MIKE KIRBY SET TO CHALLENGE
PERRIS LATE MODEL STARS!
(MAY 1, 2007, PERRIS, CA) Competition in the Art's Concrete Pumping Extreme Late Models class at Perris Auto Speedway is about to get a lot tougher as former USAC/CRA Sprint Car star Mike Kirby is throwing his hat into the tough ring of competition. The Late Models will head this Saturday's show at The PAS and the California Lightning Sprint Cars, Street Stocks and the Pick-A-Part Cruisers will join them. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 PM with racing at 6:30.

Kirby, who turned 41 today (May 1st) is going to take a serious stab at the Late Model competition. On Sunday morning, Kirby took delivery of the powerful 410 engine that Blake Miller drove to a third place finish in the Lucas Oil USAC/CRA Sprint Car main event some 10 hours earlier at The PAS. Miller qualified for the USAC/CRA race on Saturday with a 17.356. That time was just a couple clicks slower than Kelly Boen's all time PAS Late Model track record of 17.063.

Kirby and crew have been in a thrash since the engine arrived in hopes of getting the car ready for this Saturday's race on the Riverside County clay oval.

Kirby has won three of the first four Modified main events at The PAS this season. For the record, he won the last ever full season championship in the original CRA in 1993, he won three NASCAR Figure 8 championships at J.C. Agajanian's legendary Ascot Park where the Harbor, the San Diego and the 91 freeways used to slide in Gardena and he has a total of 61 Sprint Car Main event wins on the west coast.

Kirby will encounter good friends Nick, Bill and Ron Bartels when he makes his PAS Late Model debut. Nick, of El Segundo, California, holds a precarious 10-point lead over his grandfather Bill, of Marina Del Rey, California, in the season long point standings. Ron, who is Bill's son and Nick's father, - have you got all of that straight? - will also be on hand on Saturday and he led the PAS Late Model contingent in main event wins in 2006.

Henry Wesolowski Sr. of Temecula, California returns to The PAS after an interesting evening two weeks ago. Wesolowski had something break in his MC Builders Super Stock and hit the turn four wall head and saw his car literally go up in flames. "Haulin' Henry" was none the worse for wear and drove to a 15th place finish in the Street Stock main. However, the 2006 PAS Street Stock champion relinquished the point lead to Torrance, California's Kenny Mann. Moreno Valley, California's Curtis Dietzsch, who won the main event two weeks ago, trails Mann by four points and Riverside, California's Jim Coates is only seven points behind in third.

The winged California Lightning Sprint Cars, who have provided numerous stars to the Lucas Oil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series including Mike Spencer who is currently second in USAC/CRA points, will be making their second exciting appearance of 2007 at The PAS. The crazy Pick-A-Part Cruisers will round out Saturdays show.

Saturday's gasoline and methanol adrenalin fueled frenzy will include qualifying for the Late Models and heat races and main events for all of the classes.

Anyone wishing more information can contact Perris Auto Speedway at (951) 940-0134.

Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds (home of the Southern California Fair), approximately one hour east of Los Angeles and one hour North of San Diego. To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit at the Ramona Expressway and go two miles east to the fairgrounds.

Video and DVD productions for all PASSCAR events are available from Pasadena, California's RAZ Video. For more information on these shows call Howie Zechner at (626) 449-1175 or send an E-mail to: Howie@razvideo.com. You can also visit their web site at: razvideo.com.

racesatthepas@aol.com is the only authorized Internet address to issue official media news released from The Perris Auto Speedway or Oval Entertainment

ART'S CONCRETE PUMPING EXTREME LATE MODELS

  1. Nick Bartels – El Segundo, CA – 222
  2. Bill Bartels – Marina Del Rey, CA – 212
  3. Art Peterson – Cathedral City, CA – 194
  4. Carla Laney – Torrance, CA – 186
  5. Virgil Haney – Yucca Valley, CA - 171

STREET STOCKS

  1. Kenny Mann – Torrance, CA – 194
  2. Curtis Dietzsch – Moreno Valley, CA - 190
  3. Jim Coates – Riverside, CA – 187
  4. Henry Wesolowski Sr. - Temecula, CA – 170
  5. Hap Vertich – Huntington Beach, CA – 160

PICK-A-PART CRUISERS

  1. Gillum/Gillum – Riverside, CA – 171
  2. Fengler/Holmes – Riverside, CA – 120
  3. Rhodes/Howard – Banning, CA – 60
  4. Bundy/Shoemaker – Glendora, CA – 54
  5. Lagor/Stevens – Nuevo, CA – 51

Whittaker/Diedrich – Riverside, CA - 51