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Irwindale, CA., Mar. 27 - The second
annual Mopar Twin 25s USAC Midget race again offered $50,000 to any
driver who could win the first 25 and then start last in the second
25 and also win that race. This year promoter Steve Lewis, of Laguna
Beach, CA, and his Premier Racing Entertainment offered fans a full
slate of special events and attractions under the title Festival of
Speed. Activities started at 7:00 a.m with eight hours of Quarter
Midget racing on a course marked off with moveable blocks in the
track's east parking lot. USAC Ford Focus Midget and Midget Series
time trials started at noon and lasted until 1:30.
Other features included displays of legendary
race cars such as Jack Brabham's 1961 Indianapolis 500 rear-engine
Cooper-Climax T-54 and the J. C. Agajanian No. 98 Willard Battery
roadster identical replica of the car Parnelli Jones drove to
victory in the 1963 Indy 500
IRL Indy Racing fan experience
exhibition runs of vintage dragsters
more than 20 vintage
Midgets on display at the main grandstand entrance
and a
30-minute exhibition starting at 5:15 of the vehicle drifting
competition sport imported from Japan.
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The usual PRE racing experience staples were
present again this year. They included-- aerial fireworks shot from
behind the backstretch, the Huffman twin blonde trophy girls from
Indiana, an armored truck on the front straight before the second
25-lap main, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m on-track autograph session with all
drivers and race cars on the front straight, midway booths and
displays, Mountain View High School Marching Band to play the
National Anthem, and 10,000 free 66-page color race programs given
to spectators and competitors.
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Speed TV Network taped the Irwindale Midget races
March 27 with on-air talent Ralph Sheheen (play-by-play), Larry Rice
(color analyst) and Dave Argabright (pit reporter) handling the
microphone work. It was Ralph's first visit to Irwindale.
Airdate is potentially April 10, but check your local listings.
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J. J. Yeley, winner of the Copper World Classic
USAC Midget feature on March 21 at Phoenix International Raceway was
entered for the Irwindale USAC Midget Twin 25s in his PIR-CWC
winning No. 91 Lewis Beast/Ed Pink Ford. However, during mid-week
J.J's Joe Gibbs NASCAR Busch Series team reportedly scheduled him
for a Busch testing session in the South. Therefore, 2003 USAC
Triple Crown Championship winner Yeley had to miss his chance to win
the $50,000 bonus at Irwindale. His scheduled ride sat in the
pits all night with no driver.
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Josh Wise made his second start for the new Tony
Stewart Racing Beast/Mopar team and had two identical cars at his
disposal under the direction of Stewart team manager Larry Curry.
Josh and his mechanic/buddy Jake Argo, of SCRA sprint car fame, have
rented an apartment in Indianapolis that they will share while they
chase the USAC National Midget Championship this season for Stewart.
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Notable guests at the USAC Irwindale Twin-25s
included drivers Parnelli Jones and son Page (soon to be a daddy),
Tommy Kendall, Lyn St. James, Bentley Warren, Jimmy Sills, Tony
Simon, Jimmy Oskie, Walt James, manufacturer Ed Iskenderian, LBGP
exec Jim Michelian, Bruce Meyer, Sonny Meyer, and Mary Mendez,
sister of George Bignotti.
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Can You Top This Department: With a slim field of
six push trucks present for the Midgets, two racing friendly
California Highway Patrol officers present used their two black and
white CHP patrol cars to push off Midgets during the evening. They
give precision-driving exhibitions at Irwindale Speedway
periodically on Saturday nights and recruit potential new officers
at the track. The push bars in front of the CHP cars used to push
disabled vehicles off local freeways served the purpose well. The
CHP cars launched USAC Midgets from the pits on the backstretch
track access road and were visable from the grandstand. It gave
local fans something new in racing to amaze them.
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The Midget field included two young drivers--Ryan
Kaplan and Stephen Graves--who stepped up from the Ford Focus
division. Graves drove the No. 94 Beast/Esslinger that the Graves
clan bought from Josh Wise's family in Riverside. Rookie Ford
Focus drivers at IS March 27 were Scott Pierovich, who turned 16 on
March 26, Jeff Sakowicz, TQ Midget veteran Jody Bandfield, Chase
Barber, a Morgan Hill, CA high school student and nephew of former
USAC and NMRA-TQ Midget driver/car owner Guy Barber, and SCRA sprint
car veteran Cal Smith, who has his four sprint cars for sale.
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First-time drivers at Irwindale Speedway were
easterners Drew Fornoro, Bobby Santos III, Mario Mariette and Davey
Ray. Teddy Beach's No. 125 all black Beast at Irwindale was a
car borrowed from the Fike family. Beach flipped his usual white and
orange No. 125 Beast on the front straight March 21 in the feature
at the PIR-CWC. A. J. Fike was not present in Irwindale because of
his ARCA stock car involvement. A.J's No. 132 that he raced in
Phoenix became No. 125 at Irwindale so Beach could chase 2004 USAC
National midget points.
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