OSS 2008 season champs crowned.
Hats off to the following season champions, crowned Saturday night and relayed to the blogosphere from OSS's Robert Gates:
Three 2008 season championships were on the line in Saturday night's main events. San Bernardino's Stevie Smith captured the honors in the Lucas Oil ASA Late Model division 50 lap main event. Pole sitter Ron Daniel took the early lead until Smith made the pass in lap three to take first. Several laps later, the top four points leaders were running in the top four positions with Smith leading, Big Bear's Jim Conklin in second, Grand Terrace native Brian Malone in third and fast qualifier Ryan Daniel in fourth. 36 laps into the race, Conklin made his move on Smith and took the lead in his My Irish Pride sponsored Grand Prix, holding it for the remainder of the race to take the checkered flag. Smith's second place finish in his Tri-City Towing/Golden West Tire Monte Carlo was good enough to clinch the championship.
Lancaster's Jessie Cottrell took the early lead and held it for the entire 35 lap main event in the CEC Embroidery Street Stocks division. Big Bear's Johnny Russo and points leader Kyle Meyer ran second and third. Cottrell earned his first main event win in the Will Cottrell's Sales and Service/ZOOprinter.com sponsored Camaro. Highland's Kyle Meyer had a big enough lead in the points to earn the championship with a third place finish in the SJ Meyer Properties sponsored Chevy Nova.
Highland's Jim Edmiston made it back-to-back championships in the ASA Stock Pony division with his third place finish. Edmiston missed qualifying and had to start at the back of the line-up. Linny White, who usually drives in the BSR West Super Late Model division, was behind the wheel of the L & A Proformance Muffler #03 and rocketed to an early lead. Yucaipa's Jim Gebhart was driving the #81Hot & Nasty/Sinister Motorsports ride and quickly assumed the second place position. Another Yucaipa native, Robby Hornsby was running third until he passed Gebhart on lap 11 and White on lap 14 to gain the lead. Hornsby stretched his lead until a caution on lap 24 put Wildomar's Matt Goodwin and Edmiston right behind him. Hornsby was able to hold off the veterans for the remainder of the 35-lap event and earn his first main event win in the Tarbell Realtors/Third Street Station sponsored Pinto. Hornsby will also capture the Rookie of the Year
award.
Darren Amidon's nine race win streak was finally broken by teammate and El Cajon native Chase Catania. Santee's Matthew Hicks led most of the first 20 laps of the 35 lap race while Catania battled for second with Amidon and Oak Hill's Chad Schug. Catania eventually won the battle and then passed Hicks on lap 20 for the lead. Amidon and Schug also got around Hicks to take second and third, but neither driver could catch Catania who took the Tel Data #22 to Victory Lane for the first time this season.
During the heat race in this division earlier in the evening, Mark Borchetta hit the crash wall on turn four of the ΒΌ mile banked oval. A race official on the other side of the wall instinctively jumped to avoid the car and injured his shoulder and head. He was reported to be conscious and responsive but was transported to the hospital by ambulance as a precaution.