Great Racing In Front Of Packed House For Fan Appreciation Night At Sunset
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Ken O'Neil)
Sunset Speedway Park would have a full pit area and packed grandstands as they would host their annual Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday June 21st. Classes on the card included the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, Northwest Extreme Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Dwarf Cars, 4-Bee’s and the Womens division.
In the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series main event John Gamell of Brush Prairie, Washington set a rapid pace. Gamell, in his second season of racing, would keep his Qwikline Industrial Products/Food Xpress Inc./A&B Graphics #88 MasterSbilt out in front until getting passed on lap twenty-one with just nine laps to go.
The car that would pass him would be Greg Walters of Banks. Walters, who started in the back and even missed qualifying, completed the rest of the race as the leader to become the first multi-feature winner with the series in 2014. It also mark the twenty-fourth series victory for the T&G Trucking/Warpaint Motorsports Graphix/American Landscaping/Duncan Automotive #97 Victory Circle entry and the fourteenth trip to victory lane at SSP.
Brad Martin of Warren was second in the Reser’s Fine Foods/Wayne Martin Floor Covering/Competitive Edge Sign & Design #99 MasterSbilt while third was John Gamell. The Ireland & Ireland at Law/Privateer Racing/Klecker Knives/Applebee Aviation #8 entry of Rob Ireland from Banks was fourth and Bob Trout, also from Banks, would complete the top five in fifth driving the Mechanical Systems Inc./Greenway Construction #28 Victory Circle.
Starting in the back of the field of the IMCA Modified feature and seizing the lead on lap twenty-three late in the race would be Doug Lockwood from Aloha after then leader Robert Jenner would experience some motor problems. Vancouver, Washington’s Don Jenner, in the Tom’s Performance/Dancin’ Bare/Eric’s Frame Shop #6X Dirt Works, would set the pace early before being passed by the Extreme Auto Repair/Dancin’ Bare/Tony’s Auto Parts/Eric’s Auto Parts #5R Shaw of Matt Jenner, also from Vancouver, Washington, on lap thirteen. Lockwood would retain the lead for the final laps of the caution free main event to win his second victory of the season for the Aloha Station Tavern/Perfection Automotive/Ross Electric/Curtis Trailers #66 Shaw.
Robert Jenner would hold on and cross the wire in second followed by the Ireland & Ireland at Law/Privateer Racing/Klecker Knives/Applebee Aviation #8 Dirt Works by Jerry Hoffman machine driven by Rob Ireland in third. The rest of the top five would consist of Don Jenner in fourth and Jeremy Martin of Warren chauffeuring his Reser's Fine Foods/Wayne Martin Flooring #99 McCoy was fifth.
In Street Stock action Freya Smith was the car to beat for much of the race. Freya, from McMinnville, seized the lead in her Sweere's Auto Body/Sweere's Trucking/Tire Factory of McMinnville #37 Camaro after Brian Roden of West Linn would spin on lap twelve. Smith would stay out in front but would get passed by Banks native John Ireland Ireland & Ireland at Law/Privateer Racing/Transaction Transmissions/Applebee Aviation #88 Monte Carlo on lap twenty-one. Ireland would hold on to the lead for the rest of the way to win his third win of the season.
Danny O’Neil Jr. out of Vancouver, Washington was second in his Eric’s Frame Shop/All-American Classics/Sign Of The Times/Tom’s Performance #96 Monte Carlo while behind him was Brian Roden, recovering from an early race spin, in third in the JNR Construction/Molecular Motion Inc./Dockweiler Stainless Steel Tube Systems #14 Camaro. Fourth place would go to Tony Catalano of Forest Grove in the Catalano Racing #19 Monte Carlo followed by Freya Smith in fifth.
St. Helens driver Brandon Potter, in the Hope House/Ri Ky Roofing and Sheetmetal #11 Pro, was the entry to beat in the Northwest Extreme Modified ranks. Potter, looking for his second straight victory, looked to be on his way to the winner’s circle yet again until Oscar Luckman made a move on lap twenty. Luckman, from Hillsboro, would complete the distance as the leader to win his third main event of 2014 in his Privateer Racing #96 Dirt Works by Jerry Hoffman.
Brandon Potter would end the night in second while the Dancin Bare/T&D Tires and Wheels #31 entry of Tony Hendon was third. Vancouver, Washington’s Chris Ray, in the Diamond Excavating #6 machine, was fourth followed by Michael Melton, also from Vancouver, Washington, in fifth in the Melton Racing #04 Dirt Works
In the Pure Stocks the Ireland & Ireland at Law/Privateer Racing #01 Laguna of Banks’ Paul Ireland would lead early but would get passed on lap four. The driver making the move was Ken Shauve driving his Creekside Mortgage #05 Nova. Once seizing the top spot Shauve would check out to become the second different feature winner in the class.
Forest Grove’s Kendall Lee in his Lee Racing #66 Camaro was second while Phillip Johnson of Gresham in the Jackhammer Trucking/T&G Trucking #79 machine was third. Yamhill pilot Terry Houck was fourth in the Luttrell's Trucking/Trask Mountain Outpost/Sweere’s Trucking/Happy Hut #58 Camaro and completing the top five was the Pure Addiction Diesel Performance/S&R Motorz/Courtesy Auto Body #7 Camaro of Forest Grove native Trevor LaBarge.
In Dwarf Cars the PSP Powdercoating/Finish Line Technology/Shake and Bake Racing #8 M&M of Chris McCleary was the car to beat. McCleary, hailing from St. Helens, led the entire distance to become the third different feature winner in the Dwarf Car division.
Guy Tow Jr. from Castle Rock, Washington was second in the Two Guys Racing/Fusion Grahpix/Hicks Family Racing #37 Ebeling and behind him in third would be the Auto Truck Wholesale/Van Raden Industries/St. John’s Tire Factory #9 M&M of Portland’s Ryan Martinez. The driver to finish fourth was the MAPS Auto Center of Scappoose/Finish Line Technologies #2 Hot Rod of James Brinster from St. Helens and in fifth was The Wright Shop/Hicks Family Racing/B-Rad Motorsports #77 B-Rad of Creswell’s Brad Hicks.
In the 4-Bee’s Gary “Captain Turnabout” Jones, from Vancouver, Washington, would seize the initial lead in his All Chained Up/Validus Consulting/Hollow Flesh Tattoo #7 Pontiac Sunfire. John Gartner would get around Jones in the Gartner Racing/Ram Light Truck/ACE Car Detailing/Foot Print Designs #48 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Looking for his third win of the year Gartner, of Portland, would surrender the lead on lap fourteen. Travis Koch of Vancouver, Washington would be the new race leader and built a large lead in his North's Plumbing/Dusty's Automotive/Mac Tools #21 Dodge Neon to win his second feature of the year,
John Gartner would finish in the runner-up position followed by the Sweere’s Trucking #38 Dodge Neon of Chris Bataglia from Forest Grove was third. The Gary Meyer owned Meyer Auto Body/Transaction Transmissions/Champion Signs #26 Dodge Neon driven by Stan Asanovic from Gaston was fourth and rounding up the top five in fifth was the Mark's Towing and Transport #82 Dodge Neon of Troutdale's Bo Jones.
Last but not least in the Womens division Marcie Treat of Cornelius was ultra-quick. Treat seemed to have the race won but would spin her Barebones Racing/DVC Machine/Dave's Automotive/Transaction Transmissions #02 Camaro on the final lap. That would give Cori Vandercoevring a chance to seize the lead, which she would do, and pick up the win. It would mark the first career triumph for the Hillsboro native in her Jim's Thriftway/Hillsboro Auto Wrecking/Champion Signs/Angels Making a Difference #24 Camaro. Marcie Treat would finish in second followed by Gabrielle Hollinger of Banks in her All-In Property Investments/Duncan Automotive/Avenue Title Company/Jeremy Martin Racing #60 Firebird was third while completing the finishing order in fourth was the McGrotty Racing #23 of Alice McGrotty from Troutdale in fourth.
Sunset Speedway Park will return to racing on Saturday June 28th. Classes competing include the Northwest Wingless Tour, Street Stocks, 4-Bee’s, W.R.S. Late Model Lites, and the Micros. For more information be sure and log on to www.sunsetspeedwaypark.com.
Race Summary:
Fan Appreciation Night
Saturday June 21st, 2014
Sunset Speedway Park
Banks, Oregon
Northwest Extreme Late Models
A Feature: 1. 97-Greg Walters; 2. 99-Brad Martin; 3. 88-John Gamell; 4. 8-Rob Ireland; 5. 28-Bob Trout; 6. 16-Jerry Schram; 7. 9-Jacob Myers; 8. 20-Josh Sim; 9. 67-Dave Walters; 10. 18-Kristi Somers; 11. 8X-Daniel Modaff; 12. 51-Ryan Bothwell; 13. 79-Phil Johnson; 14. 76-Jason Johnson; 15. 56-Jack Marontate
IMCA Modifieds
A Feature: 1. 66-Doug Lockwood; 2. 5R-Robert Jenner; 3. 8-Rob Ireland; 4. 6X-Don Jenner; 5. 99-Jeremy Martin; 6. 6M-Matt Jenner; 7. X3-Chris Quinn; 8. 00-Kent Dollarhyde; 9. 05-Rayun McMichael; 10. 15-Tanner Baldwin; 11. 4D4-Danny Daniels
Northwest Extreme Modifieds
A Feature: 1. 96-Oscar Luckman; 2. 11-Brandon Potter; 3. 31-Tony Hendon; 4. 6-Chris Ray; 5. 04-Michael Melton; 6. 99F-Ricky Frisbie
Street Stocks
A Feature: 1. 88-John Ireland; 2. 96-Danny O'Neil; 3. 14-Brian Roden; 4. 19-Tony Catalano; 5. 37-Freya Smith; 6. 32-Robert Summerhalder; 7. 43-Mike Lockwood; 8. 00-Terry Mason; 9. 3-Earl Claypool; 10. 8-Tyler Smith; 11. 01-Craig Loomis; 12. 87-Shawna Long; 13. 7-Doug Pitsch
Pure Stocks
A Feature: 1. 05-Ken Shauve; 2. 66-Kendall Lee; 3. Phil Johnson; 4. 58-Terry Houck; 5. 7-Trevor LaBarge; 6. 22-Jimmy Biggs; 7. 23-Bob McGrotty; 8. 28-Andy Cornils; 9. 33-Jim Peterson; 10. 01-Paul Ireland; 11. 53-Scott Hoodenpyl; 12. 17-Bert Pegg; 13. 25-Michael Vandercoevering
Dwarfs
A Feature: 1. 8-Chris McCleary; 2. 37-Guy Tow Jr.; 3. 9-Ryan Martinez; 4. 2-James Brinster; 5. 77-Brad Hicks; 6. 777-Dennis Liebig; 7. 78-Kevin Hicks; 8. 60-Steve McCleary; 9. 46-Guy Tow Sr.; 10. 76-Brian Hicks; 11. 3-Jessica Eaton; 12. 13-Jim Richmond; 13. 1-Ted Rees
Womens
A Feature: 1. 24-Cori Vandercoevering; 2. 02-Marcie Treat; 3. 60-Gabrielle Hollinger; 4. 23-Alice McGrotty
4-Bee's
A Feature: 1. 21-Travis Koch; 2. 48-John Gartner; 3. 38-Chris Batalgia; 4. 26-Stan Asanovic; 5. 82-Bo Jones; 6. 22-Nick Henry; 7. 77-Jacob Henry; 8. 7-Gary Jones; 9. 53-Lonnie Jackson; 10. 97-Joe Loy