If Friday night's action at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was any indication of what is in store at Saturday’s Senator’s Cup Fall Classic, the popular short track’s audience is in for quite a treat.
With U.S. Senator Dean Heller of Nevada looking on, Las Vegas’ Dustin Ash led the Super Late Models through qualifying, a trio of talented young drivers earned feature victories and the stage was set for a great culmination for the two-day extravaganza at the 3/8-mile paved oval. Heller, a former Bullring competitor, enjoyed the Senator’s Cup Fall Classic qualifying night and is primed and ready to wave the green flag and hand out a $15,000 check for the winner of Saturday night’s Super Late Models 150.
He was on-hand on Friday night to see Hillsborough, Calif., driver Toni Bredinger win the 25-lap USAC HPD Midgets feature ahead of her twin sister, Annie, for her fourth victory of 2016 at the short track. She’ll have a chance to go for No. 5 on Saturday night in another 25-lap race.
"This track has certainly been super good to me this year, and I’ve been lucky to win all of the races," Bredinger said. “For tomorrow, I’m just hoping to be consistent and stay fast. Except for new tires, I won’t make any changes to my car, because it’s perfect right now.”
Zach St. Onge of Upland, Calif., passed John Newhouse of Twin Falls, Idaho, midway through the South West Tour Trucks/Pro Trucks 50-lap feature and pulled away for his fourth career Bullring victory. St. Onge crossed the line 1.773 seconds ahead of Newhouse for his second win of 2016 at the LVMS short track.
“(Newhouse) made a little slip-up, and I took advantage of it,” St. Onge said. “I was able to stay away from him the rest of the race, and I’ve just got to thank him for racing me clean. It was a great race, and thanks to all of the fans who came out today.”
Four-time Bullring track champion Peyton Saxton, fresh off a NASCAR Grand American Modifieds season championship, out-dueled fellow four-time track champion Jason Irwin in Friday’s nightcap, crossing the line .450 of a second ahead of Irwin in the USLCI Legends 25-lap feature.
Silverstate Refrigeration & HVAC chipped in an extra $500 for the winner of the USLCI Legends feature, giving Saxton extra reason to celebrate.
“I was a little scared there with all the yellows and our track position, but I made a cool three-wide pass coming out of four, so maybe that was a highlight of the race,” Saxton said. “The re-starts were tough, and we always seemed to be in the wrong position when the yellow came out. I had to re-start from the outside, and I’m not very strong at it, but the No. 10 car was pretty good tonight.”
In qualifying, 55-time Bullring winner Ash turned the fastest Super Late Model, just ahead of Eric Holmes of Manteca, Calif., and Tayler Riddle of Naches, Wash. Super Late Models 150 defending champion Linny White qualified fourth, local stars Noah Gragson and Chris Clyne took fifth and sixth, respectively, and 2013 Bullring track champion Jay Beasley earned the eighth and final automatic bid into the 150-lap feature from qualifying.
Clyne, the son of LVMS founder Richie Clyne, drew the No. 1 position after qualifying and will start from the pole in Saturday’s quest for a $15,000 first-place check. The final four spots in the 24-car field will be determined from Saturday’s pair of B features, with two drivers from each race advancing.
Las Vegas’ Justin Johnson - the reigning Bullring NASCAR Super Late Models track champion – Jeremy Doss of Upper Lake, Calif., Trevor Huddleston of Agoura Hills, Calif., and Rod Johnson Jr. of Palmdale, Calif., won the four Super Late Models heat races to earn berths into Saturday’s 150-lap main feature. Kayli Barker, The Bullring’s all-time winningest female, 24-time Bullring race winner Chris Trickle and Stan Mullis were other local drivers who finished in the top three spots in their heats to also qualify for Saturday’s main event.
Huddleston, who won the 100-lap Late Models feature at The Bullring last year, was that division’s fastest qualifier on Friday, just ahead of Eric Richardson of Bakersfield, Calif., and will be pulling double duty on Saturday night. Racin Vernon, the eighth-fastest qualifier, will start from the pole in the Late Models 100 after drawing the No. 1 spot.
Jason Kiser, who won Bullring season titles in the Super Stocks division in 2014 and 2015, won the class’ first heat race, with Neil Schneider of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, taking the second heat race. The Super Stocks’ 50-lap feature is another big part of Saturday night’s racing lineup.
NEXT RACE: Super Late Models drivers will run for a $15,000 first-place check in Saturday night’s 150-lap feature, and U.S. Senator Dean Heller, a former Bullring competitor, will be on-hand to give out the winner’s check. A full night of racing is on tap, with a 100-lap Late Models feature, a 50-lap South West Tour/Pro Truck Series race and a 50-lap Super Stocks feature part of the evening’s schedule.
Senator’s Cup Fall Classic
Qualifying night results
Super Stocks heat race No. 1 (10 laps)
- Jason Kiser; 2. Joe DeGuevara (-.379 of a second); 3. Chris Dalton (-.785); 4. Thomas Suarez (-3.933); 5. Kevin James (-5.580); 6. Mason Sargent (-11.927).
Super Stocks heat race No. 2 (10 laps)
- Neil Schneider; 2. Johnny Spilotro (-2.162 seconds); 3. Michael Nicks (-2.908); 4. Justin Kiser (-4.959); 5. Vince Bianchi (-13.487); 6. Daniel Packer (-1 lap).
Late Models heat race (15 laps)
- Andy Sole; 2. Dillon Tucker (-.200 of a second); 3. Matthew Erickson (-1.259); 4. J.R. Courage (-1.379); 5. Justin Dukes (-7.831).
USAC HPD Midgets heat race No. 1 (8 laps)
- Toni Bredinger; 2. Annie Bredinger (-.726 of a second); 3. Dezel West (-5.317); 4. Brian Sands (-10.881).
USAC HPD Midgets heat race No. 2 (8 laps)
- Jesse Love; 2. Antonia Boscacci (-3.325 seconds); 3. Jagger Jones (-4.936).
USLCI Legends 20-lap B feature
- Ryan Schartau; 2. Darrell L. Stewart (-.471 of a second); 3. Brian Williams (-.965); 4. Austyn Radosta (-1.268); 5. Mike Thomas (-1.855); 6. Zach Witherwax (-1.928); 7. Gary Wegener Jr. (-3.025); 8. Doug Sheldon (-3.032); 9. Troy Briesch (-3.309); 10. Alex Bartlett (-4.392); 11. Haeden Plybon (-4 laps); 12. Lance McClackey (-6 laps).
Super Late Models heat race No. 1 (15 laps)
- Justin Johnson*; 2. Jeff Bischofberger* (-3.494 seconds); 3. Braeden Havens* (-5.349); 4. Dennis Rock (-5.913); 5. Jace Hansen (-6.374); 6. Alan Cress (-7.711); 7. Wade Koens (-9.571); 8. Kyle Gottula (-10.912); 9. Gary Clift (-12.579); 10. Charlie Pike (-1 lap).
*Advance to 150-lap main feature on Saturday.
Super Late Models heat race No. 2 (15 laps)
- Jeremy Doss*; 2. Wade Bland* (-1.716 seconds); 3. Kayli Barker* (-3.462); 4. Jason Jefferson (-4.244); 5. Mike Haslam (-4.963); 6. Doni Wanat (-5.338); 7. Andrew Koens (-5.864); 8. Warren Knipper (-13 laps); 9. Ryan Partridge (-14 laps).
*Advance to 150-lap main feature on Saturday.
Super Late Models heat race No. 3 (15 laps)
- Trevor Huddleston*; 2. Joey Bird* (-1.553 seconds); 3. Stan Mullis* (-2.523); 4. Ryan Wells (-2.592); 5. Barry Karr (-2.918); 6. Brooke Schimmel (-4.994); 7. John Newhouse (-5.796); 8. Mitch Kleyn (-7.363); 9. Greg Haase (-8.592).
*Advance to 150-lap main feature on Saturday.
Super Late Models heat race No. 4 (15 laps)
- Rod Johnson Jr.*; 2. Chris Trickle* (-.579 of a second); 3. Darrell Midgley* (-1.393); 4. Trevor Christiani (-2.201); 5. Jeff Hillock (-2.405); 6. Ricky Bogart (-3.174); 7. Dee Cable (-7.241); 8. Toni McCray (-4 laps); 9. Clint Habart (-14 laps).
*Advance to 150-lap main feature on Saturday.
USAC HPD Midgets 30-lap feature
- Toni Bredinger; 2. Annie Bredinger (-1.484 seconds); 3. Jagger Jones (-3.964); 4. Antonia Boscacci (-4.850); 5. Jesse Love (-1 lap); 6. Brian Sands (-2 laps); 7. Dezel West (-7 laps).
South West Tour Trucks/Pro Trucks 50-lap feature
- Zach St. Onge; 2. John Newhouse (-1.773 seconds); 3. Mason Newhouse (-14.410); 4. Ronnie Davis (-16.938); 5. Ed Cutler (-19.129); 6. Roger Harder (-1 lap); 7. Jayden Park (-1 lap); 8. Hiroyuki Veno (-1 lap); 9. Mike Kelperis (-3 laps); 10. Derek Robertson (-4 laps); 11. Dan Coburn (-5 laps); 12. Steve Reeves (-13 laps).
USLCI Legends 25-lap feature
- Peyton Saxton; 2. Jason Irwin (-.450 of a second); 3. Brian Grandin (-1.523); 4. Robbie Czub (-1.673); 5. Jagger Jones (-4.343); 6. Danny Medina (-4.670); 7. Ian Anderson (-4.909); 8. Darrell J. Stewart (-6.543); 9. Randy Beddow (-7.081); 10. Ryan Schartau (-7.343); 11. Colton Page (-7.630); 12. Gary Scheurell (-8.092); 13. Kole Raz (-8.106); 14. Rick McNeill (-8.860); 15. Cody Winchel (-9.023); 16. Brock Denney (-9.139); 17. Braden Rogers (-12.433); 18. Darrell L. Stewart (-12.609); 19. Kaiden Anderson (-12.643); 20. George Sheldon (-12.758); 21. Brian Williams (-13.448); 22. Austyn Radosta (-15.114); 23. Mike Thomas (-1 lap); 24. Dana Glenn (-5 laps); 25. Ricky Schlick (-13 laps); 26. Gary Wegener Jr. (-16 laps).