Irwindale, CA., September 8 - Could he win again from the 12th starting position in a 21-car, 50-lap NASCAR AC Delco Super Late Model feature at Irwindale Speedway? Point leader Rip Michels supplied the affirmative answer Saturday night in front of more than 3,000 spectators present to watch Whelen All-American competition despite the NASCAR Nextel Cup Richmond, VA 400 race on TV. Michels won his Irwindale-record 55th feature and 11th SLM main this season in round 17 of the 19-race season. He opened a 62-point lead for the track championship. It was the deepest starting position any SLM winner has come from at IS this season. Two prior SLM winners started seventh. Michels, a three-time IS track champion in two series and the champion of the touring NASCAR Elite Division Southwest Series last year, set his 12th fastest qualifying time in the SLM series this season. He drove the Bob Bruncati No. 12 Sunrise Ford 2007 Fusion.

Michels became the fourth and final race-leader on lap 23 after starting on the outside of row-six. He sliced his way through an impressive field quickly and was seventh on lap 6, sixth on lap 9 and fifth two laps later. He passed two cars on lap 13 to take third and moved into second on lap 18 with his usual inside-groove passes in turn four. Michels trailed the race leader by 15-yards at lap 22. A single-car spin on the front straight on lap 23 caused a caution flag. When racing resumed, Michels shot to the inside entering the first turn and outran Derek Becker on the inside through the third and fourth turns. Lap 16-22 leader Becker a 19-year old impressive series rookie, tried to improve his SLM career-best second place in his 2007 Monte Carlo. He kept the pressure on Michels and trailed him by two-lengths with a lap to go. He fell back a bit on the final lap and trailed Michels across the finish line by four lengths (0.447 officially).

David Ross, an 18-year old Legend Cars winner and graduate, enjoyed the best SLM feature of his career. He had several top five finishes before he started fourth and led lap 9-15. His Lucas Oil 2007 Monte Carlo passed early leader Stephen Peace on the inside exiting turn four. "I’m getting use to running on these new Hoosier tires now," he said in the pits. Becker, one of three brothers in the race, battled Ross closely from lap 11-16 when he made an inside pass in the third and fourth turns. Chris Johnson, in Speed Wong Racing’s No. 21 Chevy, started fifth and finished fourth in his first series start of 2007 because of an injury.

David Beat, lap 1-8 leader Peace, Dan Moore, Greg Pursley, the 2004 IS SLM and NASCAR short track national champion, Andrew Phipps and Nick Joanides, in Speed Wong’s No. 20 Chevy, completed the top ten. Joanides started ninth and was fourth on lap 37 when he spun into the backstretch infield and dropped to 12th. Pursley drove the car raced all year by Mike Price who reportedly quit the ride owned by his father. The senior Price then hired Pursley, who now works as the chief driving instructor at the IS-based race driving school. Sixteen of 21 starters finished and 13 drivers ran all 50 laps. Four caution flags slowed the action and caused the race to run almost 44-minutes.

Travis Thirkettle, the September 1 feature winner and second-ranked SLM driver in points, started in 13th position. He was in mid-pack on lap 24 when he became involved in a four-car crash that sent pole starter Tony Jackson spinning to the start/finish infield. Thirkettle drove to the pits trailing sparks from a flat tire. He returned to the race, without his hood, before the caution period ended. The SLM rookie and 2006 IS Auto Club Late Model Series champion finished 11th and dropped from 42 to 62 points behind Michels. Second generation driver Thirkettle now leads third-ranked Phipps, the 2005 SLM track champion, by six points with the final series events scheduled September 22 and 29.

Race Date: September 8, 2007

Irwindale, CA., August 25 - Thirkettle, the 2006 Auto Club Late Model track champion and a 2007 SLM rookie, started second and led the first 26 laps. Inside-running Michels closed in steadily and used an inside pass from turn four to the starting line to lead lap 27 by inches. Thirkettle retook the lead on the outside at the starting line and paced laps 28-29. Michels made his winning pass on lap 30 on the inside in the fourth turn. He gradually extended his advantage to 15-yards and won by 1.826 over Thirkettle’s 2007 Chevy Monte Carlo. When asked during victory ceremonies why he is so successful this year, Michels, 45, said, "It’s my team, they work so hard all week. And car owner Bob Bruncati gives us the best of everything for this 2007 Sunrise Ford Fusion."

Michels extended his Irwindale point lead from 44 to 46 points over Thirkettle after 15 of 18 scheduled races. Drivers earn 50 points for a victory, with a drop-off of two points per position. Three-time Irwindale track champion Michels is not counting the 2007 SLM title as his fourth IS championship and third in the SLM series. The 2006 NASCAR Elite Division Southwest Series champion in the final year of that division did not have a ride for 2007 until Bruncati stepped up and offered him his SLM ride. Michels, who is known for his mechanical knowledge and set-up ability, also served as crew chief this year for David Gilliland on June 23. Gilliland, in the Bruncati’s No. 82 Sunrise Ford, started first, led 49 laps and won that NASCAR Grand National West 64-lap race at the 1.99-mile Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. Gilliland returned to Nextel Cup racing for Robert Yates’ No. 38 M &M Ford team.

Michels’ Irwindale main event success this year includes victories in the last three races and ten of the last 12 features. His tenth triumph Saturday tied his personal best of ten SLM victories during 2003 when he won the IS SLM championship and NASCAR’s Sunbelt Region championship. Michels also is competing currently for the Whelen All-American Series California State Championship. Drivers at all NASCAR tracks count their best 18 point finishes before September 30. Michels ranked second in California points, 46 points behind Ross Strmiska, the Madera Speedway leader before the August 25 race. The California point leader had 16 starts to 14 starts for Michels. Both drivers should have 18 starts by the September 30 cutoff date for accumulation of points.

Andrew Phipps started from pole position and finished third at IS Saturday. He re-passed Derek Becker on lap 40. Second-ranked IS rookie Becker earned fourth place and edged four points ahead of fellow SLM rookie Scott Dodd. Becker, from the San Bernardino/Highland area racing clan of many decades, now trails SLM rookie of the year award point leader Thirkettle by 88 points. Dan Moore started sixth and finished fifth. Gary Jenkins, Scott Conaway, Dodd, Stephen Peace and Mike Price completed the top ten. All but one of the 19 starters finished and 13 drivers completed all 50-laps in the 16:00.480-timed, all green flag race.

Race Date: August 25, 2007

Fresh off their 9th victory (8-11-07) of the season in 14 starts, Rip Michels and the Sunrise Ford Racing team will be gunning for their 10th victory of the season this coming weekend at Irwindale Speedway.

A win this weekend would match Rip’s career best of 10 wins he had in the 2003 season in the Super Late Model Division at Irwindale. A season, which saw Rip and the team win the Super Late Model Division Championship, and the 2003 Nascar Sunbelt Regional Championship. Rip and the team currently find themselves in a battle for two championships this year.

The team currently sits in the number one spot for the 2007 Irwindale Speedway Super Late Model Division Championship, with a 44 - point lead over second place, and second generation driver, Travis Thirkettle. The team also sits second in the points for the Whelen All-American Series California State Championship. The championship points are determined as follows:

Points are awarded in ascending order with the last place car receiving two points, next-to-last receiving four and will then move up through the field in two point increments. For example, the feature winner in a 10-car field will receive 20 NASCAR points, while the feature winner in a 25-car field would receive 50. Competitors will count their 18 highest point finishes with a season-ending date of September 30, 2007. Rip has 14 starts and sits 46 points behind Ross Strmiska of Madera County Speedway. Stmiska has 16 starts.

“We had a great car two weeks ago,” said Rip Michels, “and it was a good thing we did. I had a little bit more pressure added to me when my car owners Bob and Maureen Bruncati arrived just before we rolled out onto the track for our race. Bob, who also owns a Grand National West team, informed me that his driver, Jason Bowles, won earlier in the day at Fontana. So the pressure was on for us to give Bob his first clean sweep. I am glad we won, otherwise we would have been in the dog house, and the razzing in the shop would have been hell.”

Look for Rip Michels and his Sunrise Ford Racing team this Saturday night at Irwindale Speedway. Irwindale Speedway is located at 500 Speedway Drive off of Live Oak Ave. and the I-605 freeway, between the I-10 and 210 Foothill freeways in Irwindale, California. For further information log on to www.irwindalespeedway.com or call (626) 358-1100.

For more information on Rip Michels and his sponsors, please visit www.ripmichels.com

Source By: LRM Sports Marketing, Inc.

Irwindale, CA., August 11 - Irwindale Speedway’s winningest driver Rip Michels of San Fernando started from the pole and never looked back winning the ACDelco Super Late Model 50-lap feature race Saturday night at Irwindale Speedway with a 3.387 second margin over rookie Derek Becker of Highland. The win was Michels 9th of the season and 53rd career victory at the Speedway. Dan Moore of Burbank finished third. Twenty cars competed in the race.

Race Date: August 11, 2007

Irwindale, CA., July 28 - Division leader Rip Michels of San Fernando started fourth grabbed the lead from pole setter Dan Moore of Burbank on the first lap and led the remaining way to win the ACDelco Super Late Model 50-lap feature race at Irwindale Speedway Saturday night (July 28). Michels is Irwindale Speedway’s winningest driver and the victory was his 52nd. Moore finished in second place and Andrew Phipps of Simi Valley finished third in the caution free race.

Race Date: July 28, 2007