LOS ANGELES – Opening night of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series season at Irwindale Speedway was Saturday, March 13.
It was a doubleheader with competitors only present for afternoon and evening events because of pandemic restrictions.
Fans at home were able to watch both the 2020 season awards ceremony from 3:30 to 4:15 in the main grandstand and on track racing from 5:00 to 8:40 p.m. Pacific time.
The usual sit-down track championship awards dinner in the main ballroom of the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Monrovia was not possible due to COVID-19 restrictions on indoor dining and on social distancing imposed by Los Angeles County officials.
Tim Huddleston, co-promoter and track president, used a portable microphone on the walkway in front of the main grandstand and emceed the awards ceremony. He awarded plaques to the top five drivers in eight classes from last season.
More than 100 competitors present for NASCAR points racing came from the pits and watched awards presentations. The top five drivers in points for each division received NASCAR point fund checks during December.
The division champions from 2020 receiving plaques and Lucas Oil product bags were Robert Rice (Enduros, Stock Class); Bobby Ozman (Enduros, Sport Class); Tyler Hicks (Legend Cars); Robby Harryman (Super Stocks); Andrew Porter (Race Trucks); Jake Drew (Spec Late Models); Dean Thompson (Late Models) and Trevor Huddleston, who took the Pro Late Model Interstate Series title split between Arizona and California.
Drew, 20, also received rookie-of-the-year honors in addition to his spec late model title.
A special Michael Atkinson “Humble Hero” award honored long-time Irwindale racing director Mike Atkinson, who passed away suddenly last month at age 63.
The initial presentation went to his two daughters, Sarah and Jannie, who worked for years with Mike in the race control booth at each event. On Saturday, they assumed their new official roles at the speedway.
Co-promoters Huddleston and Bob Bruncati named Sarah as the new Irwindale racing director, becoming the first female to occupy that NASCAR position.
She sat in the front row race control seat formerly occupied by her hard working, highly respected, versatile father. Jannie, also in her 20s, assumed Sarah’s former job as Chief of Timing and Scoring and handled electronic timing and scoring duties from the top row.
Mike A, as he was known, followed in the footsteps of his father Art, who promoted two Southern California short tracks – Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino and Speedway 605 in Irwindale – in the 1950s and ’60s.
He passed on his love of short-track racing and trained both daughters, who became third generation racing officials. Racing ran smoothly Saturday as expected.
Irwindale’s NASCAR opening night had 64 vehicles in action. The top five finishers in each race received cash for the first time, since pandemic regulations did not allow paying spectators to attend.
Fastest qualifier Huddleston won both 35-lap late model mains on the half-mile. He started from pole position in the opener and from eighth in the closer based on an eight car inverted lineup. All 10 starters finished on the lead lap in the second, caution-free race.
Runners-up Ryan Schartau and Dean Thompson trailed Huddleston by half a second in the two races. Huddleston now has 63 feature victories at Irwindale and trails all-time leading winner Rip Michels by only four victories.
The combined race trucks and spec late model 40-lap main on the half-mile had six trucks and six cars racing two and three wide in a caution-free event.
Winners in both series received 50 points. They were overall winner Andrew Porter (truck) and runner-up Andy Partridge (car), who trailed by 1.592 seconds.
Street stocks raced 35-laps on the third-mile. Fastest qualifier Craig Rayburn started seventh in a 13-car field and led the final 30 laps in his Camaro. Jay Henson (Camaro) trailed by three seconds.
The INEX Legend Car class saw seven drivers race 35 laps on the third-mile. Reigning champion Tyler Hicks led the final 31 laps and barely held off pressing past champion Chad Schug by .179 seconds. The race had three first time starters at Irwindale.
Enduro four-cylinder sedans used a six-turn course that used parts of both ovals and the infield for a pair of 30-lap races.
Twenty-two cars in two classes — 11 sport (with OHC) and 11 stock — competed for separate points. All faster sport sedans started behind stock class cars. Ian Rotundo (Honda Prelude) and Bory Mnolina (Toyota Celica) won the 50-point hauls.
John Beard (Honda Accord) won both stock class mains and collected 100-points for the night. He finished sixth and third overall in the two races.
The next scheduled Irwindale race on April 10 will be a Spears Series tripleheader. Spears sanctioned super late models, modifieds and the tour’s new pro late model series will compete for series points during the 10-race series at four tracks for each class.
Huddleston announced that spectators will be admitted to the grandstand for races after April 1 just as they will be at major league baseball stadiums in California because of improving COVID-19 conditions. LA County restrictions moved from the purple to red tier.
However, only 20 percent of capacity will be allowed into the 6,500 seat grandstand.
Huddleston said admission tickets to the popular Spears series event on April 10 may only be purchased online.