Drama wanes in finale at Bullring

The NASCAR All-American Series closes its season Saturday night at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring when 2009 champions will be determined in six divisions.

Leaders in all but one division have large leads. The closest race is in the premier Super Late Models class, but most of the drama has been drained from that battle heading into the last race.

Points leader Jeff Connors leads Taylor Barton by 10 points in Super Late Models, but Barton said he will not race. Connors and Barton were issued $1,500 fines this week for their antics during the Sept. 19 event.

Speedway officials punished Barton after he was black-flagged for crashing into Connors' stock car on the third lap. Connors was penalized for pushing Barton in his pit area moments after the crash.

Barton, 24, said Wednesday he does not intend to pay the fine, thereby prohibiting him from racing on the three-eighths-mile oval.

"It's not the amount of the fine, it's the principle," Barton said. "I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't crash into Connors on purpose; it was a racing incident. And then I get beat up afterward? I don't need to go back there and take a chance of getting hurt."

Connors, 26, has agreed to pay the fine and will race. "I was wrong for going over to his pit area," he said. "I never punched him, but I did push him. I don't condone what I did or what my crew did."

Barton's decision is making the outcome of Saturday's race anticlimactic.

Robert Ewing, who is Connors' teammate, is 20 points behind Connors and the only driver with a realistic chance of winning the championship.

Racing will begin at 6 p.m.

Go to lvrj.com/heavypedal for more information on the Connors-Barton incident.

• DESERT RACING -- The fifth race of the Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts organization will take place Saturday.

The 40th annual SNORE 250 will begin at 8 a.m. behind Buffalo Bill's in Primm.