Short Tracks Ready to Make Their Key Points

By SHAV GLICK

March 11, 2005 12 AM PT

Short-track racing, the fountainhead of motorsports competition, is getting a boost this year with NASCAR simplifying the points system in its Dodge weekly series to determine a national champion. For the last 15 years, a complicated competition performance index, something only mathematicians could understand, was used to determine the champion.

Irwindale Speedway, home track of Greg Pursley, last year’s national short-track champion, will open its season Saturday night with five NASCAR classes -- super late models, late models, super stocks, mini stocks and Grand American modifieds, plus super trucks.

Pursley, who drove in Irwindale’s super late model class, has moved up to the Southwest series. The next Southwest race is scheduled April 10 at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield.

Pursley’s influence may still be felt at Irwindale, however. When there are no racing conflicts, he will be the chief mechanic for Mike Price’s super late model car. The Harbor City driver is moving up from super stock. He won the track championship in that division in 2000.

Other candidates for Pursley’s crown include Tony Bruncati of Glendora, last year’s runner-up; former champions Rip Michels of San Fernando and Rod Johnson of Canyon Country; Andrew Phipps of Simi Valley, last year’s Grand American modified champion; Brandon Loverock of Santa Fe Springs, third-place finisher a year ago; and Augie Vidovich of Lakeside, 2003 Southwest series champion.

Saturday night’s program will open a 32-week season at the 6,500-seat facility, where the starting time has been moved to 6 p.m., an hour earlier than usual. The grand finale will be the Toyota NASCAR All-Star Showdown, matching drivers from all regions, tentatively scheduled Nov. 10-13.

Mesa Marin is the only other NASCAR-sanctioned short track in Southern California after the closing of Cajon Speedway in El Cajon. Mesa Marin will open its season April 2.

Cajon Speedway had a scheduled opening for April 2, but it has been canceled, as has the season. According to the track website, “There is no possibility that there will be a full season of auto racing at Cajon Speedway in 2005.”

Drivers can earn points at any NASCAR-sanctioned track, their 16 best finishes between Jan. 1 and Sept. 18 counting toward divisional and national championships. Bonus points will be awarded based on thenumber of cars in any particular race.

Mike Helton, NASCAR president, recently spoke to a meeting of short-track operators in Daytona Beach, Fla., telling them how important their work was to stock car racing.

“We just went through a series of banquets for the Nextel Cup, Busch and [Craftsman] truck guys, and it seemed that at every banquet every driver would thank the local track where they got their start,” Helton said. “You are the glue that holds NASCAR together. We are where we are because of what you have done in the past. What we do in the future will be because of what you are doing today.”

Tony Stewart, the 2002 Nextel Cup champion and a short-track operator as well as a Cup driver, emphasized the point.

“I don’t think there is any question where I stand on weekly racing,” said Stewart, who recently purchased Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. “It is the backbone of everything in American motorsports, whether it is NASCAR Cup racing or the IRL or anything else.

“Anybody driving in the top levels of motorsports started on the dirt tracks and bull rings. It’s the kind of racing real race fans live for and, when it is promoted well, can be a tremendous experience, as well as a success for drivers, teams and tracks.

“Racing there is fun and that’s what racing is supposed to be -- fun. When fans see guys racing hard but having a good time doing it, then it’s even better for them.”

Long Beach Nearing

With the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach less than a month away, Champ Car teams have been doing some serious practice on the California Speedway road course to prepare for the April 10 season opener. Teams use the 1.45-mile Fontana infield road course to simulate as many turns as possible they will face on the 1.96-mile street circuit in Long Beach.

Cristiano da Matta, the 2002 champion who is returning from a disappointing shot at Formula One, was among the fastest in the PKV Racing Ford Cosworth-Lola. The PKV team is jointly owned by Kevin Kirkhoven, one of Champ Car’s owners, venture capitalist Dan Pettit, and veteran driver Jimmy Vasser.

Karl Malone, all 6 feet 9 and 260 pounds of him, will squeeze into the specially built seat of a Toyota Celica this weekend and begin training at Willow Springs Raceway to drive in the pro-celebrity race April 9 over the LBGP course.

Tickets for the 31st annual race weekend went on sale this week at 430 E. First St. in Long Beach.

Last Laps

The Goodguys 46th March Meet, largest vintage drag race in the country, will fill Bakersfield’s Famoso Raceway with more than 500 pre-1973 dragsters this weekend.

Competition is scheduled in 14 classes, including the volatile front-engine top fuelers. Final eliminations will be Saturday and Sunday. Jim Murphy of Santa Rosa will try to defend his Goodguys top-fuel title in his 4,000 horsepower WW2 dragster.

Gary Beck, 1974 and 1983 NHRA top-fuel champion, will be an honored guest, along with Blackie Gejeian, longtime Fresno hot rodder and founder of the Fresno Autorama. Beck won the March Meet in 1984 and 1985.

Ventura Raceway, its opening night rained out last week, will try again Saturday with a program of VRA 360 sprint cars, senior sprints and two modified classes. Racing at the fifth-mile banked oval in Ventura County Fairgrounds’ Seaside Park begins at 5. Details: (805) 985-5433.

Damion Gardner, after winning two consecutive USAC/CRA sprint car races at Perris Auto Speedway, will try to keep his winning streak going Saturday night when the series moves to Bakersfield Speedway for a 30-lap main event. Perris will feature a mixed bag of races, including one for the popular Hornets the same night.

The National Auto Sport Assn. will run a Pro Racing series program Saturday and Sunday at California Speedway. More than 500 cars are expected to race in a variety of classes, roughly similar to a Sports Car Club of America event. Racing will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Ryan Flaherty, a former USC car club driver, is national chairman of the organization, which was founded in 1991 and now has approximately 10,000 members nationwide.

Danny Grill of Acton is back as director of NASCAR’s Southwest series after two years with the Grand National Division. Grill was crew chief with Ron Hornaday when the team won two series championships.... Mike Follmer of Fountain Valley and Billy Womack of Long Beach rode a Yamaha in winning the APBA/Bullett Mark Hahn Memorial 300 at Lake Havasu, Ariz., last week, the world’s longest continuous personal watercraft race. The winners finished the 300 miles in 5 hours 16 minutes.

This Week

*--* NASCAR NEXTEL CUP UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400

*--*

* When: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 3 p.m.); Sunday, race (Channel 11, 11 a.m.).

* Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (tri-oval, 1.5 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns).

* Race distance: 400 miles, 267 laps.

* 2004 winner: Matt Kenseth.

* Next race: Golden Corral 500, March 20, Hampton, Ga.

*--* NASCAR BUSCH Sam’s Town 300

*--*

* When: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 4:30 p.m.); Saturday, race (FX, 12:30 p.m.).

* Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway.