CLANTON GRABS POLE FOR ASA RACE.Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer IRWINDALE - USA International Speedway in Lakeland, Fla., is a similar track to Irwindale Speedway Irwindale Speedway is a motorsports facility located in Irwindale, California. It features banked, paved 1/2 and 1/3 mile oval tracks. It is mainly used for USAC sprint car and regional NASCAR races. , Joey Clanton Joey Clanton (born in Tyrone, Georgia on November 1, 1972), is an American race car driver and businessman. He was the 2002 champion in the now-defunct American Speed Association stock car series. says. So Clanton did not change a thing when he sent his American Speed Association The American Speed Association (ASA) was a sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States from 1968 until its demise in 2004 due to financial problems. The Association was based in Pendleton, Indiana. car west for the TireRack.com 300. And it paid off Saturday afternoon during qualifying. Clanton, who won the season opener two weeks ago in Lakeland, won the pole with a speed of 100.264 mph for today's race, which is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. The race will be telecast nationally by The National Network, and it will be the first Sunday afternoon race at Irwindale. ``We did not change a thing,'' Clanton said. ``We unloaded the car fast. We worked all night nearly all this week, and I mean all night, getting the car ready. ``Last year, we were really loose here. That's how it was in Lakeland, too. So I had them really tighten it up and it was still a little loose during qualifying. I'll wiggle a little bit, but I grew up on dirt tracks, so I'm used to it.'' Defending race champion Gary St. Amant of Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital and the largest city of the American state of Ohio. Named for explorer Christopher Columbus, the city was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and assumed the functions of state capital in 1816. , qualified second at 100.078 mph, and Kevin Cywinski Kevin Cywinski, born March 16, 1965 in Mosinee, Wisconsin, is a former NASCAR driver. He competed in the Craftsman Truck Series full-time in 1998 and 1999, as well as some races in the Busch Series. After leaving NASCAR, he went back down to the short-track ranks. of Wausau, Wis., qualified third in 99.956 mph. The three were more than half a second faster than fourth-place qualifier Greg Stewart of Four Oaks, N.C. Clanton and St. Amant were the only drivers to break the 18-second barrier and Clanton was a tenth of a second slower than the track record of Butch Miller Butch Miller could be:
Clanton, a 29-year-old from Stockbridge, Ga., was the only driver to switch gears between the three practice sessions and qualifying. And he said it's why he's on the pole. ``There's a lot of different lines here and your gear is set for each line,'' Clanton said. ``If you don't find the right gear, you're going to have troubles.'' St. Amant had the fastest practice time, followed by Clanton and Mike Cope of Pinellas Park Pinellas Park (pĭnĕl`əs), city (1990 pop. 43,426), Pinellas co., W central Fla.; inc. 1915. Mainly residential, it has industries that manufacture electronic equipment and plastics. , Fla., who qualified fifth. ``I had to watch Cywinski and St. Amant,'' Clanton said. ``When St. Amant reached his rev limiter (in turn 1) of the first (qualifying) lap, I knew that's all he had and he wouldn't improve on his second lap.'' There were only 13 returning drivers who raced at Irwindale last season and there are 12 rookies in the race. AT A GLANCE What: ASA Asa (ā`sə), in the Bible, king of Judah, son and successor of Abijah. He was a good king, zealous in his extirpation of idols. When Baasha of Israel took Ramah (a few miles N of Jerusalem), Asa bought the help of Benhadad of Damascus and TireRack.com 300 When: Today, 1 p.m. Where: Irwindale Speedway TV: National Network Tickets: Call (626) 358-1100 CAPTION(S): box Box: AT A GLANCE (see text) |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion