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From the 4-2-2000 edition of the
Los Angeles Daily News
Written by Keith Lair
Turmoil at Irwindale
Problems continue to beset track
IRWINDALE - New cars, drivers and a new season has made for less-than-ideal
track conditions in Irwindale Speedway's first two weeks.
"The track was a disaster," NASCAR Grand American division driver Rip
Michels recalled of last week's season opener. "I thought I was going to crash three
times."
During qualifying both on Saturday and last week - and even the practice sessions a
week earlier - a lot of spilled oil, accidents and blown engines left the track full of
sand, dirt and debris. The first midget qualifier on Saturday, Ryan Newman, turned off his
engine in front of the starting line in protest during his qualifying run.
"Too much oil," said USAC West Coast director Tommy Hunt. "That was
probably a good thing he did that to get it taken care of."
NASCAR Super Late Model Dusty McDonald of Simi Valley thinks he knows why there is
so much debris thus far.
"There are way too many people and they're doing stupid things," he said.
"A lot of the cars are new and a lot of the people are new. That doesn't help."
McDonald cited the practice session two weeks ago'for some of these problems.
"'A lot of people wrecked and had problems. That made it especially hard last
week as they tried to work things out." Michels, from Mission Hills, says it might
just be a season opening problem.
"It will get worked out," he said.
On Saturday, three Super Late Models called it quits early when they dropped
engines during qualifying. Driver A.J. DiMarzo of Saugus isn't thrilled with all the oil
and accompanying sand.
"It's like driving through golf divots," he said.
The track was also loose for Super Lates because of the presence of the open-wheel
cars.
"They have a softer compound tire," Tommy Fry said.
That creates more pebbles, especially in spots where the open- wheelers don't go
and the Super Lates do go to.
More complaints: The introduction of the longer main events and the
B-Mains which puts the final six cars into the main event - is a situation drivers admit
they don't particularly like.
"It's not scary, it's more hairy," said McDonald, who avoided a second
straight appearance in a B-Main when delays from the oil spill canceled the B-Main and the
Trophy Dash. "Guys will do anything to get into those top six spots."
Fontana mayor Dave Eschelman was on the B-Main pole last week.
"You have to be careful,"he said. "There are not very many laps and
no one takes their time."
©2000 Los Angeles Daily News |
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