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IRWINDALE, Calif., Nov. 24 - Rookie Benny Moon started
second and led all but the first lap of a 30-lap USAC Ford Focus
Midget California Paved Track Series feature Thursday night on the
third-mile at Irwindale Speedway. The 26-car race was the opening
main event of the annual Turkey Night Grand Prix USAC open-wheel
triple-header. It preceded USAC Western 360 cu. in. sprints and USAC
Midget's annual 100-lap Thanksgiving Night Grand Prix.
The 20-year old northern Californian scored his
third USAC FF feature victory of the 14-race paved track series. He
drove one of three Ron Sutton-owned Stealths that he took to a pair
of victories this summer at Stockton 99 Speedway. Moon, the highest
ranking series rookie, finished fourth in point standings. He joined
fellow FF series rookies Bobby McGowan (2004) and Eric Pace (2003)
as winners of the TNGP FF Midget feature.
Casey Riggs, from Indiana, set the fastest
qualifying time of 14.448 in an Irwindale track record FF Midget
field of 35. He came from sixth starting spot to second place by lap
10 and pressed Moon all the way in his Terry Riggs-owned Indiana
Underground Construction Stealth. Teenager Riggs, driving in his
first competition at Irwindale, finished 0.323 seconds behind Moon.
Ricky Ehrgott, from Florida, also enjoyed his first visit to
Irwindale by setting the second fastest qualifying time. He drove
the Rick Ehrgott Beast chassis from fifth starting position to a
close third, 0.463 seconds behind the winner.
HARRIS SERIES CHAMP
Alex Harris, the California FF paved track series
point leader in his first FF Midget campaign, engaged in a close
three-way battle for the championship. He entered the race with a
six-point lead on Audra Sasselli. The 27-year old 1997-98 USAC
TQ Midget Series champion started seventh and finished fourth in his
own TCR combination chassis that races on both paved and dirt
tracks. He parlayed four FF victories on paved tracks this season to
his first FF Midget championship by 15-points over Sasselli. Three
of his triumphs came in the season high six FF events staged at
Irwindale.
Chase Barber, 17-year old 2005 USAC California
dirt track series champion, started his Bret Barber Beast from pole
position and led the first lap./ The three-time series feature
winner who also has three main event victoruies on dirt in the same
car, faded to fifth place. He finished fifth in paved track points,
26 digits behind Harris. Both California FF 2005 champions were
recognized during starting line ceremonies when racing concluded.
Chris Veach, Sasselli, rookie Jace Meier, a
16-year old rookie and two-time feature winner, finished sixth
through eighth in the race. Meier placed sixth in final points.
Alison MacLeod and Steve Davis completed the top ten finishers.
Twenty-five of 26 starters finished and only one driver was lapped.
MacLeod, a 16-year old from Toronto,m Canada, set third quickest
qualifying time in her janice East-owned Clorox Beast. She started
fourth in the feature and was in second place and charging on lap 10
when she tapped the back of Moon's car and spun to the inside
between thre third and fourth turns. She restarted at the back and
raced back to ninth position by the finish in her first race at
IS.
The only other yellow flag flew on lap 14 when
Gary Scelzi the 2005 NHRA Funny Car champion, spun out in turn four
and collected the Steallth of Rick Faas, a 16-year old making his
first FF start. Cars driven by Bobby Owens and Kevin Kierce also
tangled exiting turn four at the same time. Scelzi, from Fresno,
made his FF midget debut in a new Beast that he co-owns with World
of Outlaws sprint car driver Danny Lasoski and Monte Faccinto, of
Hanford. Scelzi set tenth fastest qualifying time, started tenth and
was running eighth when he spun and got t-boned by ninth-running
Faas. Both drivers restarted at the back and Scelzi finished 21st,
with Faas 22nd.
FORMAT
The fastest 18 drivers during the 4:00 to 4:17
p.m group qualifying sessions made the feature automatically. Five
qualifying sessions with seven cars on the track at the same time
had all laps electronically timed via onboard electronic
transponders. The best lap recorded by each driver was the
official time for lineups. A 16-car 12-lap "Last Chance"
race transferred the first eight finishers to the back rows of the
main event in the order they had finished the qualifying race.
Robbie Whitchurch, a four-time winner in the
18-race FF dirt series this season, started second in his Stealth.
He beat the Greg Fraziier Stealth of pole starter Jenna Frazier to
the first turn. He won by 0.199 seconds over a pressing Frazier, a
blonde, 19-year old college student from Fairfield, Calif. Teenage
Caitlin Shaw, from Albuquerque, N.M, finished third in her second
race at Irwindale. All 15 finishers ran 12 laps in the
2:57.633-timed race. Cody Williams,16-year old son of 2004 USAC/CRA
410 cu. in. sprint car champion Rip
Williams, dropped out on the second lap with a mechanical problem.
He drove a Wally Pankratz-owned FF midget in his second FF start and
first race at Irwindale.
The Summary: (use box score results and points
from USAC HQ).
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