FF: CP/CD: Irwindale finale preview

PAVEMENT, DIRT CHAMPS SQUARE OFF IN IRWINDALE FOCUS FINALE THURSDAY

California Pavement Ford Focus Champion Tim Skoglund of Fresno, Calif. and California Dirt Ford Focus Champion Nic Faas of Huntington Beach, Calif. will square off for supremacy Thursday night when the 2007 USAC Ford Focus Series competition concludes at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway.

It's the annual "Turkey Night Grand Prix" program and the Ford Focuses are making their fifth appearance at the annual tradition. Previous races on the 1/3-mile paved Irwindale oval have been unpredictable, but Skoglund and Faas bring stout credentials into Thursday's pavement finale.

Twelve of Skoglund's 16 starts on pavement this season have resulted in "podium" finishes, including seven victories. Two of those wins came at Irwindale. Only once in 11 dirt starts did Faas finish "off" the podium! He won four times and he's also had a second, third and a fourth at Irwindale in 2007.

Beau DeBard and Ian Miille, ranked fourth and seventh in the pavement standings, also have posted Irwindale victories this season.

-credit: usac