(written by Jeremy Means)
On a weekend that we take a moment to reflect and honor, the men and women of our great country that paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep our borders safe. We were blessed with incredible weather to enjoy a great American tradition, dirt track racing. 60+ drivers would grace the bullring over the weekend, but one thing seemed a little different. Many of the familiar faces were there, but just as many were fresh faces making Sunset Speedway debuts. Around 45% of the weekend’s driver roster would be making the haul down from well inside the Evergreen State, an even a higher percentage of those you would more likely see at our friend's, Deming Speedway, located to the north of us throughout the summer racing season.
The biggest class of the weekend would end up being the Micro 600R division, and this class would also see one of those “Deming Speedway Takeover” vibes. Saturday Night we would see Bellingham Washington’s McKenna Morgan take home the victory. The young lady was able to win her heat race earlier in the evening allowing the #68 machine to fiercely control the main event. The season opening night winner, Hudson Little, would drive from the third row to finish in the runner up position. Clayton Jalakas would find his way to the final podium spot with Owen Hill and Brooklynn Bracy completing the top 5 sweep for the Deming Speedway racers. Hard charger for night one would go to a Deming regular as well, with Hunter Cook rebounding from a tough heat finish to go on a 15th-7th run in the 20-lap feature. Kevin Perfect would score one for the locals though, with a heat victory over a tough field of competitors before bad luck would unfortunately strike in the main event. The Dash that evening would go to Jalakas, in a wild finish which would include the original leader, Hill, losing a wheel and tipping over just over a 1/8 mile from the checkered.
Night two of the weekend would be a repeat of 2024 for the winner. Clayton Jalakas would win a heat and the main on Sunday of the 600R Spring Challenge. Hudson Little would continue his podium streak to start the year with another runner up finish on the weekend, collecting a hard charger for his efforts Sunday coming from the 8th starting position. Ryan Cannon would bounce back from a tough end on Saturday, finding a way to get back on the podium as one was ripped away the night before right at the end. Cannon would win the other heat race during night two as well. Showing he had just as much speed as anyone in the field while making his debut in Banks. One of the biggest highlights for one of our Sunset regular micro drivers, was Jessie Henry’s run on the day after missing the Saturday night event. Jessie would start the night pulling the worst pill, but instead of having the mind set for excuses she dug deep. The #19 out of Hillsboro would start her drive to a top 5 in the heat. Going 9th to 3rd, improving a potential 17th starting spot to getting now inside of row three starting 5th. She would find herself fighting hard with many Deming racers inside and around the top 5 before officially getting 4th at the conclusion. Saturday night winner McKenna Morgan would round out the top 5, also taking the trophy dash victory on night two.
Thanks to the great people of RBW Excavating, we also got the Micro Open division as a bonus over the weekend. Tristin Thomas had his racecar on rails all weekend picking up the win both nights and sweeping the evening Saturday. Reese Wickard, Tyler Chorney, Dylan Resch, and David Greene completed the top 5 the first night. While Chorney, Jailynn Serrano, Resch, and Wickard would hold those spots Sunday. Chorney would take the night two heat race, with Greene getting the Sunday dash victory.
The Raven Hauling Open 4cyl would have a nicely supported event, with a unique mix of makes and models on the speedway. Ryan Conroy would maintain his winning streak sweeping the weekend features including a clean sweep Saturday. Colin Sims would finish in the 2nd spot, with Austin Henderson rounding out the podium Saturday. Don Briggs Jr in the #713 pickup getting 4th, with Brian O’Neil starting as the anchor of the field, after joining the evenings races late, moving up seven spots to a top 5 finish. Sims would be the other heat race victor Saturday. John Gartner, Briggs Jr, would be the other podium cars Sunday. With the feature winner’s son, Riley Conroy, coming home in the 4th spot. Riley also took home the dash win in the process of his mission during the day. Darrell Coles would finish in the 5th spot. Henderson and Briggs Jr would be the winners in Sunday heat race action.
American Classics would see a pair of two-time Jim’s 100 Champs each get a victory in, Tony Catalano (1999, 2014) and Joey Tardio (2019,2022), over the weekend. Tardio would finish in the runner up spot night one, receiving the Hillsboro Vac and Sew Hard Charger in the process. Rod Lowe, Chris Pearson, and Robert Summerhalder would round out the top 5 Saturday Night. Sunday behind Tardio we would see Lowe and Pearson in the podium spots, Pearson, who rounded out a great weekend of top 5 finishes, also took the heat race win earlier in the program. Summerhalder and Robbie Evans Jr both got top 5 finishes in their Camaros as well. This weekend left us with a desire to see how the season will end. We know the fans are passionate about what happens on the bullring. The community of Banks, we think, felt a seismic reaction proving what division is the heartbeat of the bullring. The division must feel pride, in that fact, with a long season ahead.
The two-time state champion and current points leader of the bullring, Carter Patterson, would go on to get his first victory in the IMCA Modified division at Sunset Speedway Saturday night. The Lebanon native would claim the dash too stealing all the mic time on the bullring in the evening. On Sunday, the feature would go to a car as white as a ghost. Trevor LaBarge had himself a no graphics needed kind of weekend parking the car right in victory lane. Patterson would, however, get the sweep of the weekend’s dashes. We did learn in victory lane Sunday, that a certain Crayola might just be the lucky tool needed to draw up a win. What picture will be colored in the IMCA Modified division on the bullring before it hosts the Wild West IMCA Speedweek Finale in June?
Brad Hamer remains perfect in features for 2025 in the Pure Stock division. He would hold off Mike Mikelson, Timber Blanchard who both respectably finished on the podium Saturday Night. Defending track champion, the “West Side Rider” Jeff Anderson would get the dash victory while Mikelson and Hamer got the heat wins. Sunday Anderson and Blanchard would be the ones joining Hamer on the podium. Young impressive yet still improving, Timber, would on to get the Dash victory Sunday night marking the second time this season for the #30 car. Anderson would win the heat on the final night.
Next up at the Banks Bullring we will have another action-packed night with the PHRA Dwarfs, for the first time in 2025, as well as the IMCA Modifieds, Checkered Flag Asphalt Stock Cars, Pure Stocks, PMSA Micros, and Raven Hauling Open 4cyl divisions on May 31st.
Pits opening at 2pm, Front Gate at 4pm, Hot Laps/Qualifying at 5:30, Racing at 6:30pm
We will see you at the Bullring.