Kenny Miller Conquers Dancin Bare Topless 100 At Sunset; Tow Jr., LaBarge, T. Owen, K. Batalgia Also Earn Wins
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Nikki Gamell)
Banks, Oregon- Sunset Speedway Park would be back in action on Saturday, July 16th for the Dancin Bar Topless 100. This is a special race where IMCA Modifieds take their tops off for one night only and they race for one hundred laps. In addition to the IMCA Modifieds, there were also Dwarf Cars, Pure Stocks, and 4-Bee’s on the card.
In the Dancin Bare Topless 100 main event, T.J. Richman of Deer Island got to the front at the start. Richman managed to stay there for a few laps before Gresham’s Cody Jones got around him on the third lap. Jones, like Richman, would hold down the position for only a few laps. On the fifth circuit Aaron Elwess, from Portland, took control and stayed there for a bit of time.
Aaron Elwess lost the coveted top spot on lap twelve. Vancouver, Washington’s Kenny Miller would take care of business and blazed the trail the rest of the way. The remaining eighty-eight trips past the flag stand would see Miller as the leader. It was the first win of the 2016 season at SSP for Kenny and marked the sixth different winner in as many years of the Dancin Bare Topless 100.
Craig Cassell of Albany was second followed by Eugene ace Jesse Williamson in third. Banks native Rob Ireland was fourth while Jeff Lovell of Oregon City placed fifth. Six of the eighteen original starters finished on the lead lap.
Richard Petty of Scappoose paced the field in the opening circuits of the Dwarf Car main event. Petty lost the lead on lap seven to Guy Tow Jr. of Castle Rock, Washington. Tow managed to remain in the position the rest of the way to win his first race of the campaign.
Shane Youngren from Tigard finished in the runner-up spot and Jimmy Brinster, out of St. Helens, ended his night third. Richard Petty was fourth and the fifth finisher would be Dennis Liebig of Scappoose.
In Pure Stocks Rod Lowe was the guy to beat early. Lowe, of Cornelius, was moved back to second after Trevor LaBarge made the pass on lap six. LaBarge, of Forest Grove, finished in first place to win his fifth feature of the year.
Rod Lowe held on to second followed by Randy Allen in third. Forest Grove’s Kendall Lee completed the finishing order in fourth place.
Tylor Owen of Vernonia was back to his dominating ways in the 4-Bee’s ranks. Owen was the man to beat and blazed the trail from start to finish. It would the fourth occasion that Tylor Owen has inhabited victory lane.
Cody “Maverick” Jones, of Vancouver, Washington and not to be confused with the IMCA Modified driver, was second while Portland’s Jeremy Hughes placed third. Bob Berg and William Wolfe finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Last but not least was the Kids division of the 4-Bee classification. Forest Grove’s Kaylee Batalgia got to the front on lap five and would remain there to pick up the win. Carlton teenager Bailey Jackson was second followed by Taylor Sayre, from Vancouver, Washington, in third.
Sunset Speedway Park hosts the Open Wheel Frenzy presented by J.A.G. Racing, Premier Community Bank, and Habitat For Humanity on Saturday, July 23rd. It will be the first appearance of the season for the Wingless Sprint Series. Also on tap are the Northwest Focus Midgets, Dwarf Cars, and both 600cc Micro Sprint divisions.
Pit Gates open at 2:00 PM, Front Gates 4:00, and Racing begins around 6:30. Adult tickets are $13.00, Seniors/Military/Juniors (13-17) $10.00, Youths (6-12) $5.00, and Children (5 and Under) are FREE. Family Passes (2 Adults and up to 4 Youths) are available for $35.00 as is Premium Seating for $25.00. For more information log on to www.sunsetspeedwaypark.com