Ex-Saugus Regulars Adopting New Site

Short tracks have been in short supply for local race-car drivers since the closure in 1995 of Saugus Speedway.

Now, they again have a place to race.

The start of stock-car racing season this weekend at new Irwindale Speedway means a restart for several former Saugus regulars, many of whom have struggled to stay on track in recent seasons.

Already heralded as the finest short track in the nation, the sparkling $10 million Irwindale facility includes a third-mile oval inside a banked half-mile oval. It’s a far cry from Saugus and its ancient third-mile flat oval.

“This place is definitely the Taj Majal of race tracks,” said Brian Kelley of Arleta, a former three-time track champion at Saugus. “Even the guys on the pit crew say it gives them a feeling of being on a Winston Cup team.

“It’s beautiful. The track itself is so wide, in practice we were running three abreast and we were so comfortable. At Saugus, if you ran three abreast, the guy on the outside would probably be working on his car the next day.”

Kelley, who won a track championship in 1997 at Bakersfield’s Mesa Marin Raceway, will compete this season in Irwindale’s super late-model division as a driver for owner Lee Ladd of Thousand Oaks, another longtime Saugus regular.

Ladd’s team includes former Saugus champions Gerrit Cromsigt of Palmdale and Rip Michaels of Mission Hills competing in late-model and Grand American modified divisions. Ladd will drive the team’s mini-stock entry.

Saugus’ abrupt closing midway through the season left drivers scurrying to Ventura Raceway, Mesa Marin and other West Coast tracks. Many familiar names, including drivers who have been largely idle the last few years, are listed on Irwindale’s roster.

“There are guys who haven’t raced in five, six or seven years building new cars,” Kelley said. “It is such a high-class, caliber track, it’s opening doors for all kinds of guys like me.”

Scott Dinger of Simi Valley, a former Saugus street-stock regular, has spent much of the past three years driving at Kern County Raceway before its closure in 1997. Dinger competed last season at Ventura.

Dinger said he considered giving up racing, but will drive super late models at Irwindale on a part-time basis this season.

“So many people are coming out of the woodwork,” Dinger said. “The word is out. It’s a brand-new, gorgeous track. It’s roomy and there is electricity in the pits, which is something else Saugus didn’t have.

“But even though everybody complained about things at Saugus, we sure missed the heck out of it when it was gone.”

Six NASCAR racing divisions will compete weekly over 53 scheduled events. Tonight’s program includes late models, super stocks and mini stocks. Saturday will feature super late models, Grand Americans and street stocks.