Michels Never Challenged in Win

Rip Michels of Mission Hills led all 30 laps and easily won the NASCAR Grand American Modifieds race at Irwindale Speedway on Saturday night.

Points leader Larry Krieger, who started 17th because he didn’t qualify for the race, finished fourth. Krieger’s strong run prevented Michels from cutting into his sizable points lead. Michels gained only six points and trails Krieger, from Thousand Oaks, 694-652, with three races left on the schedule.

Despite winning both NASCAR Super Stock “twin 25s,� T.K. Karvasek still trails Mike Price, 590-558, in the race for the series championship. Price, from San Pedro, finished third in the first race and fifth in the second but had his points lead cut by 12. Three races are left in the season.

Karvasek, of North Hills, would easily be the points leader if not for three disqualifications.

Unless Rod Johnson has something go wrong in one of the last four NASCAR Super Late Model races, he will win the championship. Johnson, of Canyon Country, finished third in Saturday night’s race and leads race winner Brian Kelley of Arleta, 688-596.