After a crash in the Pure Stocks main event May 10 at Barona Speedway sent Edward Finger to the back, the Murrieta driver began working his way back up to the front. He subsequently passed every driver other than Poway’s Randy Alldrige, who pits next to Finger and whose car is owned by Finger’s uncle.
“It was super cool to finish second behind our friend and our teammate Randy,” Finger said.
Brian Fitzgibbons, who lives in Ramona, is Finger’s uncle. In the final 2024 Barona Speedway race Alldredge drove the 1977 Pontiac Ventura owned by Fitzgibbons and finished fourth in that night’s main event. During the off-season Fitzgibbons and Alldredge decided to have Alldredge drive Fitzgibbons’ car in 2025 races.
The first Barona Speedway race of 2025 was on April 12. Chris Evans of Ramona won the Pure Stocks main event, Finger finished second, and Alldredge was third. Rain canceled the races scheduled for April 26.
The May 10 races included 27 Pure Stocks, so four eight-lap heat races were held with the top three finishers in each heat race automatically qualifying for the main event and the other drivers competing in a 12-lap B Main in which the top eight finishers joined the main event. Finger was in the fourth heat race and started on the outside of the second row.
Finger was fourth after the heat race’s first lap was completed. In the second lap he passed Ramona’s Garrett Pekelder to move into third. Finger passed Tommy Crow of El Cajon in the battle for second place during the third lap.
After taking the lead in the first lap Spring Valley driver Chris Wilder held first place for the remainder of the heat race. Finger approached Wilder in the final lap, but Wilder edged Finger at the finish for the win while Finger was the second driver to pass the checkered flag.
“I couldn’t make my move to get around him,” Finger said.
The attempt to pass required Finger to go to the outside. “It was super dry and dusty off of the top of turn 1 and 2,” he said.
“I was happy to finish second,” Finger said. “The main goal was to make sure I transfer and avoid the B main.”
Heat race goals also include protecting the car, which in Finger’s case is a 1979 Chevrolet Caprice, from damage which can adversely affect the vehicle in the main event. Drivers also use heat races to assess the car’s performance, although Barona Speedway is a quarter-mile dirt oval so weather changes and races in other classes between a specific heat race and main event can alter track conditions.
Finger and his crew made no changes to the Caprice between the heat race and the main event. The track crew made some changes to the oval to reduce dust during main events. “They watered the track during intermission,” Finger said.
Main events at Barona Speedway are 20 laps, although there is a 20-minute time limit so the race may be shortened if enough yellow flag cautions or red flag stoppages increase the time of the race. (Some special events may be longer than 20 laps.) Jacob Novak of San Diego began the May 10 Pure Stocks feature on the pole with Camp Pendleton’s Joe Kot beginning on the outside of the front row. Alldredge started on the outside of the fourth row with Finger and Evans having the inside and outside of the fifth row.
Finger moved up to fourth before being involved in contact during the third lap. “Coming out of turn two I got tagged in the left rear,” he said.
The spin caused a yellow flag. Finger was placed in the back as was Alldredge, who was also involved in the contact.
“I was pretty bummed out,” Finger said. “I thought my night was pretty much over and ruined.”
Finger knew that he could at least salvage position points, but he wasn’t expecting to finish as high as he eventually would. “I was driving with a lot of talent I didn’t know I had,” he said. “I was able to pick three, four cars off a lap.”
After moving up to sixth place Finger passed two more cars during the ensuing lap to take over fourth place. Eventually Evans was able to pass Kot for the lead. Finger subsequently passed Kot to move into third behind Evans and Alldredge.
“It was three really fast cars up in the front of the pack, two of which had come from the back row,” Finger said.
A yellow flag or red flag causes (with some exceptions) a “Delaware restart” in which the leader is by himself and the other cars are lined up two wide. A yellow flag created such a restart which placed Evans in front with Alldredge and Finger in the second row.
The track rulebook section on restarts stipulates that a driver who attempts to pass or to jump the start before the green flag is
displayed will be penalized two positions at the next yellow flag or at the end of the race. The track officials judged Evans to have resumed green flag speed early, and after the next yellow flag and restart Alldredge was placed in front with Evans and Finger in the second row.
Finger was able to move ahead of Evans on the restart. “I got a really good restart,” Finger said.
The #83 car driven by Finger, the #56 car Alldredge drives, and the 1976 Chevrolet Camaro owned by Dave Szalay and driven by Evans which is the #9 Pure Stocks car were being positioned by their drivers for the finish. “Me and the 56 got a really good restart with the 9 and all three of us were going door to door,” Finger said.
As the leader Alldredge was able to choose a preferred line. “I could stay right with him on his bumper, but I could not get to the inside,” Finger said.
Alldredge was able to stay ahead of Finger. “I got to battle with my teammate,” Alldredge said.
Finger crossed the finish line on the final lap shortly after Alldredge did. Evans finished third.
The May 10 results created a three-way tie for first in the season point standings with Evans, Alldredge, and Finger sharing the top position. The season will continue through October 25 if weather allows for the final racenight with the Trunk or Treat intermission. “It will be super fun,” Finger said.
