the only question in that regard is whether
or not the 32-year-old mechanic can complete a perfect season. That
won’t be determined until the final race for the class, on Oct.
27. But after overcoming some pressure from Jay Henson in Saturday’s
25-lap main, Smith is 13 for 13 at the ASA-sanctioned quarter-mile oval.
And just for good measure he’s won his only two starts at Irwindale
Speedway, giving him 15 wins in all.
While the Late Model title was decided and several
other championships were virtually clinched, the Street Stock division
continued to be a three-way battle with two races remaining, on Oct.
20 and Nov. 3.
Bobby Dezarov, of Palm Desert , went into the night
with a 4-point lead over John Reiman and a 6-point advantage over Cliff
Conklin. Kyle Meyer finished first in the 30-lap main event with Conklin
second, Reiman third and Dezarov fifth, and that left the three men
tied with 284 points apiece.
In the ASA Stock Pony class, leader Jim Edmiston
virtually wrapped up his second title in three years by winning the
30-lap main over Adrianne Murlin and Matt Goodwin. Edmiston, the champion
in 2005, will take a 24-point lead over Goodwin into the season finale
Oct. 27.
Things are even more one-sided in the Aflac Factory
Fours class following Tony Dumont’s fifth win in 12 starts. Leader
Spencer Samaro, 18, of San Bernardino , finished third and now enjoys
a 60-point advantage over Dumont with races left on Oct. 6 and Nov.
3.
ORANGE SHOW SPEEDWAY
Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007
RACE RESULTS
BSR WEST LATE MODELS
Main Event (30 laps) – 1. Brian Malone, Grand
Terrace, Chevrolet Monte Carlo ; 2. Gerald Lair, Highland , Chevrolet
Monte Carlo ; 3. Steven Werner, Lancaster, Dodge Intrepid; 4. Jim Conklin,
Big Bear, Pontiac Grand Prix/Chevrolet; 5. Dave Arce, Santee , Pontiac
Grand Prix/Chevrolet.
Heat race winners – Jimmy Rouse Jr., San Bernardino
, Ford Thunderbird/Chevrolet; Conklin. Trophy dash winner – Malone.
Fast qualifier – Conklin.
LUCAS OIL OUTLAW FIGURE 8s
Main event (25 laps) – 1. Tom Smith, Lakewood
, Chevrolet; 2. Jay Henson, Oak Hills, Chevrolet; 3. Billy Ziemann,
Bloomington , Cadillac XLR/Chevrolet; 4. Johnny Lathrop, Riverside ,
Chevrolet; 5.Rusty Stewart, Long Beach , Chevrolet.
Heat race winners – Harry Kuenniger, San Bernardino
, Chevrolet; Henson. Trophy dash winner – Henson. Fast qualifier
– Smith.
ASA STOCK PONYs
Main event (30 laps) – 1. Jim Edmiston, Highland
, Ford Pinto; 2. Adrianne Murlin, Corona , Ford Pinto; 3. Matt Goodwin,
Wildomar, Ford Pinto; 4. Ryan Bragdon, Beaumont , Ford Pinto; 5. Jim
Gebhart, Yucaipa , Ford Pinto.
Heat race winners – Gebhart; Edmiston. Trophy
dash winner – Murlin. Fast qualifier – Edmiston.
STREET STOCKS
Main event (30 laps) – 1. Kyle Meyer, Highland
, Chevrolet Nova; 2. Cliff Conklin, Big Bear, Chevrolet Camaro; 3. John
Reiman, Rosamond, Chevrolet Camaro; 4. Tony Forfa Jr., San Bernardino
, Chevrolet Camaro; 5. Bobby Dezarov, Palm Desert , Chevrolet Camaro.
Heat race winner – Jesse Cottrell, Hemet ,
Chevrolet Camaro. Trophy dash winner – Ted Reich, Riverside ,
Cadillac Eldorado/Chevrolet. Fast qualifier – Conklin.
AFLAC FACTORY FOURS
Main event (30 laps) – 1. Tony Dumont, Irvine
, Mercedes Benz; 2. Art Ramirez, Walnut, Toyota Celica; 3. Spencer Samaro,
San Bernardino , Toyota pickup; 4. Martin Huizinga, Hemet , Nissan pickup;
5. Kim Marzullo, Crestline, Toyota pickup.
Heat race winners – Jerome Gipson, Highland
, Chevrolet pickup; Marzullo. Trophy dash winner – Dumont . Fast
qualifier – Dumont .
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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