News FeedJuly 3, 2008
When the SuperClean Modified Series rolls into San Bernardino July 12th to take on the challenge of the tightly wound quarter mile paved oval at the Orange Show Speedway the series' drivers will be presented with a special incentive: the presence of special guest driver Ron Hornaday Jr. For Hornaday, a three time NASCAR Craftsman Truck champion, this is a southern California homecoming. He resides in nearby Palmdale. It's also an opportunity to return to his short track racing roots as well as visit with the fans who has eagerly supported him all of these years. Good for him and good for the Orange Show Speedway. His presence in the SuperClean Modified Series' 75 lap feature, as well as the 100 lapper for the BSR Super Late Models, is going to generate a lot of excitement for the fans and will likely sell a lot of tickets. It's also possible that there may be an elevation in the car count for both series because, after all, what driver wouldn't want the bragging rights that says he out raced a three time national champion?
The car Hornaday will be driving in the SuperClean Modified feature also has a championship legacy. This car, owned by Doug Cantania, is the same machine that won the 2007 Lucas Oil Modified Series with driver Danny Gay behind the wheel. The car has a 2007 Ellis chassis, a 350 cid alcohol burning engine and a TAR body. Danny Gay was reported to be more than thrilled to be asked to crew chief this car for Hornaday. Also there will be the strong presence of Danny Stockman, a long time employee of Kevin Harvick Inc who serves as Hornaday's Truck Chief. Stockman, the son of Orange Show Speedway Race Director Gary Stockman, will be there to supervise both the Hornaday car and the debut of the modified racer driven by his brother Travis.
While this race is going to feature a championship driver behind the wheel of a championship modified don't make the mistake of thinking that Hornaday might have an easy night at the Orange Show Speedway. There are plenty of SuperClean Modifed Series regulars who have a completely different opinion on this subject. Chief among them is El Cajon-California's Jimmy Dickerson whose three feature wins in 2008 has placed him on top of the series' points standings. Dickerson, and his STR modified, has been formidable this year and this driver shines on short tracks such as the Orange Show. Also not to be overlooked is Simi Valley-California's Andrew Phipps who is also a feature winner and only ten points behind Dickerson. Still other strong race winning possibilities include Billy Johanneck, Scott Brown, Mike Salm and James Cole who loves this series so much that he actually flies in from San Antonio-Texas to make the races. This group of drivers are hovering near the top of the points standings and the Orange Show Speedway event could very well turn out to be the break out race that they're looking for.
The other outstanding feature about the SuperClean Modified Series is the level of competition. A case in point was the June 12th race when the series visited Arizona's Tucson Raceway Park. This 75 lap race frequently featured three wide, door to door, racing and only the individual skills of the drivers prevented what appeared to be a sure recipe for a wreck. Even the qualifying for this race was intense and the separation time for the first half of the starting field was less than one half of a second. This type of intense competition has been going on all season long and it's a major reason why so many fans loves this series.
When the green flag falls on the July 12th SuperClean Modified Series race at the Orange Show Speedway Ron Hornaday Jr is expected to be a major factor and an added incentive for his fellow drivers in the field. But his presence in the race will not deter the teams from losing focus on the short and long range goals. The short range goal is winning the race and collecting the $1,000 check that comes with that. The large range goal is the championship standings. The combined purse and points fund for this series is in excess of $105,000. The series champion is going to receive $3,500 plus bonus awards along with sponsor products. That's the true focus of the SuperClean Modified drivers.
The July 12th evening at the Orange Show Speedway is going to be very special for the fans. They have the opportunity of purchasing a cold pit pass that will allow them to visit pit road and meet Ron Hornaday Jr. After the race the fans will be able to participate in a special party hosted by Hornaday. But the real treat will be some of the best modified and super late model racing you'll ever want to see. Dial up www.nosevents.com/speedway.htm for all of the race day details. While you're on the web dial up www.lucasoilmodifieds.com and read why the SuperClean Modified Series is so exciting.
In addition to the title sponsor, the SuperClean Modified Series is supported by a strong marketing concept known as Team Lucas. Team members include Lucas Oil Products Inc, Jim Beam, K&N Performance Filters, Blue Water Resort and Casino, General Tire, Hoosier Racing Tire, Fatheadz Sun Glasses, Dixie Chopper, Sencon Concrete LLC, Poly Dome Plastic Products, R&L Carriers, E3 Spark Plugs and Budweiser.
BY DAVE GRAYSON.
