skipped watching World Series game six at Anaheim where the Anaheim Angels beat the San Francisco Giants 6 to 5, attended the track's final 2002 NASCAR event. Michels, the Jani-King SLM Series and Miller Lite Big 10 Challenge champion at Irwindale this year, is in his second year of SLM competition. He was one of Irwindale's top 2001 SLM rookies and the 2000 Grand American Modified Series champion.
   As the fastest qualifier in a 32-car field, Michels also collected $250 from High Banks Racing Collectibles and started on the pole in his Ladco Chevrolet Monte Carlo. He led 156 of the 200 laps (laps one-12 and 57-200). Michels' 27th career main event victory at IS broke a tie with Late Model champion Todd Burns and made Michels the most prolific feature winner at the four year old speedway. It was his SLM series track record ninth feature triumph of the season.
   SLM winner Michels said he took the lead at the green and was willing to allow anyone who wanted to go faster lead; he did so when Keith Spangler came from fifth starting position, passed him in turn two on lap 13 and led through lap 56. Michels returned to the point in turn two on lap 57 and was never headed despite five caution periods during which all laps counted and the field closed behind him and the Advantage Ford Mustang pace car.
   Open competition rules for the race required the full field to make a pit stop at the midway point in an assigned pit stall in the infield of the third-mile track. Fuel and change of only two tires were allowed. At the 15-minute mid-race intermission 26 of the 32 cars were still on the track and 19 were on the lead lap. The final half of the 200-lap race took only 35 minutes compared to 45-minutes for the first 100 laps.
   Tommy Fry started and finished second in his Crown Disposal Monte Carlo and was only 0.835 seconds in back of Michels. Fry dropped to fourth place on lap nine. On lap 60 he was back in second position, where he remained as the main challenger to Michels. Fry earned $2,000.
   Tim Woods III started and finished third in his Ford Taurus. He dropped to seventh place on lap 30 and was sixth on lap 80 when he spun in the second turn to avoid another car. He dropped to 18th position, but by lap 180 he had climbed back to third, where he remained to collect $1,250--the usual first place award at the track.
   Nathan Wulff, who lost his original Chevy Monte Carlo several months ago in a turn four crash, started sixth and finished fourth in his new Monte Carlo, a Randers Race Car chassis from Appleton, Wisconsin. He earned $1,000 for his initial race since his crash late summer crash at turn four.
   Kevin Vernon started fourth and finished fifth in his Monte Carlo for a $750 payday. He ran third until lap 162 when Wulff passed him on the inside in the fourth turn; he was fourth until lap 170 when Woods passed him.
   Rounding out the top ten finishers were Southwest Series veteran Nick Joanides, Spangler, Stephan Sadler, SLM rookie/truck veteran Dan Moore and Gary Jenkins. Sadler came from 19th starting spot to eighth in his Pontiac and received the $150 hard charger award. Rookie Chris Oddo, a USAC TQ and Midget veteran, came from 17th grid position and climbed as high as seventh place by the lap 100 intermission. He faded to 11th at the finish. Ray Hooper, Jr was 12th and the last driver on the lead lap with 20 cars still racing at the conclusion.

Fast Time: Rip Michels, 18.118.

Main: Michels, Tommy Fry, Tim Woods III, Nathan Wulff, Kevin Vernon, Nick Joanides, Keith Spangler, Stephan Sadler, Dan Moore, Gary Jenkins, Chris Oddo, Ray Hooper, Jr, James Roland, Shawn Brink, Nick DeFazio, James Bruncati, Billy Kann, Brian Dryer, David Beat, Andy Coyle, Steve Prescott, Tony Bruncati, Craig Rayborn, Scott Conaway, Brent Reynolds, David Quartaro, Allen Bruhn, Jon Nelson, Chris Straka, Dan O'Donnell, Terry Limberopoulos, Alan Sadler.