Memorial for John Partridge at Irwindale Speedway

All are invited to the memorial service for John Partridge, the father of Ryan Partridge, the 2010 NASCAR Super Trucks champion at Irwindale Speedway, and the father of the late Bernie Partridge, NHRA announcer, official, administrator and trailblazer.

John Partridge died of a heart attack on April 11, 2012. He was an instrumental member of his son’s NASCAR teams and a driving force behind Ryan Partridge’s debut in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West on April 14 at Havasu 95 Speedway.

Ryan Partridge recorded a top-10 performance in his first K&N Pro Series West race. He finished ninth at Havasu after qualifying 11^th in the inaugural West Series race at the quarter-mile oval.

“I’ve been racing since I was 5 years old with my dad,” Ryan Partridge said. “Together we could put any car on the pole in a matter of a couple of practices, regardless of what it was.” 

Ryan Partridge and his dad were working on putting a together a car for the West Series race at Havasu at the time of John Partridge’s death. Drivers and teams from Irwindale Speedway pulled together to complete the West Series package and enter a car for Ryan Partridge in the race at Havasu.

Ryan Partridge’s car at the West Series race at Havasu carried an inscription on the hood that read, “RIP John Partridge.”

“He wouldn’t care about the memorial or anything,” Ryan Partridge said. “He wants me to get in the West Series. He wants me to do well. He wants me to be humble about it. My dad was always my biggest fan. He would brag to everybody who was around how good his kid was. I plan on doing exactly what he’s been prepping me for since I was 5.”

John Partridge was 57. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn, and four children, Nicole, John David Jr., Ryan and Andrew.

“It’s just about getting the racers together at the race track. That’s what it’s all about,” Ryan Partridge said. “Just getting out at the race track, getting all the racers together is what needs to happen.”

Clauson makes Grand Prix of Long Beach debut

Bryan Clauson, a two-time USAC National champion, turned his first laps on a street course in Long Beach in the Toyota Pro Celebrity race.

He’ll make his first trip to the Indianapolis 500 in May.

Clauson, an open-wheel racer backed in part by K&N, ran into a tire barrier midway through the Toyota Pro Celebrity race during the Grand Prix of Long Beach. He didn’t complete the entire 10 laps of the race, but he said racing at Long Beach was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

“It’s kind of a no-brainer to get the opportunity to be with super people and the personalities and everybody that’s in this group is phenomenal,” Clauson said. “To get the opportunity to be a part of it and to spend some time with these people has been amazing. You learn a lot about how to be successful in life when you’re around successful people. It’s been a lot of fun and we definitely had a great time.”

Thorn wins West Series race in Havasu

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West made its first visit to Havasu 95 Speedway in Arizona and plenty of new faces came to the forefront.

Derrek Thorn, a driver from Bakersfield, won his first K&N Pro Series West race, leading the last 42 laps in the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by Gene Price Motorsports.

Thorn won the pole, another K&N Pro Series West first, and led a race-high 141 laps.

“I’ve got to pay a tribute to the Sunrise Ford team, (car owner) Bob Bruncati and (crew chief) Bill Sedgwick and all the guys at the shop,” Thorn said. “It was really hard coming here to this track, because no one had raced here. It’s hard to take something from practice and prepare yourself for a 150-lap race, because at 125 laps the car is doing something completely different than it was at Lap 50. It was a lot of guess-work, but the guys did an awesome job of putting an awesome car underneath me. I’m so thankful to be here and get this victory in (the) K&N (Pro Series).”

Wallace wins East Series race in South Carolina

Darrell Wallace Jr. won his sixth NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Greenville Pickens Speedway in South Carolina on March 31.
Wallace won the first race of his K&N Pro Series East career at Greenville in 2010. It was his first win of the 2012 season.
Corey LaJoie finished second, his first runner-up finish since 2011 at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Brandon Gdovic was third, the best NASCAR K&N Pro Series East finish of his career.
Go to the K&N website for more on the Pro Series East race from Greenville.

Photo: Darrell Wallace Jr. wins the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Greenville Pickens Speedway in South Carolina, the sixth of his East Series career. (Getty Images for NASCAR)