Weston Passes Ward for Irwindale Win

Deryk Ward blew a right front tire as he went into the second turn of lap 39, which allowed James Weston of Goleta to shoot past and take the victory in the second of the Circuit City twin “40” late model races in front of 5,609 at Irwindale Speedway on Saturday night.

Ward, a rookie from Palm Springs, had led until he lost his tire. He hit the wall in the final lap and limped home in fifth. Weston’s win was his fourth in the last five races.

Todd Burns of Riverside passed Rick Miller on lap 10 for the lead and hung on to win, beating out Ward in the first 40-lap late model race.

Matt Beardsley of Breckenridge, Colo., got a jump on the restart on Lap 72 and was able to hold off Grant Ryley in the closing laps to win the 75-lap Star Formula Mazda race. Rip Michels of Mission Hills blew away the competition once he got the lead from Travis Thirkettle on Lap 9 and easily won the 30-lap NASCAR Grand American Modifieds race.