Irwindale, CA -- As the CASCOR Winter Late Model series rolled into the Irwindale Speedway, the championship had already been decided. However several drivers still had a lot to prove in these final two races. And who would be able to claim victory with Matt Riley seemingly absent from the venue?
The 8 car field would time trial for position, with Justin Collision and Tyler Tucker on the front row. Tyler Tucker would take the lead after Collison led on lap 1. Shortly after, Tucker took the lead, Collison would spin out of turn 2, bringing out the first yellow of the night. Tucker would choose the outside line on the restart, with Andrew Hayes lining up inside as they brought the field down to the restart on lap 8.
Yellow would fly again on lap 11 when Brent Sweet made contact with Kyle Young in turn 1, causing a chain reaction that included Tyler Tucker, Johnny Williams and Bertus De Jong. The restart came on lap 17 with Collison back in the top spot. Andrew Hayes muscled his way back to 2nd spot, with Bertus De Jong surprisingly in tow, taking the 3rd position from Kyle Young. Tyler Tucker would take the 4th spot, just before Kyle Young spun and brought the caution out on lap 28. Mike Husby parked for the evening due to electrical issues (warp).
The entire field would pit under the yellow, with the green flying again on lap 35. Justin Collison would pick the inside lane with Andrew Hayes offering a strong challenge on the outside. Tyler Tucker would then use the high line a few laps later to work his way past Hayes as Brent Sweet followed close behind. The yellow would fly yet again, as Collison spun off of turn 2, not doing any damage in the process. This yellow set up for one of the most exciting finishes in CASCOR history.
Tyler Tucker would lead the field to the green on the outside, with Hayes inside, Sweet 3rd, and Young 4th. Hayes would take the lead from Tucker a few laps later, as the field stayed single file.
With 5 laps to go the action really started to heat up. As Tyler Tucker would put pressure on Andrew Hayes, with Brent Sweet a mere 2 car lengths behind. Tucker would again battle on the outside with Hayes. When the white flag was waved, Tucker pulled away by a car length on Hayes going into turn 1. Tucker would gain a slight advantage down the backstretch, with Young applying the pressure for 3rd.
Tyler Tucker would take the win, with a photo finish for 2nd and 3rd. Hayes took 2nd, with Brent Sweet barely edging out Kyle Young for 3rd. Young was 4th, Johnny Williams 5th,Bertus De Jong 6th, Justin Collison had a disappointing day in 7th, and Mike Husby rounded out the field in 8th.
With 1 race to go in the 2011 CASCOR Winter Late Model series, Matt Riley has already locked up the championship. Positions 2 through 4, however, are only separated by 35 points. Could Brent Sweet finally notch a win in what has been a disappointing year so far? Can Mike Husby hold on to 2nd place in the standings while a hard charging Justin Collison looks to take the maiden spot? We will find out in the last race of the season, the Casino Arizona 50 at Phoenix International Raceway.
