Inglebright in Saugus Spotlight

Saugus Speedway, where NASCAR’s Featherlite Southwest Tour had its inaugural race in February, 1986, will play host to its 19th series event for the late-model stock cars Saturday night with the Miller Genuine Draft 100.

The 100-lap race on the one-third-mile oval will feature Jim Inglebright, the series leader from Fairfield, Calif., who won in his Chevrolet Monte Carlo two weeks ago at Bakersfield’s Mesa Marin Raceway. Inglebright has 1,024 points to 991 for Craig Raudman of Redding, last week’s winner in Las Vegas.

M.K. Kanke of Granada Hills and Lance Hooper of Palmdale are third and fourth in the standings, Kanke with 980 and Hooper, a former Saugus track champion, with 950. Kanke drives an Oldsmobile, Hooper a Pontiac.

Another Saugus favorite, Bob Lyon of Palmdale, holds the one-lap qualifying record of 15.268 seconds, or 78.596 m.p.h. He set it in an Olds last year and will be back for another shot.

Time trials will start at 5 p.m., followed by a trophy dash and heat races at 7. Also on the program will be Winston Racing Series street stocks on the oval and Figure 8 courses and a train race.

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Former two-time world speedway motorcycle champion Bruce Penhall will be among a group of Legends of Speedway who will ride vintage bikes Friday night as part of the weekly show at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

With Penhall will be Dennis Sigalos, Wild Bill Cody, Billy Gray, Sonny Nutter, Dubb Ferrell, Danny Becker and other old-timers. Jack Milne, America’s first world champion in 1937, will be on hand to sign autographs.

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Drag racing champion Kenny Bernstein, who also fielded winning cars in the NASCAR and Indy car series, has announced that he will leave the Winston Cup series at the end of the season to concentrate on his drag racing program.

Bernstein, 50, has placed on sale the entire inventory of his Quaker State stock car team. A year ago, he sold off his Indy car holdings.

“I started my career in drag racing and, after several more seasons, that’s where I intend to finish it,” the Mission Viejo driver said. “I’m certainly not through racing, by any means.”

Motor Racing Notes

MOTOCROSS--The American Motorcyclist Assn.’s Supercross series will conclude Saturday night with Honda rider Jeremy McGrath seeking his 11th victory of the season at Sam Boyd Silver Bowl in Las Vegas. McGrath has already clinched his third consecutive title. Suzuki rider Damon Huffman, who won six straight 125cc support class races, has also clinched his second straight series title. . . . The third annual Yamaha Dealer series will continue Sunday at San Bernardino’s Glen Helen Park.

POWER BOATS--The Budweiser Jet Tour will be in San Diego’s Mission Bay for Round 2 of the Westcoast Performance Nationals at Vacation Isle. Defending world champion Minoru Kanamori of Japan swept both heats of the Pro Runabout 785 class last week in the opener at Richland Park, Wash. . . . Grand National boats will compete in a series of sprint races Saturday and Sunday in the second annual Race for Charity at Castaic Lake. Proceeds will go to muscular dystrophy.

MOTORCYCLES--Kevin Schwantz, who won the world Grand Prix championship two years ago on a Suzuki, will announce his retirement Sunday at the Italian Grand Prix. The 30-year-old rider from Paige, Tex., has been handicapped this season by an injured left wrist. His place on the Lucky Strike Suzuki team will be taken by Scott Russell of Morrow, Ga., the 1993 world Superbike champion, who will be making his debut in the Grand Prix series.

STOCK CARS--Cajon Speedway will start a string of 18 consecutive weeks of Saturday night racing for NASCAR Winston Racing series cars. Sportsman stocks and Grand American modifieds will be featured this week.

SPEEDWAY BIKES--After the North American qualifier for the 1996 World Grand Prix series was rained out in Auburn, Calif., the AMA announced that Charles Ermolenko of Cypress, Chris Manchester of Rancho Cucamonga, Mike Faria of Apple Valley and Brent Warner of Hesperia will represent the United States on Sunday in the Overseas Final at Coventry, England.

MISCELLANY--Carroll Shelby’s American Cobra racing team, including Shelby himself, will be feted this weekend on the 30th anniversary of its world championship victory at the 24 Hours of LeMans. The celebration will take place at Steve Earle’s Wine Country Classic at Sears Point Raceway. More than 200 cars are expected for the vintage event. . . . The Southern California Timing Assn. will hold a speed meet Sunday at El Mirage Dry Lake. . . . Dwarf cars will race Saturday night at Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino.