Cameron Is Back on Track

Austin Cameron resumed his success in NASCAR Grand National Division AutoZone West races at Irwindale Speedway on Saturday night.

Cameron, who had heart bypass surgery in 2005 and was knocked out of the May 27 race at the track because of a collision, passed pole-sitter Peyton Sellers on the 166th lap. He kept the lead for the rest of the 200-lap race on the half-mile track, winning a West series race at Irwindale for the fifth time.

No other driver has won more than three times in the 15 races held at Irwindale’s half-mile paved oval since it opened in 1999.

Cameron started 12th in the 28-car field and won despite a spin and falling behind during two pit stops.

Eric Holmes was second, 1.604 seconds behind Cameron. Holmes was also second in the May 27 race at Irwindale, finishing 0.16 of a second behind Andrew Myers in the closest finish in the series races held at Irwindale.

Meyers was forced out of Saturday’s race because of a collision on the 16th lap. Sellers’ hopes for a victory ended when a flat tire forced him to the pits on the 173rd lap. Sellers was three laps behind the leaders when he returned to the race and finished 16th, his lowest finish of the year.

Cameron, the series’ all-time money leader, received $7,350 for the victory. Mike David moved into the series lead with a fifth-place finish, one point ahead of Holmes with five races remaining.

Sellers fell to third, 20 points behind David.

Travis Thirkettle continued his dominance in Irwindale Speedway’s late model division, winning for the seventh time in the last eight races.

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-- Steven Herbert