Joey Tanner Wins NELMS Season Opener At Banks
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Ken O'Neil)
Sunset Speedway Park would be the first race of the season for the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series on Saturday April 25th. Despite some wet weather in the area things would stay dry enough at the track to get the show in. The track would be superbly prepped and produced some great racing.
On the opening start Portland's Joey Tanner would make a bonsai move to seize the initial race lead. Tanner, driving the Dave Walters owned All-In Property Investments/X-Factor Race Cars/Warpaint Motorsports Graphix #67 MasterSbilt, would show lots of speed in his first race at the “Banks Bullring” in a few years. Banks native Greg Walters would try and chase Tanner down but Tanner would stay out in front. It would be the second Northwest Extreme Late Model Series victory for Tanner in his last two starts and Saturday's race was the first time he had been behind the wheel in 2015.
Greg Walters was a respectable second in his T&G Trucking/Schram Brothers Excavating/American Landscaping/Duncan Automotive #97 Victory Circle followed by Gresham's Jason Johnson, in the Robert Duncan owned Duncan Automotive #51 machine, in third. The fourth spot would go to Phillip Johnson of Gresham in his Jackhammer Trucking/T&G Trucking #79 Rayburn while the top five would be complete with the Food Express Inc./Qwikline Industrial Products #88 MasterSbilt of Brush Prairie, Washington native John Gamell.
Fast time of the night would go to Redmond chauffeur Ron Brewster in his Central Oregon Trucking/Driving Force Graphics/W.W. Trailers #31B Rocket while Greg Walters was the trophy dash winner. Victors in heat race action were Brewster and John Gamell.
The Northwest Extreme Late Model Series will be back in action on Saturday May 9th at the Cottage Grove Speedway. The last few times the series has been at the historical 1/4-mile clay oval there have been some great racing. For the latest news and information regarding the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series log on to latemodel.nwextremeseries.com. Also be sure and “Like” the Facebook page.
Race Summary:
Northwest Extreme Late Model Series Race #1
Saturday April 25th, 2015
Sunset Speedway Park
Banks, Oregon
A Feature: 1. 67-Joey Tanner; 2. 97-Greg Walters; 3. 76-Jason Johnson; 4. 79-Phil Johnson; 5. 88-John Gamell; 6. 18-Kristi Somers; 7. 8X-Daniel Modaff; 8. 31B-Ron Brewster