Ireland, Martinez, Roden, And Henry Pick Up Wins At SSP Armed Forces Night
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Nikki Gamell)
Sunset Speedway Park would host Armed Forces Night on Saturday May 16th. A very large field of cars assembled for the evening's events and some great racing would take place too. Classes in action at the “Banks Bullring” included the Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, Dwarf Cars, Street Stocks, and Pure Stocks.
In the Budweiser IMCA Modified feature it was Rob Ireland's time to shine. Starting mid-pack the Banks native would work his way to the front in his Ireland & Ireland at Law/Privateer Racing/Klecker Knives/Applebee Aviation #8 Dirt Works by Jerry Hoffman entry. Ireland would win his first feature of the season and become the fourth different winner in as many races in the division.
Albany's Craig Cassell was yet again second, in the Ester Lee Motel of Lincoln City/Corvallis Seed & Feed/Dr. Mary Harada Breast Cancer Specialist/Debra Herndon Family Nurse Practitioner #25 Rocket by Ruhlman, while the Perfection Automotive/Freeman Tile/Bud's Auto Wrecking #4X machine of Rick Graham, of Portland, crossed the wire in third. The rest of the top five included the MAPS Auto Center/Andone Enterprize/DFI Performance/Justin Russell Trucking #53V Rayburn of Scappoose's Jake Van Ortwick in fourth and Bubba Foster, from Dayton and chauffeuring his Busy Bee Cleaning/JB Printing and Graphics/Pam Pam's Autowrecking #68 Allen, in fifth.
The Dwarf Cars would be out in full force as several travelers from the Pacific Hardtop Racing Association (PHRA) were in the house. In total there was over thirty cars signed in requiring a “C Main” to be ran. Coming from the B Main and starting in the back of the A the Auto Truck Wholesale/St. John’s Tire Factory/Van Raden Industries #9 M&M of Ryan Martinez, from Portland, would work his way forward, obtained the lead, and would win his first race of the season at SSP.
Chris McCleary, out of St. Helens, would place his McCleary Racing #8 M&M in second while Hillsboro's Tim Hester finished third in the Happy Hours Photo Booth/Cooltex/Sake & Bake Racng/JT's Go Fast Shoppe #39 entry. Coming home in fourth was the Shake & Bake Racing #69 of Ronnie Gilmore Jr. and Hillsboro's Eric Bergquist in fifth in his Shake & Bake Racing #68 machine. The JT's Go Fast Shoppe #99 JT Go Fast of Kelso, Washington native Jess Turner Sr. won the B Feature while the C Main was won by James Brinster, of St. Helens, in the MAPS Auto Center/FinishLine Technologies #2 machine.
The Street Stocks would have a caution free main event. West Linn's Brian Roden would take care of business in his JNR Construction/Molecular Motion #14 Camaro. For Roden it is his second win of the season which ties him for the most victories in the Street Stocks.
The Hubbard Racing #18 Camaro of Roger Hubbard, of Sandy, was second followed by Portland's Donald Schott in the Schott Racing #11X entry. Fourth place would go to John Ireland of Banks, in his Ireland & Ireland at Law/Privateer Racing/Applebee Aviation/Klecker Knives #88 Monte Carlo, and the TK's Auto Repair/Dusty's Machine Shop/Able Fence/Cirrus Commercial Cleaning #21 Camaro of Vancouver, Washington's Travis Koch was fifth.
In Pure Stocks there would only be one stoppage during the main event. It would be Hillsboro ace John Henry the car to beat for the most part. The Ernest Racing/Henry Racing/TK's Auto Repair/Joe's Auto Body and Paint #68 Camaro, of Henry, would score his second win of 2015.
The Creekside Mortgage #05 Nova of Ken Schave from Brush Prairie, Washington was second followed by Forest Grove's Trevor LaBarge in third in his DVC Machine/Pure Addiction Diesel Performance/S&R Motorz #7 Camaro. Kendall Lee of Forest Grove was fourth in the Lee Racing #66 machine while Marcie Treat from Cornelius, in her DVC Machine/Dave's Automotive/Transaction Transmission #02 Camaro, was fifth.
Racing returns to SSP this Saturday May 23rd and Sunday the 24th for the Spring Challenge presented by 98.7 The Bull. Classes racing both nights include the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series, Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, 4-Bee's and both classes of Micro Sprints. Pit Gates will open at 2:00 PM, Front Gates open at 4:00, and racing starts at 6:30 each night.
Tickets for both races are Adults $13.00, Seniors/Military/Juniors (13-18) $10.00, Youths (Ages 12-6) $5.00, and Children under the age of 5 are FREE and a family pass will be offered for two Adults and up to four Youths for just $35.00. For more information log on to http://www.sunsetspeedwaypark.com.
Race Summary:
Armed Forces Night
Saturday May 16th, 2015
Sunset Speedway Park
Banks, Oregon
Budweiser IMCA Modifieds
A Feature: 1. 8-Rob Ireland; 2. 25-Craig Cassell; 3. 4X-Rick Graham; 4. 53V-Jake Vanortwick; 5. 68-Bubba Foster; 6. 37-Steve Suckow; 7. 66-Doug Lockwood; 8. 93-Todd Newton; 9. 44-Kristi Somers; 10. 50-Sonny Sayre; 11. 57-Kenny Miller
Street Stocks
A Feature: 1. 14-Brian Roden; 2. 18-Roger Hubbard; 3. 11X-Donald Schott; 4. 88-John Ireland; 5. 21-Travis Koch; 6. 3-Earl Claypool; 7. 7-Doug Pitsch; 8. 19-Tony Catalano; 9. 10-James Baker; 10. 00-Terry Mason
Pure Stocks
A Feature: 1. 68-John Henry; 2. 05-Ken Schave; 3. 7-Trevor LaBarge; 4. 66-Kendall Lee; 5. 02-Marcie Treat; 6. 33-Jim Peterson; 7. 24-Cori Vandercoevering; 8. 58-Terry Houck; 9. 53-Scott Hoodenpyl; 10. 30-Adam Hopkes
NW Dwarfs
A Feature: 1. 9-Ryan Martinez; 2. 8-Chris McCleary; 3. 39-Tim Hester; 4. 69-Ronnie Gilmore Jr; 5. 68-Eric Bergquist; 6. 99-Jess Turner Sr.; 7. 22K-Jess Turner Jr.; 8. 2-James Brinster; 9. 89-Henry Corbin III; 10. 76-Brian Hicks; 11. 777-Dennis Liebig; 12. 5K-Brandon Ross; 13. 11-Rich Holbert; 14. 40-Kyle Thompson; 15. 78-Kevin Hicks; 16. 75-Leo Ward
B Feature: 1. 99-Jess Turner Sr.; 2. 9-Ryan Martinez; 3. 5K-Brandon Ross; 4. 2-James Brinster; 5. 00-Jim Pavel; 6. 24-Mike Chadwick; 7. 7K-George Fischer; 8. 3-Jim Fisher; 9. 90-Henry Corbin II; 10. 18-Shane Youngren; 11. 81X-Gary Brogan; 12. 13Z-Brett Olney
C Feature: 1. 2-James Brinster; 2. 24-Mike Chadwick; 3. 81X-Gary Brogan; 4. 13Z-Brett Olney; 5. 51-Dan Coutts; 6. 95-Michael Hester; 7. 94-Zach Schreiner; 8. 33-Bill Lamm; 9. 81-Charles Millar; 10. 3X-Ted Rees