Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Speedway Willow Springs Returns To Action This Saturday



By Dave Grayson

Speedway Willow Springs will be turning on the lights this Saturday night to present round five of what has been a very competitive and entertaining 2016 season. The always challenging quarter mile paved oval is located within the massive Willow Springs International Raceway complex in the beautiful community of Rosamond. The evening will feature racing from six different divisions with the green flag waving over the first race at 6pm. The evening is being presented by Platinum Jewelry and Loan of Lancaster.

One of the major highlights of the evening will be the 40 lap main event from the Hooper's Rear End Service Elite Division. Driver David Brandon has been on fire this season and appears to be well on his way to a division championship. However, this doesn't mean his fellow drivers are going to lay back and hand him another trophy. This particular racing division is loaded with driving talent that includes speedway veterans, former track champions and main event winners such as Chris Peedan, Alex Anderson, John Penning and Randy Wilkins. This quartet of drivers will be on a mission Saturday night to figure out how to beat Brandon and be the first to pass under the checkers on lap 40.

Driver Tony Forfa is sitting on top of the championship points in the Platinum Jewelry and Loan standings, with three feature wins, and goes into Saturday night with a 15 point advantage over Justin Good whose feature win proves he can also get the job done. Not to be overlooked here is the presence of drivers Jerry Baxter , ageless wonder Bruce Secord and Dwight Kelly who are separated by three points in a fight for the third in the standings. The division's 35 lap main event is expected to be another lively affair as they have been all season long.

Driver Johnny Troesch has been formidable so far in the Wayne and Dave's Automotive Hobby Stock division with his four feature wins including three wins in a row. However, it was fellow competitor Michael Williams who broke that three win streak and lines up second in the championship standings only 12 markers behind Troesch. With only three races remaining in the season, that deficit could possibly be eradicated. These two drivers will be the pair to watch during the division's 30 lap main event.

The Lucas Oil Mini Stocks season has been highly interesting so far this season. It began with driver-team owner John Dunlap winning the first race of the season. He next turned the ride over to Willow Springs veteran Bobby Dezarov who won the second race of the season. Then, in the month of May, driver Ryan Bragdon got curious about Willow Springs racing and won three consecutive races. Another interesting aspect of this division is the presence of driver Greg Didoha whose consistent top five finishes has him second in the championship standings only four points behind Bragdon. However, Dezarov is only six points away from the top. This division could possibly turn out to be one of the best title runs of the 2016 season.

The always fun Tire Store Skid Plate division will be treating their fans to twin main events Saturday night. Driver Jon Carter leads the division's championship standings with 64 points. However, he only holds a six point advantage over drivers Mike Howard and Daniel Chadwick who are tied for second in the standings. All three drivers have scored feature wins this year.

Making a return appearance Saturday night, as a special guest division, will be those adorable youngsters in their mini dwarf cars. This division comes with a major ooh and aah factor especially when the drivers participate in a victory lane interview. Who knows? You may be watching the development of a great future racing champion.

One of the major factors during an evening at Speedway Willow Springs is their dedication to providing family fun. That includes entertaining the kids with special programs such as the Big Wheel trike races on the front stretch and the kids candy toss. From the children, their parents and grand parents, this program is all about family fun.

A weekend at the Willow Springs International Raceway complex is also extremely budget friendly for the race fans. The purchase of a $10 wrist band at the front gate will allow fan access to the racing programs at every one of their tracks on both Saturday and Sunday. By the way, kids age eight and under are admitted free. In the case of this weekend fans can take in high powered motorcycle racing on Saturday at the Streets of Willow Springs, a 1.6 mile road course. Next, you can return to the complex to watch the Los Angeles based Specialty Car Craft Auto Track Day featuring exotic custom sports cars being put through their paces on Big Willow, the mammoth 2.5 mile, nine turn, road course. Add all of this to the action from Speedway Willow Springs and you have the makings of a super racing weekend.

Racing at the Speedway Willow Springs is presented by a large team of highly potent, and much appreciated, sponsors featuring A To Z Graphics, ABADAK, Adams Metalizing & Grinding, Angel's Touch Towing, Benz Sanitation, Deist Safety, Dezarov's Mobile Auto Service, Dominguez Mexican Restaurant, 51 Fifty Energy Drink, Frank's Radios, High Desert Cellars, Hooper's Rear End Service, KGG Electric, K&N Performance Filters, Linny White's Race Shop, Lucas Oil Products Inc, Misfit Motorsports, Pinnacle Peak Steak House San Dimas & Colton, Platinum Jewelry & Loan Lancaster, Scramblez, Street Customs, Studio Equipment Rentals, 10,000 RPM, The Tire Store and Wayne & Dave's Automotive.