Official Nascar Sponsor – Open Wheel Truck Racer Logan Henson
Irwindale Speedway Race Report – April 21, 2007
by Tim Kennedy
SUPER TRUCKS: Logan Henson, a 20-year old veteran of two years in the King Taco Super Trucks, won his first feature at IS to make his third year his best yet. He started from pole position in his No. 78 Bonanza Concrete Chevy S-10 and trailed fellow front row starter Pat Mintey, Jr for 12 laps on the half-mile. Henson made a quick charge inside Mintey from the starting line to the first turn on lap 13 and never trailed again. He won the 40-lap race by 35-yards (2.441 seconds). Henson’s best prior finish was the April 7 race in which he finished second to point leader Mintey. Henson missed the season opener but now ranks seventh after three events. Opening night winner Joe Herold finished third, 4.363 seconds back. Matthew Hicks and John Israel followed in the 18-truck, all-green flag 13:36.618-timed race.
Irwindale Speedway Race Report – April 7, 2007
by Tim Kennedy
SUPER TRUCKS: A 22-truck field of King Taco Super Trucks had four lead changes among four drivers in a 40-lap main on the half-mile. Fastest qualifier/seventh starter Pat Mintey, Jr. took command and put his 2007 Chevy S-10 into the lead on lap 34 with an inside pass in turn three. He won by 10-yards (0.247) over second-year truck racer Logan Henson, the lap 19-32 race leader. Joe Herold, the opening night main event winner two weeks ago, started second and led lap 2-18 and again on lap 33. The top four trucks waged a race-long, position-swapping battle. Herold passed Henson on the inside at turn two on lap 33. Mintey followed his route past Henson simultaneously. Mintey took the lead from Herold a lap later with an inside move at turn three. Henson repassed Herold low in the first two turns on lap 39 of 40 for his career-best finish. At the finish the top four drivers-Mintey, Henson, Herold and Matthew Hicks-were all within 0.934. Pole starter John Watkinson, Irwindale’s 2002 and 2006 GAM-champion and first lap leader, finished fifth in his rookie truck campaign.
A three-truck crash in mid-pack on lap 32 caused a 14-minute red flag delay for track clean-up. Josh Barker slammed into the first turn wall hard at the right side of his truck, causing the left side wheels to lift high in the air before it stopped on four-wheels high in turn two. Mason Britton hit the wall and had front-end damage. John Sereika’s truck turned over and landed on the left side in mid-track. He climbed out the passenger side unhurt. Track workers righted the truck. No injuries resulted but all three trucks went to the pits on the business-end of tow trucks from Jan’s Towing, the new IS tow trucks provider this year. Seventeen trucks finished and 14 completed all 40-laps. Winner Mintey, the third place driver in 2006 points who last won in 2005, told the crowd, “It was probably the best race I’ve driven in a long time. I was so bad last year, but I never quit and stayed tough.”