Source: Tim Kennedy
Date: 08/02/2008

IRWINDALE, California – Lindsey King made track history at the ten-year old Toyota Speedway at Irwindale Saturday by becoming the first female to win a feature on the banked, half-mile oval. The 19-year old, who ranks fifth in 2008 points among 52 drivers with series points, started second in her No. 59 Justice Brothers/High-Point Distributing Chevy Monte Carlo built by Racecar Factory in Irwindale. She led all 40-laps of the NASCAR Auto Club Late Model feature on "Miller Lite Night". Her historic triumph in one of the toughest divisions at the track came during the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series final race of the night in a five-division racing card. The all-green flag race with 20 starters took 15:25.264 in front of about 4,000 spectators. She became the fifth different ACLM feature winner this season in 12 races and second first-time winner in the series. Her jubilant team gave her a champagne shower in the pits following her victory.

Fans cheered the memorable victory by the Cherry Valley resident. Most fans remained at their seats to hear her post-race comments at the finish line following the 9:34 pm conclusion of the final race of the night. "That was a crazy race. It was a long time coming. I asked my spotter at the end if it was over. I was too focused and thought the race was about at the halfway point," King stated. "My spotter just said keep going during the race. Thanks to Nick (Joanides—the runner-up) for racing me so cleanly and holding off passing me," King continued. She thanked her car owner Tim Huddleston, High-Point Distributing, sponsor Racecar Factory and her crew chief. "I was excited to get a second try from second starting position. I got a bad start the last time (July 26) and finished second. I learned a lot in this class after racing Legends for a few years. It's been three years since my last main event win in a Legends race at Orange Show Speedway and in karting before that," the happy winner added.

King joined the HPD six-car ACLM team this season as a NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program development driver. She raced the No. 09 late model during the last two seasons for Team RA with her father Clyde King as her crew chief. Second finisher Joanides started third, took second on lap 12 and finished 0.218 behind King. Joanides, the point leader in both the ACLM and AC Delco Super Late Model premier weekly series at TS@I, spoke to the crowd as well. "I'd have felt bad passing her. I'd have been the bad guy even if I passed her cleanly. I tried to win, but she did a great job. She had the momentum on the outside. I had to contend with Tim (Huddleston) on the inside during the closing laps, so he got my attention." Joanides has won three ACLM and eight ACD SLM main events this season.

HPD team owner/ACLM title contender Huddleston finished third, 0.562 behind his protege King, who drove the car he used to win the ACLM driving championship last year. He climbed from his new 2008 RCF-built Monte Carlo at the finish line and hugged King for the second consecutive week. He told the crowd, "I knew she would win a feature. I just didn't know when. I told her before you finish first you have to finish second and she did that last time." The top three finishers came to the press box afterwards and compared the AMB electronic scoring results sheet to see which of them had the fastest lap of the race. King also won that contest with a best lap of 19.458 (92.507 mph). Joanides' best lap was 19.497 and Huddleston's fastest lap was 19.498. Remarkably, the top 17 drivers all ran best laps from 19.530 to 19.933 and all 17 completed 40 laps. Nineteen of 20 starters starters finished. Joanides revealed that his car had an ignition switch problem again during Friday night open practice at the track. The same problem cost him two laps last week and he had to hold the switch to finish. "We installed a new switch Friday night and it was fine today," Joanides said.

Pole starter Dan DiGiacomo finished fourth, 3.238-seconds behind the winner. Race Control officials ruled that he had started too early in the fourth turn before the initial green flag. He led the first lap over Joanides and King, but officials ordered a yellow flag for a complete restart with all drivers in their original starting positions. Benny Moon, a USAC Ford Focus Midget winning driver, started fourth in the No. 51 HPD Ford Fusion and finished fifth in just his second ACLM race at Irwindale. He had won a FF Midget race on the track's third-mile during the 2005 USAC Midget Series Thanksgiving Night Grand Prix. Rounding out the top ten were Mike Johnson, former ACLM point leader Andrew Myers, who started tenth, Travis Irving, Kevin Callahan and Brandon Loverock. Joanides entered the race with a two-point lead over five-time feature winner Myers and double main event winner Huddleston and emerged with a four-point lead (506-502) over Huddleston. Myers now ranks third, 12-points back (494) after 12 of 18 ACLM scheduled races.

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