Will Greg Walters Win His Fifth Doug Walters Classic?
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Ken O'Neil)
Banks, Oregon- This Saturday August 3rd Greg Walters will look to capture his fifth straight Doug Walters Classic at Sunset Speedway Park. The race is named in honor of Doug Walters who was a major contributor to the sport of Dirt Late Model racing in the Northwest as well as the former promoter of the Banks bullring. The drivers of the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series will tear up the on the tight ¼-mile clay oval for one of the most prestigious races on the West Coast and the evening will conclude with a sixty-seven lap feature which represents Walters’ old number.
The Doug Walters Classic event has been sanctioned by the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series except in 2009 when it was a part of the now defunct DIRTcar I-5 Northwest Late Model Tour. Greg Walters has dominated the competition in the four previous Doug Walters Classics but in 2010 he won the event by just over half of a second over the eventual runner-up Jason Wines. Greg Walters looks to get the job done and will enter the evening undoubtedly the sentimental favorite. Walters already has taken home the winner’s check four times this year at SSP when the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series has pulled into town.
In 2013 the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series has produced ten action packed rounds of racing at three different race tracks in the Pacific Northwest. Seven of those ten have taken place at Sunset Speedway Park and Walters, as mentioned before, has had fortune smile on him four times this year while “Superman” Collen Winebarger has managed to be victorious on three occasions.
Collen Winebarger enters the weekend with a slim nine point advantage over the two-time series champion Walters. Winebarger, in addition to his three wins at SSP, has one each win at Cottage Grove Speedway and Grays Harbor Raceway so far this year to bring his series win total to an impressive sum of five. Walters is situated second in series points followed by Jason Johnson, Brad Martin, and Jacob Myers. Jerry Schram is currently the only other winner with the series in 2013 after picking up the win at Grays Harbor Raceway on June 29th.
The Northwest Extreme Late Model Series has visited the Banks bullring a total of seventeen times since the organization’s inception in 2010 with Greg Walters winning the most at ten triumphs. Collen Winebarger has three wins while drivers with just one include Terry Ferrando, Jerry Schram, Russ Sell, and Billy Workman Jr.
On Saturday August 3rd front gates open up at 3:30 PM with racing scheduled to start at 6:00 PM. Admission is Adults $13.00, Seniors/Military $10.00, Children (6-12) $5.00, Children (5 and Under) FREE, and Family Pack (Two Adults and Two Children) $30.00.
The Sunset Speedway Park is located just west of the Portland metro area in Banks on the Sunset Highway. From April until October you can get your racing fix at this facility which competes weekly primarily on Saturday nights. Regular classes in action include the NW Extreme Winged Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, 4-Bee’s, NW Extreme Modifieds, and the Womens division. To stay up to date with the latest information regarding this wonderful facility log to http://www.sunsetspeedwaypark.com. For more information on the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series check out their brand new website at www.nwextremeseries.com.
Current Northwest Extreme Late Model Series Point Standings (Top Ten):
- 1-Collen Winebarger 474; 2. 97-Greg Walters 465; 3. 76-Jason Johnson 434; 4. 99-Brad Martin 421; 5. 9-Jacob Myers 407; 6. 88-John Gamell 402; 7. 6-Scott Winebarger 335; 8. 16-Jerry Schram 318; 9. 56-Jack Marontate 206; 10. 28-Bob Trout 200
Previous Northwest Extreme Late Model Series Winners At Sunset Speedway Park:
2013- Greg Walters on April 27th, Greg Walters on May 4th, Collen Winebarger on June 1st, Collen Winebarger on June 15th, Greg Walters on July 4th, Collen Winebarger on July 13th, Greg Walters on July 27th
2012- Terry Ferrando on June 16th, Jerry Schram on July 4th, Greg Walters on August 4th
2011- Greg Walters on June 4th, Greg Walters on July 23rd, Greg Walters on August 6th
2010- Greg Walters on May 1st, Russ Sell on June 12th, Billy Workman Jr. on July 17th, Greg Walters on August 7th
2013 Northwest Extreme Late Model Series Schedule:
April 27th Sunset Speedway Park Banks, Oregon Greg Walters
May 4th Sunset Speedway Park Banks, Oregon Greg Walters
May 11th Cottage Grove Speedway Cottage Grove, Oregon Collen Winebarger
May 25th Willamette Speedway Lebanon, Oregon Rain Out
May 26th Willamette Speedway Lebanon, Oregon Rain Out
June 1st Sunset Speedway Park Banks, Oregon Collen Winebarger
June 15th Sunset Speedway Park Banks, Oregon Collen Winebarger
June 28th Grays Harbor Raceway Elma, Washington Collen Winebarger
June 29th Grays Harbor Raceway Elma, Washington Jerry Schram
July 4th Sunset Speedway Park Banks, Oregon (Firecracker 100) Greg Walters
July 13th Sunset Speedway Park Banks, Oregon Collen Winebarger
July 27th Sunset Speedway Park Banks, Oregon Greg Walters
August 3rd Sunset Speedway Park Banks, Oregon
August 31st Grays Harbor Raceway Elma, Washington
September 1st Grays Harbor Raceway Elma, Washington
September 7th Sunset Speedway Park Banks, Oregon
September 14th Cottage Grove Speedway Cottage Grove, Oregon
Northwest Extreme Late Model Series All-Time Win List (After 52 Completed Events):
Greg Walters- 18
Jason Wines- 8
Collen Winebarger- 5
Jerry Schram- 4
Terry Ferrando- 3
Brady Sell
Russ Sell
Trevor Glaser- 2
Joey Tanner
Billy Workman Jr.
Rob Mayea- 1
Casey Vitale
Past Doug Walters Classic Results:
August 12th, 2009
A Feature: 1. 97-Greg Walters; 2. 50-Russ Sell; 3. 41-Jason Wines; 4. 64-Billy Workman Jr.; 5. 30-Jeremy Shank; 6. 8-Rob Ireland; 7. 26-Mark Carrell; 8. 37-Rob Mayea; 9. 89-TIm Goodwin; 10. 36-John Campos; 11. 70X-Mark Thompson; 12. 5-John Duty; 13. 06-Dan Smith; 14. 21-Steve Moore; 15. 16-Jerry Schram; 16. 56-Jack Marontate; 17. 17M-Mike Miller; 18. 111-Joey Tanner; 19. 22S-Jimmy Schram; 20. 26X-Brett James; 21. 96-Matt Micheli
August 7th, 2010
A Feature: 1. 97-Greg Walters; 2. 41-Jason Wines; 3. 50-Russ Sell; 4. 111-Joey Tanner; 5. 112-Terry Ferrando; 6. 8-Rob Ireland; 7. 64-Billy Workman Jr.; 8. 16-Jerry Schram; 9. 21-Steve Moore; 10. 22S-Jimmy Schram; 11. 60-Jeff Biffle; 12. 28-Bob Trout; 13. 76-Jason Johnson; 14. 4-Brady Sell; 15. 128-Doug Trout; 16. 00-Kent Dollarhyde; 17. 5-Britton Donahoo
August 6th, 2011
A Feature: 1. 97-Greg Walters; 2. 37-Steve Suckow; 3. 22-Trevor Glaser; 4. 111-Joey Tanner; 5. 41-Jason Wines; 6. 64-Billy Workman Jr.; 7. 21-Steve Moore; 8. 3-Terry Ferrando; 9. 14-Scott Puncochar; 10. 16-Jerry Schram; 11. 8-Rob Ireland; 12. 1-Collen Winebarger; 13. 89-TIm Goodwin; 14. 28-Bob Trout; 15. 128-Doug Trout; 16. 5-Britton Donahoo; 17. 21-Mike Keely; 18. 76-Jason Johnson; 19. 56-Jack Marontate
August 4th, 2012
A Feature: 1. 97-Greg Walters; 2. 89-TIm Goodwin; 3. 16-Jerry Schram; 4. 41-Jason Wines; 5. 8-Rob Ireland; 6. 76-Jason Johnson; 7. 28-Bob Trout; 8. 6-Scott Winebarger; 9. 5-Britton Donahoo; 10. 09-Robert Duncan; 11. 128-Doug Trout; 12. 99-Brad Martin; 13. 77-Tanner Wines; 14. 1-Collen Winebarger