The first SLM
50-lap main had eventual winner Tony Bruncati on the pole and fastest
qualifier Rip Michels outside in row one. They monopolized the lead and
used beautifully-controlled "slide-jobs" to trade the point four times.
Bruncati had his No. 22 Sunrise Ford-sponsored Ford Taurus in front
for the first two laps.
Michels put his No. 12 LADCO Chevy Monte Carlo atop the scoring
pylon from laps three through six. Bruncati led laps seven-18 before
Michels went low exiting turn four and had his nose in front on lap 19.
Bruncati used an outside pass in the fourth turn on lap 20 to take
command for good and earn his first main event trophy after three years
racing a super late model at the track.
All his inside groove racing eventually heated Michels' tires and
he lost second postion to Brandon Loverock on lap 27. Tommy Fry took
third place on lap 28. Michels regained third during lap 40 and
finished third with a flat right front tire trailing sparks on the
cool-off lap. Runner-up Loverock trailed Bruncati by 1.717 seconds.
Michels was a mere 0.140 seconds in back of Loverock's Chevy.
Fry's Chevy finished fourth, 3.340 seconds behind the winner. Point
leader Tony Green brought his Chevy home fifth, but he saw Loverock cut
his point lead by six points to 32 points. Brent Reynolds, Ben Walker,
SLM rookie/truck veteran Dan Moore and Nick DeFazio completed the top
ten. Only the top ten drivers ran all 50 laps. Fifteen of the 20
starters were still racing at the finish.
The second SLM 50 had three race leaders. Kevin Vernon, trying to
join Bruncati as a first time Irwindale winner, started second and led
the first 32 circuits. Ninth starter Loverock charged forward quickly
and was in second place by lap 12. Inside-running Loverock raced
outside-running Vernon evenly for 20-laps and trailed by half a length
from lap 25-32.
On lap 33 Loverock used an inside move at turn three to take
charge. Sixth-starter Michels dropped Vernon to third on lap 37 and
then battled the now outside-running Loverock for the lead. Michels used
an inside pass from the fourth turn to the starting line and took the
point during lap 41. He won by ten yards over Loverock, with Vernon
30-yards back in third.
Yanagawa, Nathan Wulff, Bruncati, Fry, Moore, Walker and AMA Grand
National Dirt Track Series motorcycle expert rider Brett Landes
completed the top ten. Nineteen of the 20 starters finished, with 15
drivers running all 50 circuits. The rapid, all green flag race took
only 15:53.766. SLM point leader Green experienced tire problems and
finished 14th. He saw his point advantage over Loverock shrink to only
eight points - 410 to 402.
For the first time, SLM drivers used two qualifying laps, timed
individually, to set starting lineups for both of the twin-50s. Their
first lap gave them their starting spot in the first 50 and their second
lap gave them their starting position for the second 50. A rule allowed
a maximum of six tires for both races. Drivers had to start the first 50
on tires used for qualifying. The two remaining tires could be used to
replace any flat tires or for the second 50 lap race.
Loverock, from fourth grid position, won the six-lap SLM trophy
dash. He led the final two laps.
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