Huddleston, Mintey in drivers' seats for track championships

Two drivers can wrap up track championships at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on Saturday night. Tim Huddleston of Agoura Hills, the reigning champion in the NASCAR Late Models at the track, has a 16-point lead over Nick Joanides of Woodland Hills. Pat Mintey Jr. of Quartz Hill has an 18-point edge over Connor Cantrell of Valencia in the NASCAR Super Trucks standings.
Mintey had a chance to win the Super Trucks championship on Satuday night, but a flat tire knocked him out of contention. He finished 19th in a 20-car field. Cantrell, who has a series leading six wins, finished third and turned a 50-point deficit into 18.
Cantrell, a senior at Valencia High School, needs to finish 10 spots ahead of Mintey to overtake him in the Super Trucks standings.
The season finale in the Super Trucks, a 100-lap race, is Saturday night. It will be the longest race of the year for the Super Trucks drivers.
The Late Models race two more times at the track, Saturday and a 100-lapper on Oct. 4.
NASCAR Super Stocks, Pure Stocks and USAC Ford Focus Midgets are scheduled to race Saturday night at Irwindale. Gates open at 4 p.m. Races start at 7.
Joanides finished second in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series California standings. He won the NASCAR Super Late Model championship at Irwindale with 10 wins, 17 top fives and 19 top 10s in 21 starts.
He finished second in the California standings to Jason Gilbert, a driver at Altamont Motorsports Park in Tracy, who had 10 wins, 17 top fives and 20 top 10s in 21 starts.
Newhall's Travis Thirkettle was fourth and Burbank's Dan Moore was sixth. Six drivers from Irwindale finished in the top 20.