NASCAR RACE CAR HAULER PARADE FROM SANTA ANITA TO TOYOTA SPEEDWAY @ IRWINDALE – By Tim Kennedy
Release Date: 7/7/2010
Irwindale, CA., Jul 2 – First-time events in motor-racing are often both interesting and historic. Such an event took place Friday evening, July 2 in conjunction with the annual NASCAR K & N Pro Series--West "King Taco 200" $107,099 race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. The event this year was the first race car hauler parade in the track’s 12 year history and it was a rousing success. Plans are already in motion to make this parade of 18-wheel haulers an annual event at the NASCAR K & N race during the July 4th Independence Day holiday. The hauler parade originated from the parking lot of world-famous Santa Anita Park, the thoroughbred horse racing track in Arcadia. The 12-mile parade route traveled east along historic Route 66 through Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Azusa and Irwindale via Huntington Dr., Foothill Blvd,. south on Irwindale Ave., then west on Arrow Hwy and Live Oak Ave. to the speedway at 500 Speedway Drive. The parade departed from Santa Anita at 6:15 pm and concluded at 6:57 pm in the TS@I eastern parking lot inside the speedway main entrance.
The idea for the first Irwindale parade of the colorful haulers came from Kris Boesen, TS@I Corporate Sales Executive. He joined TS@I staff earlier this year after serving in a similar capacity at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he was involved in the annual parade of NASCAR Sprint Cup haulers from the Las Vegas Strip north to the LVMS 1.5-mile speedway. That event received newspaper, radio and television news coverage each year and even made non-racing followers aware that a NASCAR stock car race was in town. Sgt. Mark Garrett, of the California Highway Patrol, was contacted for assistance and to arrange for a CHP escort along the parade route. Garrett, the CHP spokesman in Southern California for media and community relations, eagerly paved the way for the parade to happen. He contacted police department officials in each city along the parade route and received their permission.
TS@I and the CHP have had a long-standing mutual benefit partnership. The CHP uses the speedway grounds on Saturdays to recruit CHP officers from the track fan-base and to promote the CHP designated driver program. At times, CHP specially trained officers use CHP patrol cars and motorcycles to stage precision driving demonstration runs in the infield and on the racing track for spectators. These Saturday night precision driving runs occur prior to or during periods between races. Bob DeFazio, TS@I VP/COO, said the CHP recently suffered the loss of five officers (two motorcycle, two patrol car and one aviation officer) in the line of duty. He grieved along with the CHP for their tragic losses, thanked the CHP for their daily public service and "for taking the time to make our first hauler parade something that we will never forget."
Sgt. Garrett, an auto racing fan and periodic driver in the TS@I classic stock car division, arranged for eight CHP motorcycle officers and two black and white CHP patrol cars to accompany 26 parade vehicles along the parade route. That CHP presence allowed parade vehicles to proceed through all red traffic lights without stopping. CHP motorcycle officers leap-frogged ahead of the hauler procession to block each intersections and the Huntington Blvd exit from the 605 Freeway. The stated goal was to travel in the slow lane of two lanes at a steady 20 mph, with 15-foot intervals between each vehicle in the caravan. The trek was memorable and safe for all. A County Fire Department paramedic unit on an emergency call was able to pass the motorcade safely. "The parade went through about two dozen red lights," Garrett said afterwards. He said he wants the next hauler parade to go west through the Pasadena Old Town dining and shopping district and south on Myrtle Ave. in Monrovia to TS@I.
The hauler parade passed major shopping areas, restaurant rows, high-rise hotels, retail stores, residential and industrial areas. It also passed the Justice Brothers Car Care Products headquarters and famous racing car museum in Duarte. People along the route stopped and waved to the passing procession and some took photos via cell phones. It took about five minutes to pass each intersection. The caravan brought attention to the NASCAR race Saturday night. The Pasadena Star-News daily newspaper sent a staff photographer to shoot the truck parade. His photo of the haulers on Live Oak near the track appeared in section A, at the top of page 4, of the Saturday, July 3 edition. The photo caption plugged the Irwindale NASCAR race and fireworks show that evening, and listed the track telephone and website address for readers wishing additional information. That was great free publicity and marketing. The result was a packed main grandstand, near capacity attendance in the 12 track suites and atop the administration building between the third and fourth turns, plus the pit grandstand at the first turn. The attendance estimate of 6,800 by media members was the largest TS@I crowd of the year. The JULY 3 crowd total even topped the 5,800 crowd count for the January 30 Toyota All-Star Showdown, a major national event for NASCAR Weekly Racing Series short track stock car racers. The K & N Pro Series-West July 4th holiday race and aerial pyrotechnic show last year attracted 6,400 spectators and the same event in 2008 drew an estimated 6,500 fans.
PARADE PARTICIPANTS: (Listed in parade order):
> CHP motorcycle officers with red lights and headlights on naturally.
> CHP Camaro patrol car driven by Sgt. Garrett, with TS@I media consultant Doug Stokes riding shotgun in the front seat as his passenger.
> TS@I Toyota Tundra official speedway truck with track staff on board.
> NASCAR K & N Series—West 18-wheeler pit HQ rig towed by a Mack truck.
> Position One Motorsports 18-wheeler.
> Justice Brothers- High Point Racing Tim Huddleston 18-wheeler with late models No. 56 and No. 59 on board.
> K & N No. 60 B. Thompson 18-wheeler from Idaho (Kenworth).
> K & N No. 12 NAPA McAnally 18-wheeler (Kenworth).
> K & N No. 16 HASA McAnally 18-wheeler (Kenworth).
> K & N No. 61 B. Thompson 18-wheeler from Idaho (Kenworth).
> K & N No. 17 (D. Mayhew) MMI Services 18-wheeler (Peterbilt).
> K & N No. 88 (M. Self) Behr-VIVA 18-wheeler (Freightliner).
> K & N No. 14 (T. Milburn) white pickup & trailer from Idaho.
> Mira Mobil TV studio on contract to SPEED-TV – 18-wheeler.
> K & N No. 47 Fuel Doctor trailer (containing No. 99 for Maryland driver T. Hill), 18-wheeler Florida plates on Kenworth.
> K & N No. 22 (J. Gomez) Heritage Cattle from Idaho (Kenworth).
> K & N No. 39 (B. Newberry) 18-wheeler (Peterbilt).
> K & N No 9 Sunrise Ford/King Taco 18-wheeler (Freightliner).
> K & N No. 26 Gene Price Motorsports 18-wheeler from Arizona (Kenworth).
> K & N No. 21 (B. Koch) Daystar.com 18-wheeler.
> K & N Nos. 97 (top) and 94 (bottom) Vision Airlines 18-wheeler from Nevada (Peterbilt).
> K & N No 65 (S. Silva) 18-wheeler (Freightliner).
> K & N No. 30 (Chad Boat) Curb-Boat cab-over truck and trailer from Arizona.
> K & N No. 18 (B. Kann) Interstate Batteries cab-over truck and trailer from Arizona.
> TS@I Toyota SUV driven by TS@I employee/classic stock No. 96 driver Tommy Mason with Kris Boesen riding shotgun.
> Justice Brothers-High Point Racing Tim Huddleston 18-wheeler with late model No. 15 on board.
> NASCAR red Ford F-350 Official Truck with North Carolina plates.
> CHP Ford Crown Victoria patrol car bringing up the rear.
There were 21 race car haulers in the parade. Hauler drivers said they enjoyed the experience and would love to participate in the event again. They drove the 12-mile route in 42-minutes and seldom topped 20 mph during their motorized advertising adventure. Once the rigs arrived at TS@I they all parked temporarily in the eastern parking lot near the 605 Freeway. Then K & N West Series Director Joey Mancari radioed to each hauler driver and directed them to proceed in current point standings order into the pits at the western edge of the track property. Rigs parked in stalls from north to south according to point standings order. The process ran smoothly and all K & N rigs parked in their assigned spaces on the front row of pits, closest to the first and second turns. Auto Club Late Model teams had the back row of pits next to the trucking terminal. Teams secured their equipment prior to leaving the pits by 8:00 pm. Teams returned after 8:00 am Saturday for busy NASCAR race day activities-- meetings, two 45-minute practice sessions, qualifying and racing at one of the best stops on the 12-race K & N-West circuit.
Upcoming Speedway Oval Events:
September 11
Auto Club Night and Back to School Night
STUDENTS & TEACHERS Get In FREE!!
Skid Plate Racing
