THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...My
last column was about the Tulsa shootout and this one is about Chili
Bowl. Thanks to floracing and MAVTV I was able to watch a majority of
the Chili Bowl which concluded my binge watching races from the Tulsa
Expo Arena. It was kind of nice watching Chili Bowl at home enjoying the
pleasures of my own residence and escaping the constant inhaling of
toxic fumes for a week. As always the Chili Bowl produces a bunch of
storylines but I want to focus on what the big storylines were in my
estimation.
●
Unfortunately as the week went on the track prep and the whole
scene around track prep became the main story. Chili Bowl has always
been known for a lot of track reworks throughout the night. But unlike
the past where these were quick touch-ups as the week went on each
edition of track prep became a bigger story. Tweets were sent out
explaining why prep was being done and as they week went on the tweets
became more numerous making me and many other viewers wondering exactly
what the headline was. Then came the Saturday night production on MAVTV
where a majority of the show featured track prep as the crew spent
almost an hour prepping for Saturday nights A main. While I firmly
believe that a race as big as a Chili Bowl deserves to feature the best
track conditions possible at some point there has to be a balance. Chili
Bowl is a huge race that will draw race fans that are not dirt fans and
the way to keep them is a not constant parade of watering, grading and
push truck races.
●
While they are not a thing in sprint car racing, superteams
rule the midget scene and for all intent and purposes they have drowned
out the competition. Super teams KKM, CMR, CBI, RMS, Dave McIntosh,
Swindell, Matt Wood and one car Larson/Silva super team combined to have
16 of the 24 starting spots and nine of the top 10 finishers.Only Daryn
Pittman in fifth was able to crack the super team dominance on Saturday
night. I am not saying this is good or bad. The emergence of so many
super teams hasn’t dampened the talent or the competition but it
definitely set a line of demarcation between the contenders and
pretenders and if not on the right side of the line the Chili Bowl
struggle will be real.
●
Piggybacking on super team dominance leads me to the crazy
fact that one can almost know the preliminary night winners without even
watching. Monday (McIntosh), Tuesday (Larson), Wednesday (Abreu) and
Thursday (Bell) all produced the same winners as the prelim nights the
year before. In the case of Larson, Abreu and Bell they have such a lock
on their respective night it has the field inevitably feeling like
second is the race for first. With McIntosh winning Monday for the
second straight year it seems Monday is following the pattern. The only
night that lacked a repeat winner was Friday but it wasn't a surprise.
Justin Grant has been the Friday dominator and regained his throne from
Tanner Thorson (who won on Friday in 2020) to stake his claim as Friday
night dominator. I am not able to explain this situation where such a
deep and talented field is being dominated by the same drivers every
year except through the dominance of super teams and the spread out
prelim nights have created a situation where the talent has thinned just
enough during the week that the same few continue to dominate.
●
Finally the last big news coming out of Chili Bowl had nothing
to do with Chili Bowl but had to do with a new USAC National
Sprint/Midget twinbill at Huset’s in September featuring $20,000 to win
Saturday night features for each class. This is huge for non winged
sprint and midgets as they lack big paying shows which is one of the
reasons non winged and midget drivers are migrating to winged sprints -
more big paying races. The event being dubbed the Huset’s Speedway USAC
Nationals is being presented by Matt Wood - the same promoter that has
created the Hangtown 100 in November at Placerville. In addition to
these two events Wood has said that he is looking for one more venue to
round out the three major races he plans to promote. Wood who also owns
a midget super team and Shane Golobic’s full time sprint ride has become
one of the major movers and shakers in racing especially with the
midgets. Even though Wood came to fame through sprint car racing - first
his connection with Bryan Clauson when he was chasing the winged dream
before his untimely death and now his support of son-in-law Shane
Golobic - his passion has always been in midget racing. Therefore it is
no surprise that both major events he has promoted would feature midgets
and my guess so will the third and fully expect this event to be more in
east giving Wood a major midget race in the West, the Plains, and the
Midwest/East Coast.
And with that it is time to get back to sprint car racing. The Wild Wing
Shootout is set for this weekend in Arizona and the following weekend
the All Stars start their season in Georgia. A lot to look forward to in
410 sprint car racing in 2021 and I can’t wait to get it started.
WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR NEWS: Wild Wing Shootout will feature a heavy dose of
California and Northwest drivers. Amongst the recent additions to the
entry list were Washington’s Jason Solwold and Oregon’s Tanner
Holmes...It will be the first 410 start for Holmes. Holmes had an
impressive 2020 season in 360 ranks and plans on a big 2021 including
potentially chasing the ASCS National tour...Solwold is a wild card
every time he shows up. He can be a front runner or lapped traffic at
any race he enters. As he ages he is no longer the dominant star he used
to be but like every veteran when he is good he can be devastating...The
Wild Wing Shootout will feature an interesting mix of Outlaw starts
(Schatz and Macedo), All Star stars (Eliason), Posse stars (DeWease)
and non winged sprint stars (CJ Leary will be in the Bowman No. 55) to
go with the strong west coast contingent registered...Macedo will be
aboard the Tarlton KPC in Arizona...The only touring series in the
Northwest is on hold as of now. According to promoter Steve Beitler the
series has been put on hold at least for this year. This was too bad but
the series had already lost a little a luster when it went from 16 to 12
races on the 2020 schedule (ultimately cancelled by COVID)...With
Petaluma releasing its 2021 schedule the overall sprint car schedule in
California is becoming more clear. Still missing Ocean, Chico and
Marysville. Looks like Petaluma will have a few Sunday night shows to
avoid conflicts with other tracks. Overall the schedule includes a mix
of winged 360, winged 410, non winged 410 and non winged 360 sprints on
the schedule...Hearing a lot of rumors about the spring swing through
California for the Outlaws and none of them good. I have yet to reach
out to the Outlaws but my guess is the Outlaws will not race in
California this spring and neither will ASCS for that matter. Hope I am
wrong. Reality tells me I am not.
My
next column will look at the news from the Wild Wing Shootout and also
look forward to the 410 sprint car season across the country 2021.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com. Follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt late model racing and pavement late model racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Given
this column appears on a sprint car web page I try to keep the content
strictly on sprint cars for the most part. Sometimes though a race
causes me to change directions and the Tulsa Shootout did just that.
Thanks to floracing I was able watch the mini sprint extravaganza for
the first time and did not disappoint. For most of the week I followed
along casually watching when I could but Saturday night I locked in for
the last chance qualifiers and main events and was not disappointed.
Mini sprints are not always my favorite. Not that I have anything
against mini sprints, just not my preferred dish. The mini sprint scene
in the Northwest is strong and the Clay Cup Nationals at Deming Speedway
is a marquee event which I have attended numerous times over the years.
I have never left the Clay Cup disappointed (maybe covered in dirt) but
I chase sprint car racing so if a decent sprint car race is on the
schedule I am headed that way. Watching the shootout I definitely
changed my appreciation for the mini sprint division. After going to 10
Chili Bowls and vowing to never go back to Tulsa, the shootout has me
walking back that statement and thinking about returning to the Expo
Center for one more go.
With the amount of competitors entered the shootout is already legendary
on that front but what impressed me was the true depth of the field. The
shootouts four main divisions - Winged Outlaw, Non Winged Outlaw, A
Class, Non Winged Stock - were simply loaded. Quantity is quality at the
shootout. Mini sprint stars were joined by stars from sprint, midget and
even NASCAR. Many of the headliners compete in all four divisions but
that doesn’t the headline drivers dominate. And the format is brutal. A
driver gets a heat race and qualifier to lock into the main and given
the fact the field isn’t broken into multiple preliminary nights a
driver is competing against the whole field all weekend. One mistake and
you're in the alphabet soup. Also a great heat race doesn’t mean
anything. In the Non Winged Outlaw class only four of the top 16 after
heat races were in the top 16 after qualifiers. In the Winged Outlaws it
was five out of 16. And if you get stuck in the alphabet soup you have
to finish in the top two all the way through to the B. A top two finish
in the B just gets a driver into the 16 car last chance qualifier which
takes the top eight. Nothing comes easy at the shootout.
Come Saturday night like any big race the cream usually rises to the
crop though and the shootout was no different for the most part. Most
impressive was Pennsylvania’s Brian Carber who captured two drillers on
Saturday as he won the Nonwinged stock and A class mains while finishing
second in the Non Winged Outlaws. He outlasted Christopher Bell and TJ
Smith in Stock Nonwing. In A class Carber was the man ahead of 12th
starting Tyler Courtney and Jason McDougal. The Oklahoma native Kris
Carroll pulled the small upset when he won Non Winged Outlaw main ahead
of Carber and hard charging Brent Crews. The 13 year old Brent Crews
stole the show for a while Saturday as he worked the cushion to move to
from ninth to second as he passed heavy hitters such as Daison Pursley,
Alex Bright and Thomas Kunsman. Crews got to second before finishing
third at the line.
The headliner of the night at the shootout and well deserved was the
Winged Outlaw division. Even though the division features 100 less cars
than the other three the quality was off the charts especially when the
24 car field main rolled out. Amongst the field was All Star regular Zeb
Wise, 360 sprint regional champion Aryton Gennetten, USAC sprint
stalwarts Kevin Thomas, Jr., Brady Bacon, Jadon Rogers and USAC midget
stalwarts Pursley and Emerson Axsom. In addition the mini sprints were
represented by many of their usual suspects like Jason McDougal, Kenny
Miller, Frank Flud, Kyle Spence, Mitchel Moles and Chris Andrews. Throw
in Tulsa Expo legends Jonathan Beason and Alex Bright and it almost
seemed like the A main at Chili Bowl. The field was so deep that drivers
like Bell and Carber were unable to make the field. In the end it was
the California star Moles who benefited from a late race mistake from
Beason (who jumped the restart on lap 42) to win the 55 lap shootout
headliner ahead of Beason and Courtney. This late race drama added
intrigue but I do wonder why they would let Beason lead 10 or so laps
when he jumped the start. Throw the yellow immediately in my opinion but
what is a big race without controversy.
As
a whole I was most impressed with the quality of drivers at the
shootout. With so many drivers one would think the field would be
watered down but this was not the case. Each division featured ultra
competitive racing throughout the weeknd. And it wasn't just the name
drivers. The amount of quality of mini sprint drivers in the country is
much deeper than I thought and the seriousness in which they take it is
second to none in racing. As a sprint car guy I often find myself
thinking of the mini sprints as the minor leagues where those that
cannot cut it in sprint cars reside - but in reality mini sprint racing
is an end game for many because it is what they can afford to be
competitive. Just because a driver cannot make it to sprint cars it
doesn’t mean they care less or are not as talented - it is often just
the hand they were dealt. And these mini sprint drivers are playing the
hand the best they can.
WEST COAST
NEWS AND NOTES: The Sprint Car Challenge Tour which has been quiet since
April of last year announced their 2021 schedule featuring 13 point
races and one non point race. Like seasons past the schedule has no
conflicts with NARC...USAC/CRA finally released their completed schedule
as did the USAC West Coast sprint cars. The CRA guys have 24 dates and
the west coast series has 18 dates. No conflicts allowing a driver to
pursue both championships...Iowa driver Austin McCarl has been announced
the driver of the Tarlton Racing sprinter in 2021. The team will chase
NARC points plus other selected events. Look for McCarl to continue to
compete in the midwest when time allows...Another recent driver
announcement has Sean Becker securing full time rides for NARC and SCCT.
In the NARC wars he will steer the Dave Vertullo sprinter and SCCT ranks
he will be aboard the Dan Monhoff sprinter.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com. Follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt late model racing and pavement late model racing.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...The
year we all wish to forget is almost in the rearview with a brighter
horizon ahead of us. Not tomorrow but the time is coming where we return
to some sort of normal and fans can go to races as they did before all
over the country - not just certain regions. And when that time comes
fans up and down the west coast should be ready as they have been away
from the track for a long time. This is what makes the schedule releases
that have occurred to date so fun to look at. The anticipation of
planning the 2021 schedule and what to look forward to.
I
am very intrigued by the Outlaws, ASCS, NARC schedules, the
announcement of two trophy cups and the release of the Perris schedule
which features 12 dates for USAC/CRA sprints. While most tracks have not
released their weekly schedules a lot of big shows have been announced.
This what has been released to date.
●
The World of Outlaws will feature a total of 12 races on the
west coast to date as March 21 is listed as TBA. The spring swing
features two dates at Tulare and one at Merced, Ocean and Perris. The
fall swing has two dates at Skagit followed by one at Grays Harbor.
After that the series moves to California for two nights at Chico and a
night each for Placerville and Kings. As I mentioned in a previous
column this is less races on the west coast than previous years but it
still provides a lot of excitement. The Outlaws should be fun at Merced
and KIngs - two tracks that have stepped up their program. On the other
hand two staples in California - Calistoga and Stockton - are not on the
2020 schedule. Also off the schedule is the traditional Oregon stop
which I was hoping might get moved back to Cottage Grove after spending
recent years at Willamette Speedway.
●
ASCS schedule has the tour coming west in early March and
again in late June for a total of eight events. The March swing features
two nights at Kern County and a night each at Tulare and Kings.
Interesting none of the tracks that were part of the 2020 California
swing were scheduled in 2021. The tour returns in June for its
traditional run through the northwest with the two night Brownfield
Classic and the three night $15,000 to win Dirt Cup at Skagit. The
northwest swing has become a staple for the ASCS national tour with DIrt
Cup being one of the crown jewels of the ASCS schedule.
●
The NARC schedule features a stout 20 race schedule with a
back loaded schedule due to lingering COVID concerns. The biggest news
was moving the Bradway Memorial to Placerville from Chico, the addition
of the $21,000 to Tarlton Classic to the schedule and the expansion of
speed week for five races in five nights. Also the Peter Murphy Classic
will remain at Tulare. Already well noted has been the fact NARC will
not have any races at Silver Dollar Speedway with the decision to move
the Bradway Memorial which left the staff at Silver Dollar scrambling
and eventually without a date. Also NARC announced that a four race
Pacific Northwest swing will take place in 2022. Early word has a two
night stop at Grays Harbor as part of the four races.
●
Two Trophy Cups. That is right. 2021 will feature a Trophy Cup
Memorial Day weekend and on its traditional date in October. Each race
will feature a traditional purse. One thing that will be interesting is
what the field looks like in May as it probably won't feature the influx
of outsiders the fall race will. Memorial Day is a huge racing weekend
around the country and I suspect the amount of invaders will be limited.
●
Perris Auto Speedway released its schedule and for the first
time in recent memory it has increased the amount of USAC/CRA races.
From March to November Perris hosts at least one race with the three
night Oval Nationals closing out the season. New to the schedule is a
two day show July 16-17.
●
Some more scheduling news. Skagit has announced that the
$10,000 to win Summers Nationals will be July 23-24. Tulare and Kings
have announced they will feature five weekends with a Friday show at one
track and a Saturday at the other. One of the Friday dates will be a
Sprint Car Challenge Tour at Kings the night before the Murphy Classic
at Tulare. This is the first mention of the SCCT since last spring.
Of
course this is all subject to change. COVID is raging and even though a
vaccine has started to be implemented no one knows how long it will take
to get to enough people to truly get the west coast open again.
Realistically it seems the March-April ASCS-WOO tour through California
would be in jeopardy. Given the state's current condition and that March
isn’t far away it is hard to see any fans being allowed. I hope I am
wrong because the west coast is dying for some big time races with
fans...on the other hand if things progress with vaccination as seem
planned then I see no reason why racing on the west coast can't go back
to “normal” by late spring or early summer.
RANDOM
THOUGHTS: Kerry Madsen was named the driver of Mike Barshinger sprinter
based out of Pennsylvania. Why do I mention this - because sounds like
Tanner Thorson got a long look for that ride but midget racing
commitments got in the way. Thorson has made it known his desire to be a
full time sprint car driver but sooner or later that is going to involve
giving up the midgets...The nine west coast ASCS races out part of a
much bigger 61 race schedule. So far Washington natives Seth Bergman and
JJ Hickle have committed to run the series. I wonder how many 360 teams
will be able to handle the extended schedule in 2021 (traditionally the
national tour runs 35-40 races)...Speaking of Hickle he was fourth on
national 360 rankings for 2020 behind Mark Smith, Shane Golobic and Sam
Hafertepe, Jr. That is some nice company for Hickle to be with. Nice to
see him get recognition for a strong 2020...Kalib Henry continues to be
one of the most underrated drivers in California. The young star has
kinda gone under the radar but announced on social media he will be
focusing on 410 racing in 2021 and will start his season in Arizona.
Henry will be a contender as long as he can get a decent amount of 410
starts...Washington’s Trey Starks is scaling back his racing as he has
left the Gobrecht Motorsports team. He plans to concentrate on work
commitments, while racing bigger races in Northwest and elsewhere if
opportunity arises. He has no interest in a weekly commitment though.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com. Follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt late model racing and pavement late model racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...The
2020 sprint car season in California started with high anticipation. The
ASCS National Tour returned in March, NARC was set for a prime season
with tons of talent committed to running the series, Kings Speedway was
in the hands of Peter Murphy but then a little thing called COVID-19
started circulating and everything changed quickly. In the end
California was able to get 60 races and 61 main events across the 360
and 410 divisions with 25 different winners but the season lacked many
of the headlining events.
2020 saw no Trophy Cup, Bradway Memorial, Murphy Classic, Outlaw swing,
NARC speed week, Fall Nationals and the Posse Shootout was a much
smaller version. And while some tracks were able to consistently race
some like Tulare and Santa Maria never raced because of COVID. In all
cases grandstands were effectively shut but tracks worked around that as
the season went on as they ushered fans through the pit gate into the
stands. In any case attendance was a fraction of what it usually is and
this led to most the big races and most 410 races to be cancelled as
without fans not enough revenue could be generated to pay the purses.
Not all was lost as Ocean Speedway held the Kaeding Classic July,
Placerville had the highly successful Tiner Classic in early October and
Kings closed out October with the massive $21,000 to Tarlton Classic.
Before the pandemic the California sprint car season was off and
running. Kings and Stockton had each held two events, Marysville one and
ASCS National Tour had stormed California (Brad Sweet and Andy Forsberg
held serve respectively at Merced and Petaluma) and the first night of
Silver Cup was completed before everything was shut down. Before the
pandemic there had been seven winners in eight starts showing the
competition was as deep as ever in California. In addition to Sweet and
Forsberg, Shane Golobic, Mitchell Faccinto, Ryan Robinson, Keith Day,
Jr. and Justyn Cox. Robinson was the only repeat winner in this time and
all the drivers except Sweet and Day would go into win at least once
more after the return to racing.
From March 14 - May 8 sprint car racing in California was silent before
Marysville roared back to life on May 9. A total of five races were run
in May with four at Marysville (winners were DJ Netto - twice, Robinson
and Forsberg) and one at Antioch (Chase Madjic). June saw 10 races as
Placerville had its first race of 2020 June 13 which was won by Cox. The
next night John Michael Bunch got the upset win at Marysville. The next
weekend saw Ocean kick off its season on Friday with youngster Blake
Carrick the win, while the next night was the first 410 race of 2020 in
California and Indiana invader Spencer Bayston took the $3000 prize.
Petaluma closed the three race weekend on Sunday with Sean Becker
getting the win. The next week saw five races on the docket and Golobic
would win three of them. He started by winning a Wednesday race at
Marysville and Thursday at Ocean. Friday at Placerville Becker won the
first night of the pared down Posse Shootout. Golobic was back on top
for the Posse Shootout while down at Kings it was Netto again.
Twelve events were run in July headlined by the Howard Kaeding Classic
July 17-18. Netto won the opening night of the Kaeding Classic featuring
360 sprints. The next night was a $5000 to win NARC 410 race and it was
Kyle Hirst scoring the big win. Two other races were run in July at
Ocean and they were won by Becker and Faccinto. Other winners in July
were Colby Copeland and Blake Carrick at Placerville, Tanner Carrick
(twice) and Becker at Marysville, Madjic won at Petaluma and Golobic won
the only race at Chico after March.
With many drivers heading to the midwest in August California only had
seven races on the schedule and Justin Sanders dominated the month
winning three times. He won at Ocean twice and scored his first career
win at Petaluma to close out the month. Other winners in August were
Colby Johnson at Antioch, Bud Kaeding at Kings, while Blake Carrick and
Robinson split a pair events at Marysville. September was a stark
reminder of reality as this would usually be the time the California
season really takes off but this year only had five races during the
month as there was no Outlaw swing or Vermeil Classic. Five different
drivers won in September - Robinson at Marysville, Netto at Ocean,
Tanner Carrick at Placerville, Madjic at Kings and Forsberg at
Petaluma.
After only five races in September, October was a big month even with
the Trophy Cup cancelled. Golobic kicked off the month with a $5,094 win
in the Tiner Classic at Placerville, grabbing his sixth final victory of
the year in California. The next weekend Kings Speedway had four main
events over two nights. Kyle Hirst kicked off the weekend with a 410 win
aboard the legendary Williams Motorsports sprinter. The next night was
the Morrie Williams Classic featuring a NARC 410 twin 20. Ironically
Williams Motorsports swept the events with HIrst winning the first and
Dominic Scezli the second as he made a rare appearance in a Williams
sprinter. The night also featured a 360 main which was captured by Bud
Kaeding.
The next
weekend Ocean finished its season with the Johnny Key Classic and it was
Mitchell Faccinto taking the win and the track championship.
The headliner in October was Tarlton Classic the night before Halloween
with a $21,000 to 410 main event. Drawing a stout 410 field with plenty
of invaders it was California native and Outlaw regular Carson Macedo
dominating the event in the Tommy Tarlton sprinter. He was followed by
Kyle Larson and Outlaw champion Brad Sweet. October closed a night later
with Andy Forsberg winning the 360 finale at Marysville. Just like
Faccinto at Ocean, Forsberg closed his championship with a win.
November started with a doubleheader at Stockton featuring 360s and NARC
sprints. Copeland snagged the 360 main, while it was Sanders taking the
NARC main. The next week Washington native turned California regular JJ
Hickle started on the pole and pulled a small upset as he held off the
challenges of one central California’s best DJ Netto and Outlaw regular
Carson Macedo. The following Friday 360 sprints were at Merced and it
was Kyle Larson getting his first in California in 2020. The season
finished with two races at Antioch that were won by Kaleb Montgomery and
Cox.
When it was all said and done even the weirdness of COVID-19 didn’t
change what we all knew going into 2020. And what we knew and still true
is that drivers such as Golobic, Faccinto, Forsberg, Becker, Sanders,
Bud Kaeding, DJ Netto and even HIrst continue to be the drivers to be
beat. But a new generation is on the rise with Ryan Robinson, the
Carrick Brother and Madjic all showing they have what it takes to take
down the old guard. Hopefully 2021 is smoother and all the big races
that we are used to seeing return and the California sprint car scene
returns to normalcy.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com. Follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...I
was listening to the Rigsby Podcast on DirtonDirt ast night and after a
long interview of celebrating the success of dirt racing (in their case
specifically dirt late model racing) in 2020 the subject turned to some
of the negatives and specifically the lengths of shows. Dirt racing
survived a pandemic but what it won't survive is continually running
inefficient shows in an age when the attention span is short.
I
have always been a proponent of more efficient shows. That does not mean
starting earlier and reducing laps of races but it means running smart
shows with a reasonable amount of classes and very little to no dead
time. Being at the races one doesn’t always notice all the delays but in
2020 where I watched everything on the screen it became more and more
apparent as the year went on that this is the biggest issue facing dirt
track racing. And then there are tracks that don’t necessarily have a
lot of down time but decide the need to have 10 classes on one card and
run the headliner last (specifically races in the South have this
issue). Either way having fans at the track for four to five hours with
a lot of downtime or endless jalopy classes is not the way to keep fans
or draw new fans.
Race promoters need to realize that from the first green to the final
checkered the maximum amount should be three hours. The NFL has
continually changed rules over the years to speed up the game to keep
around the three hour mark because they know that is what their fans
want. Racing is no different. Race fans want to go to the track and be
entertained. That is what they are paying their hard earned dollar for.
Yet some promoters don’t get this concept. Some think fans want to watch
track prep or push trucks go in circles. Others seem to think fans want
to be drugged through hours of heat races and main events before seeing
the headline class they came to see. This will cause fans to leave
before seeing what they paid for and that fan will be hesitant to go
back. I have had experiences like that where I have had to leave the
track before the headline division main event because it past midnight
and I had work commitments the next day. It definitely taints that
facility in the eyes of the race of fans who had a bad experience.
I
don’t just want to be a complainer so here is what I am advocating for
when it comes to how shows are run. First of all it depends what kind of
show it is and when it is racing. I'm going to use the Northwest as an
example because it is what I am most familiar with. Tracks up here tend
to start at seven, run three-four classes weekly and depending on the
track finish between 10 and 11. During weekly shows the tracks in the
Northwest do a good job of not overscheduling classes. Where some of the
tracks struggle is they seem to have a fear they might finish before 10.
I have been to a certain track for many weekly shows where the heat
races are complete by 8-815 and then somehow maybe one B main is run and
before you know it the mains are not starting until 915 and the Sprint
Car main is the final race. What should have been finished by 10
sometimes ends after 11. Instead of selling an extra hot dog get the
races finished in a timely manner and see that new fan become a
permanent fan. All tracks in the Northwest struggle to be adaptable when
it comes to starting times. In the spring and fall seven o’clock start
times are great but in the summer when the sun never sets promoters
should think about starting at eight and finishing by 11. The later hour
isn’t a big deal in the summer because in general people in the
Northwest tend to stay up later in summer because of the long days. A
three hour show with constant action that finishes by 11 is much more
acceptable than starting at seven having to take an inevitable break for
either sun setting or track prep because it is still beating on the
track as heat races start. The key is the three hour window. The start
time and end time will be dictated by the time of the year.
I
completely understand going to a weekly show in Northwest and seeing two
or three support classes in addition to 360 sprints but when it comes to
the bigger shows I have higher expectations. Support classes should be
limited to the most one and even then it shouldn’t be an open race. What
I mean by this is if the ford focus midgets are going to be the support
class (as they often are in the Northwest) limit the car count and
races. Maybe cap the car count at 20 based on points and then run one
main event at some point where there might be an intermission to keep
something on the track. If a big show finishes in two hours or two and
half hours so be it. Fans can get home early or have plenty of time to
tour the pits. Running a full show of focus heats and B mains is too
much. Fans at these shows want to see the stars and will only tolerate
one or two support races (not classes) at the most. Promoters need to
push teams to be more efficient in the pits and let them know in the pit
meeting the show will be moved along at an efficient pace and will not
wait for anyone. One would have to think even though I am taking a fan's
perspective that drivers feel the same way. When they race these
multiple race weekends that means daily maintenance each day. I'm pretty
sure they don't want to be at the track until midnight because the
support division had to get its race completed.
For better or
worse 2020 has changed the landscape and streaming has blown up. Fans
can watch any race they want from the comfort from home and promoters
need to adjust. Keep the shows efficient and fast paced and fans will
still come. Keep them slow and drawn out fans will stay home and search
for a better option from the comforts of their couch.
NEWS AND
NOTES: Justyn Cox won the final 360 sprint race of 2020 in California
Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. His third win of the season came
aboard his own sprinter. His previous two wins had been aboard the C&M
Motorsports car...A lot of west coast drivers headed to the desert last
weekend in Arizona only to see Kyle Larson run his usual roughshod and
sweep the weekend. It was Larson’s 34th and 35th sprint wins of
2020...Northwest born drivers were represented well in each night's
main...Friday night saw Devon Borden (9th), JJ Hickle (10th), Reece
Goetz (14th) and Colby Thornhill (23rd) make the main against the 54 car
field...With 55 car checked in Saturday night Hickle (4th), Borden
(10th) and Robbie Price (24th) cracked the main...Price was not aboard
his usual family ride but was in a sprinter owned by Casey
Minks...Skagit Speedway released the dates of its big races for 2021.
The Dirt Cup will be its traditional last weekend of June. The Summer
Nationals will be July 24 and 25 and the World Outlaws will be Labor Day
weekend as previously announced.
Next column will look back at the season in California from its start in
February to its conclusion Thanksgiving weekend.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Earlier
in the year I wrote a column rating the 10 best 410 sprint car drivers
in the country. It was a mid season poll according to me. With the 410
sprint car season officially over it is now time for my top 10 410
sprint car drivers in 2020.
1)
Kyle Larson - no brainer here. How dominant was Larson in 2020? He led
the World of Outlaws and All Star Circuit of Champions in wins. He
dominated in Pennsylvania winning the speed week championship, swept the
Weikert Memorial and won the Dirt Classic. He won the Capitani Classic,
and was second at the Governor’s Reign and National Open. Overall Larson
finished the season with 32 wins and 47 podiums. Larson will be racing
NASCAR next year.
2)
Brad Sweet - This was a tough decision as I almost put Gravel in this
spot but in the end Sweet was the best driver not named Larson in 410
racing in 2020. He won his second straight World of Outlaw championship.
Sweet’s 2020 included overall totals of 10 wins and 34 podiums. The only
knock against Sweet in 2020 was his performance in the big shows. He
wasn’t much of a contender at the Capitani, Governor’s Reign and the
National Open but his overall performance warrants second on this list.
Sweet will be back in the Kasey Kahne Racing sprinter next year chasing
a third straight Outlaw championship.
3)
David Gravel - Sixth in Outlaw points despite missing three races to
race trucks and if he had not missed those races it could have been
Gravel and not Sweet crowned champion. Gravel was impressive at the big
races as he was second at Capitani, won the Governor’s Reign and just
missed the podium at the National Open after winning the opening night.
Gravel scored nine wins overall in 2020 and 19 podiums. It was the
amount of podiums that gave the nudge to Sweet in my opinion. Gravel
moves from Jason Johnson Racing to Big Game Motorsports in 2020.
4)
Logan Schuchart - Schuchart was second in mid season ranking but faded
to fourth in the final ranking as he struggled some down the stretch.
Make no mistake Schuchart had an impressive 2020 and has officially
become part of the upper echelon of 410 racing. Schuchart was second in
Outlaw points. He won seven races and had 27 podiums overall. He won the
Jackson Nationals and was third at the Capitani and National Open.
Schuchart will return to SHARK Racing in 2021 to try to grab his first
Outlaw champion.
5)
Donny Schatz - Third in Outlaw points. Won the biggest sprint car race
of 2020 (the National Open) and won the Sarver Memorial at Lernverville.
Yet it was a down season for Schatz as he finished the season with just
five wins and 18 podiums. Of note Schtaz showed some of his old form
after the Capitani as he never finished worse than 11th in the final two
plus months. Look for Schatz to be strong in 2021 as he will again be in
Tony Stewart Ford powered sprinter.
6)
Sheldon Haudenschild - Was not on my midseason list but boy did he pick
up the pace in the second half the season winning five Outlaws races
over the final two months to come home fifth in the final Outlaw points.
Overall Haudenschild had seven wins and 18 podiums. He was third at the
Governor’s Reign. The stats don’t tell the whole story. Haudenschild was
a contender down the stretch every night and was often the fastest car
on the track. As he gets more consistent look for him to rise up the
rankings in years to come. Sheldon will return to Stenhouse-Marshall
Racing in 2021.
7)
Aaron Reutzel - Another season and another dominating All Star run by
Reutzel. Reutzel won his third straight All Star championship and
although Cory Eliason stayed close, in reality the championship was
never in doubt. Overall Reutzel won 13 races in 2020 and had 28 podiums.
Reutzel had no Outlaw wins in 2020 but also he didn’t race the series as
much because of scheduling. Reutzel has been the best non Outlaw driver
in the country the last few years and will have his chance against them
in 2021 as he will drive the Roth Motorsports sprinter.
8)
Danny Dietrich - The best driver in Pennsylvania which still means
something. Dietrich spent the early season running with the All Stars
and finished 10th in series points. He was second in Pennsylvania speed
week points. Overall Dietrich won 13 races and had 26 podiums. Dietrich
won at six different tracks in 2020. Dietrich didn’t win any
championships in 2020 as he bounced around between tracks in
Pennsylvania will do much the same in 2021 as he returns to the Gary
Kauffman owned sprinter.
9)
Cap Henry - The big surprise of 2020. Henry has always been a solid
driver for years but in 2020 Henry was the man in Ohio. He won 12 races
in Ohio, including three against the All Stars, and had 16 podiums.
Henry won the championship at Attica and seven times there. But Henry
was not a one hit wonder but any means. He proved that by winning All
Star races at Fremont and Wayne County in addition to winning one at
Attica. Expect more of the same from Henry in 2021 as he steers the Lane
Racing sprinter throughout Ohio.
10)
Lance DeWease - A lot of choices here but I went with DeWease because
of his impressive numbers in limited starts and because he scored a
major win. DeWease had six wins and 17 podiums which is all the more
impressive considering he generally only races the bigger shows in
Pennsylvania when wins and podiums are difficult to come by. In addition
DeWease won the $53000 to win Tuscarora 50 out running a stacked field
which included some guy named Kyle Larson. DeWease will start his 2021
season with a rare venture west in the Kreitz sprinter as they will race
in Arizona in January.
Drivers who
were also in consideration: Carson Macedo, Freddie Rahmer, Anthony
Macri, BIll Balog, Cole Duncan, Cory Eliason, Brent Marks, Rico Abreu.
NEWS AND
NOTES: Kyle Larson spread the love last Friday as he won a 360 sprint at
Merced Speedway. It was his first win in a 360 of 2020. It was also his
first 360 start of 2020...Larson was followed by Dominic Scelzi and Bud
Kaeding. 48 cars checked in for first and only 360 race at Merced in
2020...The next night at Antioch Kaleb Montgomery got the win ahead of
Tony Gualda and Blake Carrick...Gualda was aboard the Josh Ford sprinter
and was making a rare 2020 start...The USAC National Midget series
finished its west coast swing over the weekend at Merced. Thomas
Meseraull drove the RMS midget to his first career USAC National midget
victory Friday night. Saturday Tanner Thorson drove to his seventh USAC
National midget victory of the year...Some big new breaking the last few
days was the release of the World of Outlaw schedule and Tulare
Thunderbowl schedule...The Outlaw schedule features five spring dates
for California with a sixth being a TBA. The fall swing sees three shows
in Washington and four shows in California...The Oregon traditionally
between Elma and Chico is off the schedule. Also Calistoga and Stockton
are not on the schedule...The Tulare schedule features two Trophy Cups.
One Memorial Day weekend for the 2020 cancellation and then the
traditional October date. Schedule also includes the Peter Murphy
Classic in May and a two night Outlaw show at the end of March.
That is for this week. Few sprint car shows this
weekend with 360 sprints at Antioch closing out the California season
and ASCS Southwest at Arizona Speedway Friday and Saturday for the
Copper Classic. That will be a wrap for sprint car racing until
mid-January in Arizona.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph
Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Midget
racing is a different breed of racing. Some love and some loathe. For
those that love midget racing they will emphasize the side by side
racing, endless slide jobs and the young talent on display that is not
afraid of driving hard and for those that loathe them they will point to
the fact that many of these slide jobs are dirty and many of the drivers
are spoiled brats just spending their parents money. Others will also
point to the high cost of midget racing but relatively pathetic purses
they race for. Whatever your take though the USAC National midgets have
been very exciting the last few nights culminating in a last lap spin
Tuesday night at Bakersfield for the championship.
Let’s start with Tuesday. When the main rolled off with Kyle Larson
starting outside the front row it seemed to be no brainer. Teamed back
with Keith Kunz, surely Larson would roll to another victory in 2020 but
fellow Keith Kunz driver Buddy Koifoid had different ideas. After
passing Larson lap 19 the two exchanged the lead officially four times
and countless times in between. Koifoid answered the bell every time to
finely secure the win. As they two were exchanging slide jobs right
behind them Tyler Courtney and Chase Johnson were doing the same.
Courtney was locked in championship battle 11 points behind Chris Windom
who started 20th. Courtney got by Johnson more than once only to see
Johnson grab the spot back. Courtney knowing every spot counted was able
to finally secure the spot at the line.
As
this was happening up front Windom was methodically moving through the
field. At first it was one car here and one car there but WIndom picked
up the pace late and used a late restart to get into seventh. As
Courtney took the checkered third it seemed Windom had finished seventh
and therefore Courtney would win second straight USAC National midget
championship. But this is midget racing and contact is sometimes
expected. Earlier in the heat races Logan Seavey had intentionally spun
Justin Grant after Grant had gotten into Seavey earlier in the race.
With a championship on the line Windom did the same to sixth running
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr as they came through three and four. Not really
caught by the camera as it was focused on the leaders, it later appeared
from a device in the infield that Windom drove hard into turn three and
used Stenhouse, Jr. as a brake and clearly spun him around giving Windom
the championship by one point. That is the good, bad and ugly of midget
racing all in one main event.
The win for Koifoid was his second straight national series as he won
the Western World finale Saturday in Arizona. In that one Koifoid didn’t
have to exchange slide jobs as he led all 30 laps without serious
challenge. Tanner Thorson stayed close and after some choice words for
Koifoid on Friday night I think everybody was waiting for Thorson to
throw one of those crazy midget dive bombs that is all or nothing.
Thorson never got close enough to even try one. So what happened Friday
night Western World?
Thorson won a thriller after a lap 29 caution caused a two lap shootout.
Running third on the restart Thorson used a big move to get by leader
Logan Seavey and Koifoid in turn one and never looked back to take the
win. Earlier in the race Thorson took the lead briefly on lap five but
Koifoid got by him on lap six and the two started the slide job
exchange. As they raced each other that gave Seavey the opportunity to
race by and he took full advantage taking the lead on lap 10 and running
away from the field before the late caution. In victory lane Thorson
expressed overall displeasure with Koifoid’s driving style saying
Koifoid’s dirty sliders had killed his momentum and he thought his
chance to win the race. At least on television it never looked like the
two touched and it seemed to be just good hard racing but Thorson
obviously thought differently.
I
fall more on the side of loving midget racing. The racing may be a
little dirty at times and a lot of money is thrown around for small
payouts but just for pure excitement midget racing will deliver more
often than not. For a lot of drivers this is their first step in making
their name and they are not going to leave anything on the table.
NEW AND NOTES:
Koifoid and Thorson may not see eye to eye but no doubt both drivers are
having great seasons in 2020. Koifoid is the overall midget wins leader
with 10 total while Thorson finished the season leading the USAC
National midget series in wins with six. He has seven total...Joining
the USAC National midget series in Arizona was the USAC/CRA who ran
their third and fourth races of the year a little more than eight months
after their first two...Justin Grant won the first night driving a
second Reinbold/Underwood sprinter. Grant was the fourth and final
leader of the 30 lap race. Grant finished the season with seven overall
wins...Following Grant to the finish line was Tyler Courtney in Clauson-Marshall
sprinter and Arizona’s Charles Davis, Jr...CRA regular Brody Roa led the
first 12 laps before Chris Windom got by. Moments later Roa received a
right rear from Courtney and his night was ended...WIndom suffered a
flat tire right before the red and went to the back. He rebounded to
finish fifth in the locally owned Bill Michael sprinter...Saturday night
saw Courtney lead all 30 laps ahead of Windom and Grant...It was
Courtney’s fourth non wing win of the year in limited starts as he moves
to full time wing racing in 2021...Eight time CRA champ Damion Gardner
ran fourth in the Mark Alexander entry while Austin Williams was fifth
in the Tom and Laurie Sertich sprinter. Williams was fourth on Friday
night...Ryan Bernal was aboard the Gene Gile sprinter for the weekend.
He was the fastest qualifier Friday and finished sixth on Saturday
night. Hard to believe Bernal doesn’t really have a permanent ride
especially considering how versatile he is...Besides his third place run
Friday night in the midgets Logan Seavey has struggled a littl. He
flipped hard in Friday’s sprint main and did not race the sprint portion
Saturday night. He finished eighth in the midget main Saturday but
failed to qualify for the main at Bakersfield after Carson Macedo stole
the final transfer spot with an aggressive slide job past sixth and
seventh place...There was one wing race over the weekend and it was
Saturday night at Kings Speedway. Washington native JJ Hickle drove Ivan
and Jan Worden sprinter to the win over the 56 car field. Hickle held
off a late race challenge from DJ Netto for his first win in
California...Carson Macedo slid into second late and Netto finished
third...Corey Day with only three or four starts in a sprint car and
finished an impressive eighth. Day will be running sprints full time
next year as his family bought the Brad Furr operation...Washington 14
year old Colby Thornhill was also impressive as he finished 10th the
final order. Thornhill has used the last few months to travel throughout
the country and although results have been mixed the improvement as a
driver is evident..Hickle announced Tuesday that he would be looking to
follow the ASCS National Tour in 2021 driving the Worden family
sprinter. He announced this on two different podcasts saying there were
still some details to work out though, like funding.
This week sees the conclusion of the west sprint car season as the final
360 race will be run Friday night at Merced. The USAC National Midgets
will be on the card Friday and Saturday at Merced in a non-points paying
race. My next column I will rank my top 10 410 drivers for 2020.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Had
a lot of ideas swirling through my head for this column. I could discuss
the epic dust fest at Charlotte or the motocross track at Stockton that
sprints ran on, but a message early Saturday morning got my attention
and still does.
With a heads up I got on the Santa Maria Raceway (or Stadium 805)
facebook page and saw a local group that lives near the track was
starting a petition to shut down the track. When I woke up Sunday
morning and started to think about the weekend in sprint car racing I
decided it was better to discuss a track that needs help staying open
than complaining about the track conditions at Charlotte or Stockton.
Yes the track conditions at those two aforementioned tracks left a lot
to be desired but I figured enough have already written about that or
thrown shade on social media (me included)...so I went a different
direction.
After seeing the tracks statement on its facebook page saying that
surrounding neighbors had made complaints about noise and were starting
a petition to get the track closed I was initially annoyed. The track
has been there since the early 1960s and didn't these buyers see the
track. When I went to the track in the 80’s and 90s very houses were
near the track. But that has changed and now the track is surrounded by
new development and as has happened to many other tracks once
developments start the lifespan a racetrack starts to wane. It is too
bad that a racetrack that has been in the area for years before
development is often overrun once the development starts. Many times the
new residents will say at first they dont mind the track but before you
know it they are calling for it to be closed. Is this the situation with
Santa Maria Raceway? Is this case with Santa Maria? After looking into
it I am not sure.
First it is important that Santa Maria Raceway is part of what now is
Stadium 805. Acquired by new ownership in early 2019 with sponsorship
from nearby Firestone 805 brewery the track became part of a grander
vision of the new ownership. Santa Maria Raceway would remain as a
racetrack. In addition Stadium 805 would host rodeo, festivals and
concerts. It seemed like a great idea. The seating at the track is
situated on a hill and the landscape creates a natural amphitheatre.
Also in a concert setting the venue can hold more than 10,000 spectators
making it one of the biggest venues on the California central coast for
concerts. But therein lies the problem.
Homeowners and prospective buyers knew the track raced 15-20 times a
year - they didn’t know about concerts which drew a much larger crowd
than the races. The best race crowds are 3,000 to 4,000. And anybody
that has been to Santa Maria Raceway knows that there's only one way in
and one way out so to say it can get congested is an understatement. I
can’t imagine the amount of traffic if 10,000 people showed up. And that
is what surrounding residents are complaining about loudest. In addition
to the noise residents worry these events that draw huge crowds cause
excessive traffic and in the worst case scenario could prevent emergency
vehicles from getting to the neighborhoods behind the track. The
concerns of the neighbors are legit and to be fair they have not called
for races to stop but just to end concerts and other activities that
cause excessive traffic.
The problem is that the reason the new owners bought the property and
see it as economically profitable was the many ways they envisioned they
could use it. That is why even though the residents nearby are not
necessarily trying to close the track per se track ownership is
presenting it as an effort to close the track because without Stadium
805 there will be no Santa Maria Raceway. At this point both sides are
gathering support before San Luis Obispo County gets involved. There are
a lot of issues about permits and what exactly they allow since the
track has historically operated just on race nights. Trying to do some
quick research today it was hard to find out how the county feels but I
will say that the inability to get an emergency vehicle to a
neighborhood at any time is a problem and one I am sure the County is
going to be asking Stadium 805 ownership about.
The legal process always takes forever and right now the whole situation
is irrelevant as COVID has prevented any gatherings at Stadium 805 for
the time being. Hopefully all sides can come together and find a
solution that is suitable to the neighbors, the County and allows track
ownership to still be profitable. Every race track that closes is one
too many.
NEWS AND
NOTES: Stockton speedway held a NARC/360 sprint twinbill Saturday night
on a super fast and rough track. Stockton is already one of the fastest
tracks on the west coast and Saturday’s rough conditions offered another
degree of difficulty for 18 NARC sprints and 46 360 sprints in the
field...In NARC competition Justin Sanders tamed the best aboard the
Larry Antaya sprinter for his first career Stockton win. He led all 30
laps in collecting $3000. Rico Abreu and DJ Netto rounded the
podium...Chase Johnson started outside the front row in the NARC main
but was a victim to the track conditions and flipped violently in turn
three. He was okay...Iowa native Austin McCarl made another appearance
abroad the Roth Motorsports KPC and finished fifth in the NARC
main...His brother Carson made his 2020 California debut in the 360
class and failed to make the A….Speaking of the 360s Colby Copeland
drove the Canales family sprinter to the $2500 main leading the final 22
laps...Rounding out the podium in 360 competition was Tanner Carrick and
Cole Macedo. Macedo was especially impressive as he rebounded from a lap
six caution for his podium run...Former non winged regular Tristan
Guardino led the first three laps and ultimately came home with winged
career best fourth place finish...Justyn Cox, Shane Golobic and DJ Netto
competed in both sprint divisions at Stockton...Willie Croft was back
competing in the Mike Phulps sprinter in 360 competition. Ryan Robinson
has been driving the Phulps sprinter in 410 competition recently...Sean
Watts was in a 360 Saturday night at Stockton and finished 18th. Watts'
only other starts in 2020 had been in 410 action...Roth Motorsports, who
had been rumored to be leaving the Outlaw tour, signed Aaron Reutzel to
compete full time next year. This announcement came on the heels of Josh
Baughman announcing Reutzel would not be returning to the team. Despite
the success of Baughman/Reutzel rumors had started to leak that this
team would split up...For the first time since March USAC/CRA sprints
will be in action. They will compete alongside the USAC National midgets
in Arizona.
The winged sprint car season in California is almost done. 360 sprints
will wrap up the Kings Speedway season Saturday Night. The final 360
race will be the night before Thanksgiving at Merced Speedway. I will be
checking the non-winged sprints and midgets from Arizona this weekend
via Flo Racing.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...It
had been on the schedule all year at Kings Speedway - October 30 would
be the first annual $21,000 to win Tom Tarlton classic for the 410
winged sprint cars. It was going to be a huge addition to 410 racing in
California and with NARC primed for a huge 2020 it looked like 410
racing was coming back to life in California. Then COVID hit and while
tracks ran 360s few were willing to run 410s without fans because of the
cost of the purse. Enter Kings Speedway. Four of the five 410 races this
year in California have been held there and this Friday will be number
five and it is a headliner.
In
a normal year a $21,000 to win a 410 race in California would be huge
but in 2020 when NARC essentially cancelled their season, we had no
Murphy Classic, no NARC Speed Week and the Outlaws were unable to come
west this event has become even bigger. The event is helped by the fact
the Outlaws are off this week. With that amount of money to win on the
line it has already been announced that Kyle Larson, Carson Macedo (Tarlton
car), Aaron Reutzel (Roth car) and Daryn Pittmam will be in the field.
Also the last time the 410s raced at Kings Shane Golobic, Justin Sanders
and Colby Copeland were not in the field - they will be this time.
Maybe not car count wise but field quality wise this will be the
toughest field of the year in California all year with possible
exception of the ASCS National races back in early March. 410 racing
struggles get the number of cars a big 360 race would get but often the
competition is better. Given the names that we will be on hand that
weren’t earlier in the month I would expect a field of 30-35 sprints
with the number of potential winners between 15 and 20 (maybe closer to
22-23 depending on who all shows). Ever since Dirt Cup became a 360 show
and Gold Cup became a normal Outlaw show the west coast has been in need
of a special 410 show that could be considered a major. The Tarlton
Classic is looking like it just might be that.
Also if the
Tarlton Classic becomes a yearly event it sets the stage for what could
become a huge month of racing for California teams and fans in the
future. Just like Pennsylvania has their month of money (September),
October could become California’s month of money. It could start at
Chico for the Fall Nationals and then move to Kings for Morrie Williams
Classic and Cotton Classic. Then onto Tulare for the Trophy Cup. Then
it’s back to Kings for the Tarlton Classic. Sprinkle a few more shows
and October has the potential to help attract drivers and fans to
California as other areas of the country slow down due to weather. This
would make California the center of sprint car racing for a month and
bring national exposure to the tough west coast sprint car scene.
WEST COAST
NEWS AND NOTES: No sprint car racing in California last weekend...In
addition to the sprints the Tarlton Classic will feature USAC Western
State Midgets. Amongst drivers already entered for the $2100 to win
event are Ryan Bernal (in a Matt Wood midget) and Carson Macedo...Justin
Sanders and the Antaya Motorsports team return to the west coast after a
trip to midwest to run mostly with the ASCS tour. Sanders had a handful
of top five finishes with his best being a second on the Friday night of
the Hockett Memorial. He had one World of Outlaw start missing the main
at Plymouth...One thing I missed last week was the new team formed in
Ohio that will employ two Californians. Ray Brooks racing will feature
Cole Macedo on a full time basis and Buddy Koifoid on a part time basis.
The teams will be maintained by the Linder family. Macedo and Koifoid
have both spent time living at the Linder house so no surprise to see
this group remain together...Reached out to World of Outlaws PR and
asked about the traditional west coast spring swing. At this point they
are working on the schedule with the intention of coming west in the
spring. Time will tell.
In
addition to Tarlton Classic Friday night, Marysville will run their
final race of 2020 on Saturday featuring 360 sprints. Outlaws are off
this week as the end of the season is upon us.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST
COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Sure has been an
exciting last week plus on the national sprint car scene. Silly season
started in a big way and it seems there will be a lot more changes
before the beginning of the 2021 sprint car season. Before getting into
that let’s look at what has not changed and that is the World of Outlaws
point championship. Brad Sweet just keeps doing Brad Sweet things.
Sweet is closing
on his second straight championship after a dominating points weekend
through the plains. Even though he didn't win he was second both nights
and was able to extend his point lead to 62 points ahead of Logan
Schuchart and 82 points ahead of Donny Schatz. With only three races
remaining the gap is pretty healthy and barring disaster it would seem
Sweet second championship is becoming a formality and it really
shouldn’t be surprising as he has been the best full time Outlaw all
year.
Schuchart showed
strength during the summer and had the point lead in August but has not
been able to close down the stretch. Sweet hasn’t finished worse than
11th since August 14. Even though he has only won once in that span (he
has eight Outlaw wins overall) his consistency is striking compared to
Schuchart who has finished 12th or worse in four of the last eight
events. That has been the difference as Sweet has been able to salvage
even bad nights to get decent points. Schuchart has struggled the last
month to not have bad nights and is now in a position where it is more
about holding off Schatz for second than catching Sweet for the
championship.
As the Outlaw
championship winds down though silly season winds up and that has been
very evident the last few weeks. It started at the All Star series when
Paul McMahon announced he would not be returning to the Tom Buch team
and Zeb Wise announced he would not return to the Sam McGhee team.
McGhee quickly nabbed Ian Madsen, who had been running the second
Baughman-Ruetzel car since Knoxville, to finish out the season.
Then the Outlaws got in the
mix. Spencer Bayston who had been steering the Roth Motorsports in what
was seen as a tryout since late September was let go and replaced by
Dominic Scelzi. Surprising since Dom is not looking for an Outlaw ride
as he concentrates on the west coast next year. It was assumed that Roth
would look at another driver with Outlaw aspirations but I have also
heard that Roth isn’t returning to the Outlaws next year and is just
riding out the season. Either way I was surprised that Bayston did not
make it through the end of the season. But then it is Roth so no driver
is ever secure.
Then it got weird in my
opinion.
First it was
announced that David Gravel was not going to be able to compete in
either outlaw show last weekend due to NASCAR Truck commitments and
Shane Stewart would be driving the 41 and Parker-Price Miller a second
JJR 141. Miller had been the sub in the previous races Gravel had missed
but with a team championship in mind JJR thought it might best to have
Stewart in the car it would seem. Yes JJR has a long relationship with
Stewart but they could have as easily put him in the second car. Miller
obviously was not a fan and quickly announced that he would not be
driving the second JJR car and was essentially leaving the organization.
In addition he announced he would be in the Indy Race Parts car the rest
of the year - including being teammates to Stewart at the remaining
Outlaw races in Kokomo and Charlotte.
It didn’t stop
there. All of sudden Gravel was available on Friday at Lakeside but he
wouldn't be driving the familiar JJR 41 - instead he would be in the
Dietz 14 that Miller had driven all year. Then to top it off Stewart won
the Friday night main event. Publicly it was relayed as no big deal that
Stewart was driving the 41 but I just couldn’t help wonder why a team
that has one of three or four best sprint car drivers alive would choose
someone else - even if for only one night. Gravel will be back in 41 for
the rest of the season and Stewart will partner back up with Indy Race
Parts.
That is where we
are at for now but it just seems a lot is going to happen.
KLR is closing - according to
everyone. Where does this leave Carson Macedo. Macedo has Tarlton
backing him and rumors are already circulating he will be with JJR next
year with Tarlton as the main sponsor. Again how do you replace Gravel?
So where does
Gravel go? His NASCAR aspirations are on life support but he doesn’t
seem ready to give up yet. His big problem in both NASCAR and Outlaws is
he doesn’t bring huge backing. I am confident he will be in a top flight
ride next year it just is not clear where.
Then there is Gio
Scelzi. It has been pretty obvious he enjoys running a sprint car
compared to a stock car and rumor has him thinking about going full time
Outlaws with KCP Racing in 2021. That is a big decision though to step
away from a stock car back to full time sprint car racing. Gio may never
get another chance at stock cars.
And then there
Price-Miller. He seemed like he was going to be a longtime member of the
JJR and Phillip Dietz team. What had started as a part time endeavor
with Dietz had become basically a full time Outlaw ride for Miller but
that relationship unraveled quicker than a cheap sweater. Miller does
have backing and in interviews seems confident he will land somewhere.
Miller has fallen back on Bernie’s Indy Race Parts team before so I
wouldn’t be surprised to see him start 2021 in this seat.
With all that said I can
confidently say that Sweet, Schuchart, Schatz, Sheldon Haudenschild and
Jacob Allen will return to the outlaws next year but a lot is in limbo
about who will be the rest of regulars.
WEST COAST NEWS AND NOTES:
Only one sprint car race on the west coast last week and it was the
Johnny Key Classic at Ocean Speedway. Race was delayed from August and
paid $3000...With no (or very limited) fans allowed at tracks on the
west coast all high paying races have been cancelled so $3000 to win
(usually $5000) was pretty nice….Mitchell Faccinto was the best amongst
the 48 car field as he drove to his third win of 2020 in the Stan
Greenberg KPC...Faccinto was followed by two of the best in California.
Shane Golobic was second in the Matt Wood sprinter and Bud Kaeding was
third in his father's Maxim...Ryan Bernal was fourth in Keith Day KPC in
only his 11th start in California in 2020. His best finish to date has
been a second at Kings in late June….Tanner Carrick rounded out the top
five. With Tanner out of midget scene as of now it will be interesting
to see what 2021 holds for him and his younger brother Blake. They both
showed speed all year along they are contenders whenever they show
up...Willie Croft was fast time for the event in the Mike Phulps
sprinter. Croft has run a very limited 2020 schedule and struggled to
post good finishes. His best finish of 2020 has been fourth in late July
at Chico which came aboard his own sprinter
Sprint car season
is winding down as we are down to probably less than 10 410 races left
in the country. If weather allows I'll be watching DirtVision Saturday
night at Kokomo with both the World of Outlaws and non winged sprints on
the card. I will also be checking at late model action on floracing -
specifically the Fall Nationals and the big race at Bedford,
Pennsylvania. No sprint car racing on the west coast this weekend.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com
or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west coast and
national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside of dirt
model racing and pavement racing.
WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…Last weekend at Port Royal two things
happened that have occurred all year - Kyle Larson wins and Brad Sweet
is consistent. While Larson had his hands full Saturday Night with Brent
Marks he eventually swept the weekend, at the same time Sweet was
quietly doing what he had to if he was going to win the 2020 World of
Outlaw Championship.
Most people knew that if Sweet was going to win the
Outlaw championship he had to get through Pennsylvania without shedding
too much ground to Logan Schuchart and Donny Schatz. Though he was far
from spectacular in the four race run through Posse country he was
consistent and avoided any of those terrible finishes that could have
opened up the door and he leaves with a 32 point lead over Schuchart and
68 point lead over Schatz.
At first glance Sweets results of the four races are not
mind boggling. He was 11th and 10th at the Grove and then 11th and 8th
at Port Royal which gave him an average finish of 10th. Schuchart had a
17th and 3rd at the Grove while at Port Royal he had a 12th and 4th
which gave him an average finish of 9th. Schatz was the best of the
three as he scored the only win amongst the group. His finishes were 7th
and 1st at the Grove and 7th and 11th at the Port which gave him an
average finish right between 6th and 7th (6.5 to be exact) every night.
So while Sweet had the worst of average finish he did not give much up
and even though he lost a few points he still came out in a solid
position with only five point races remaining. Running in the top 10 or
11 every night in Pennsylvania is difficult which I will discuss in a
second.
First, how important was it for Sweet to be consistent
over the two weekends? It was that much more important because of the
lack of a West Coast swing. Traditionally the west coast has been a spot
for Sweet to do work in comparison to Schatz who has at times has
struggled on the west coast especially during the fall stops at Skagit
and Chico. The advantage over Schuchart isnt as big for Sweet,
especially after last year when Schuchart showed a lot of speed
especially during the fall last year. Still though Sweet has made a
living feasting on the west coast and the lack of those 15-20 races this
year cut his margin of error when on the east coast but Sweet has shown
the last 3-4 years that he is very consistent and has proven that again
this year. This is why he is on his way to a second straight
championship.
This is not to say the championship is locked up by any
means as one finish of 20th or worst could cause trouble for Sweet but I
don’t expect the competition to be as tough the next few weekends. Even
though much was made about the struggles of Posse versus the Outlaws in
2020 don’t underestimate the competition the last few weeks. Anthony
Macri had three top 10s, Freddie Rahmer was third first night at the
Grove, Danny Dietrich was second opening night at the Port (overall
Posse had four of the top 10 positions) and then the second night Marks
was second and Lance DeWease was third as again the Posse had four
drivers in top 10. In addition the fall swing to Pennsylvania brings a
lot of “travellers” so just getting a top 10 can be very difficult. Most
of the regions the Outlaws go to they are much more dominant and the top
teams do not struggle to crack the top 10. Plus Larson will not be in
the field the next few weeks so that opens up a top 10 position. This
should all play to Sweet’s advantage.
WEST COAST NEWS: Kings Speedway had a huge doubleheader
last weekend which featured a total of four main events in two
days...Friday night was the debut of the Kings Speedway 410 division and
it was Kyle Hirst outlasting the 24 car field in the Williams
Motorsports Maxim. He was followed by Tim Kaeding in the Bates-Hamilton
sprinter and Bud Kaeding making his debut in the Tarlton KPC...Saturday
night the Kings Speedway 360 division joined the NARC series which was a
running twin 20s paying $2800 to each winner in a race dedicated to late
car owner Morrie Williams...In the first NARC 20 lapper Hirst repeated
his previous night win. Hirst made a dramatic last lap pass that saw him
hop over Mitchell Faccinto as he was taking the checkered. Faccinto
finished second in the Stan Greenberg KPC and Sean Becker broke his
streak of bad finishes as he finished third in Dan Monhoff
sprinter...The second feature saw Dominic Scelzi win in the second
Williams Motorsports sprinter making it a clean sweep for the team
founded by Morrie Williams...Following Scelzi to the line was Tim
Kaeding and Ryan Robinson who spent the weekend driving the Mike Phulps
sprinter...Austin McCarl set fast time over the 23 car NARC field as he
was driving the Roth Motorsports KPC all weekend. He finished in the top
10 in each main with his best run being fifth in the second A
Saturday...Tim Kaeding was the overall point champion from the twin 20s.
Kyle Hirst now has three wins in the five 410 races held in California
this year...The 360 main was won by Bud Kaeding as he was driving his
father’s Maxim. Dominic Scelzi was in his traditional Scelzi Enterprises
KPC and DJ Netto in the Netto Ag KPC...Interestingly Bud, Scelzi and
Netto were the only drivers who finished in the top 10 in all four main
events held at Kings. Andy Forsberg and Mitchell Faccinto were the other
drivers to compete in all four main events...A couple drivers that were
not in attendance were Shane Golobic and Willie Croft. Colby Copeland
only competed in Friday’s show...Look for two California drivers to
finish the season on the Outlaw tour. Scelzi will replace Spencer
Bayston in the Roth Motorsports KPC and Tim Kaeding will finish the
season in Tony Stewart's Ford powered sprinter...Schedules are starting
to get released and it will be interesting to see if the Outlaws
schedule the traditional spring swing through California. My guess would
say no and that they will come west just once next year which would be
in the fall.
As has been the norm recently I will be watching the
Outlaws via DirtVision this weekend as I follow the greatest show on
dirt as we near the end of the weird 2020 season. Also California has
another big race this Saturday as Ocean Speedway will host the Johnny
Key Classic for 360 sprints $5000 to win.
Email at wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on
twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west coast and national sprint
car racing and occasionally go to the darkside of dirt model racing and
pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph
Terrell
Olympia, Wa…
Taking advantage of the weird times I was able to tune into Dirtvision
all weekend and take in all the action from Williams Grove. For west
coast fans this has been the norm all year and I have tried to make the
best of it watching as many races as I can since I am not chasing races
in person. And while live action cannot be matched watching the
complete National Open for the first time was pretty cool even it was
from my man cave (garage).
The World of
Outlaws are the premier sprint car series and their shows are far
superior in quality to any other sprint car racing. And when they go to
Pennsylvania for the National Open the quality goes off the chart. All
the Outlaw regulars, plus the best of the All Stars, the Posse, the true
Outlaws and the best of Australia usually descend on the National Open
every year making it one of the most difficult races to win all of short
track racing.
This was the stage for the National Open this year. And hanging over all
of this was Kyle Larson. After leaving a path of destruction for most of
the year Larsonn headed to the National Open to try to score his first
win in the race and he arrived as the favorite according to many. But
these big races are different and Donny Schatz was not to be denied and
when the dust settled Saturday night it was Schatz standing in victory
lane claiming the $75,000 prize and recording an a record sixth National
Open title.
In
a season that has been dominated by Larson it was still Schatz who was
winning the biggest race of 2020 and showing he was not done. Schatz has
been open about the struggles this year but he and his TSR team have
kept digging and now have five wins and since Knoxville has scored 15
straight top 10s to continue to linger in the points race only 70 points
behind Brad Sweet with seven races remaining. Can he close the gap in
seven races - I am not convinced but I do believe Shactz will win a
couple more races this year and possibly make it interesting in the
waning weeks.
The National
Open was the final major of the year - Capitani and Governor’s Reign
being the others (sorry Tuscarora 50 and Jackson Nationals) - and one
thing has become clear is that a certain group of six sprint car drivers
has risen above the competition. Looking at the podiums on the final
nights of each of these shows features a combo of names that include
Larson, Schuchart, Gravel, Haudenschild and Schatz. Throw in Outlaw
point leader Sweet and this group has become the cream of the crop in
sprint car racing right now. Sweet has kind of struggled at the majors
but when you're the Outlaw point leader that speaks for itself.
Five of the drivers are ones that have been there all year but
Haudenschild is the one that has really elevated his game the last month
plus and has become a potential winner every night and therefore an
elite driver . Haudenschild was third at Eldora and backed up with fifth
place finish at the National Open. He has won four times since August 29
and on at least three instances was in position to win. Haudenschild
still needs a little more consistency but is showing championship speed
and could be a contender in 2021.
Speaking of 2021 it could be an interesting championship battle for the
Outlaws as there will be a legit five contenders for the championship
(assuming Gravel runs the full season and Larson does not). It has been
a while since the Outlaws have had five title contenders in one season.
The last 10 years most years have had at most maybe three legit
contenders so to have five would be amazing. Also each of this group of
six drivers has won at least five Outlaw races this year which just
shows how competitive and equal this group is.
But before we get to 2021 the 2020 point race still has some life in it.
After running only 11th and 10th at Williams Grove, Sweet leads
Schuchart by 38 points and Schatz by 70 going into next weekend. If
Sweet runs consistently in the top five he should maintain his lead but
one average weekend and a great weekend for one his pursuers and Sweet
could get nervous. Schatz was able to gain 28 this weekend. Sweet did
not have a DNF but winning is key and Schatz did just that. The Outlaw
point structures gives 150 for the win and 130 for 10th so that big
point lead dissipates quickly if one is not careful and with another
weekend in Pennsylvania where Sweet has struggled, opportunity exists
for Schuchart and Schatz.
One driver not in position to take advantage is David Gravel. As a
result of missing two races this season Gravel has no shot at the point
lead (his JJR team on other hand continues to lead owner points) but he
has made plenty of noise. And given Gravel’s average points per race had
he made the two nights he missed Gravel would probably have a 15-20
point lead over Sweet right now. But he doesn’t and will surely be left
to wonder what could have been in 2020 had he not flirted with stock
cars. He has been especially stout in the major as he finished first at
the Governor’s Reign, second at the Capitani Classic and fourth at the
National Open which just shows how much speed his team has.
MORE STUFF: West Coast racing only had one sprint car race last weekend
and it was a big one...Fifty-eight sprint cars descended upon
Placerville Speedway (Ca.) Saturday night for $5,094 to win Mac Tiner
Memorial and no surprise it was Shane Golobic driving the Matt Wood
sprinter victory. The premier sprint car driver in California in 2020
Golobic is always tough when the money is bigger and Saturday night was
no different...It was Golobic’s state leading sixth sprint car win. This
does not include his win at Huset’s a few weeks ago...Following Golobic
to the line were Colby Copeland in the Canales family sprinter and
teenager Blake Carrick in his family's car...It was Copeland’s fifth top
two in six starts at Placerville and for Carrick it was his 10th podium
overall in 2020...Carrick has made huge strides in 2020 and I wouldn't
be surprised if in 2021 his name gets more well known
nationally...Tanner Thorson was in Dan Menne KPC Saturday night at
Placerville and put it in the A against the deep field. Thorson hasn’t
raced in California much since he split with Clyde Lamar in early 2019
and is searching for a ride as he recently left his midget team. It is
no secret he wants to get back to winged sprint racing so it will be
interesting to see what he does in 2021...Sean Becker finished 12th at
Placerville. Why do I mention it because it was his eighth straight
finish outside top 10 since August 8. Before then he only had three…One
of the nation's biggest 360 races took place over the weekend as the
Short Track Nationals were at I-30 speedway. Amongst the west coast
drivers competing in Arkansas were Washington's Devon Borden and Colby
Thornill and California’s Justin Sanders and Kyle Offill. Borden had the
best weekend as he scored an 11th Friday and 7th on Saturday. The
Washington teenager is going to be one to watch in 2021...Saturday’s
$10,041 Short Track Nationals paycheck went to Sam Hafertepe, Jr.
Hafertepe struggled early in the season as he competed in 410 action but
since primarily returning to 360 action he has reclaimed his title as
best 360 sprint driver in the country...Kings Speedway (Ca.) will hold a
double header this weekend featuring 360s Friday and NARC 410 sprints on
Saturday..It will be only the third NARC race of 2020 and it will have a
special format featuring two 20 lap main events each paying $2800.
Drivers with overall best results will receive an extra $1000. One twist
is at the end of the first 20 all cars on the lead lap will be inverted.
If a team chooses to change a tire they will start 24th in the second A
main...It has already been announced that Austin McCarl will be the
driver of the California based Dennis Roth sprinter both nights at
Kings. Could this be a tryout of some sort? Spencer Bayston has left
something to be desired in the Dennis Roth Outlaw car since he took over
for Daryn Pittman.
That is all for now. I will be turning into DirtVision this weekend as
the Outlaws battle the Posse for a second straight week. My next column
will look at Outlaw points race after Port Royal, what truly makes a big
race in 410 sprint car racing, the weekend at Kings Speedway and any
other west coast sprint car news.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Woke
up this morning and it really hit me that sprint car season is over in
the northwest. The northwest sprint car season in 2020 was like none
other as tracks operated under a no fan mandate and only one track ran
360 sprints. And a season that looked like it might never start gave
northwest fans one of the most interesting seasons of sprint car racing
in the northwest in a long time. How did this happen?
In
April and most of May racing in the northwest looked questionable at
best as Washington and Oregon were under heavy no gathering mandates
which had no signs of ending and still exist in many ways today. With no
fans a reality that promoter’s in the northwest were going to have to
face how tracks could pay the purses for 360 sprints. Grays Harbor and
Cottage Grove decided against that and proceeded with shows that
featured limited sprints, modifieds and stock cars. Skagit decided to
give it a try and pay a full purse. To make this work the track moved
its show from Saturday to Thursday, provided a reasonable PPV option and
had the support of many different sponsors. What was an idea provided
one of the most competitive seasons in Skagit Speedway as each night
seemingly had 10-12 potential winners in the field. Here is how it
played out.
On June 4
Skagit kicked off the season featuring 360 sprints in epic fashion as
Eric Fisher raced past Colton Heath at the checkered in one of the
closest finishes in the history of the track. The next week produced
another scintillating finish as this time it was Brock Lemely getting by
Heath at the line in another photo finish. Week three would finally see
Heath get the win as he outlasted Trey Starks. Racing 360s for a fourth
straight week, teenager Devon Borden closed out the month of June by
picking up his first win of the year. The teenage theme would be one
that persisted throughout the season.
July 2 was
supposed to be point race five but mother nature had other ideas and the
sprints would have three weeks off before getting back at it on July 23.
This night was all Starks as he blasted by Jason Solwold on the start
and dominated the race for the win. Tanner Holmes showed strength as he
passed Solwold and started to chase down Starks but lady luck had other
ideas and his efforts finished in a DNF. Holmes would get redemption.
After the July 23 race the points battle had become a six driver battle
between Heath, Lemley, Borden, Fisher, Solwold and Cam Smith. These six
drivers had established themselves as the class of the field and then
week six happened.
Just as the
season was coming into view it was all shaken up on July 30. Four of the
championship contenders were not in attendance as Heath had headed to
Konxville, Lemley decided to put Chance Crum in his car for the rest of
the year, Fisher was unable to attend for personal reasons and Solwold
was cross country chasing Pennsylvania Posse glory. Borden took
advantage as he drove to his second win of the season at Skagit over
Robbie Price who had returned to home from the ASCS National Tour.
Smith would run fourth and the championship race had become a two person
race.
Week seven saw
Travis Jacobson score his first win at Skagit in more than seven years
ahead of Oregon driver Tyler Thompson who was looking for his first
career win at Skagit. Fisher returned to finish third but the missed
race was fatal to his championship pursuit as Borden and Smith each
collected top 10 finishes to solidify their status as the contenders.
But the point shake up was not done as week eight had another surprise
as Smith was unable to race and instead had to call on JJ Hickle to fill
the seat for the night. The former northwest regular found out how tough
the competition was and failed to qualify for the main. Borden finished
third and the championship looked like his. While this was playing out
during week eight 14 year old Colby Thornhill was becoming the youngest
sprint car winner in Skagit history as he beat Reece Goetz to the
checkered.
Week nine
would see another teenager crack victory lane as the aforementioned
Tanner Holmes got the monkey off his back and finally scored his first
Skagit win. He did it in epic fashion as he also set fast time earlier
in the night. Holmes would beat fellow Oregon driver Garen Linder who
finally had a good night at Skagit after what seemed like two years of
bad luck. Although Borden had an off night finishing 19th he was
virtually guaranteed the championship as long he fired on championship
night as he enjoyed a 60 plus point lead over Chase Goetz and Thornill.
But before championship night could come the points were thrown for
another loop as Borden and Thornhill announced they would be skipping
championship night to head to Missouri and the Jesse Hockett Memorial.
Tanner Holmes also made the trip.
This put Chase
Goetz in prime position and he entered the championship night more than
40 points ahead of Smith who had clawed his way back into contention
after missing week eight. Chase did what he did all year on championship
- qualified average, okay in his heat and passed cars in the main to
salvage top ten. Smith outperformed Chase all night but it was not
enough to make up for the lost night and ultimately fell 20 points
short. Instead Chase Goetz had quietly been consistent (never finished
better than fifth and never worse than 11th) and was rewarded with his
first 360 championship. But just like the rest of his season Chase was
getting outshined.
The reason was
teenager Bailey Jean Sucich shocking the field as she inherited the lead
from Corbyn Fauver (another young driver that is getting close to
victory lane) and then held off Solwold late to win. Sucich became the
fourth and most unlikely teenager to win at Skagit in 2020. Solwold
actually got by on lap 22 but Sucich regained the position immediately
and was not going to be denied. Before her win Sucich best finish of the
season in eight starts at Skagit was sixth and she was not on the list
of potential winners. Now she is.
And that is
the northwest sprint car season in 2020. It started with a thrilling
finish and ended with a shocking upset and in between produced nine
different winners in ten races and saw the point lead change hands four
times.
MORE STUFF: As
mentioned Borden, Thornhill and Holmes all made the trip to Missouri.
Borden came away the best weekend as he finished 11th on the final night
against a stacked field. Expect all three drivers to spend a lot of time
on the road in 2020...California star Justin Sanders came home fifth at
the Hockett. He and his Antaya Motorsports team are making their second
excursion to the midwest in 2020. Sounds like they will be gone for
about six weeks..Last Saturday at Placerville saw the three of the most
improved drivers in 2020 on the podium. The Carrick brothers were
one-two and Hickle was third. All three of these drivers have made huge
improvements in 2020 and are now in the upper echelon of the California
360 scene...If schedules hold together racing in California should go
into mid November. But that is a big if...Ocean Speedway has cancelled
their October 9 date. No reason given.
On
tap this week on the west coast is two 360 races Saturday in
California. Drivers will have the option to race at Petaluma or Kings. I
will be tuning into World of Outlaw action for the rest of the year with
Skagit’s season complete and most of my upcoming columns will have a
more national feel as I follow the outlaws virtually to end the season.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...The
2020 season is winding down on the west coast or is it? In the northwest
it is for sure as next Thursday will be the final 360 sprint race in
Washington but California got a shot in the arm this week when Ocean
Speedway added four races to their schedule with one in September, two
in October and a season championship in November.
Before these
added races there were only about four or five 360 races left with
exception of Kings Speedway which still has three 360 races and three
410 races scheduled in the fall months. Nobody truly knows how many of
these races Kings will run, especially the 410 shows as purse demands
for these events make it difficult in a fanless environment but now
California teams at least some more races on the schedule before 2020
closes. And this brings me to the topic of this column: can we expect
tracks to survive another year without fans.
While much of the country has had fans return in some fashion the west
coast has remained steadfast in its COVID policies. This has and will
have a huge impact on racing going forward on the west coast because
many tracks have had to sit silent while in many instances
owners/promoters have still had bills to pay. The reality is that this
can’t continue without a potential of seeing race tracks close in an
area of the country that already doesn't have enough race tracks. And
this has left me wondering what will 2021 look like and what could be
done to help these tracks survive even if the pandemic is still raging.
First I am not advocating a political position but just kind of
spitballing ideas on ways to get fans at the track if the 2021 season
starts without a vaccine which it more than likely will. Considering
California usually starts late January/early February it seems hard to
imagine a vaccine will be approved and can be mass produced by then.
Even the northwest season which starts in April seems really soon when
you think about it. So what can be done? While some tracks like Skagit,
Marysville and Ocean have managed to have a successful slate of sprint
cars tracks other places like Chico, Cottage Grove and Stockton have
been either shutdown or in the case of Cottage Grove only able to
essentially run limited sprints, mods and stock cars because without
fans they cannot afford a 360 sprint purse. Even tracks that have found
a niche cannot survive like this forever.
When it comes to ideas I am not reinventing the wheel here just really
talking about reality. As the pandemic goes on without a vaccine the
ball will continue to be pushed on getting back to close as normal as we
can. For promoters this is getting fans back to the track (they are the
lifeblood of racing) while at the same time being conscious of the world
we live in. Without a vaccine tracks will need to operate with a reduced
capacity (35-50%), ensure face masks and social distancing is strictly
enforced, sell no concessions, all admission (stands and pits) is
prepaid, no fans in pits after races, teams leave as soon their race is
over and one night shows only with no camping. A proposal along these
lines is very reasonable and would ensure an environment that would be
safe to everybody while allowing tracks to get some revenue back.
Along these lines is probably the reality of what will be mandated if
fans are allowed back in the stands. Sure it is not perfect for
promoters but it would be a step in the right direction. Take a track
like Skagit as an example. Yes their fan capacity would be reduced and
therefore revenue but they also created a nice PPV option that fans can
watch if they can’t make it out. One thing about COVID is how much it
upped the PPV game and promoters need to realize this will continue to
be a revenue stream even after the pandemic ends. I am sure promoters
want (and I want also) to have big shows again like the Outlaws, Trophy
Cup and Dirt Cup to name a few but after what happened in Knoxville I
would caution against these gatherings that could easily spread the
virus. And if an outbreak is linked to a track it will be devastating
for racing on the west coast.The governments of California, Oregon and
Washington have worked closely on their COVID response so one bad seed
could ruin it for all. The best way to avoid this is for tracks to make
proposals that are done with public safety in the forefront which is
what my ideas earlier do.
The
bigger fear is that no vaccine exists in the spring and no fans allowed
at the tracks and tracks just cannot open up after being silent for a
year. I think of places like Chico, Perris, Santa Maria, Tulare,
Stockton, Willamette (Or.), Yakima (dirt and paved) to name a few that
have been silent for all or most of 2020. Can they do it again and even
think of surviving. I hope we don’t have to find out because it could be
bad. Even for the tracks that have raced in 2020 many have done so on
bare bones and reduced purses and I am not sure there will be more fat
to trim in 2021. Again could have a devastating effect. Once promoters
have trimmed as much as they can the next option is usually shutting
down or in the case of private owned tracks selling to a developer that
has been in his ear for years. The first thing a developer does is
knock down the track (Mansfield, Ohio great example).And we all know
that for the most part once a track closes it will not re-open.
Now
hopefully a miracle happens and a vaccine is widely available and by
spring next year we all back at the track but this pandemic has been
devastating and I feel it is only prudent to consider the long term
effect this pandemic will have on the future west coast racing and how
it could not be good.
MORE STUFF:
Last night Marysville ran a tribute to the cancelled Gold Cup. Ryan
Robinson continued his standout 2020 picking his fifth win of the year
in Todd Weiher sprinter. Regular season champion Andy Forsberg drove the
family car home second and Tanner Carrick rounded out the podium...Last
week I had declared Bud Kaeding the Ocean Speedway champion. But with
the season being extended that declaration was premature….One of the
October dates at Ocean will be a makeup for the Johnny Key
classic...Justin Sanders, Justyn Cox and Oregon’s Brian Boswell are
amongst early entries for next week's ASCS National Tour sanctioned
Hockett Classic in Missouri. I would expect to see a few more west coast
names to appear next weekend...Just in the last few hours Daryn PIttman
has announced a sort of retirement from racing. He said he wants to move
into non driving part of racing but did not totally squash the idea he
would drive again just it wouldn't be full time. It would seem his
career as an Outlaw will end in 2020...Who knows what will happen with
the Roth ride next year. Will they scale back or fill the seat? Roth has
made a habit of going back and forth to the Outlaws so it just may be
time for him to pull back for a year…One name that would be a good fit
if Roth continues Outlaw racing would be Shane Stewart. Stewart was
going to race for Roth in the early part of the season before COVID
wiped that out. Stewart is eager to get back on the tour and has quietly
had a really good year consistently being a front runner and with the
Outlaws has had one win and 14 top 10s in 25 starts...Lastly speaking of
the Outlaws it will be interesting if they schedule the spring west
coast swing in 2021. I highly doubt they will. With the lack of fans
and no vaccine I could see Outlaws not scheduling the early west coast
trip in 2021 so they don’t have to later change it.
That is all for now. I will be tuning into Skagit Speedway Thursday
Night Thunder for the sportsmen sprint season championship later
tonight. Next Thursday Skagit will have championship night for 360
sprints. Ocean and Placerville return to action next weekend. This
weekend looks quiet for sprint racing on the west coast but around the
country plenty of great racing rages on including the Outlaws in Kansas
and the big $53,000 to win All Star race at Port Royal.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com
or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west coast and
national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside of dirt
model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Washington...Another night and another
different winner at Skagit Speedway as Thursday Night Thunder continues
to deliver week and week out. Last night it was Oregon teenager Tanner
Holmes scoring not only his first 360 sprint win at Skagit but his first
360 sprint of his career. Holmes qualified fast time, was second in his
heat and led all 25 laps aboard his family owned KPC. Holmes has been
fast at Skagit before and has had a couple chances for victory but last
night he was not to be denied. In addition to Tanner Holmes plenty of
story lines presented themselves through the night so lets take a look:
● With the win Holmes became the fourth winner out of
the nine races who are 18 or younger. Devon Borden has two wins and
Colby Thornhill one. While many of the stars we know in the northwest
are still going strong the changing of the guard is more evident each
week.
● The only challenge Holmes faced was from Trey Starks. Making his
fourth Skagit Speedway start of 2020 Starks chased Holmes for the first
nine laps before trying a massive slide job in turn two. Starks was able
to get underneath Holmes for a second but Holmes drove back by as Starks
got into the wall and ultimately upside down.
● Holmes was headed quickly out of Skagit and pointed towards Montana
for their three day stampede at Electric City Speedway. Holmes was
followed by as many 10 other drivers as they try to sneak in some late
season races
● The Lemley team, Colton Heath and Jason Solwold all elected to skip
Thursday night at Skagit and head straight to Montana. Also expect to
see California based teams of Joel Myers, Jr. and JJ Hickle to be in
attendance.
● Following Holmes to the line was fellow southern Oregon driver Garen
Linder. It was the best finish of the season for Linder at Skagit in
three starts. He does have an ASCS Frontier region win in 2020.
● Eric Fisher was third which gives him four podiums in 2020 at Skagit
which leads all competitors. Fisher sits sixth in points as he has
missed one race.
● Point leader Devon Borden and second in points Travis Jacobson both
had nights to forget. Borden qualified 12th, blew an engine in his heat
and then rolled over early in the main and was scored 19th. Jacobson
night was even worse as he eventually scratched after his car wouldn't
fire during hot laps of qualifying. Borden still enjoys a 59 point lead
but Jacobson has now dropped to fifth in points.
● Sitting second in points is Chase Goetz as he finished fifth in the
main in the Roger Oudman sprinter. Goetz has struggled to qualify but
has been fast as soon as the races start and has scored seven straight
top 10s to get into second place in points. Goetz has had a really good
season as he also won two Sportsmen sprint wins at Skagit and a pavement
sprint win at Evergreen.
● 14 year old Colby Thornhill had an up and down night but rallied for
an eighth place finish and sits only three points behind Goetz in the
points. Thornhill is one of the drivers headed to Montana and will be
making his first 360 sprint starts at a track besides Skagit.
● After missing one week Cam Smith was back in action in the Dave Smith
SHARK powered XXX and he drove to a fifth place finish and gained a spot
in points to move up to fifth. Smith has earned more points per week
than Borden but the missed race a few weeks ago has derailed any chance
to repeat as track champion.
● Bailey Jean Sucich scored her best finish of 2020. She finished sixth
after starting the night by qualifying seventh quick. It was Bailey
Jean’s fourth top 10 in eight starts at Skagit.
● Jeff Dunlap rebounded from his heartbreak two weeks ago to run 10th
which is his best finish of 2020
● Only five drivers have made all nine 360 races at Skagit in 2020:
Borden, Chase Goetz, Thornhill, Jacobson and Ashleigh Johnson. Johnson
also has perfect attendance in the Sportsmen division
● The next two weeks will be season championships at Skagit Speedway.
Next Thursday will feature Sportsmen sprints and the following Thursday
will feature 360 sprints. In a break from years past, a full program
will be run each week featuring qualifying and heat races.
Getting for the weekend and will definitely be keeping
an eye on the World of Outlaw event at Huset’s. This has traditionally
been Outlaw weekend at Skagit and many fans in the northwest are
definitely alert to the fact that a big time track with big time backers
are hosting the Outlaws. Not saying the Outlaws are not coming back to
the northwest just saying I have a lot of interest how the Huset’s race
unfolds and what it could mean for 2021.
Next column will look forward to 2021 and what I see
realistically happening given the current situation on the west coast.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
where I tweet about west coast and national sprint car racing and
occasionally go to the darkside of dirt model racing and pavement
racing.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Cannon Beach, Oregon...For five months I have more or
less stayed home besides work and essential things. It has been long and
at times I have felt like I was never going to leave home but that has
changed as I listen to the ocean on the beautiful Oregon coast. Cannon
Beach is a family tradition for my family but it usually involves races
at Cottage Grove or Banks before heading to the coast during the week
and then probably catching more races. But this year races were omitted
but in a weird 2020 just getting somewhere different seems pretty
awesome.
As the ocean blows and the waves crash, the sprint car
season on the west coast limps along as it begins to get close to fall.
Last weekend featured only two 360 sprint races on the west coast -
Wednesday at Marysville and Sunday night at Petaluma. What was supposed
to be a four race weekend was reduced to two as raging fires forced
Ocean and Placerville to cancel their scheduled events. For Ocean it
marked the end of their sprint season as the last two events were
cancelled due to fires and Placerville sits idle until September 19. The
next two weekends have no 360 sprint car races on the schedule. More on
that later.
The two races that were run last weekend produced two
drivers used to victory lane. At Marysville Ryan Robinson steered the
Weiher Motorsports sprinter to his third win of the year at the track
and fourth overall. Robinson has shown a lot of speed this year as he
has been behind the wheel of the Weiher sprinter all year unlike last
year where he bounced around a little bit. Most impressive is Robinson
has picked his four wins in less than 15 2020 starts. Two of the best in
California followed Robinson as Shane Golobic brought the Matt Wood
sprinter home second and Tanner Carrick continued his hot streak
bringing his families sprinter home third. For Carrick it was his eighth
podium in last 10 starts which includes two wins.
Sunday night at Petaluma it was a familiar face in
victory lane just at an unfamiliar track. Driving the Larry Antaya
sprinter for the first time since June Justin Sanders picked up his
first career victory at Petaluma and his third of the year in
California. Sanders spent the early summer in the Plains chasing ASCS
and All Star glory returned to California for Kaeding Classic and since
then has settled in as best driver in the start winning three times and
finished second twice in his last 10 starts. Andy Forsberg drove his own
sprinter to a second place finish, while Kaleb Montgomery scored his
second overall podium of 2020 finishing third.
The next few weeks are dormant for California racing so
it will be interesting to see what teams do. Some teams will just wait
for the next race (September 19 at Placerville) but with a big race
weekend Montana coming up Labor Day some drivers might head that way. As
of press time JJ Hickle was committed, while Sanders and Joel Meyers
have indicated interest. Several top northwest teams have also indicated
they will go after racing Skagit this Thursday. Only in 2020 would
Montana be the place to be on Labor Day for racing but given the current
environment it looks it just might be that way.
MORE STUFF: Forsberg won the Marysville sprint car championship which
added to his lengthy totals of championships that is now well into the
20s. In 12 starts at Marysville Forsberg scored a win, five podiums and
five fast times to secure the championship over defending champion
Michael Ing...The 12 races saw eight different winners as Robinson (3),
Tanner Carrick (2) and DJ Netto (2) all had multiple victories...The
raging fires forced a premature end to the Ocean speedway sprint season.
They were still able to get seven races with six different winners and
Bud Kaeding was champion on the back of consistency as he had no wins.
Overall the track produced six different winners in the seven races with
only Sanders winning two...Sean Becker was one of the best drivers most
of the year in California but has hit a cold spell and his best finish
in his last five starts is 10th...One driver who was supposed to be a
NARC regular Spencer Bayston is having a great season in a few starts.
In less than 10 410 sprint starts Baytson has scored a win in California
and Pennsylvania and easily qualified for the Capitiani Classic. Full
time ride anybody?...In northwest sprint news Jason Solwold has left the
John Trone Motorsports team and returned home. Work commitments for
Solwold forced him to come back home. Also the team has struggled
outside of Williams Grove and Trone is looking for a commitment which
Solwold isn't the guy. He has always maintained the Shaylen-Raye
Motorsports team is his priority. I would expect this team to be at
Skagit for the last two point races.....Expect a handful of northwest
teams to race Skagit Thursday before heading to Montana for the weekend.
Amongst those committed are Skagit point leader Devon Borden and young
star Tanner Holmes. This will be a long tow but I expect Skagit Speedway
promoter Steve Beitler to get the races over early Thursday so the teams
can head out...With drivers missing races and Borden’s overall
consistency Borden has pretty much solidified the 360 point battle at
Skagit with two races remaining...As mentioned the season on the west
coast is winding down quickly. Skagit has two 360 races left and
depending what happens California probably has 8-10 races left at the
most. This depends if Kings Speedway runs their full fall schedule.
That is all for this week. I will be covering Skagit
Speedway 360 point race number nine this Thursday like I have all year -
remotely. The first eight races have produced seven different winners
and heavy hitters such as defending track champion Cam Smith and Solwold
are still seeking their first win.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
where I tweet about west coast and national sprint car racing and
occasionally go to the darkside of dirt model racing and pavement
racing.
WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Last
week was an example of how thin of a string racing is on around most of
the country and especially in the northwest. Beginning of last week
Skagit Speedway was announcing their season would go through September
17 and then last Thursday night (as the races were going) rumours began
to fly that the season in the northwest would be ended Monday August 24
by a new Governor’s order. By Friday morning those were just rumours and
Skagit Speedway along with other tracks in Washington were back in
business. The events showed quickly things can change and how easily
racing can be cancelled.
With that in mind I decided to have this column be a power ranking of
the best 10 410 sprint car drivers in 2020 if the year ended today.
Obviously number one will be a no brainer but a lot of other drivers
besides Kyle Larson are having great years and I wanted to rank them,
not necessarily on total wins but overall success in 2020.
1)Kyle Larson
- You know all the stats. Nothing new to say.
2)Logan
Schuchart - Schuchart has had an under the radar great season. Early it
was Brad Sweet and lately Kyle Larson but from Florida to now Schuchart
has been the most consistent driver in 410 racing. He has racked five
wins including the Jackson Nationals and led the Outlaw point standings
twice. He is the current leader by 8 points ahead of Sweet. His Outlaw
stats besides the five wins include 23 top fives and 30 top 10s in 34
starts. His average finish is 5.84. Throw in a handful podiums in local
Posse action and that is good enough to be ranked second.
3)Brad Sweet -
The difference between Sweet and Schuchart is small. I gave the
advantage to Schuchart because he is the Outlaw point leader and has a
better average finish in Outlaw races than Sweet whose average finish is
6.77. Sweet does seven have Outlaws wins (nine total) and for through
June was probably number one on the list. Sweet’s oOutlaw stats are
similar to Schuchart as he also has 23 top fives but has one less top
ten.
4)David Gravel
- Gravel has been stout all year and if not for missing two Outlaw point
races he would be right in the championship battle. Gravel has four
Outlaw wins (five total) including the Summer National at the Grove. He
has an average finish of 6.16 in Outlaw competition and has reeled off
18 top fives and 28 top 10s in 32 outlaw starts. Gravel was the only
driver at Knoxville who was even close to Larson’s league. Ever since
his 18 win season in 2017 Gravel has fallen off the radar a touch but
make no mistake he remains in the discussion for best sprint car driver
in the world.
5)Donny Schatz
- It was difficult to slot Schatz because of the expectations and the
realities. The expectations are that he wins 20 plus outlaw races every
year and simply suffocates the competition. 2020 has been nothing like
that but that doesn’t mean Schatz is a bum. He is third in Outlaw points
with three wins. He won the Silver Cup at Lernerville which allowed him
to take the Outlaw point lead. His average finish with the series is a
respectable 7.27 and despite struggling he is still only 58 points
behind Schuchart. Donny is still lethal and capable of being number one
again.
The top five to me are very cream of the crop. Number six is kind of by
himself in a class where he isn't top five but he is clearly a step
above everybody else.
6)Aaron
Reutzel - He has 10 (eight with All Stars) overall wins and has led the
All Star point chase since the start. He is clearly the best driver not
on the Outlaw tour. He has proven to be too much for the Posse and this
year won Ohio speed week showing he had begun to master a region he had
struggled in. Reutzel has two wins at Knoxville also to show how tough
he can be. Reutzel is inconsistent but is too dominant when he is on to
list any lower.
7)Cap Henry-
Henry has been the best regional driver in the country in one of the
toughest regions (Ohio), Henry has won 10 times joining Larson and
Reutzel as only drivers with 10 or more 410 wins. He has won four
straight at Attica and seven overall there including one during Ohio
speed week. He picked off another Ohio speed week win at Wayne County.
He also won a regular point race at Wayne County and Fremont. All the
drivers above Henry are professionals but Henry is a weekend warrior who
accomplished all this in roughly 20 starts. Yes he deserves to be this
high.
8)Danny
Dietrich- Consistently the best regional driver in the country Dietrich
started off slow but has won seven times (eight overall) in posse land
since June 27. He just got off a stretch of winning five out six in
Pennsylvania. Dietrich competed with All Stars early in the year and
showed off his versatility winning on a new track in Texas. Dietrich is
the best driver in Posse land night and night out and 2020 is no
different. For that reason I am going to slot him at number eight.
9)Carson
Macedo - Macedo has really started to flex his muscles in 2020. He has
one Outlaw win and two in Pennsylvania but it is not the win total that
is impressive, it is the fact he has become a consistent front runner
with the Outlaws. He has 16 top 10 finishes in his last 18 starts and
started to pressure Schatz for third in points. Overall in Outlaw races
Macedo has 11 top fives and 29 top 10s. He has an average finish of
7.81. The guys two thru five in my ranking make the Outlaw points tough
but Macedo is closing the gap rapidly.
10)Bill Balog
- This last slot was tough and I thought about going a couple of
different directions but settled on Balog. What Balog does every year in
the upper midwest is unbelievable. He just continues to dominate the
competitive IRA series and this year has been no different as he has won
eight straight stand alone IRA races. Some might say he is cherry
picking but he is a regional driver that dominates his region much like
the other two regional drivers on the list. That is all he can do is
beat the drivers he competes against and Balog does it better than most.
Balog has struggled against the Outlaws and All Stars but nonetheless I
gave him the nod for the final spot.
Just Missed:
Sheldon Haudenschild and Cory Eliason. Both of these drivers are very
capable and are national stars on the rise but there are only 10 spots
and not everybody could make it. Other drivers I considered were Lance
DeWease, Austin McCarl, Brian Brown, Rico Abreu, Cole Duncan, Brent
Marks, Freddie Rahmer and Anthony Macri.
MORE STUFF:
Some quick notes from last week as only one 360 race was contested. That
was Thursday night at Skagit Speedway. Saturday was supposed to be the
Johnny Key Classic at Ocean but fires forced its cancellation...At
Skagit Thursday night a crazy round of qualifying saw most of the front
running drivers qualify in the bottom half of the 26 car field...Lance
Sargent in his second night out was fast time aboard his families Fauver
powered sprinter. He would finish sixth in the A…The A was won by 14
year old sensation Colby Thornill started fourth and took the lead on
lap 21 when race long leader Jeff Dunlap broke. Thornhill now sits third
in track points...Dunlap was chasing his first career 360 sprint victory
until his fate was determined as he slowed on lap 21. Dunlap seems to
have one night a year he just runs up front out of nowhere...Chasing
Thornhill to the finish line was Reece Goetz and 16th starting Devon
Borden. Borden was victimized by a bad qualifying run and was on the
move in the A as he solidified his point lead...Borden’s point lead got
a big boost when second place in points Cam Smith was unable to
participate. Smith did put rising star and recent ASCS speed week
champion JJ Hickle in the car for the night but the Washington native
struggled and missed the A by one spot.
That is all
for now. California tentatively has three 360 sprint races scheduled
this week (Wednesday at Marysville, Saturday at Placerville and Sunday
at Petaluma) but with fires raging I am not sure how many races will
actually get in. Skagit will be featuring the Sportsmen sprints this
week. 360 sprints return on 9/3 at Skagit Speedway.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...LIke
a band of gypsies drivers from up and down the west coast took to the
road and headed to the Great Plains to chase their sprint car dreams.
From superstars to those just wanting to experience life on the road,
west coast drivers have been scattered across the plains and have flexed
their muscles wherever they showed up.
Just like every other year the first half of August is all about
Knoxville. That didn’t change in 2020 even with postponement of the
Nationals to 2021. The Knoxville 360 Nationals and Capitani Classic
provided a lot of money to be won and again made Iowa the center of the
sprint car world in August. But this year is different and as 410
drivers were chasing the gold at Knoxville the ASCS sprints were
experimenting with a new format during their six race speedweek that
started last Monday in Kansas and ends tonight in Arkansas. Don't forget
the two nights at Oskaloosa that happened on Sunday and Monday
(unfortunately rained out) after 360 Nationals and there was racing
everywhere. West coast teams took advantage so let's see how they did.
Californians Shane Golobic, Colby Copeland, Dominic Scelzi, Tim Kaeding
and Kyle Offill focused their attention in Iowa while many of the other
west coast teams headed to ASCS speed week following Oskaloosa. Before
going forward I'll just say I don't consider Rico Abreu, Cory Eliason,
Trey Starks, Gio Scelzi, Seth Bergman, Roger Crockett or Robbie Price
west coast drivers - they are national drivers.
In
Iowa Shane Golobic flexed the most muscle and in a big way. Golobic
finished an impressive second during the 360 nationals. He then ran
fourth at Oskaloosa before having a lot of speed during the Capitani
Classic just not the results, He qualified 16th Thursday before heat
race miscue ruined his night and ultimately he missed the show.
Rebounding Friday Golobic qualified top 10 before finishing fifth in the
A. On Saturday Golobic was impressive in his qualifier as he took
advantage of some breaks to get the fourth position and transfer to the
A. Golobic was a DNF in the A but has now shown that he is a contender
at Knoxville. He has made somewhere around 10 starts there in 2020 the
experience showed for sure.
Scelzi had a
solid 360 nationals that included a third place preliminary run and
ninth place on the final night. He was then second the next night in
Oskaloosa but the 410 was not so kind. Unable to ever have consistent
speed Scelzi spent the whole weekend buried and called it weekend after
qualifiers on Saturday. Copeland was never a factor at the 360 nationals
and had his best run of the weekend when he finished fifth at Oskaloosa.
He did make the A Friday during the Capitani but broke on Saturday
fighting for a transfer spot in the C. Kaeding had top 10s both nights
at the 360 nationals and on Sunday. During the Capitani Kaeding couldn’t
get over the hump as he failed to qualify for the A all three nights.
Each night he was in top 10 in the B but couldn’t get higher than
seventh. Offill was unable to make an A against the stout competition
over the two weekends as the young driver continues to challenge himself
against the best in hopes of improving as a driver which he has
immensely in 2020.
A
lot of drivers went back to focus on 360 racing and they included
Californians Michael Faccinto (travelling since July), Shane Hopkins,
Chelsea Blevins Washington’s Colton Heath, Bailey Sucich, JJ Hickle (in
California based car) and Oregon's Tanner Holmes who competed just in
ASCS speed week. These drivers experienced different levels of success
but the star to date has been JJ Hickle amongst this group. Hickle was
the only one of these drivers to put it in the 360 nationals A and
finished a modest 15th at Oskaloosa before going on tear with one win,
four podiums and five top fives in the first races of ASCS speed week
and having a controlling point lead going into tonight's finale. The
speed week fields have been stacked each night ranging from a low of 37
to high of 54.
Heath and Faccinto have had some nice runs as well. Heath making his
first laps east of the Rockies made the A in his preliminary night at
Knoxville before missing the A on Saturday night. He finished 16th at
Oskaloosa but has been strong during speed week with four top 10s
highlighted by a third place finish run Thursday night and sits fourth
in speed week points. Faccinto sits behind Heath in speed week points
after a rough stretch in Iowa where he missed the A all three nights. He
has since reeled off five straight top fives in speed week competition.
Hopkins best runs were a podium finish at Oskaloosa in non winged
competition and a third Friday night at Creek County before heading
home. Holmes started speed week strong with two top 10s in the first
three races but has missed the A the last two nights.
Blevins and Sucich competed in 360 Nationals, Oskaloosa and the first
night of speed week before heading home. Blevins made the dash during
the first night of speed week before finishing 19th. It was her only A
appearance of the weekend. Sucich in her first voyage east missed the
main in all four races she competed in but gained that all valuable
experience.
Tonight the speed week finale will happen and these drivers will head
back west but not after they made their presence known up and down the
plains over the last week and a half. Many drivers were not discussed
that have also had great weeks because they have since moved from the
west coast or race nationally (includes Larson, Sweet, Macedo, Eliason,
Abreu, G. Scelzi, Trey Starks, Seth Bergman, Roger Crockett - i think
you get the point). The overall talent produced by the west coast is
never ending.
MORE STUFF:
Their were a few sprint car races on the west coast this week as
Marysville was in action on Wednesday and Ocean on Friday...Blake
Carrick continued his breakout 2020 season as he got his third win of
the year when he outlasted veteran Colby Wiesz and his older brother
Tanner Carrick. The Carrick brothers have gone from intriguing and fast
to contenders every night in 2020...On Friday at Ocean things were
normal as Justin Sanders steered his familiar family owned XXX to his
second straight victory. After a weird 2020 that saw Sanders really not
get his west coast season started until July he has come on and looks to
be back in top form...Chasing Sanders to the line were Tanner Carrick
and Mitchell Faccinto…Sean Becker had a rare off week as he finished
19th in Marysville and missed the show in Ocean...California based Main
racing has made few starts in 2020 but they have been effective. Sweet
drove the car to victory in March and then Ian Madsen was second the
first night of ASCS speedweek. Tim Kaeding and Madsen piloted Main
sprinters during the 360 nationals...Knoxville was big for Tarlton
Racing. Tarlton sponsored cars and drivers finished first (Larson),
fourth (Macedo) and fifth (Bayston)...Speaking of Bayston he has been a
rocket when he gets a chance in 2020. He has two podiums in the two 410
races in California and then went to Knoxville raced up front all
weekend.
That is all for now. This next week I will be again covering Skagit
Speedway’s 360 sprint race Thursday night remotely as usual. Grays
Harbor Raceway is having a LImited Sprint shootout Saturday night that I
might check out as to date I have not viewed any races from GHR in 2020.
Down in California the only race on the schedule for 360s is Saturday’s
Johnny Key Classic at Ocean Speedway.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph
Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Skagit
Speedway has now held seven 360 races in 2020 and has produced six
different winners after Travis Jacobson drove to victory in the Cook
Family sprinter. Here are some quick takeaways from point race number
seven:
●
As mentioned Jacobson was winner number six in seven races.
That speaks to the quality of competition that has been competing
weekly. 40 different drivers have now competed in at least one point
race with six drivers making all seven. This has meant the fields have
not always been the same mix of driver but every week it seems like at
least half or more of the field is a contender. Hasn’t always been that
way at Skagit.
●
Coming into last night Jacobson had one podium in six starts
at Skagit. Jaocbson has had more than a little success in the past as he
has won three Summer Nationals and a World of Outlaw event at Skagit. On
Thursday Jacobson was in old form as he was fourth quick before stalking
Tyler Thompson in the closing laps of the 25 lap sprint car event.
Jacobson made the winning move on lap 22 and pulled away as he won for
the first time since 2013.
●
Thompson looked like he might just get that first career win
at Skagit as he dominated early and led the first 21 laps from the pole
but struggled with lapped traffic at the end which ultimately allowed
Jacobson to make his move. Although surely disappointed with not closing
the deal the young Oregon driver has made vast improvements at Skagit in
2020 he has competed in the last five races with two straight podiums.
●
Eric Fisher has been hit and miss at Skagit and last night was
a hit. Fisher was fast all night and finished on the podium for the
third time in six outings. Fisher has been plagued by inconsistency as
his other outings have resulted in a ninth, 12th and 13th.
●
Cam Smith has been consistent lately in weird ways. He
continues to struggle in qualifying before rallying in the heats and
main to salvage the point night. Last night was no different qualifying
12th out of 17 cars. No worries for Smith as he proceeded to win his
heat and charge from 12th to fifth in the A on a very fast track. In the
process he picked up two points on point leader Devon Borden.
●
It looked like Borden was set for a big night after setting
fast time and adding 10 points to his point lead in the process. But
things slowed from there as Borden was third in his heat and dropped
from sixth to 10th in A.
●
Lance Sargent made his debut a good one. Sporting a new Fauver
Racing Engine under the hood Sargent qualified fifth quick and ran fifth
in the main.
●
Another driver making his season debut was multi time track
champion Barry Martinez as he was steering the Matt Jensen owned
sprinter. Martinez has not been in the seat much in recent years but got
faster as the night went on and finished ninth.
●
The 17 cars Thursday was the second lowest car count of 2020
but it wasn't without its benefit. Two drivers (Eric Rockl and Cory
Swatzina) were able to get much needed seat time as they adjust to 360
sprints. Rockl is a rookie and was struggling to make the main but the
last two weeks has been able run the main event and get that all
important seat time. Swatzina has many laps around Skagit but was making
his debut with a 360 powerplant. Not having to fight to just make the
main Swatzina was able to get a lot of laps and work on getting
comfortable. Bigger car counts are nice for sure but sometimes for
development of new drivers a little smaller field is beneficial.
●
A lot of drivers who competed at Skagit early in the year are
chasing races across the land. Colton Heath and Bailey Jean Sucich are
in Knoxville. Tanner Holmes is racing with ASCS Frontier this weekend
before tacking the ASCS speed week. Jason Solwold continues to race in
Pennsylvania for John Trone.
That is all for now. Meant to write this right after the races last
night but watched the Knoxville 360 nationals replay and had to push
back to Friday morning.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia,
Washington...Well I just couldn’t resist getting involved into the
debate. What debate am I referencing you may ask? It is the debate that
has become the talk of the 2020 sprint car season nationwide - is Kyle
Larson having the greatest season ever by a sprint car driver. Even
though we are in a shortened season and are at the beginning of August
Larson has put such an assault on the competition that it is impossible
to not to compare this season to greats of the past.
To
say Larson has been anything less otherworldly would be an
understatement. He has dominated All Star competition with 13 wins
(including a record seven in a row before a flip at Huset’s Sunday
night), he has four wins against the Outlaws and dominated Pennsylvania
Speedweek picking up another four wins in those nine days. That is 21
wins total. It has not mattered if it is short tracks or big tracks.
Tacky or dry. Smooth or bumpy. Larson has had all the answers. Driving a
car that Paul SIlva has on point at all times Larson has raised the bar
for sure. But is this the greatest season ever?
Time will tell. We still have a lot of racing to go (hopefully) and many
headline events remaining including Capitani Classic, Tuscarora 50 and
the National Open. To even start the conversation in my opinion Larson
needs to win at least one if not two of these major races. So far the
major Outlaw races that pay more than $20,000 to win have seen Larson
only participate in one and that was at Lernerville where he finished
second to Donny Schatz. I know Larson has some impressive wins including
sweeping the Knoxville Outlaw event in June, winning $26,000 at
Plymouth, Wisconsin, and more than $15,000 at Portsmouth in Ohio and
Williams Grove. But I need a major Outlaw victory or the Tuscarora 50
victory to be to the level of the greatest season ever. Why?
One of the arguments for Kyle Larson is that he is doing in an era in
which the competition is much closer and the equipment is equal and so
to dominate like this is more than impressive than Wolfgane in 1985 (55
wins) and 1989 (44 wins) and Steve Kinser in 1987 (more than 50 overall
wins). It is always hard to compare eras but In the three seasons
mentioned above Wolfgang and Kinser won the Knoxville Nationals. In
1985 Wolfgang won the Kings Royal and the National Open. In 1987 Kinser
also won the Gold Cup and in 1989 Wolfgang added a $50,000 to win
Selinsgrove Open. The point is Wolfgang and Kinser won a lot and won
when the money was on the line. Larson needs one of these mega wins in
my book to be compared to these three seasons. Were these the greatest
seasons ever though?
Maybe we don't have to compare different eras. What if the greatest
season was only five years ago in 2015. In this season Donny Schatz had
a season that was amazing by his hall of fame standards. After 2006 it
was evident parity had become the new reality in sprint car racing.
Since then only two drivers have won 20 or more races in an Outlaw
season. The first was Joey Saldana in 2009 when he won exactly 20. It
seemed like an anomaly until Donny won 23 in 2013 and 26 in 2014. But in
2015 Donny went to a new level when he reeled off 31 wins against the
best sprint car competition there is. Schatz won the Knoxville Nationals
and Gold Cup. He was second at the National Open. In an era dominated by
parity Schatz made a mockery of it. He won the Outlaw championship by
544 points which given the Outlaw point system is ridiculous. For good
measure Donny had three more seasons of 20 or wins to make it six in a
row but 2015 was special as he won 40 percent of the World of Outlaw
races that year.
What separates Schatz 2015 season from Larson’s 2020 in my mind is he
was dominating the Outlaws. Not picking and choosing races. Schatz was
winning 31 races, falling a grueling tour that features the best drivers
who go and take on each region's best. Nothing on the Outlaw tour is
easy. And surely 31 wins is not. This not diminishing the competition of
the All Stars or the Posse - winning against these drivers is no easy
task and Larson deserves all the attention he is getting - but the
Outlaws are another level especially in today’s era where everybody has
“good” stuff. This is why in my opinion Schatz 2015 season is the gold
standard for sprint car racing in the 21st century and maybe for the
20th century.
MORE STUFF:
The epic point battle at Skagit Speedway dissipated last Thursday as
four of the top six in points did not race for a variety of reasons.
Devon Borden used that to his advantage and dominated the evening
setting fast time and winning his second race of the year at Skagit. In
the process Borden gained the point lead...Borden was followed by
former ASCS National tour regular Robbie Price and rising Oregon star
Tyler Thompson. It was Thompson’s best finish ever at Skagit. Cam Smith
finished fourth and as of now is Borden’s only competitor in the points
chase…Price has had a rough 2020 and recently pulled off the ASCS
national tour. After qualifying a disappointing seventh Price rebounded
to drive from seventh to second in the main event...For the fifth time
in six races Skagit had 20 or more 360 sprint cars check in...California
had a quite week with only two races on tap; Wednesday at Marysville and
Saturday at Antioch...Sean Becker drove the Don Monhoff sprinter to
victory Wednesday as he scored his fourth win of 2020...Becker was
followed to then line by the Carrick brothers Blake and Tanner...In
Antioch Colby Johnson scored the win in his families Pit Stop USA
sprinter. He was chased to the line by Justin Sanders and Billy Aton...Johnson
became the 16th different winner in California amongst the 360 ranks.
Throw in the two winners in 410 races and you have 18 different winners
in California across the 360/410 classes in 2020.
Again I will be covering Skagit Speedway this Thursday from my porch
(2020 normal) and tweeting updates all night as the 360 sprints have
point race number seven. California action has Ocean and Silver Dollar
on Friday and Kings returns to action Saturday night. Placerville was
scheduled to run Saturday but has cancelled.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph
Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Making
the best of the 2020 season Skagit Speedway has delivered five
entertaining 360 sprint car shows and it has produced a very exciting
point race. Unlike many years when only few drivers actually run all
point races, 2020 has seen 13 drivers compete in the first five shows
including Tanner Holmes who has driven from Southern Oregon to attend
all five races. The increased amount of regulars and increased amount of
competition has created a fun 2020 season which has an exciting point
battle that might only get more interesting as the schedule winds down.
Quickly looking back at last week's action it looked Colton Heath was
going to extend his point lead as he started fourth after being the fast
qualifier and winning his heat race. But Heath spun on lap two and
although he did rebound for sixth it did allow for the points to stay
close. While Heath was rebounding from his spin Trey Starks was checking
as he drove his family's sprinter from third to first by turn two of lap
one and never looked back scoring the $2100 win. Holmes was having a
career run from fifth to second and was catching Starks but was victim
of flat tire late in the race. Jason Solwold and Greg Hamilton rounded
out the podium. So how about that point race.
First of all the schedule. To date Skagit has run five 360 races and has
them on the card the next two Thursdays. After that Skagit has three
more Thursday’s on the schedule with classes not announced. My guess is
that the 360 sprint class will run eight or nine races meaning that
leaves of three or four races to gain points. Right now the battle is
probably six drivers deep but the upcoming events could be a determining
factor in how the battle turns out. Also another key point is Skagit
awards points for qualifying, heat races and the main event making every
time a car is on the track important.
As
of right Colton Heath is in the driver's seat it would seem. He has a 26
point lead, has finished in the top two three times (one win) and has
been the fast qualifier twice. If not for some tough breaks in the last
two main events Heath lead would be even bigger. But Heath is registered
for the Knoxville 360 Nationals and rumor has him leaving this week for
Knoxville which will cause him to miss two point races and end any
championship hopes.
Second through six are only separated by 24 points which is where things
get interesting. Brock Lemley sits second in points and has been the
most consistent driver with five top 10 finishes and one win. Nine point
behind Lemley sits Devon Borden who has been inconsistent at times but
like Lemley has managed to finish in the top 10 all five races. Borden
also has one win. Just six points back of Borden is defending champion
Cam Smith. Smith has not been as good as he was last year but has
managed to be in the top 10 four times and his only finish outside top
10 was 11th last week. Eight points behind Smith is opening night winner
Eric Fisher. Fisher has relied on his win and a second on June 25 to
stay in the top five one point ahead of Solwold. Fisher has struggled in
the three other shows with only one top 10. Solwold started slow but has
reeled off four straight top 10s to get into championship contention.
LIke Heath it is still to be seen if Solwold will make all the shows as
his ride in Pennsylvania may cause him to miss some shows.
Even if Heath and Solwold miss some shows there will still be a great
four way battle for the championship. Also this year each week has
featured fields that have been 10-12 deep with potential winners making
even top fives difficult. This will keep the race interesting as the
point leaders are often spread out through the field creating a chance
to make up a lot of points in one night. After lamenting the last few
weeks about all that has been cancelled on the west coast I am going to
celebrate the exciting season at Skagit and enjoy the next four-five
weeks. Something tells me the championship will be decided on the final
week.
MORE STUFF: As
mentioned Trey Starks won Thursday night at Skagit Speedway. The $2100
to win show drew 26 sprints the most this season at Skagit. Through five
shows Skagit has averaged 22.6 cars...Starks finished eighth Saturday at
Knoxville as he looks to gain speed in the Gobrecht Motorsports sprinter
at the Iowa speed plant before the big August races...Corbyn Fauver
finished fourth Thursday which was his second straight top five at
Skagit. In the first three races he had no top 10s...California had
another mini speedweek last week as drivers had an opportunity to race
four times in five nights. Four drivers raced all fours (Shane Golobic,
Blake and Tanner Carrick and Jesse Love) and three of them won (Golobic,
Blake and Tanner Carrrick)...The racing started Wednesday at Marysville
where Tanner Carrick drove to victory ahead Golobic and Blake Carrick to
defeat the 20 car field...Friday the action moved to Ocean and it was
Micthell Faccinto driving the Stan Greenberg KPC to victory over the 30
car field. Faccinto capitalized on a late race mishap by Goloboc to win
ahead of Bud Kaeding in the Kaeding Performance Center Maxim and DJ
Netto who was steering the Netto Ag KPC...Saturday it was up to the hill
for $2500 and Blake Carrick was the man as he bested the huge 45 car
field at Placerville. Blake's victory came ahead of Andy Gregg in the
GUTS sprinter and Andy Forsberg who was driving the F&F Racing
sprinter...The weekend concluded at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico as
they held their first since March 13. The track was greeted with 39 cars
and in the end it was Golobic getting the win in the Matt Wood sprinter.
Golobic was followed to the line by JJ Hickle in the Worden Family
sprinter and Tanner Carrick...The Carrick brothers have joined that
upper group in California sprint car racing with their performances the
last two month. Both drivers are contenders nightly and each have two
wins in 2020...Ryan Bernal who has been hopping rides a little in 2020
was in the Bill Spencer sprinter Saturday night at Placerville that
Jodie Robinson usually drives. Bernal was 10th. He has also driven for
Keith Day and Dennis Roth in 2020 on the west coast...Jodie Robison was
in the Dave Vertullo ride that she pilots in 410 action over the weekend
at Placerville and Chico...Willie Croft has struggled in 2020 as he has
spent most of the year driving for Mike Phulps but hopped back into his
own ride Sunday and scored a season best fourth...Justin Sanders made
his debut in the Menne Motorsports sprinter Sunday night at Chico. The
team fought gremlins all night and ultimately did not qualify for the A
main event. Sanders drove his own sprinter Friday and Saturday...Mini
sprint star Mitchel Moles competed in the last three nights of racing in
California last week and while he did not have great results (p12, p22,
p15) it was good to see Moles in a sprint all weekend. It seems he is at
that point in his career where he needs to commit to sprints and see
what he can do.
That is all for this week. I will be covering Skagit Speedway from my
porch Thursday night ( as I do every Thursday) while Friday and Saturday
you will find me glued to dirt vision doing the late model thing.
California has a slow week with only two shows: Wednesday at Marysville
and Saturday at Antioch.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...As
my last column lamented just about every big sprint car race on the west
coast has been cancelled but this last weekend was a small reprieve as
two big shows on the west coast were ran - of course with no fans in the
stands but just getting a big race in these times is a miracle in
itself. Up in Washington, Deming Speedway held its annual three day
Clay Cup Nationals for mini sprints headlined by the open 600 main event
Saturday that paid $10,000 to win. Down in California the two day Howard
Kaeding Classic was taking place headlined by the $5,000 to win NARC 410
main event Saturday night.
I
am not a mini sprint expert by any means but with $10,000 on the line I
spent last weekend watching all three nights of Clay Cup (from my porch
of course on PPV) and providing updates on twitter. With it being the
biggest dirt race of the year on the west coast in 2020 unless something
drastically changes I did not want to miss the show. The format at Clay
Cup features two preliminary nights where drivers accrue points through
the night as they qualify, run heats and main events. In addition to the
600s Clay Cup features 1200s, restricted 600s and junior sprints.
Drivers get to pick their best night come Saturday so one bad night does
not bury your weekend. Classic example of this would be the driver who
ultimately won the $10,000 600 feature and for good measure won another
$3,000 on the same night when he won the 1200 main event. That would be
Chance Crum.
Crum won the Thursday night 600 main and combined with his heat and
qualifying efforts was in great shape after night one sitting second in
points to Jared Peterson. Things unraveled quickly on Friday as Crum was
struck by motor issues and was unable to get a qualifying lap in. He
rebounded and finished fourth in his heat race and won the C before
calling it a night. If it had been combined points the lack of a
qualifying lap and therefore no points gained would have buried Crum.
Instead Crum started outside the front row Saturday by virtue of his
Thursday night performance and drove away from the field to score the
biggest win of his career. Crum was chased by some of the best in the
business but nobody challenged Crum after the first few laps as he
navigated traffic efficiently and never made the mistake his pursuers
needed. A few minutes before putting on his dominating performance in
the 600 main Crum did the exact same thing in the 1200 class as he
started on the pole, took the lead and set sail for the $3,000 payday.
All in all he led 79 of the 80 main event laps he raced Saturday night
and scored a cool $13,000 for his efforts. Not bad a payday for dirt
track racing let alone micro sprint racing.
The rest of the top five was a mix of savvy veterans and upcoming stars.
Californians Jake Andreotti and Mitchel Moles ran second and third.
Fourth and fifth went to Washington drivers Evan Margenson and pole
sitter Jared Peterson. Andreotti was looking for his second Clay Cup
title in his final micro sprint start. He will concentrate on sprint
cars going forward. Moles was looking for that first major micro victory
to solidify his amazing resume which includes more than 40 wins last
year. Moles has dabbled in sprints and it seems only logical he will
move that way permanently in the near future. Margenson and Peterson
have raced sprints in the past but have settled in the last few years
driving focus midgets and micro sprints.
Clay Cup continues to be a marquee event on the west coast and even
though I think the four classes are too many and would prefer just the
600s and 1200s myself it is still amazing to see Deming Speedway put on
such a great paying event and even more impressive was pulling it off in
2020.
MORE STUFF: As
mentioned earlier California had the Howard Kaeding Classic which
featured 360 sprints Friday and 410 sprints Saturday...DJ Netto was the
man Friday as he outraced the 39 car field to score his fourth victory
of 2020 aboard the Netto Ag KPC...Following Netto to finish line Friday
night was Shane Golobic in the Matt Wood sprinter and Mitchell Faccinto
in Stan Greenberg KPC...Justin Sanders made his second start of the
season in California (he had been in the Southwest/Plains) Friday and
raced to sixth after starting 20th...Saturday night saw Kyle Hirst pick
up the $5,000 to payday as steered the Williams Motorsports entry the
win over the 32 car field...He outlasted Sanders who was driving his own
XXX and Spencer Bayston who wheeling the Tarlton Motorsports KPC...Bayston
has struggled in 360 competition in California but has been stout in the
410 with a first and third...Faccinto barely missed being on the podium
both nights as he ran fourth Saturday....Golobic registered his first
finish outside the top five in California Saturday when he ran
seventh...Sean Becker made what is a rare 410 start aboard the Don
Monhoff sprinter and came home tenth...Chase Johnson who had big plans
for 2020 that have been curtailed was aboard the Josh Ford sprinter both
nights of the Kaeding Classic. He finished 18th and 11th during the two
nights...Ryan Bernal was aboard the famed Dennis Roth KPC Saturday night
and drove it from 14th to 9th. Bernal has been in search of a 410 ride
for 2020 after spending 2019 driving the Tarlton sprinter...Kyle Offill
had his weekend cut short as he junked a car Friday night causing the
team to sit out Saturday night. They will head east soon for the second
time in 2020...Placerville had a regular show Saturday night and Kalib
Henry drove the McColloch RV sprinter to the win ahead of Shane Hopkins
and Ryan Robinson...Due to no fans and lack of sponsorship Placerville
announced the purse would only be half but nonetheless still had 25
sprint cars check in...In national news Washington driver Jason Solwold
was behind the Trone Outdoor sprinter last weekend in Pennsylvania and
struggled as he finished 20th (Williams Grove), 21st (Lincoln) and DNQ
(Port Royal). Nobody is sure how long this deal will last but Solwold
has said he is still the driver of the Shaylen Raye Motorsports sprinter
at this point and that this is just something to fill in the schedule in
these weird times...Kyle Larson now has 18 410 sprint wins in 2020 are
you kidding me?...Silver Dollar Speedway has announced it will race July
26 (Sunday) featuring 360 sprints and a full purse. Not sure how many
races Silver Dollar plans but even one race is better than nothing.
This week California drivers have many options as they can race at
Marysville Wednesday, Ocean Friday, Placerville Saturday and Silver
Dollar Sunday for the second unofficial California speedweek of the
summer.
I
will be tuned in to Skagit Thursday night for the rain delayed
Independence open featuring 360s ($2000 to win) and modifieds ($1200 to
win). Per 2020 standards I will be covering the race from my porch - the
new normal.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west
coast and national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside
of dirt model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...The
last week and a half have been a tough one for the west coast sprint car
scene. It started early last week when Calistoga speedway announced they
were shutting down for 2020 effectively cancelling the Louie Vermeil
Classic. From there the hits just kept coming as the World of Outlaws
west coast swing was cancelled, NARC series was effectively cancelled,
Dirt Cup was cancelled (after the Summer Nationals had been cancelled to
reschedule Dirt Cup), the Brownfield Classic was cancelled and then
finally Trophy Cup was cancelled (Tulare Raceway will not host a single
event in 2020). In just a few days what many had feared had become
reality as just about every prominent race on the west coast was
cancelled. It wasn't a surprise given that the west coast states
(California, Oregon and Washington) have all moved slowly in re-opening
and that each state has effectively banned any sort of crowds for the
foreseeable future. So where does this leave west sprint car racing in
2020?
Well first some good news. In the ray of all the darkness last week
Ocean Speedway announced that they will still be hosting the NARC
sanctioned Kaeding Classic this weekend featuring a full payout Saturday
night with top prize being $5,000. As tradition Friday night will
feature 360 sprints. The Kaeding Classic could truly be the only big
show on the west coast this year and will surely be the only major show
during the summer with all the other cancellations. Sponsors have helped
make it so the Kaeding Classic can be a full purse show despite the
current ban on fans in California. I would expect strong support for
this event and solid car counts each night. I also wouldn’t be surprised
if after this race some California teams head east in search of more
races and better paying shows.
Now
back to the reality of what the rest of the season looks like for sprint
car racing. In California 410 racing looked like it was set for a big
year but now faces the truth that Saturday’s Kaeding classic could be
the second and last race of the year. The ban on fans makes it hard for
tracks to come up with the purse to support a NARC show and unless
something changes in that area I wouldn’t expect another NARC show this
year unless they can make something happen with Kings Speedway in the
fall. Although NARC speed week is still on the schedule for late
August, something tells me it's just a matter of time before speed week
falls victim to cancellation. On the 360 side weekly shows continue but
the purses are often reduced. Marysville has moved to racing to
Wednesday night which has eliminated conflicts of dates as Ocean runs
Friday and then Petaluma, Placerville or even Antioch run Saturday.
Placerville has been very transparent with its purses while other tracks
not as much but is common knowledge a lot of these weekly races are with
reduced purses.
The
non winged scene in California has been hit even harder as USAC/CRA and
USAC West Coast are cancelled through the summer. For non winged racing
the headline event of the year is the Oval Nationals at Perris and given
the situation specifically in southern California it is hard to imagine
a scene where the Oval Nationals take place this year. Much like NARC
USAC guys will probably be lucky to get just a few shows this year.
In
Northwest things are similar with Skagit Speedway being the one bright
spot. Cottage Grove and Grays Harbor have effectively postponed all 360
races until fans are in the stands. Both tracks seem to be more inclined
to just not race 360s until fans can come back and full purses can be
offered. Skagit has seemingly made the best of the situation with their
successful run of Thursday Night Thunder shows which featured full
purses each night with help from sponsorship partners. They will take
this week off but then have six straight Thursday nights scheduled
through the end of August. Classes are TBA but I would expect the 360
sprints will run at least four of the six events. Skagit though has been
hit hard by cancellations as all their traditional headline events have
been cancelled showing even a track doing well has still been devastated
by cancellations.
What this leaves us with is a sprint car season out west that is active
but does not have the pizzaz. No big summer races in the northwest, late
fall classics in California and no Outlaw swing. While other parts of
the country have seen racing come back to normal almost ( I emphasize
almost), the west coast is still very much in a pandemic like race
schedule which is highlighted by cancellations, reduced purses and few
big events.
MORE STUFF: Big
news coming out the last few days was Washington driver Jason Sowold
being tabbed to fill the seat in John Trone Pennsylvania based sprinter.
The deal goes through the Capitani Classic for now. No exact schedule
has been released but it sounds like Solwold will continue to also drive
the Shaylen-Raye Motorsports sprinter that he normally occupies. At this
point the Trone ride is to fill in the schedule during this slow
time….California had three sprint cars races last weekend… Wednesday
night in Marysville it was Tanner Carrick picking up his first sprint
win of 2020. He was followed to the checkered by Shane Golobic and Andy
Forsberg...The next night at Ocean Speedway Sean Becker drove the Van
Lare sprinter to his third win of 2020 ahead of Golobic and Tanner
Carrick...Chase Madjic closed out the weekend Saturday at Petaluma as he
drove the MIttry Motorsports sprinter to the win ahead of Forsberg and
Bradley Terrell...It was Madjic’s second win of 2020 as he drove to a
win in May at Antioch...Becker, Forsberg and Golobic have dominated
California to date. Golobic has been especially lethal with four wins
and 11 podiums in 12 starts...Michael Faccinto and the Harley Van Dyke
race team have packed up and are headed to the midwest for the next few
weeks to race a variety of 360/410 shows...Skagit regular Chase Goetz
showed his versatility last weekend. After finishing third in Skagit’s
Sportsman Sprint Showdown Thursday night he won the Granite Super Sprint
feature at Evergreen Saturday night on pavement....Skagit Speedway will
return to action next Thursday with the rescheduled independence open.
The card will feature a $2000 to win for 360 sprints...Jesse Love who
currently leads ARCA West points with two wins when he is not racing
sprints or midgets, will make his second ARCA Menards Series start this
Saturday at Iowa Speedway. Love has been super impressive this year in
both Super Late Models and Stock Cars and he is still only 15...Fellow
California star Gio Scelzi sits sixth in ARCA West points and will also
race at Iowa. He will then head up the road and compete at Knoxville
Saturday night in 410 action.
As
mentioned earlier this weekend will feature the Kaeding Classic at Ocean
Speedway Friday and Saturday. In addition Placerville will run 360
sprints Saturday. And while the northwest is idle as far as 360 sprints,
Deming Speedway will be hosting its annual Clay Cup Thursday thru
Saturday and will be paying a full purse which features a $10,000 Super
600 main event Saturday Night.
Email at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com
or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim where I tweet about west coast and
national sprint car racing and occasionally go to the darkside of dirt
model racing and pavement racing.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...The
face mask has proven to be the hot button issue when it comes to the
COVID-19 pandemic. First it was no need to wear it unless you're sick
but that idea has morphed over the last few months to the point where a
lot of states are either requiring face masks or highly recommending
them in any social gathering. The face mask is meant to prevent the
spread of the disease and in theory if everybody is wearing one then
transmission of the disease can be mitigated. This column is not meant
to be political but instead make it known that if we want to see racing
with fans on the west coast there might need to be a change of thinking.
It
has been no secret that the dirt track scene is resistant to face masks.
To be honest the dirt track scene is resistant to any sort of control
and even more resistant to change. For years racers and fans have fought
with promoters over rule books, regulations, admission prices and much
more while promoters have fought with local governments over many of the
same issues. The dirt track racing world likes to think they are outlaws
living by their own rules but history shows more often than not
conformity is inevitable. Whether it be curfews, environmental
regulations or anything else tracks have conformed time and time again
to keep running. On the west coast curfews have been the kryptonite of
many tracks but that is a battle that cannot be won so tracks able to
survive have made the adjustments to ensure drivers and fans get races
while the government gets what they have mandated. The mask is no
different. If tracks don’t follow ordinances they will get shut down
(see Hagerstown Speedway) and that is much worse than wearing a face
mask.
If
fans want to see racing on the west coast this year in person they
better be prepared to wear a mask. As of right now fans are a no-go on
the west coast with empty grandstands greeting drivers wherever they go.
With the spike in numbers and how contagious the disease is the west
coast has paused its opening. Washington and California are looking like
fanless events through the summer and I would assume Oregon is probably
in the same boat. And if and when re-openings continue I just cannot
imagine all of sudden the mask requirements (which all three states
have) will be eliminated. Wearing a mask is not just ending tomorrow
just like COVID-19 isn’t ending tomorrow. The sheer fact is this disease
is very deadly for some and until we have a vaccine or herd immunity if
we are going to have some sort of normal (like going to races) a mask is
going to be key.
Ask any promoter and they will tell you fans in the stands are key. As
much as we have enjoyed PPV promoters need people in the bleachers to
have a long term business model. Tracks cannot survive like this and
promoters surely fear the longer fans are away the greater the chance
they don’t return. If we don’t have tracks because they cannot
survive....well it goes without saying we don’t have races. This should
be reason enough for anybody that loves racing to wear a mask and help
prevent the spread of a disease that is affecting the very livelihood of
the sport we love. I would rather go to a race with a mask than keep
watching on TV. TV is great and all but as I have mentioned before it is
really no substitute for being at the track.
This is just the reality for now. Face masks will not be a forever
thing. We all hope they are just a 2020 thing and 2021 is back to normal
but that may not be the case so as fans and as an industry dirt track
people need to commit to wearing face masks if we hope to enjoy the
sport we love in the immediate future. This isn’t a restriction of
freedom and some hoax, COVID-19 is real and disrupted life like none of
us imagined. In April it looked like racing would be cancelled for the
rest of 2020 but progress has been made and we have made it back to
having cars on the track. The next step is going to be getting actual
fans in the stands (maybe 25-50% capacity) on the west coast and for
that to happen the mask will not be an option. It will be a mandate here
on the west coast.
MORE STUFF:
Skagit Speedway suffered its first rainout of 2020 last Thursday night.
Twenty plus 360 sprints were registered for the $2000 to win event which
will now be run July 23...With Skagit’s rain out Placerville Speedway
played host to the only 360 race on the west coast with its annual July
4 show and it was Colby Copeland getting his first win of 2020 aboard
the Canales family sprinter...Copeland has been electric up on the hill
with a win and three seconds in the four Placerville 360 shows. Copeland
was to be a full time contender with the NARC series but to date they
have only conducted one race...Following Copeland to the line at
Placerville was Shane Golobic and the improving Michael Faccinto.
Faccinto now has two thirds at Placerville in four starts as he
continues to steer the Harley Van Dyke sprinter, while Golobic continues
to be the epitome of consistency...In nine starts in California Golobic
has been on the podium nine times. Not bad...California drivers will
have a chance to run three races in four nights this week as Marysville
Raceway will be running Wednesday night this week, Ocean Speedway
Friday and Saturday will feature Placerville and Petaluma...The
Petaluma race was originally a NARC show but with no fans allowed the
decision was made to change direction. NARC’s next race is now July 18
at Ocean...The next scheduled 360 race in the northwest is July 18 at
Grays Harbor but I would say that is very tentative at best. The next
race at Skagit is Thursday featuring a $1000 to win Sportsmen sprint
feature...Cottage Grove opened its season Saturday with a six division
show featuring Limited Sprints and Modifieds. No word on when 360
sprints might be on the card...Finally before Saturday night I was
vaguely familiar with Jade Avedisian but like everybody else that has
changed. WIth a $20,000 Outlaw Mini Sprint win Saturday night the young
13 year old from California has become a household name garnering
admiration from amongst others legendary midget owner Keith Kunz. New
California star is born...Californians were four of the top five
finishers in mini sprint racings best paying event.
Another weekend at home watching races on TV for
me. Might tune in Thursday night for Skagit and then will probably spend
the weekend surfing my computer for whatever is interesting that night -
USAC, Williams Grove, Outlaws or maybe watch some dirt late models
(Summer Nationals and Southern Nationals both get going).
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim as I tweet about west
coast sprint car racing and national 410 racing. A lot of stats, numbers
and opinions that are mine.
WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Last night Skagit Speedway ran for the
fourth straight Thursday as they continued their run of Thursday NIght
Thunder productions. Again Skagit featured a strong field of 360 sprints
as well two solid support divisions (sportsmen and limited midgets) and
provided great action for the viewing fans on TV. Three things came to
light Thursday night and into Friday morning that I want to follow up
on.
Unlike previous weeks where Skagit has waited until
after the night's show to announce the next week’s agenda, Skagit
announced Thursday it will be running Thursday July 2. 360 sprints
racing for $2000 to start and $400 to win. Immediately speculation has
begun if any new drivers might make the tow to Skagit for the
Independence Open. As of now 33 different drivers have competed in the
first four weeks with a still few drivers yet to make their debut. -
most notably perennial northwest regular Lance Sargent. I would be
surprised if the car count tops 30 but another solid 25 car field would
be just fine. Probably not enough money on the line to draw any
California travellers but a full field of locals should produce a great
show and provide an opportunity for a little bigger check if you land in
victory lane.
The only thing that could affect car count in a negative
way is I cannot remember the last time 360 sprints ran five straight
weeks Skagit. They have generally been a every other week division the
last 8-10 years as a way to preserve car count and not compete when
Grays Harbor was running. But with Grays Harbor not running 360 sprints
as of yet Skagit has been rewarded with 25, 16, 25 and 21 cars during
the four weeks and with limited wrecks and damage it would seem most
teams will be able to make it a fifth week in a row.
The second big thing was the winners Saturday night and
how the future of sprint car racing in Washington has arrived. Devon
Borden won the 360 main for his first win of the year. While it was not
Borden’s first win by any means it is still important to remember he is
under 18 and this is only his third year in a sprint car. The Sportsmen
Sprint main was won by 14 (maybe 15) year old Jesse Schlotfeldt who made
a bonsai move on the last turn of the last lap on Kelsey Carpenter to
score his first career Sportsmen win. Schlotfeldt - who has a nice micro
sprint resume - has struggled at times over the last year in the
sportsmen but showed Thursday why many in Washington expect big things
from him. These two drives combined with 13 year old Colby Thornhill
(who struggled in the 360 main Thursday after a bad qualifying effort)
give Washington fans plenty of reason to be excited for the future.
Borden is the most advanced in the sprints, but Schlotfeldt and
Thornhill have impressive micro resumes and are starting to get better
in sprints as they get lap time.
And lastly: Dirt Cup. The grand daddy of all racing in
the northwest and probably only second to Trophy Cup on the west coast
is starting to haze a buzz. Doing a little bench racing Friday morning
and a lot of potential names popped up - from committed to the wait and
see. Pushed back a month because of COVID, Dirt Cup is garnering a lot
of interest from drivers as they seek big money shows especially on the
west coast. Seemingly every big west coast sprint show (410 or 360) is
getting cancelled or greatly reduced and drivers are looking for an
opportunity to race for big money and Dirt Cup with $2000 to win
features Thursday and Friday and the big $15,000 paycheck Saturday would
be the place to do that. At the beginning of the season drivers like Sam
Hafertepe, Jr., Justin Sanders and Justyn Cox seemed to be committed to
deals that would keep them from the Dirt Cup but then COVID changed
everything. Hafertepe, Jr. decided not to chase All Star points, Sanders
decided to chase ASCS points and with the unpredictable nature of what
is next in California Cox might have an open date. These are just a few
drivers that could be at Dirt Cup that may not have been if it had not
been postponed and the racing scene changed for much.
Now a lot can change in a month and the first thing is
to actually have a Dirt Cup which at this point cannot be guaranteed.
Second is what teams and their funds look like and third it seems like
at the end of the day a lot of drivers will talk about coming to the
Dirt Cup only to not show for some reason. Nonetheless the buzz of the
Dirt Cup is always a fun time of year.
MORE STUFF: Borden’s win Thursday was his first of 2020.
After struggling the first few weeks Borden had his Borden Auto Parts
sprinter back on track as he roared from sixth for the win...Following
Borden was Eric Fisher in his SHARK powered sprinter and Corbyn Fauver.
Fauver led the first 22 laps before settling for third - it was his
first laps led in 360 action...California ran the first two nights of
their unofficial speed week Wednesday and Thursday at Marysville and
Ocean. 39 different drivers competed with only one racing both nights -
Shane Golobic. After an extended stay in the Midwest Golobic returned
him and won both races in his familiar Matt Wood sprinter...At
Marysville Golobic was followed by Shane Hopkins and Andy Forsberg.
Kaleb Montgomery and Kurt Nelson chased Golobic to the line at
Ocean...Unofficial speed week continues at Placerville the next two
nights (Friday and Saturday). Kings Speedway will give 360 drivers a
second option Saturday night...Ryan Bernal made his first appearance
since March in the Keith Day Trucking sprinter Thursday night at Ocean.
He finished 14th...Silver Dollar Speedway has pushed their opener back
to July 17... After this weekend's doubleheader Placerville will run
next Saturday July 4. As of now that is the only scheduled 360 race in
California next weekend.
That’s all for now. About time to turn on some Dirt
Vision for the rest of the weekend and enjoy some racing PPV style.
E-mail me wcsprincarscene@gmail.com and follow me on
twitter @idrinkiswim for National 410 stats and all the west coast
sprint car news and stats.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...I
have commented more than once on PPV and how important it is right now
for tracks to survive - especially here on the west coast where most
tracks are operating with no fans. These PPV streams have become a
revenue source that combined with the back date has allowed tracks to
operate during these unprecedented times and has given fans a chance to
scratch that racing itch. But just like when fans are in the stands
promoters need to make sure they are putting on a quality product that
their customers (fans) will want to purchase.
I
am a big supporter of local tracks and understand it is important for
fans to purchase PPV to keep their local tracks going. Organizations
like the Outlaws (with dirtvision), the All Stars (flo) and USAC (flo)
will be fine. They have revenue streams through PPV and many instances
are operating in areas where fans are allowed in some sort of capacity.
Also these organizations have corporate sponsors that will help them
navigate during these times. The question is more about the regional
series and local tracks who really operate year to year and rely on fans
to help flip the bill. How are they going to survive? This question is
very relevant on the west coast as most tracks are operating without
fans and in reality will probably continue to do so well into the
summer. How do these tracks survive? The key is putting on a good show.
Just like actually going to the races if fans are going to spend their
hard earned money they want a quality product. This simple fact does not
change in these complicated times. Put together a solid product and fans
will support. On the other hand put out a poor product and fans will
seek other options - whether that be racing or non racing. This dilemma
is playing out here in the northwest as I write as the major dirt tracks
in Washington show how different offerings can influence a fans choice.
Both Skagit Speedway and Grays Harbor Raceway have restarted the 2020
season with no fans and by offering PPV so fans can watch from home. In
my opinion Skagit has been smart. The first three weeks have featured
360 sprints as the headliner while running on Thursday night so there is
less competition for fans. While tracks never release numbers (this is
universal as tracks keep attendance numbers and revenue streams hidden
like a dark secret) Skagit has enjoyed a good amount of support on PPV
and that is because they have given the fans what they want - a full
field of sprints and a great track surface leading to three fantastic
shows. Skagit was going to run this Thursday without the 360s but
reversed course and added 360s as fans had made it clear that is what
they wanted. Yes it is a cost benefit analysis for Skagit - running the
360s means paying a lot more in purse money but not running 360s could
potentially mean less PPV viewers and less revenue. Skagit Speedway
promoter Steve Beitler isn't new to the game so he understands the
importance of having a show fans want. Beitler also knows that Skagit is
a sprint car track and that is what the fans want to see on a regular
basis.
Grays Harbor Raceway has seemingly taken the opposite approach. At GHR
the headliner often is the modifieds. With dwindling sprint cars teams
in the area (most are based north of Seattle and much closer to Skagit)
the modifieds have in many ways become the headline division over the
years. Last year saw a resurgence of sorts for 360s at GHR with the dual
track challenge but that series died after one year for reasons that are
I am sure political. Nonetheless without the dual track challenge GHR
has often struggled to draw 10 360s. With this in mind I was very
surprised that GHR has only had the mods on the card once in its first
three weeks ( and that week was rained out). Why I mention because as a
fan I more than likely would not go out to GHR when they have a card
like they had last week - a second tier wingless sprint class and super
stocks. So with that in mind I did not buy the PPV option. If I am going
to spend my money I want it to be on a show that I want to watch (and I
assume any fans feel the same). Like I said I understand the reason
behind not having 360s but not having the mods on a more normal basis,
which is the headline division, is not giving the fans what they want.
This week GHR’s show is more intriguing as it features the mods and
Limited Sprints. If the Limited can get a solid car count to compliment
the mods fans will be more inclined to purchase the GHR PPV option and
see what is going on. The Limiteds are a new division at GHR so it is
still determined what type of count they will have and what the quality
of the field will be but as a fan I find a mod/limited sprint card more
intriguing than a non winged/super stock field.
This is not meant to bash on any track but just point out how it is more
important than ever that tracks offer up programming that fans want.
With so many PPV options available a fan at home can pick and choose
what they want and are not bound to support their local track. It is up
to local tracks to peak the interest of their fans so they will tune in.
MORE STUFF:
Last weekend saw four winged sprint car races on the west coast as
Skagit hosted its Thursday Night Thunder and California offered a three
race weekend...Up at Skagit Thursday it was Colton Heath continuing his
amazing start as he scored the victory aboard the LAW Motorsports XXX
ahead of Trey Starks in his families sprinter and Cam Smith in the Dave
Smith sprinter. The first 15 laps saw the top three exchange the lead
seemingly each lap. After a lap 15 caution Heath took control and fended
off a late challenge from Starks to best the 25 car field....Heath
suffered severe burns in November during a USAC National Midget race and
has started this season on a tear with two seconds and a win...13 year
old Colby Thornhill continues to impress as he has scored three top tens
to start the season at Skagit against stout fields...Down in California
action kicked off Friday night as Ocean Speedway opened its season and
it was youngster Blake Carrick scoring his first 360 win over two of the
best in the Golden State: Bud Kaeding and Sean Becker. Many California
observers have said Carrick is the most improved driver in Cali and his
win over a stout 33 car field at Ocean backed that up...Saturday saw
NARC open up its season at Kings Speedway and it was Indiana native
Spencer Bayston getting the job done over the 29 car field in the
Tarlton Motorsports KPC ahead of brother Bud Kaeding and Tim Kaeding.
Bud was his dad’s Al’s Roofing/Alviso Rock Maxim, while Tim was wheeling
the Bates-Hamilton Maxim...Bayston who struggled in his first two races
in California this year showed at Kings that he will be a contender in
California and as he gets acclimated to the west coast...Kaleb
Montgomery won the non winged 360 undercard at Kings after a fourth
place run the previous night at Ocean...The California tripleheader
concluded Sunday at Petaluma and Sean Becker was the class of the car
field. He drove the Dan Monhoff sprinter to his first win of the year
over Andy Forsberg and Shane Hopkins...The win gave Becker a state high
six podiums in California action. His previous five podiums had been in
the Van Lare sprinter...NARCs 29 car field Saturday night was missing
some heavy hitters such as Shane Golobic, Chase Johnson and Justin
Sanders...Sanders and his Antaya Motorsports team is basing itself out
of Texas for the time being...Golobic and Johnson were back in Indiana
taking on the difficult Indiana midget week. For Golobic this was
nothing new as he won the midget week championship in 2017. Golobic made
all six main events and had two top tens. Johnson made three of six main
with his best finish being eighth Thursday at Lincoln Park… With
USAC/CRA out of commission a couple of their stars also competed in
midget week. Roa drove Iron Dome/Moonshine midget during the week and
made one main event Saturday night at Lawrenceburg and was credited with
20th. Swanson competing the California based Ford motorsports midget and
attended the first five events with best finish being an 11th in the B
Thursday night at Lincoln Park...Swanson will continue to compete in the
midwest aboard his normal USAC/CRA Team Arizona team as they wait west
coast non winged racing to start again.
This week has a
huge slate of action on the west coast. As mentioned earlier Skagit will
be running their fourth edition of Thursday Night Thunder featuring the
360s. California will have itself a mini-speedweek as 360 races will be
held Wednesday at Marysville, Thursday at Ocean and Placerville will
host a modified version of the Posse Shootout Friday and Saturday. As
of now only Marysville (100 fan limit Wednesday night) will have fans in
the stands this week.
That is all for
now. Follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim as I tweet information on west
coast racing as well national sprint car facts on a daily basis. E-mail
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Well
one thing the COVID pandemic has taught me is to watch dirt racing on
TV. Before the pandemic broke out I just didn’t do it. I went to dirt
track racing even if that meant travelling up and down the I-5 trying to
find the best race to go to. Sometimes it was a late model race at
Sunset, a modified race at Grays Harbor and or Friday night sprint car
race at Yakima that maybe 20 fans attended. Heck I would head down to
South Sound to catch a pavement late model race if nothing was going on.
The point is I am a race track junkie and I would rather go to just
about any race in person than watch the best on TV. To me racing is
being at the track and hearing the cars and watching the drivers
maneuver. COVID forced me to change my thinking and now I have become a
PPV junkie because that is what I can get and it has not been all bad
especially the first two weeks from Skagit which I have tried to cover
as if I was their keeping detailed notes and tweeting throughout the
night about everything that was happening and then writing this column
about it. First the good of PPV.
The second
edition of Thursday Night Thunder at Skagit Speedway again delivered the
goods. Watching and covering the race from my porch for the second
straight week was not what I desired but the action during the first two
races has been everything I want and more. In classic Skagit fashion
both 360 main events have featured great battles for the lead while also
featuring limited cautions. In two weeks there has been one caution
which for sprint car racing is the key to a great race as it allows
drivers to settle in, work different grooves and ultimately navigate
traffic. In the end it was Brock Lemley, aboard the Billy Lemley
sprinter out dueling Colton Heath who was driving his familiar LAW
Motorsports XXX. Much like the previous week Heath looked like he was
going to make a late race move to snag the prize but in the end he was
denied by inches as Lemley roared to the checkered flag to score the
win. Three time Summer Nationals Champion Travis Jacobson finished third
in the Cook Family Sprinter as he rebounded from ninth place opening
night. Jacobson was chased the whole race by Jason Solwold in the
Shaylen Raye Motorsports sprinter. Rounding out the top five was young
teenager Colby Thornhill who started on the pole and faded early before
settling and finishing fifth.
Although the
car count of 16 was nine less than the week before it still featured at
least 10 drivers that were legitimate contenders to win. First week
winner Eric Fisher was mired midpack and barely registered a top 10
finish, while opening week quick qualifier Cam Smith failed to make the
heat inversion before rallying for a sixth place finish. Furthermore
last season's dominant Northwest driver Devon Borden set fast time but
again struggled in the talented field and came home seventh. Greg
Hamilton who was second in 2020 points came home eighth. The point is a
solid field of 16 360s for a weekly show at Skagit Speedway is plenty
capable of putting on a top notch show because of the deep talent level.
A couple of
really good things that have come out of the last few weeks from a fan
standpoint: Last Thursday because of time they ran two eight lap heat
races featuring eight cars and the racing was much more exciting as more
cars on the track created more racing especially in the early laps. I
hope this is something the team at Skagit considers doing in the future.
In the past Skagit has run three heat races with a 16 car field and
field would get strung out much quicker. I also like how they are
releasing confirmed drivers the day before. This standard in Australia
and the asphalt late model world and hopefully becomes standard in dirt
racing. It helps somebody like me get ready ahead of time and know who
is racing and if there are any surprises. It also creates excitement
amongst fans.
Now the bad.
Not myself (I cannot wait to get back to the track and ditch watching on
TV) but I fear many may realize they can buy PPV and watch from home.
And with PPV fans can watch whatever they want which means they don’t
have to watch their local track. A lot like how for years NASCAR has
been criticized for running Saturday night races that takes fans aways
from weekly short tracks PPV has the same potential effect. Instead of
heading out to their local Saturday night track, fans may choose to stay
home and watch their choice of PPV for the night. No gas money to drive
to the track and no money spent on concessions and you can pick the race
of your choice. This is a reality promoters are going to have to deal
with in the next few years as streaming becomes more demanded and
popular. Fans are the backbone of short track racing as they buy
tickets, food, beer and shirts to help keep the train rolling. Hopefully
the fans don’t forget that no race on PPV can beat a race in person
where you can experience all the thrills of short track racing.
MORE STUFF:
California had a two race weekend with Placerville running Saturday and
Marysville on Sunday...At Placerville Justyn Cox outran a stout 46 field
aboard the C&M Motorsports sprinter. He was followed by Colby Copeland
in the Canalas sprinter and Michael Faccinto who was steering the Harley
Van Dyke sprinter...Indiana native Spencer Bayston made his long awaited
debut aboard the Tarlton and Sons KPC and had a rough heat race which
lead to an uphill challenge for the rest of the night. Starting at the
back of the C, Bayston nearly raced into the A, finishing fifth in the B
after starting 15th...Washington driver Devon Borden made the tow to
California for the weekend and had a fast time Saturday night at
Placerville. He ultimately finished 18th at Placerville while one later
he snagged a 10th at Marysville...Speaking of Marysville John Michael
Bunch picked up the win over the 31 car field.. Bunch had been out of
racing the last few years before reappearing at Marysville this year.
After a few solid runs Bunch scored his first win since 2015 according
to sources...Bunch was chased to the flag by quickly improving Blake
Carrick and Washington star JJ Hickle...It was Hickle’s first podium in
2020 aboard the Worden Family sprinter. It was his 12th start of 2020 in
the Worden ride...Washington’s Michael Millard who has made limited
starts in a 360 made the tow to California for the weekend doubleheader.
Miilard was in the B both nights and failed to qualify. Interestingly
Millard has not travelled to Skagit this year...To date California has
held 15 360 sprint races with 10 different winners. Washington has held
two with two different winners.
Finally NARC will open its season this Saturday at Kings Speedway. I
don’t expect the car count that Placerville had but I do think this
might be the toughest field of the year in California since the ASCS
appearance in March. Drivers expected are Bud Kaeding, Bayston, DJ Netto,
Kyle HIrst, Mitchell Faccinto, Justin Sanders, Dominic Scelzi (in Roth
sprinter), Kyle Offill, Willie Croft, Colby Copeland and Tim Kaeding.
Many of these drivers have spent a lot of the time in the midwest and we
will have to see if these extra races gave them an advantage over
drivers who have just a few starts.
That is all for now. It is great to write about west coast racing
without having to venture anywhere else for content. I will be covering
Thursday Night Thunder from Skagit Speedway from my porch again. Also
this weekend will feature Friday night 360s at Ocean, Saturday night
NARC at Kings and Sunday night 360s at Petaluma for California drivers.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Well
oh boy northwest sprint car season kicked off in epic fashion last
Thursday night as the 360 sprints put on a caution free 25 lap main
event of perfection that saw the top three under a blanket during the
last five laps. In the end Eric Fisher, who went winless in 2019,
returned to victory lane as he outlasted Colton Heath and 2019 track
champion Cam Smith.
Returning to action for the first time since Labor Day of last year,
Skagit was in prime form as it opened its Thursday Night Thunder run.
Slicked up perfectly by main event time the track featured multiple
grooves and ever changing conditions that led to the fierce action for
the lead. Fisher was fast early until Heath came on in the middle of the
25 lap main and grabbed the lead on a couple of occasions before
seemingly getting it for good with a few laps remaining. The last five
laps saw Smith hustle around the upper groove and into contention,
almost making it three wide a few different times before Fisher killed
his momentum and moved up a groove and drove by Heath on the last lap
winning by inches in what was an instant classic. Amazingly, considering
it was opening night, the race had no cautions and was run flawlessly by
all the drivers involved.
One
thing that helped aid the caution free main event was the fact that the
track only started 18 cars for the main event. For a local show this is
the perfect amount and especially this last Thursday when at least 10
drivers could have won the main and at least 14 could have competed for
a top five. The main featured few drivers who were not competitive which
made the main that much better as it wasn’t slowed down by unnecessary
cautions. I believe the big shows should feature 24 starters but also
think all local and one night Summer Thunder shows at Skagit should only
start 18 cars.
How
deep was the 25 car field at Skagit? National star Trey Starks could
only muster an 11th place finish. Washington star and Skagit icon Jason
Solwold couldn’t do better than 13th. Hot shot teenage superstar Devon
Borden managed a seventh. Travis Jacobson was mired in ninth. These are
drivers that consistently are in the contention for victories and not
just top 10s. But that was what made the night so great - a lot of great
northwest drivers were on display and they delivered the goods.
While some name drivers struggled mini sprint and focus midget ace
Chance Crum made the most of his start aboard the second Lemly family
sprinter and qualified fourth before finishing fifth in main right
behind teammate Brock Lemley. Tanner Holmes, star in the Outlaw Kart
series, made the trip from Oregon and his efforts resulted in eighth
place finish after starting the night by qualifying outside the top 10.
There are a handful of drivers that dominate the northwest scene so it
was always nice to see new blood in the mix and hopefully Crum and
Holmes can start to contend. Another new driver to the mix was super
young Colby Thornhill who made his debut at Skagit Thursday. Already a
seasoned vet in the mini sprint ranks Thornhill was not overwhelming
Thursday at Skagit but made consistent laps. Look for him to get faster
as the weeks go by.
After a successful first night run Skagit announced they will again be
on PPV this Thursday for the second edition of Thursday Night Thunder.
Also on the card will be sportsman sprints and focus midgets. Grays
Harbor again will try to open their season this Saturday with Limited
Sprints again the headline division. Each press release that comes out
of GHR indicates more and more the track is moving towards featuring the
Limited Sprints and phasing out the 360s as a regular class. The biggest
reason as I can tell is the purse difference between the divisions make
the Limited Sprints much easier to run in these uncertain economic
times.
After a quiet weekend California will feature two options for 360
drivers as both Placerville and Marysville will host shows. In addition
Ocean Speedway has announced tentatively to open June 19 and NARC has
announced it will return to action on June 20 at Kings Speedway. All
these races will be run without fans but more tracks racing cannot be a
bad sign on the west coast. Chances for a good late summer and fall
season still exist so hopefully each week brings more good news and more
racing. On the other hand the west coast USAC series have cancelled
through July so that was a sobering reminder amongst the good news that
things are still very much week to week.
MORE STUFF: The
big announcement over the weekend was the inevitable postponement of the
Brownfield Classic and Super Dirt Cup to late July. The races will still
be sanctioned by ASCS. All indicators say these races will only be run
if fans are allowed. Too much purse money on the line to do it anyway
else in my opinion...Skagit Speedway’s PPV production was spot
on...Oregon’s Garen Linder has had nothing less than terrible luck at
Skagit Speedway. Thursday was a new low as Linder's bad luck struck
before he hit the truck as he broke down in Oregon and was unable to
make the race...The 25 360s checked in at Skagit featured about five
sportsmen sprints so it will be interesting see what the car count is
this Thursday...The track Thursday at Skagit was super fast in hot laps
but slowed as the night went on and by main time had the slickness that
has made Skagit so great the last five or six years...Skagit has also
announced they will be race Thursday June 18. No classes have been
announced but having the 360s will be key to keeping a sizable PPV
audience...Switching gears it was pretty big news when both Placerville
and NARC announced races in California. Placerville is arguably the
premier track in California and NARC is the premier series out west so
having these two get started should be huge for California drivers...One
California driver expecting to compete full time on the NARC series is
Justin Sanders who has been travelling the plains competing against the
All Stars. Sanders is a great driver but has undoubtedly struggled some
as he gets his first exposure east of the Rocky Mountains...Another NARC
championship contender and defending series champion DJ Netto is also
chasing the All Stars through the plains. Like Sanders, Netto has found
the sledding rough...Another to be NARC regular filling in the void is
Tim Kaeding. Expected to compete on the Joshua Bates sprinter in
California, Kaeding has spent the last month racing against the outlaws
and All Stars in his former ride - Lunstra Motorsports - the plains.
Kaeding will hop aboard a second Sides sprinter this weekend at
Knoxville for the Outlaw show... Back to Placerville. I expect Justyn
Cox, Kalib Henry and Andy Forsberg to be the class of the field at the
hill in 2020...At Knoxville Saturday Californians Rico Abreu and Shane
Golobic ran in the 410 division while youngster Kyle Offill continued
his midwest tour competing in the 360 division. Abreu finished second in
the A while Golobic settled for 16th after a great preliminary run.
Offill finished sixth in the 360 A main...One last tangent thought:
Tyler Courtney is a really good sprint car driver. Against a stacked 32
car field at Knoxville Courtney finished third to Brian Brown and Abreu.
Next night at I-55 against the USAC stars Courtney came fourth. That's
easier said than done.
This week I will again be watching Thursday Night Thunder from Skagit
Speedway on the computer as I patiently wait to go my first race of
2020. I will provide coverage through the night's action on my twitter
account and provide as much insight as I can from my porch 130 miles
from the track. I will also be watching the Saturday World Outlaw show
on Dirt Vision. Until next time - Stay Safe!
Email
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
by Joseph
Terrell
Olympia, Wa...In
what seemed like a pretty quick turnaround the sprint car racing scene
in Washington went from life support to seeing a race scheduled. In
early May the state of Washington was in a place where the racing season
seemed like it would be cancelled as the governor’s office said race
tracks were under large gatherings and large gatherings would be banned
until September. But things changed during the last month as track
promoters in Washington have worked with the state to understand what
they had to do to go racing. And racing we go.
Last Friday mini sprint track Deming Speedway held its first race with
no fans and this Thursday Skagit Speedway returns to action with what it
is dubbing “Thursday Night Thunder”. Yes the name is not original and
plays off those great Thursday Night USAC shows that ESPN televised but
I digress. The point is this Thursday Skagit Speedway will return
featuring the 360 Sprints as the headline division. The speedway has set
up its own PPV broadcast via skagitspeedway.tv for fans to watch as
Skagit Speedway looks to cover the lost revenue of no ticket sales with
a different revenue stream. In announcing it would return, Skagit
Speedway promoter Steve Beitler announced he intends to keep paying the
full purse with the supplemental PPV revenue allowing him to do this.
Farther down south near my neck of the woods Grays Harbor Raceway will
kick off its season Saturday evening featuring the Limited Sprints. As
of now GHR has no PPV option and I have heard nothing on what type of
purses are going to be paid out. One thing I do know is that the press
release did state the Limited Sprints will be a big part of the 2020
season and beyond. Reading between the lines this seems like 360 sprints
are going to be phased out (the Limited Sprint has been expanded since
the initial schedule was released). With the end of the dual track
challenge and the lack of local 360 cars it seems reasonable to believe
that GHR will look to the Limited Sprints to fill the void. With a
strong base of limited sprints in Oregon and near Skagit, GHR would be a
middle ground that could draw from both areas.
That is the good of the story - racing is returning to the northwest.
The reality is that this as of now is just a one time experiment so we
do not know what will come of it. Many questions loom such how long will
tracks run without fans? Will local laws change mid-stride (see
Pennsylvania and Illinois)? How will nationwide protest affect the
“curve” and therefore the Pandemic? As of now Skagit has announced one
Thursday night race but the press release clearly states if successful
there will be more which leads to another question - will local drivers
who work for a living support multiple Thursday night shows? Can GHR
continue with no PPV option and will Skagit make enough off PPV to pay
full purses? I don’t ask these questions because I want failure. I ask
them because 2020 has changed the world like no year before in my time
so I am careful to take anything for granted.
MORE STUFF:Amid
a lot of rumors the ASCS National Tour northwest swing has been moved to
late July. GHR will play host July 24 and 25 to the Brownfield Classic
and the Dirt Cup will play out at Skagit July 30, 31 and August 1...The
25 drivers pre-entered for Saturday night are pretty impressive. Amongst
the entries are former Outlaw winners (Travis Jacobson and Jason Solwold),
seven Skagit Speedway Summer Nationals trophies (Jacobson and Solwold),
2019 Knoxville Preliminary winner (Trey Starks), two Dirt Cup champions
(Solwold and Brock Lemley) and the youngest winner in ASCS National Tour
history (Devon Borden)...Another driver entered is one of the best at
Skagit. Former track champion Colton Heath will be steering his usual
LAW Motorsports sprinter in his first race since suffering severe burns
in a USAC National midget race last November...Washington driver Tristan
Thomas headed out on the road with the Rudeen Racing midget over the
last two weekends to challenge the POWRI midgets and struggled to say
the least. In three starts the team made only one A. Expect them to
reappear this Saturday in Petaluma for an USAC western states midget
race...California featured two 360 races last week. Andy Forsberg picked
up the win at Marysville for his second overall of the year. At Antioch
Chase Madjic won ahead of Colby Johnson and Sean Becker…Becker now has
four podiums finishes in the Van Lare sprinter this year...Washington
native turned California regular JJ Hickle ran sixth at Antioch as he
continues his first full year competing in California...California
superstar Justin Sanders won a ASCS Gulf South region Saturday night in
Texas aboard the Larry Antaya Motorsports sprinter. Expect the team to
compete with the All Stars during their tour through the plains...Kyle
Offill continues to chase races and last week was at Jefferson Park,
South Dakota taking on the All Stars. He made the main both nights
finishing 16th and 18th. He will be in Knoxville Saturday night...Offill
was joined by fellow California Tim Kaeding in South Dakota. Kaeding,
who continues to steer the South Dakota based Lunstra Motorsports
sprinter as he waits for the NARC season to start in California,
finished in the top 10 both nights...Starks was also in South Dakota and
had an up and down weekend finishing fifth Friday and 19th
Saturday...California drivers Dominic Scelzi and Rico Abreu continue to
chase the Outlaws. Last weekend at Lake Ozark both drivers failed to
qualify Friday, while Saturday Abreu finished 15th in the A and Scelzi
17th…Look for Scelzi and his brother Gio to hope on the All Star tour
this week as they race through the plains. Gio will also make his debut
for Guy Forbrook this Saturday at Knoxville....Not sure what Abreu’s
next step will be but wouldn’t surprised to see him also chase the All
Stars the next few weeks...Another driver branching out is Canaidian
native and Washington based driver Chris Schmelzle. After spending the
previous weekend in South Dakota Schmelzle headed south to take on the
ASCS Sooner series in Oklahoma. He did not qualify Friday Night at Creek
County but rebounded to run ninth Saturday Night at Tri-State...The
Friday Night race at Creek County was won by Washington native turned
ASCS national star Seth Bergman...Although the west coast continues to
open it is still very spotty and that reminder came again when the
annual California Speed Week featuring micro sprints in late June was
cancelled. Overall most of California, all of Oregon and most of
Wasington tracks remain silent.
That is all for now. This week I will cover the Thursday night race from
Skagit from my porch - definitely will be a different experience. As of
now this will be the only 410/360 Sprint Car race on the West Coast this
weekend.
E-mail
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...It
seems like racing season is now in full gear in some parts of the
country. Yes there is still a virus wreaking havoc through our country
and the area of the country I live in is still pretty restricted but
thanks to dirt vision, dirtondirt and NASCAR I am able to watch racing
almost every day of the week and almost forget that we are in the middle
of a pandemic. This last weekend was one of the most active for sprint
car racing yet as Pennsylvania and Ohio have held their first races and
tracks throughout the plans ran weekly and regionals series races. But
where I am I can still only watch racing on TV so we have a ways to go
before there will be dirt in my notebook.
On
the west coast we have had minimal activity. In California Marysville
Raceway has now held three races, Antioch held a Memorial Day Modified
double header and Dixon Speedway has held a couple events. Santa Maria
Raceway in California had announced a practice session but was cancelled
and since then nothing from the central coast speedplant. In Oregon
nothing has really happened to think racing is near even as the state
opens up in other areas. My home state of Washington is starting to
allow practices and it was just announced that Deming Speedway will hold
a PPV event this Friday after a successful practice last weekend. All
in all west coast racing is seeing a little light but it seems likely we
are still at least a month away from racing at a majority of west coast
facilities.
Which leads me to the month of June which has some big sprint car shows
on the docket on the west coast and one has already been cancelled. The
first week of June was to see the annual NARC/SCCT shootout at
Placerville but that show was recently cancelled. The last weekend of
June Placerville is scheduled to host the Posse Shootout and as the
weeks tick by the status of that race comes more into question. In the
northwest June might be the biggest racing month of the year. June is
when the ASCS National tour makes its annual trek to Washington to
challenge the best of the northwest for two weekends at two challenging
tracks, Grays Harbor Raceway and Skagit Speedway.
The headliner
of this swing is the Super Dirt Cup at Skagit which pays $15,000 to the
winner. Scheduled to take place the last weekend of June this date seems
more unlikely by the day. Best case scenario in Washington is spectator
free races in June and the Dirt Cup cannot be run without fans. Skagit
promoter Steve Beitler has become more open to the idea of spectator
free weekly races but a spectator free Dirt Cup does not seem like an
option. At this point it seems more likely that the Dirt Cup will be
postponed until July replacing the annual 360 Summer Nationals according
to sources. Whether the race carries an ASCS sanction if it happens in
July is to be determined but Beitler seems determined to have Dirt Cup
2020 at some point in the season. As far as the event at Grays Harbor
(the Brownfield Classic - and also a very prestigious race) it is
still scheduled with no rumblings of a makeup date. Like the Dirt Cup it
is hard to see this event taking place as scheduled in what is just
three weeks from now.
Interestingly the ASCS tour has the northwest swing as their next races
scheduled. Given the current situation I am surprised they have not
postponed their northwest swing and instead scheduled races closer to
home base where many tracks are opening. Amazingly the All Star Circuit
of Champions has beaten the ASCS tour in their own region scheduling
races in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. The reason I am
surprised has to do with the fact is Washingron is just entering phase
two of its reopening which still prevents crowds of more than five
people and explicitly states no spectators at events. So while tracks
may have races without no fans, having big shows with no fans is a much
different scenario that I just don't see playing out. This is why Eldora
just cancelled the dream. Mega events with no fans is a no go because
fans are key to making those events what they are.
MORE STUFF:
As mentioned before Marysville Raceway held a race for the third
straight weekend and it was DJ Netto taking the top prize ahead of
Mitchell Faccinto and Andy Forsberg. It is Netto’s second win of the
year at Marysville...With no other show to compete against Marysville
drew another stout field with 45 cars checking in….Surprisingly
Ryan Robinson who has been nothing less than spectacular in
California this year was not in attendance...Washington driver JJ Hickle
continues to improve aboard the Worden Family sprinter. On Monday at
Marysville the defending 360 Summer Nationals champion qualified fourth
in his group, finished second in his heat and seventh in the
main….Oregon drivers and members of the Oregon Posse Tyler Thompson and
Jake Wheeler made the tow to Marysville, Each saw their night end in the
B. Wheeler finished fifth missing a transfer by one spot….Willie Croft
seems to have found a home in Mike Phulps sprinter for the 360 action as
once again he was steering the wheel Monday....Some west coast drivers
continue to tour the plains searching for races with only one option on
the west coast as of now...Kyle Olfill scored a 360 win Sunday night at
34 Raceway in Iowa after running sixth in a 360 at Park Jefferson. He
will take on the All Stars this weekend at Park Jefferson...After a
tough two nights versus the Outlaws Dominic Scelzi was spotted winning a
ASCS regional show at Lake Ozark Sunday night...Dominic’s brother Gio
spent the weekend in a pavement Late Model in Tucson, Arizona. His best
run was Saturday when he finished fifth...Canadian now American
resident Chris Schmelzle has also hit the road as he was spotted
finishing 15th in Park Jefferson, South Dakota Saturday. Monday night’s
show was rained out. He heads to Oklahoma this weekend for ASCS regional
action...Another Canadian and defending Super Dirt Cup champion Robbie
Price finished seventh in Park Jefferson Saturday and then headed to
Lake Ozark where he finished fourth in the B...A little surprised
Washington native Kasey Kahne has ran the last few weekends and is
entered for this weekends Outlaws race at Lake Ozark after announcing
earlier he wasn't going to race much, if at all, this year. But with
regular driver for the nine car James McFadden stuck in Australia it
seems Kasey has decided to fill the void by driving himself. While not a
threat to win Kahne brings prestige to any race he enters...With the
recent reshuffling of the All Star schedule Josh Baughman has announced
he will now be a full time member which leads to my question? Earlier in
the year it was mentioned that Seth Bergman would be running selected
410 events in a second car to primary driver Aaron Reutzel. With
Baughman now back, is Bergman out of a 410 ride?Time will tell as
nothing official has been announced...Shane Golobic is undoubtedly one
of the best drivers on the west coast but he has struggled at times in
the plains racing against stout competition and last weekend was one of
those times. The two time Outlaw winner failed to make the main both
nights at I-55 last weekend with Outlaws….Joining Golobic in I-55 were
fellow Californians Rico Abreu and Dominic Scelzi. After missing the
feature Friday Abreu and Scelzi were able to get in the show Saturday.
Rico finished 13th and Dom 25th...Abreu and Scelzi are pre-entered for
this weekend's Outlaw show at Lake Ozark...In a season where almost two
months of the season has been lost Pennsylvania driver Mark Smith has
won 10 races - which would be amazing if the season had not been
interrupted. He had won nine races with the USCS sprints and decided to
to tack on a 410 race at St. Francois in MIssouri to get his 10th.
Amazing.
That is all for now. Until next time support racing anyway you can and
stay safe. We all will be back at the track in the future, lets just be
patient and smart getting there. Pay attention to what is happening in
Pennsylvania as tracks and the government battle. This is not the way to
success as the government will win. We need to be prudent, follow
guidelines and open when the green light has been given.
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Well slowly but surely the west coast
sprint car scene is making a little noise amid the COVID-19 situation.
After the month of April when it looked like the earliest we would see
racing on the West Coast was the fall things have progressed some - not
much but some. May has been kinder with news regarding racing on the
west coast and hope is bubbling that we get to racing in a semi-normal
way sometime during the summer with hit and miss shows until then.
In the last few weeks Marysville Raceway in California
north of Sacraneento has held two events. Kern County in Bakersfield
held a pavement event on Saturday night and has made noise about hosting
a two day 360 race but nothing has finalized. DIxon Speedway has raced
and Cycleand will race this Saturday. Yes this isn’t much but it is
progress. Marysville is the only track to host sprint car races out west
and the two events have now drawn 28 and 32 cars respectively. Different
mix of cars have shown up each week as first week winner DJ Netto and
Texas hard charger TJ Michael did not return for week two but Sean
Becker came out for night two as did Justyn Cox. Marysville has
struggled at times to draw name drivers and large car counts as its
shadowed by Silver Dollar to the north and Placerville to the south but
is getting a lot of recognition and attention because they are the only
show in town, Marysville will run Monday this weekend for a Memorial Day
special.
In Oregon and Washington the situation has made some
ground although no races have been announced in either state to my
knowledge. Cottage Grove in Oregon seems to be moving toward a situation
where they can race without fans. Will this happen? We will have to see
but Owner Heather Boyce seems to be very anxious to get back to racing
any way she can so I can see her taking the chance if given the green
light. In Washington race tracks have been given the green light to open
for practices but actual racing is still a no go for the time. Grays
Harbor Raceway is in Grays Harbor County which has been allowed to move
a little faster in opening than other parts of the states. Up north
Skagit County, which is home to Skagit Speedway, has not been given the
okay to proceed faster than the rest of the state. Nonetheless given the
nature of each track's press release it seems GHR is being cautious as
they have done nothing more than announce the possibility of a practice
session. Skagit has already announced its first practice date for this
weekend May 23. It has listed rules and expectations on its website as
it looks to find a way to open up for regular racing. Skagit promoter
Steve Beitler has been skeptical of races without fans in previous
interviews he has given but as time ticks by the winds might be
changing. Beitler seems eager to show the state they can run a safe
event and the next logical step is a race with no fans with a PPV
option. It seems highly unlikely the ASCS national tour will make its
June trip west, but nothing has been released concerning the last two
weekends in June.
Nationwide it has become obvious the new “hotbeds” of
sprint car racing will be the plains and the south. All Stars,
traditionally midwest based, will soon hit the road for a journey to
South Dakota before a trip to the plains and eventually ending up in
Louisiana. 360 races are being held in Texas and Florida. Most of the
traditional meccas of sprint car racing - Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana
and California - are reopening at a much slower pace than the plains and
the south and therefore drivers are going where the races are.
With all the major spots shutdown teams are migrating to
places they normally wouldn't. Scelzi brothers in Florida. Shane Golobic
in Minnesota. This week Pennsylvania drivers such as Freddie Rahmer,
Kyle Reinhardt and Logan Wagner (none of whom race much out of the
Pennsylvania area) are headed to Missouri. California youngster Kyle
Olfill continues to hang out in the plains. In what was supposed to be
his rookie season with NARC has instead turned into nightly battles with
stacked fields in which making the A is a chore in itself. Which leads
to what could be a negative of all this competition. As teams fail to
make mains and therefore any money what happens? Sprint Car racing
survives when drivers have chances to make money some nights so they can
keep it going . Constantly running the B main is bad for a driver's
confidence and an owners wallet which is a lethal combination. Hopefully
drivers start to get more options and therefore the spoils can be split
between more teams which is key to the overall health of the sport. The
recent car counts have been amazing and this week I-55 is capped at 62
entries for their Outlaw event..but that means 38 drivers will not make
A main money both nights which cannot happen too long before teams start
to reconsider their plans.
MORE STUFF: Ryan Robinson won Saturday night at
Marysville continuing an amazing start to 2020. The former Keith Kunz
driver now has three wins and two seconds in five 2020 starts driving
for car owner Todd Weiher...FInishing second to Robinson was Becker.
Becker has also had a solid 2020 start in Van Lare sprinter. Becker now
has three podiums at three tracks in four starts for the team...Tanner
Carrick made the trip back from West Texas Raceway to Marysville and
collected fast time and a top five. The Vana Lare team also made the
long trek back after competing in Texas with Colby Copeland...Washington
native JJ Hickle ran fifth at Marysville as settles into his first full
season in the Worden family sprinter...Another Washington driver made
the trip to as Bailey Jean Sucich saw the track for the first team. She
struggled during the night but she, like so many drivers, is just
itching to get laps in...Washington’s Tristan Thomas will head to
MIssouri this weekend to compete with the POWRI Midget Series at Valley
Speedway, Missouri. Thomas, who cut his teeth racing ford focus midgets
and micro sprints, will be making his first laps in the newly formed
Kevin Rudeen Racing midget team...Justyn Cox who has played car owner
for Jesse Love the last few weeks hopped in the Rich Rosser sprinter at
Marysville with mixed results. Cox will be back in the C&M Motorsports
sprinter Monday night at Marysville...With the cancellation of the
Murphy Classic last week to be held at Tulare it was the second big west
coast race to fall after the Bradway Memorial. Next up are the
aforementioned Brownfield Memorial at GHR and the Dirt Cup at Skagit as
well as the Posse Shootout in Placerville at the end of June. All seem
unlikely at this time.
I'll be watching the Outlaws this weekend on dirt vision
as they try to tame I-55. After a few weeks of watching fender racing
time to get back to my roots and catch some sprint car action. Until
next time stay safe and keep supporting racing in any way you can.
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com and follow me on twitter at @idrinkiswim.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia...Wa. Well slowly but surely racing is coming
alive across the United States. It started with a spark in South Dakota
and it has taken off and while plenty are still being cancelled, racing
is happening again. Friday night the World of Outlaws returned to action
at Knoxville and the next night 410 sprint cars raced in Missouri at St.
Francois. Marysville out in California got a 360 race as did Monarch
Speedway in Texas.
This week Josh Baughman is having his midweek 360 special in Lubbock,
Texas and Jackson Motorplex is having its first race of the season as it
hosts an IRA sanctioned two night show Friday and Saturday. The entry
list for both of these shows is star studded as drivers seek out races.
Over the first few weeks of the COVID-19 sprint car season this has been
the theme - each field is a hodgepodge of drivers from throughout the
country. This is like the Outlaw series when it first started. You look
back at those times and a fan never knew who would show up where. This
is true right now. Drivers like Shane Golobic, Rico Abreu and Scelzi
brothers have left the west coast, while Brock Zeafross and Anthony
Macri have left the east coast as they converge on mid-America to chase
their racing dream.
Last weekend was a great example of that as 48 cars were at Knoxville
Friday and another 55 St. Francois. St. Francois was only paying $1500
to win but with nothing better to do, drivers from all over converged on
the Missouri oval. Non-winged stars Tyler Courtney and Carson Short were
on hand in Missouri as were west coast stars Golbic and Rico Abreu. 2020
All Star Rookie of the Year contender and midget standout Zeb Wise was
in the house. Midwest standouts Parker Price-Miller and Hunter
Scheurenburg were also present. It is unusual to have that kind of field
in Missouri on Saturday night for $1500 to win but these are unusual
times.
The Knoxville field was being billed as the best one day field ever in
sprint car racing ever (it was a true invitational) and it may have been
as it was a who's who of racing. Many stars such as Aaron Reutzel, Sam
Hafertepe, Jr., Price-Miller, Brent Marks and Paul McMahon were watching
the A from the pits. The Scelzi brothers joined them as did Trey Starks.
Heck Wisconsin star Bill Balog and Pennsylvania standout Lucas Wolfe
were in street clothes before the B. You get the point, it was a stout
field.
Not to be topped the entry list for Jackson which pays $5000 to win
Friday and $7000 to win Saturday now stands at 68. It rivals any field I
have seen in years for a race that is not a major (Nationals, Kings
Royal, National Open). Outlaws Donny Schatz, Daryn Pittman, Sheldon
Haudenschild, Carson Macedo and Mason Daniels are registered. So is Kyle
Larson. All Star regulars Reutzel, Cory Eliason and Wise will be in the
field as well as west coast stars Golobic, Tim Kaeding, Abreu and the
Scelzi’s. You will have the best of Knoxville in house with drivers such
as Brian Brown, Terry McCarl and the Madsen brothers (Ian and Kerry) and
many more regulars. And don’t forget the Posse as Pennsylvania based
Brent Marks and Anthony Macri will be on hand. The midwest will be
represented by Price-Miller. And there are more like Balog and Dobmeier.
Also some guy named Tony Stewart. I am sure I am still missing some but
this an amazing field that could only happen in extraordinary times like
now. It will be very interesting which drivers show well in this race
and excel against this stout field.
Finally, closer to home it looks at least one state on the west coast is
racing. Marysville on Saturday had a race with 28 sprint cars. The race
was with a reduced purse which created some waves but some sponsors
ultimately brought the purse back up some. The solid field of drivers
had California stars Andy Forsberg, DJ Netto and Sean Becker in
attendance as all asTexas native TJ Michael was making his maiden voyage
in the Clayton Snow sprinter. Also Oregon star Garen Linder, who had a
very difficult 2019, was also in attendance. Ocean Speedway champion JJ
Ringo also made the tow adding to the diverse field. It has now been
announced Kern County in Bakersfield will be running a two night show
Memorial Day weekend with Sprint Car Challenge Tour rules. Haven’t seen
an official purse but how many teams from around the west coast will
make the tow to get a race in. With Washington and Oregon in a holding
pattern and California still week to week teams cannot be sure how many
races they will get in and might jump on this opportunity.
MORE STUFF: Speaking of Twin Cities NARC Champion DJ
Netto was the man of the hour as he won the A and then immediately
donated his winnings. Netto, aboard his familiar Netto Ag KPC, was the
benefactor of late race heartbreak Andy Forsberg who flipped while
leading...Running behind Netto were Ryan Robinson and John Michael
Bunch. For Robinson it was third top two of the year, while Bunch is
returning to racing after being away for an extended period...The Outlaw
race Friday night was truly historic but it some ways reinforced what we
already we knew - Gravel is fast at Knoxville; Schuchart is championship
contender; and it does not matter how bad it may seem for Schatz and
Sweet they find the top 10 every night and that is why they are so
good...Californians Eliason and Golobic showed well. Golobic started
third in the A after a great dash and heat race but ultimately was a DNF.
Eliason overcame a blown motor in the dash to finish fifth in the final
rundown. Eliason just continues to impress...Ian Madsen was second at
Knoxville and continued the momentum he had in February when he was fast
in Florida...The race Saturday at St. Francois saw Tyler Courtney score
the win. Courtney, who was aboard his normal Clauson-Marshall ride, is
venturing into the winged territory this year while still chasing USAC
midget points and hitting all the major non winged sprint events.
Courtney has had previous winged starts so he is not a complete rookie
but it was still an impressive win as he outran Golobic and Short...Channin
Tankersly took the win in Texas. Tankersly races selectively but is
tough to beat in Texas and showed that again at Monarch Saturday.
It is obviously an unique time and things are uncertain
but it is kind of fun to see some of these races unfold and the names
that show up and race against each other. Pay Per View has really been
key to this and will continue to be. More important than a revenue
sharing agreement an individual track may have is going to be keeping
the fans engaged and PPV offers just that. I will admit it is not the
same but it is better than nothing and allows race fans to stay
connected. In a normal year I go to enough races to get my fix that I
have never done the PPV thing, or thought it was relevant but now it has
become an ever important outlet to keep fans connected and interested
until they can come back to the track.
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Wow what a difference a few weeks make in
the sprint car racing scene. A couple weeks ago it seemed like racing at
any venue was months away and then Terry McCarl and the team at Park
Jefferson Speedway, South Dakota with speedshift videoing gave us a
reason to hope on April 25. But as soon as the excitement ended on that
Saturday night there was an eerie silence on what was next for sprint
cars and the question was what would happen next. We have a now a little
glimmer of hope for the next month.
Yes it still looks like most of the racing will be
fanless and only available through some sort of pay per view option and
while almost all involved in dirt track sprint car racing will say this
is not a sustainable solution it at least gives us sprint car junkies
something to talk about and look forward to. The World of Outlaws will
roar back to action Friday night at the famed Knoxville Raceway.
Saturday night will see a few shows spread out across the country as
Selinsgrove will run 410 special in posse country (no fans), St.
Francois will run a 410 race in Missouri (limited fans as of now),
sprint bandits will run a non wing show in Texas and just announced
Marysville Raceway will run a 360m show in California with no fans.
Following the weekend Josh Baughman is putting on a two
day midweek 360 ASCS special at West Texas Raceway that will be without
spectators. The race will feature ASCS rules and All Star format. The
first night will pay $4000 to win and the second night $6000 to win. A
stellar field is already committed including a heavy California presence
as Justin Sanders, Shane Golobic, Gio and Dominic Scelzi, Colby
Copeland, Kyle Olfill and tennager Joel Myers all plan to make the trip.
The next weekend Jackson Speedway in Minnesota will run a two night 410
show on May 15 and 16. In addition the Outlaws have confirmed dates for
May 22-23 at I-55, Missouri (limited fans), May 29-30 at Lake Ozark,
Missouri (limited fans) and June 12-13 at Knoxville (no fans). June 5 at
River Cities, North Dakota and June 6 in Granite City, Minnesota are on
the Outlaw schedule but have not been confirmed. I expect more tracks
will try to open in some fashion in the next few weeks as the weather
gets nicer and we all itch to get back to normal. But what does all this
mean?
The landscape can change very quickly right now and I
wouldn’t count on anything past this weeked. The environment in some
states could be much different next week and a show that was scheduled
could become “postponed” in an instant. But with that said if we do get
going and get these scheduled races and more sprinkle in it will be
interesting to see what the races are like. It seems like with few
options a lot of tracks will have an opportunity to have drivers come
that would not come in any other time. Looking at the entry list for
West Texas Raceway and this is exactly what is happening because there
is nowhere else to race. Will we see Outlaw teams next week in Minnesota
since they have nothing scheduled? Pennsylvania Posse regular Danny
Dietrich has been sniffing for sponsorship as he looks to chase races as
things are very light in Pennsylvania - the feeling from Pennsylvania
seems to be the Selinsgrove show will be a true one off and the
likelihood of more than a few of these is unlikely at this time. All
Star regulars Aaron Reutzel, Cory Eliason, Brock Zeafross and Sam
Hafertepe, Jr. seem like they are chasing whatever race is available.
Will west coast drivers stay in the midwest and hop from track to track
wherever opportunity presents itself. This will definitely make for
interesting fields and bring a true “outlaw” feel to some of these
shows.
Back closer to home on the west coast I am surprised to
see Marysville Raceway open up albeit it is with no fans. California has
a strict stay at home order but along with other West Coast states
(Oregon and Washington) are contemplating opening up different parts of
the state at different times. Marysville is the only track I know of in
California considering any races at this time - there was a test session
sometime in the last week at Kern County featuring Dominic Scelzi and
Rico Abreu amongst others. As far as Oregon and Washington I have been
in minor contact with Cottage Grove Speedway and have heard a few
different interviews with Skagit promoter Steve Beitler and I would say
both tracks as far as I can tell seem hesitant to run events without
fans at this time. Grays Harbor Raceway would likely be in the same
boat.
Ultimately that will be the question. How long can
tracks, promoters and series go without fans. Right now most US states
are still pretty locked down. Yes there are re-openings happening; they
are small steps and most states phases would not allow racing with fans
until their final phase which seems a long time away in almost all
regions. For now I am going to watch races on TV as if I was there and
just enjoy seeing sprint cars do sprint car things and ride this wave
while it lasts.
MORE STUFF: The World of Outlaws have opened their arms
to Kyle Larson and he will be competing on Friday night at Knoxville
less than a month removed from his insensitive remark during an irace. I
think the Outlaws would have looked more professional suspending him for
a set time (at least 30 day) but Larson excites sprints like few others
so I am sure a few extra Dirt Vision subscriptions will be sold. No word
on exactly how many outlaw races we will see Larson at as of now... A
lot like some of the upcoming national races it will be interesting what
kind of car count Marysville will get with nothing else on the horizon
for west coast sprint car teams. Placerville is running a practice day
Saturday so this might affect the car count but we will have to wait and
see...Amongst the drivers competing at Knoxville Friday will be
Washington’s Trey Starks. Starks has a reputation for coming out of the
gate fast and qualifying good - could he pull off the upset Friday? He
won a preliminary night last year at the Nationals...California
superstar Justin Sanders will make his first 2020 start for car owner
Larry Antaya of all places in Lubbock, Texas Tuesday and Wednesday.
Sanders' only other starts this year were in his family car against the
ASCS national in Arizona and California...Another driver slated for
competition in Texas is Colby Copeland. Copeland will hop aboard the Van
Lare sprinter that he has driven off and on for the last six to seven
years with a lot of success...A surprise entrant for the Texas show is
young teenager Joel Myers. Myers spent last year running some at
Petaluma and Ocean while also spinning wrenches for other teams. This
will be Myers first road trip...Golobic and the Scelzi brothers will
race Knoxville Friday before heading south to Texas. Abreu will head to
St. Francois after he competes at Knoxville...Kyle Olfill and his family
team were the only California based team in Park Jefferson returned home
and now are back on the road as they head West Texas Raceway.
This weekend I will be watching super late models this
Thursday and Saturday on dirtondirt.com. I hope to catch the outlaws
Friday night at Knoxville on Dirt Vision but work commitments may get in
the way. Either way it is nice to have sprint car news to discuss. I was
running out of content; all I had left was my column looking at the
major races (Nationals, Kings Royal, Gold Cup, National Open) and the
drivers that have dominated them. I still plan to do that column but for
now I have real sprint car news to write about and I couldn’t be
happier.
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...This column was going to be a look a back
at the major sprint car races (Knoxville, KIngs Royal, National Open and
Gold Cup) since the late 70s and deep dive the dominant figures in
sprint car racings major shows but then a few developments came up this
week as tracks and organizations scramble to figure out when they will
race again which has caused me to change directions.
First came the news that sprint car racing and spectator
sports in general are on life support in Washington (and by extension I
would also say California and Oregon). I had been informed late Tuesday
night that racing was not getting a warm welcome from the state
legislature in Washington as the state threw heavy shade at the idea of
racing opening up any time soon. Skagit Speedway promoter Steve Beitler
along with other Washington promoters are desperately trying to put
together a plan to present to the state that would allow them to re-open
in June. But they may be fighting a losing cause as rumour has it that
Whatcom County has already suggested to Deming Speedway that they will
not be hosting events this year although there is no official word
concerning. What is worrying about the potential Whatcom County decision
is the only thing spreading faster than the virus is regulation. It
seems once one government entity shuts something down the domino effect
happens quickly as other entities follow suit.
In Skagit Speedway’s official press release Beitler was
cautious of a June reopening and for the first time publicly admitted
the Dirt Cup is very much in question as far as the June date goes.
Beitler mentioned the possibility of rescheduling as he tries to keep
the hope alive but the northwest race season is short and Beitler knows
that time is ticking quickly on the race window in Washington. The
Governor in Washington is going to open slowly (he has said as much) so
the question is how slow and will it leave enough time for Beitler and
the rest of the state’s promoters to actually get racing in this year we
will just have to wait and see. Although not much has come out of Oregon
concerning race season I would expect they will be on the same (slow)
trajectory as Washington.
Third part of the west coast trio is California and much
like Washington the Governor in this state seems to prefer a slow
opening. Even more precarious for West Coast promoters and tracks is as
Jim Allen of NARC has pointed out, most California dirt tracks are
located on Fairground property. The theory is a state can exert a
heavier hand of control over Fairgrounds than tracks on private property
but in these times I am not sure that is true. The current stay at home
acts on the west coast have shut down all racing and if these acts keep
getting extended then things get dicey. What is true the California
State Fair which was set to start on July 17 in Sacramento has been
cancelled showing fair boards may be hesitant for any activity on their
grounds even if measures were relaxed. Obviously each fair board is
different but it just becomes an extra complication in very complicated
times. The advantage California has is that they can run longer into the
fall than Oregon and Washington, realistically able to hold races all
the way through November. Oregon and Washington are hard pressed to race
much past September leaving which gives California a two month advantage
on the back side of the season. What does this mean? Who knows as truly
everything is in the air as of now with a very real possibility of no
racing for the rest of 2020 on the west coast.
With all that is important to point out that not all
states and regions are the same as some states will return to racing in
some fashion this year I am convinced (Park Jefferson, South Dakota is
an example). The World Racing Group, which owns the World of Outlaws and
DirtCar, issued its own COVID-19 guidelines for its tracks (and really
all tracks) and promoters for running races in 2020. The guidelines have
different scenarios for the number attendees and whether fans would be
on premise or not. The WRG provided a model letter that a track or
promoter could send to the appropriate officials in their locale should
they choose to go racing. The WRG provides in my opinion some great
resources for tracks and promoters to get back racing as they outline
social distancing and other sanitation measures to ensure all attendees
could enjoy the racing while staying safe. When tracks around the
country begin to reopen it is important they understand it cannot be
business as usual. Face masks, ample hand washing stations and fast,
efficient shows that limit the time of the gathering will be key to
conducting safe, successful races.
Finally the last issue that has gained a lot of interest
is the idea of racing with no fans in the stands. Park Jefferson was
going to have 700 but made the decision during the week to not have fans
in the stands for their race. They are working with SpeedShiftTV to
stream the race and maybe some sort of revenue sharing but promoter
Terry McCarl has admitted it will be hard to make any money this way -
at best break even but that seems like a stretch even. NASCAR can do it
with fans conceivably (but it will be a big hit for even them) because
their TV contracts would help them get through the year but short track
racing does not have that option. Yes we have seen a rise in short track
streaming platforms and promoters are no doubt looking into how they can
work together to create revenue but it will definitely be an uphill
battle for tracks and promoters to just break even this way. Beitler in
an interview with Ralph Shaheen admitted that for Skagit to hold a race
without fans or tight restriction (say 250) would be very difficult -
not impossible but very difficult due to the lack of revenue stream.
Also it has been mentioned, most notably by Jeremy Elliott, that if
tracks start racing without fans, drivers and owners alike but might
start asking for a little more money when the fans do come back.
So that is the current status of where short track
racing is as of now. More questions than answers, more hope than reality
especially on the west coast. With that said I have never watched racing
much on the various media platforms (I prefer my dirt track up close and
personal) but this year I will watch as much racing as I can view media
since I may not be able to see any in person this year. While this is
not what I would prefer it is the best I can do in these times so I am
going to roll with it and continue to support short track racing any way
I can.
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com and follow me on twitter
@idrinkiswim
The
West Coast Sprint Car Scene
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Late Sunday evening I first started
hearing the rumblings on social media that Kyle Larson used a derogatory
term during an irace. Just as soon many were saying it wasn’t (maybe
they were just hoping) Larson and was somebody else. By Monday morning
it was obvious Larson's fall from grace was going to be quick and
devastating as one of the most decorated drivers in American racing saw
his world crumble. Many will say it is unfair but to the contrary it was
appropriate and fair.
The racing world from stock cars to open wheels has
fought for years to diversify. Larson himself was part of NASCAR's
diversity program that was meant to open the sport to just more than
white males. NASCAR has tried to broaden its fan base over the years as
it has grown from a southern series to a National series popular in all
corners of the United States but even with this growth the series has
struggled to break from its Rebel Flag past. This is why the comment
Larson made during iracing event created so much backlash. NASCAR is a
brand trying to grab appeal from all walks of life and Chip Ganassi is a
businessman who understands words have meaning.
I have seen many - especially those from the dirt world
- say it was just an honest mistake and everybody should just move on.
That is just ignorance. I understand dirt track fans have an allegiance
to Larson because we saw him grow and develop into a racing icon. He has
won outlaw races, the Chili Bowl, all star races, a Trophy Cup, NARC
championship, USAC races, swept the USAC portion of the four crown
nationals and won NASCAR races in all three divisions. Heck he even won
an ARCA east (formerly K&N) championship. Yes he is ultra talented and
at age 27 he is already a sprint car hall of famer but this doesn’t
discount his mistake.
Larson's use of the word on Sunday night was not a one
time mistake. I am not saying he is a racist or do I believe he is one
but the casual way he used the term can only lead me to believe this a
word he uses too often when others are not looking. Unfortunately for
Larson he is a star in the racing world and his words will be analyzed.
When one gets too lackadaisical in private with their word choice that
will sooner or later have an impact on their public life which Larson is
too well aware of now.
In January another California driver found this lesson out when Michael
Faccinto used the same term Larson did as a verb and quickly found
himself out of a Chili Bowl ride and a front row starting spot in
Saturday’s B main because his sponsor wouldn’t tolerate his driver using
a derogatory statement. Faccinto found himself back in a sprint car soon
after in California but nonetheless he had lost out on an excellent
opportunity with an amazing team because he lacked control of his words.
Faccinto like Larson had become casual with using this word and at the
wrong time chose to use private vocabulary publicly.
I don’t know what the long term effects for Larson will
be. Obviously NASCAR has been put on hold. Will we see him in a sprint
car more? Probably as he has always made a living racing but what will
it look like. Larson was a brand name who always had funding to help out
- will those same supporters be there. Finley Farms and Plan B sales
have announced they are staying on board. Chevrolet has moved on and
since they are all over the KLR outlaw team, will Carson Macedo be
affected. Hard to say because he has such great backing from the Tarlton
family nonetheless the world for Kyle Larson and KLR has changed
dramatically and who truly knows how this story will play out.
MORE STUFF: Just when I thought all was lost, Park
Jefferson Speedway in South Dakota will be hosting a 410 race April 25
as part of a Terry McCarl promotion. $5,000 to win and a limit of 32
cars and a limit on the number of fans. Interested to see how this plays
out, if it actually does...South Dakota does not have a stay at home
order at this time...The casualties this shutdown will cause in racing
is hard to tell at this moment but as the days go by it seems it can’t
be good. Small businesses are the backbone of sprint car racing (short
track racing in general) and they are the ones hurt the worst in this
shutdown...If any series is getting crushed with this shutdown it has to
be NARC. With a bevy of great drivers on tap with great teams supporting
the series, NARC was set up to have a year for the ages that would
harken back to the 90s but now they have to wonder what will be left of
2020.
That’s it for now. My next column will look at the
winners of the Knoxville Nationals, Kings Royal, National Open and Gold
Cup since 1977 as I have had plenty of time to freshen up on racing
history during the last month.
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com follow me on twitter at @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...As I sit in the front yard on a Thursday
afternoon the “new normal” seems like it will never end. The feeling
that we will remain under some sort of lockdown or shelter in place
order for many months seems inevitable and depressing...but then I
change my tune when I look at the trends and it slowly but surely looks
like things might be getting better. There will be no racing April - the
World of Outlaws finally came around and announced Vado in New Mexico at
the end of April is now cancelled - and May be slow if not completely
quiet but come June as the weather gets nice we might be in store for
some good things on the west coast.
Yes I am going to take an optimistic view of things - I
am not ignorant of all that could go wrong - but I want to have
something to look forward to. It is tough losing these early months of
racing on the West Coast and some good races have been lost (the Outlaws
sprint tour completely cancelled and the Bradway memorial cancelled) but
all in all the heart of the west coast schedule lies in the Summer and
Fall months. In June the ASCS National Tour comes to the northwest and
Placerville Speedway has its Posse Shootout. July has the Howard Kaeding
Classic at Ocean and the $10,000 to win Summer Nationals at Skagit.
August features the Johnny Key Classic and NARC speed week in
California. September the Outlaws come back west. Also in September is
the Louie Vermeil Classic at Calistoga. October features Fall Nationals
and Trophy Cup and November has the two day show at Stockton featuring
the SCCT and NARC. Also don’t forget November is also when the Oval
Nationals take place in SoCal. The month of November finishes with a
bang when the USAC National Midgets invade Cali for the Hangtown 100 and
Turkey Night. I omitted some big mini sprint races including California
speed week and Clay Cup Nationals at Deming. So even if the season on
the west coast didn’t start until June there would still be plenty of
action.
If May is lost that would mean the Murphy Classic and
the Marvin Smith Memorial would be lost but who knows maybe they could
be rescheduled a little later in the year. The Outlaws have announced
they intend to make up the loss races at Tulare and Santa Maria. The
only likely time would be September when they are in Cali which would
mean an action packed few two to three weeks on the west coast for the
outlaws. Also with the late start maybe some teams will be able to be
more competitive deeper into the season as they won't have two-three
months of wear and tear on their cars when the summer months hit. In
addition the delayed start has only made drivers more anxious to get
going and racing. Listening to the many different podcasts to fill my
time it is evident that drivers are itching to get back at it and make
up for lost time.
Yes I am aware that potentially racing won’t start in
June and the strict guidelines could still push much later and
potentially jeopardize the entire 2020 race season. I am also very aware
that the economic fallout of this pandemic could have a much greater
toll than any delayed start to the season will. One of the big questions
will be do owners have the money to fix broken cars if their business
has been shut down for two and half months? We will find it when the
time comes. One thing I know is that racing is resilient and owners,
drivers and fans will do whatever it takes to get to the race track when
the green light is given. It may look a little different for a while and
maybe we will still have to follow certain guidelines but I have plenty
of hope for a great 2020 season even if the start is still almost two
months away.
MORE STUFF: The updated Skagit Speedway schedule has
them starting May 9 and racing 360 sprints five times in six weeks so
they can get laps before Dirt Cup at the end of June...Grays Harbor
Raceway will also start on May 9 and will have three 360 races before
the Brownfield Classic in mid-June...Cottage Grove has only cancelled
through April 18 with April 24 and 25 their opening weekend - this will
get pushed back more than likely...Most California dirt tracks are set
to start about the same time - the second weekend of May looks like the
soonest possible start on the west coast....Silver Dollar won’t get back
at it until June- they already had one race...Placerville and Kings
still have April 25 as their season openers but this seems highly
unlikely.
Stay safe and let's all do what we can to get back to
normal as soon as possible.
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com and follow me on twitter
@idrinkswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa...LIke most Americans and really most of the
world since I last wrote a column last week my life has changed
drastically. New realities everyday and all of the races I had planned
attending the next few months have been cancelled or postponed with no
certainty when race season will restart (if it does restart this year).
LIfe has been put on hold as my state like so many others is in some
form of “lockdown.”
It all happened so quick and seemingly out of nowhere
(although medical experts predicted this as Americans seemed to ignore
their warnings about the dangers) that it is still hard to grasp. I keep
getting on twitter and all other social media outlets expecting to see
big new driver announcements or big racing news but all I find are
postponements and cancellations and old videos of races from the past.
Amazingly a few tracks went forward and ran last week across the country
- probably shouldn’t have in hindsight but I am not about to throw
stones.
One of the tracks that did run last weekend was Silver
Dollar Speedway in Chico. Only the first 250 fans were allowed in to
watch the opening night of the Silver Cup and they saw Justyn Cox roll
to his first victory since taking over the reigns of the potent C&M
Motorsports 7c. Chico master Sean Becker ran second in Van Lare 5v
followed by podium regular Shane Golobic. At that point Golobic had
scored four podiums in four starts in California sprint car action and
then it was over.
Chico cancelled Saturday for “incoming rain” and as
states mandated more strict crowd limits; it was obvious race season was
coming to an immediate halt. Marysville Raceway acted like they were
going to run this Saturday with no fans but moved Thursday in the right
direction and cancelled until at least April 10. Chico had already
announced they were cancelling all races thru May 10. The USAC west
coast series cancelled officially through March but USAC headquarters
released a statement suspending USAC operations for 30 days effective
March 16 and asked all series to adhere to local and state laws so it
would seem logical that USAC will be shut down into May also. NARC is
looking at starting May 16 at the earliest. Tulare new season opener is
May 2 and Kings speedway won’t run again until April 25 at earliest.
Stockton has cancelled through March. Ocean and Placerville have said
they are playing it week to week but that is just delaying reality. My
guess is the soonest sprint car racing (or any racing) will take place
in California is going to be in mid-May.
Closer to home Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon
cancelled their season opener but didn’t say much past that. Grays
Harbor has pushed back their season opener to April 25. Skagit Speedway
will not start until May 2. As with the California tracks I don’t expect
to see any racing in the northwest until mid-May at the earliest.
Hopefully I am wrong and Grays Harbor can open April 25 but I just have
a hard time imagining that at this time.
The World of Outlaws have only cancelled through April 9
but I have every reason to believe that they also won’t race until
mid-May also. The Outlaws want to be considered a big time racing
organization and I believe that will force them to follow the lead of
NASCAR and other major organizations as to when it returns. NASCAR has
announced its return will be May 10 at Martinsville so if the Outlaws
came back that weekend it would be a doubleheader at Eldora. The next
weekend is at Williams Grove so a mid-May return wouldn’t be that bad -
either track would be a great place to restart the season.
In reality this is all speculation. We will return to
normalcy but we don’t when and what it will look like. The economy is
being ravaged as I write and how will this affect the many sponsors and
businesses that support sprint car racing. Nobody knows. Will fans have
money to go to races when it returns? Nobody knows. All I do know is we
all need to do our part and hopefully this will lead to us seeing dirt
flying sooner than later.
One thing is that with no racing and sports I have had a
chance to catch up on all the podcasts that I don’t usually have time to
listen to. This is a great avenue for fans that need some sort of dirt
fix. Plus their tons of different venues to view old races so not all is
lost during this time isolation. Take advantage of this slow time to get
all caught up.
Be safe. Until next time that is all for now.
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
By
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa....You
just never know when a post on twitter is going to light a fire. This
week provided an instance where one tweet where I was thinking out loud
seemed to garner emotional responses from many. I had simply wondered
why no California drivers come north to race with ASCS national tour
when they come through Washington specifically Dirt Cup at Skagit.
The main myth had been that California was open 360 territory and that
ACSC engines were not a thing in California. But as I started to see
multiple California drivers and teams announce their intentions to
compete in the opening two weekends of the ASCS tour in Arizona and
California I realized this myth was exactly that. So I had to wonder out
loud why drivers and teams don’t travel to Washington and race to win
the $15,000 Dirt Cup top prize. Twitter lit up with the standard
responses that Dirt Cup died when it quit being a 410 race, the purse
hasn’t changed, the track is crappy and the promoter is a jerk. But like
the myth of California being open 360 territory the first three reasons
are myths or at best not in context. I will not speak to the last of the
myths - that it is out of my lane.
First Dirt Cup had to quit being a 410 race before the race died
completely. The last 410 Dirt Cup in 2014 drew 30 cars and was a shell
of what the event had been. Many reasons contributed to this and Skagit
Speedway will need to share some of the blame but the biggest reason was
because at the time NARC was a joke of a series and many California’s
best slowly moved to 360 racing. Now that NARC has become a premier
series again 410 racing is a thing again on the west coast. In 2014 410
racing was evaporating and Skagit had to do something to change the
direction of its marquee event. Change direction it has as the event has
become relevant and provided a lot of action and intrigue each year. Is
it Dirt of early 2000s - no but it is much better than the 2014 version.
Second yes the purse has been stagnant but a few things to consider on
this note. Before the 2015 Dirt Cup was a non sanctioned open event -
now it is a sanctioned event and tow money is now dealt out to ensure
the national teams show up. Aso the purse remains the same it is still
one of the best for all 360 racing and to blame Skagit only on this
issue would be ridiculous. The Outlaws, USAC and every other series and
track is doing the same when it comes to purses - they are stagnant even
though costs go up. These are just the times we live in and a subject
much bigger than Skagit.
Lastly Skagit has always taken unfair criticism if you ask me over track
conditions. Yes in years past it has been below par at times but I have
been to most tracks on the West Coast and they all have moments of being
below average. But in the last four years Skagit Speedway has delivered
plenty of classics and epic races (2016 Summer Nationals, 2017 Outlaw
Saturday night, 2019 Dirt Cup Saturday night to name a few). The track
has become the home of slide jobs and side by side racing as it has
again become one of the premier tracks on the west coast - if not the
premier track.
In
the end I contend the biggest reason California drivers don’t come to
the Dirt Cup is because it is in the heart of the racing season and
there are plenty of options in California in June. California teams can
race Friday-Saturday every weekend from March to October so there is no
need to drive long miles to chase a race. It is only before March and
after November that California teams start to venture out as this is the
slow part of the season in California.
Again the whole premise of why don't drivers come to the Dirt Cup was
just a fan thinking out loud. Instead it became a chance to dig up old
skeletons, issues and blame as to why the 410 stopped being part of the
Dirt Cup. I say don't live in the past, be fortunate that a premier west
coast race did not die but instead reinvented itself to stay relevant.
E-mail
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com follow on twitter @idrinkiswim
WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph
Terrell
Olympia, Wa...Sprint
car season is amping up on the west coast quickly even though spring has
not yet started. Before the end of February California will have six
scheduled sprint races in the books. As soon as March hits
Friday-Saturday doubleheaders become the norm in California. The west
coast USAC series season began in earnest in early March.The northwest
season will try to shake off the rain and get going in mid March at
Cottage Grove. The Washington tracks will fire off in mid April. Why do
I mention all of this? Because it is time for my championship
predictions for the four major west coast sprint series: NARC, USAC/CRA,
Sprint Car Challenge Tour and Summer Thunder Series.
NARC - The
northern california winged 410 series has become the premier sprint car
series on the west coast again as it once was. 2020 has only solidified
that reputation as drivers such as defending champion DJ Netto, Bud
Kaeding. Indiana native Spencer Bayston, Tim Kaeding and superstar
Justin Sanders will race for the championship that features 19 races.
Other drivers expected to spend a lot time on the NARC tour are
California icons Shane Golobic, Rico Abreu, Mitchell Faccinto, Dominic
Scelzi, Chase Johnson and Kyle Hirst. If that isn’t enoughTexas Native
and Ohio regular TJ Michael will also compete regularly as will young
stars Jodie Robinson and Kyle Olfill who will contend for rookie of the
year.
With all the big names I am going to stick with Mr. Consistency and that
is defending champ DJ Netto. Netto won the championship last year with
no wins and while I don’t expect him to win five races, I would say two
is reasonable and so is another championship for the central California
product. WIth Drew Warner turning the wrenches I don't see any reason to
doubt Netto. I think Sanders and Bayston especially will win a lot of
races but also expect them to be erratic when it comes to consistent
finishes and eventually the championship. Bud and Tim will be in the
hunt but I think Netto is entering his prime and will prevail for the
repeat.
USAC/CRA - The
premier non winged series on the west coast will look a lot like the
2019 season as stalwarts Damion Gardner, Brody Roa, Austin Williams and
Jake Swanson fight for supremacy.
Gardner championship pedigree in west coast non winged racing is
unmatched in recent times and it would seem dumb to bet against him but
in 2020 I am. My 2020 championship pick is Brody Roa and for one reason
- in 2020 and Roa and his Roa Motorsports team will focus exclusively on
USAC/CRA events. No diversion with USAC Southwest and trips to the
midwest in 2020 as Roa and his team put an all out assault on the 2020
USAC/CRA season. Last year Roa got off to a fast start in 2019 but
cooled off and hopped in the Dwight Cheney sprinter at one point but
ultimately finished back in his family ride to finish the season and
focus on 2020. The focus on one series will pay off for Roa in 2020.
The championship won’t be easy as Gardner, Williams and Swanson are very
capable of winning a lot of races. Gardner is legendary, WIlliams has
really come on the last two years and Swanson already has two wins this
season 410 non winged competition. Add in part time competitors such as
Richard Vanderweerd, Chase Johnson and the always random drivers that
occasionally appear plus the potential random Logan Seavey appearance in
Reinbold/Underwood sprinter it will not be an easy task for Roa but 2020
is his year.
SCCT - The 13
race 2020 Sprint Car Challenge Tour is wide open. Not a lot of confirmed
word on which drivers will actually compete in all 13 races plus the
fact many drivers are chasing NARC glory leaves a wide open 2020 field.
Or does it?
Not in my opinion as I believe the 2020 championship will be a battle
between Justyn Cox as he enters his first year in the C&M Motorsports
ride and Kalib Henry who will chase the whole tour for the first time in
the McCulloch RV ride. The Sacramento based stars have worked hard and
honed their craft the last few years to the point they have become
amongst the elite in California 360 ranks.
In
2020 I am taking Justyn Cox to secure his first SCCT championship and
continue his progression in the west car sprint car ranks. Cox really
stepped up his game the second half of last year and this is the year
that the talent he has shown will all come together. Justyn Cox also has
a great chance to double as the Placerville Speedway Champion but I am
sure Andy Forsberg will have something to say about that.
STSS - In 2019
teenage sensation Devon Borden claimed the championship as he outpaced
seasoned veterans Colton Heath and Cam Smith to win the championship,
Previously Jason Solwold has dominated the series but an August trip to
Knoxville cost him the championship in 2019.
In
2020 Devon Broden plans to travel more, Northwest superstar JJ Hickle is
racing in California, Colton Heath is recovering from burns incurred
during a November USAC National Midget race at Bakersfield and Solwold
and his Shaylen Raye Motorsports are always late to announce their
intentions so it seems like another wide open championship.
But with a reduced schedule to 12 races and only five paying full points
my pick in 2020 is Devon Borden to repeat. While he has announced he
plans to travel more in 2020 I don’t see any big west coast races that
would cause him to miss a Summer Thunder race and if he doesn't miss a
race he will repeat as champion. Solwold will be close and could easily
win the championship I just think at this point in their careers Borden
is a rising star while Solwold is a fading veteran.
Heath and Smith continue to be northwest stalwarts but I don’t see
either over taking Borden or Solwold for supremacy. Oregon stars Tanner
Holmes and Garen Linder are intriguing but neither plans on chasing the
whole tour as of now.
MORE STUFF:
Mitchell Faccinto scored his first win of 2020 at Kings Speedway over 23
competitors and now has two podiums in two starts. Faccinto heads to
Arizona this weekend to take on the ASCS National tour. In 2019 Faccinto
was the driver to beat on the west coast thru mid July before fading in
the second half of the year...Ryan Robinson scored the win Saturday
night in Stockton and now also has two podiums in two 2020 starts.
Robinson could make some noise on SCCT this year...With Bud Kaeding
moving to his Dad’s sprinter in 2020 look for Kyle Hirst to turn the
wheel of the legendary Williams Motorsports sprinter in 2020...Ben Worth
who spent 2019 in a Tiner-Hirst Enterprise sprinter will team with
Mitchel Moles this year in a Moles Family sprinter. Look for Worth to
still get some work in midget action this year...Tim Kaeding was in the
MIke Phulps sprinter in Stockton Saturday. Cole Macedo had been the
previous pilot...Washington star Colby Thornhill was in KIngs on
Saturday steering a 305 sprinter. The micro midget ace is slowly
migrating to the full sprint ranks as is looking for crew help as he
expands his racing horizons...Expect a decent number of California and
northwest teams to descend upon Canyon this weekend for the ASCS
National Tour opener...Borden, Solwold, Mit. Faccinto, Mic. Faccinto,
Netto and Justin Sanders amongst some of the big west coast names
expected.
E-mail at
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com
or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph
Terrell
Olympa, Wa…While
the long days of winter continue in the northwest last weekend saw the
California sprint car season kicked off at the Stockton Dirt Track and
in a shocker the winner was...Shane Golobic. Golobic was the dominant
California driver in 2019 and it looks like 2020 will be more of the
same. Driving the Matt Wood owned Dustin Golobic wrenched sprinter Shane
Golobic seems ripe for another huge year as this team enters its second
full season together after coming together in the middle of 2017. Last
year this team did not chase points and I would expect more of the same
this year as this team likes to bounce between 410s, 360s and midget
racing.
The surprise of the weekend was not that Golobic won but that
only 10 cars were on hand for the opening sprint car race on the west
coast. The field was stout for 10 cars (included consistent winners
such as Mitchell Faccinto, Andy Forsberg and Justyn Cox) but as I
followed the show from afar I was shocked by the low car count. But then
I considered that it is the first race of the season, it is still early
February, the major traveling series (NARC and SCCT) have yet to start
and the California season lasts all the way to mid-November and I
realized there is plenty of time for drivers and owners to get out and
race a bunch. Plenty of heavy hitters were not present at Stockton
including DJ Netto, Bud Kaeding, Tim Kaeding, Sean Becker, Justin
Sanders, Dominic Scelzi, Rico Abreu and many more that we all know will
be contending for wins as the season picks up steam.
California fans need not to worry as the state of sprint car racing is
solid in the Golden State. Unlike the northwest which I detailed in my
last column California has plenty of races, teams and drivers to provide
action and many different winners. The NARC 410 series keeps getting
stronger and the depth of the 360 ranks is never ending. In addition to
NARC California fans have a plethora of 360 options including the SCCT
and competitive weekly shows such as Placerville, Silver Dollar, Ocean
and KIngs/Tulare. If that is not enough don’t forget all the big shows
such as Silver Cup, Bradway Memorial, Murphy Memorial, Posse Shootout,
Key Classic, Platinum Cup, Adobe Cup, Fall Nationals and Trophy Cup.
If
that wasn’t enough Peter Murphy has really gone to work at KIngs
Speedway in Hanford immediately. He has announced KIngs will host four
410 races in addition to the previously announced schedule of 360 shows.
They will race May 9 (prelude to the Murphy Classic), June 27, October 9
(creating Kings Speedway doubleheader weeked before Trophy Cup) and
October 30.
The big news
amongst these four races is the $21,000 to win Tom Tarlton Classic which
is the last scheduled 410 race at Kings for 2020. This will be the
biggest 410 races on the west coast as far as winner’s total and given
it’s date which is after the rest of the nation is done racing could
draw an interesting mix of drivers. The All Stars are done by this date
as is Pennsylvania and Ohio. It was announced more information on this
race will be released. But something tells me Murphy will throw in a
few wrinkles to the format that will add intrigue to spice this race up
even more.
With Tulare just down the road it seems like the tracks have an
opportunity to do something special by coordinating the big shows held
at each track and create back to back big weekends. That is exactly what
was done when Murphy added a 410 race on the Friday before Cotton
Classic creating a two night 410 show the weekend before the three night
Trophy Cup. Maybe in the future Murphy will try to bring the date of the
Tom Tarlton Classic closer to Trophy Cup and Cotton Classic making some
sort of super week in the central Valley of California.
MORE STUFF:
Bud Kaeding has announced he will compete for the NARC championship
aboard his father’s legendary Al’s Roofing/Kaeding Performance Center
69. Bud has enjoyed success in the 360 ranks competing for his dad but
has made rare 410 starts for his dad...Washington native and now
Oklahoma resident Seth Bergman will pilot the Baughman Motorsports 17 in
a variety of 410 and 360 shows. Bergman will still compete in his
familiar Bergman Motorsports 23 to fill in his schedule. Bergman has
become a star in the 360 ranks but this will be his first real
opportunity to compete at the 410 level...The addition of four 410 races
at KIngs makes a total of 37 winged 410 races in California scheduled
for 2020.
Not sure when my next column will be but it will give my favorites for
the four major west coast series - NARC, SCCT, Summer Thunder and
USAC/CRA.
My new e-mail
wcsprintcarscene@gmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
by Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…The
Monday after the Super Bowl is always a day of recovery from alcohol,
salt and sugar. Combined these three things make the Monday after the
super bowl a somewhat negative experience for many. For the northwest
sprint car fans and dirt track fans this year it was a day to celebrate
as the cloud that has hung over Cottage Grove Speedway for many years
has seemingly been lifted. While this cloud has lifted on a staple of
the northwest scene the forecast is still mirky due to other
circumstances but lets start with the positive and the announcement that
Cottage Grove is full speed ahead in 2020.
Word started circulating over the weekend about a possible sale of
Cottage Grove Speedway to promoter Heather Boyce. Boyce had been running
the track on contract basis first under lease and then as General
Manager since 2013 as Jerry Schram continued to own the track. This all
changed Monday as Boyce announced that she had purchased the track and
then immediately released the tracks 2020 schedule to the joy of
northwest fans. With uncertainty still looming at Willamette Speedway
entering the weekend Oregon fans and drivers had no guarantees they
would be racing in central Oregon in 2020. Now we know at least Cottage
Grove will keep alive racing central Oregon.
Now to the race schedule which features 37 races on the 1/4 mile and
more importantly 12 nights of 360 action. 360s will hit the track March
21 (northwest opener), April 11, May 23/24 (Marvin Smith Memorial), June
12/13, July 17/18 and August 14/15. The headliner is obviously the
traditional Memorial Day race paying homage to Marvin Smith. Also of
note is the June 12/13 weekend which is currently open on the ASCS
National schedule. They next week they are at Gray Harbor Raceway. The
July 17/18 dates are supposed to the be the speed week finale but as of
now no other dates have been scheduled for speed week. The only
disappointment in my eyes is the continued trend in the northwest to
schedule on top of each other and create conflicting dates. All of
Cottage Grove’s dates except the first two conflict with races at Skagit
and/or Grays Harbor.
Which leads to what this column original intent which is a deep dive
into the northwest sprint car schedules. The release of the Cottage
Grove Speedway leaves 7/4, 8/1 and 8/22 as dates with no 360 races
scheduled.Then their is June 13 in which Skagit, Grays Harbor and
Cottage all run 360 races. Before I continue I truly believe competition
breeds better a situation for drivers and therefore more teams want to
participate. With that said I don't understand how we can have so many
weekends in the northwest with conflicting dates. April 18, May 23,
June 13, July 11, July 18, August 15, August 29 all feature conflicting
360 race dates in the northwest which I would be fine with if their
wasn't the three before mentioned dates that have no races scheduled. In
my opinion the northwest needs to maximize the short weather window that
exists between May and September and schedule and as many sprint car
races as every weekend to give drivers weekly options. In 2019 their was
only one weekend in the northwest with no 360 races.
Also last year saw the rise of the dual track bonus between Skagit and
Grays Harbor that encouraged drivers to race at both tracks which
ensured their eligibility for post season awards including the grand
prize which was a brand new SHARK engine. The dual track which ensured
only one conflicting night during the year increased car counts by 50
percent for both track on a weekly basis. Many low budget drivers wanted
to stay in the hunt for the new engine that and competed in the track
point paying shows at each track. With Beitler no long running GHR this
idea has gone away after one promising year.
Then their is the reducing and diminishing of the Summer Thunder Series
schedule. The 2020 edition has 12 dates after seeing the series schedule
expand to 16 races the last few years. The problem with 12 race schedule
is that it is actually only a five schedule since seven of the 12 shows
are considered special shows. What is supposed to be one of the premier
sprint car series on the west coast has taken a step back and become
nothing special. If all 12 races paid actual points (and not a show up
show points) my opinion might be different but the reality is the Summer
Thunder Series has became a glorified weekly show on point paying
nights. Also with all the races in Washington and with Cottage Grove
offering a doubleheaders each month I am skeptical that the Summer
Thunder Series will get much support from Oregon drivers.
With all that the bigger problem for the northwest though is the exodus
of competitive drivers in recent years. A few years ago Trey Starks
migrated to Pennsylvania then Knoxville to race, then Roger Crockett
moved to Oklahoma to chase ASCS dreams, as did Canadian star Robbie
Price after a previous try. Fellow Canadian Skyler Gee decided to one up
Price and headed out to chase the All Star Circuit of Champions dream.
2020 brings more exodus. JJ Hickle heads to California to drive for the
Worden Family while Devon Borden has announced he plans to spend a lot
more time out of the northwest. Austin Wheatley announced he is done
with 360 racing and will concentrate on 410 racing in 2020 which as we
all know means he won’t be racing in the northwest unless it is Labor
Day weekend. Jake Helsel who showed promise in the Ashe Family sprinter
last year looks like he will be focusing his time in 2020 racing the
southwest non wing scene. A few new young drivers have appeared such as
Tanner Holmes, Bailey Jean Sucich and more recently Colby Thornhill in
the last fews years but the stars are leaving faster than they can be
replaced. California has experienced the same exodus but sheer the
number of residents in the state and the longer race season has allowed
it to replenish the many stars that have left. Some of the problem is
that the northwest has a successful pavement late model scene and mini
sprint scene that has time pulled talent those directions but the bigger
problem is the northwest race season doesn't provide enough
opportunities during season for aspiring drivers who want to develop
their career.
With this said race season is still something to be excited about and I
can’t get wait to get to the track and walk the pits and see what the
new season has to bring. Honestly this article is a lot of speculation
and opinion and come a few months the facts will be laid out as the
season kicks off in the northwest and who knows…maybe it will be another
banner year.
MORE STUFF:
Devon Borden who already announced he will racing in California more
this year announced he will have veteran crew chief Lee Lindgren turning
the wrenches when in the Golden State…Kalib Henry, who had a successful
swing in Australia, will be aboard the McColloch RV sprinter full time
in 2020 after making cameo appearances in 2019 including a win in August
at Placerville. They will contend for the Sprint Car Challenge
championship….Tim Kaeding who has challenged for the Sprint Car
Challenge Tour the last few years will switch his attention to NARC. He
will still be aboard the Joshua Bates 42x
That is it for the this week. Don't forget Stockton opens the west coast
season this Saturday.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
by Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…The
west coast (specifically) sprint car season is about to get serious.
Stockton attempted to get a show in last Saturday but mother nature won.
February will see the action pickup a little as Stockton runs on the
eighth and 22nd. Keller will also run on the 22nd and then again on the
29th and Marysville will open up on the 29th. Then the first weekend of
March the ASCS national tour invades California after spending the
previous weekend in Arizona. The ASCS stars will make a three day run
through California visiting Merced, Placerville and Petaluma. March 14
the NARC series kickoff and the Silver Cup at Chico. With this in mind I
wanted to look at some of the moves and announcements over the last few
weeks and what they mean.
The biggest news came out last weekend as Justin Sanders announced that
he, Joe Von Schriltz and Larry Antaya were joining forces with
sponsorship from Alkaline88 for the 2020 season. The plan of now has
Sanders running the Antaya sprinter for entire NARC series with Von
Schriltz on the wrenches, while also running his car in 360 races with
possible appearances in the Von Schriltz 121 (410) and the Dale Miller
4sa (360). The Antaya, Sanders and Von Schriltz cars will all be
maintained by Sanders and Von Schriltz making the combination a version
of a California super team. Sanders has a goal of winning 15 races in
2020 and to also win an ASCS national and WoO race in 2020. Lofty goals
for sure but it seems like Sanders has the resources to meet these
goals.
Sanders has attempted to run 410s on a more permanent basis a few times
in the past but has not had the resources to make it work. So instead he
has focused on a hit and miss schedule in the 410s in recent years in
the Von Schriltz sprinter. But in limited starts Sanders has flexed is
muscles as he won three time last year and picked up a third at
Placerville with the Outlaws. All this in less than 10 starts. With a
full arsenal of 410 motors at his disposal Sanders will probably be one
of the early favorites for the NARC championship. While we have to wait
and see for sure who runs the entire series before we hand it to him no
doubt Sanders will be a force. The NARC series is tough and he is going
to have to contend with defending champ DJ Netto, perennial contender
Bud Kaeding, Willie Croft and up and comer Chase Johnson. Also super
teams Tarlton Racing and Roth Enterprises have not announced their
drivers officially. Mitchell Faccinto and Shane Golobic make most of the
races. Add in Rico Abreu sometimess, some appearances by Dominic Scelzi
and the competition is stout but the full time addition of Sanders adds
a whole new dynamic.
Almost as big of news was the announcement that Peter Murphy will be
running the show at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford. Murphy has long
been rumored as trying to get into the promoting/owning side of the
industry and finally has his chance in 2020. Not sure if much will
change initially at Keller as the season is about to start but it should
be interesting what ideas Murphy has. Murphy has always been one of the
most popular drivers in the sport and hopefully that can translate to
being a successful promoter at the legendary central valley track that
needs an injection of energy.
Back to the driver announcements and one made over the last few days was
that Sean Becker will be steering the Jim Van Lare SHARK powered 5v on
Friday nights in Chico on a full time basis in 2020. Van Lare employed a
host of drivers in 2020 including Tony Gualda, Colby Copeland and Justyn
Cox. No word about Becker’s Saturday nigh employment but I would expect
him to return to Dan Monhoff sprinter for Placerville and Sprint Car
Challenge Tour action. The Van Lare sprinter is always well maintained
and prepared and will give a Becker a great chance to repeat as track
champion at Chico. While the deal was announced just for Chico the Van
Lare team has traditionally also liked to race at Petaluma and in the
Northwest.
One of the rides that Becker drove occasionally last year was the Worden
63 as he split time Washington’s JJ Hickle in the car. This year the
Worden’s have gone all in with Hickle as he will pilot the car full-time
in California. A schedule has not been released but traditionally the
Worden team has competed at Petaluma, Chico and other big shows in
northern California. Hickle struggled at time in California last year
but no driver works harder and is more dedicated that Hickle so I expect
him to be much more competitive this year and to win some races. From
the sound of things Hickle will move to California for the season.
A few weeks ago young California star Jodie Robinson announced that she
would be competing full time with NARC aboard the Vertullo 83v and last
week her older brother Ryan announced he would be running Sprint Car
Challenge Tour full time in the Todd Weiher 14w. Robinson made a handful
appearances in the Weiher sprinter in 2019 and scored a win in June at
Antioch in the car. A year moved from the National midget scene it is
nice to see Ryan chasing a championship on the west coast. Ryan seemed
like a rising star a few years ago racing for Keith Kunz but he backed
off racing the last year making limited starts for Weiher and the
Morrison Racing 97.
Up in the northwest the potent Shaylen Motorsports 18 announced they
will kick off their season in late February in Arizona competing against
the ASCS national series. As usual Jason Solwold will pilot the Al
Parker powered sprinter as the team will contest some early season shows
before the northwest season gets going. Solwold owns four career wins
the ASCS national series. Not sure who will be turning wrenches for
Solwold as it was Murphy at the end of 2019 after Solwold parted ways
with longtime wrench Mel Roberts in August.
Another northwest driver that will kickoff his season with the ASCS tour
in February is Devon Borden. Borden blew into the the 2019 season and by
the time his storm settled he had won seven races, a Summer Thunder
Series championship and scored an ASCS national win. For 2020 look for
Borden to travel more on the west coast and chase big races and look to
spread his name more. Borden has shown that he adjusts quickly to new
tracks and is fearless so he will not be intimidated no matter where he
runs. Borden who steers his family owned sprinter is looking to land a
ride and reach new horizons.
Finally I want to touch on west coast driver turned national star Gio
Scelzi. Scelzi has had an exciting last few weeks as he announced that
in addition to racing with Tucker-Boat in the midgets he would be
steering a Guy Forbrook sprinter for about 25-30 of the bigger winged
shows and that he would be in a Bill McAnally ARCA West ride. This all
seemed fine until long time supporter and mentor Benny Stuebgen made it
clear he knew nothing of the move to Forbrook and was left in the dark.
His reaction was to pull out of putting Gio in a car for The Classic at
Premier Speedway last weekend in Australia. It just seems like a
situation where Bernie felt he was used to until he was no longer
needed. Sure the money behind the Gio in Bernie’s sprinter was Gary
Scelzi’s but Bernie spent a lot of time driving Gio around the country
mentoring him and helping him develop and then end it seems like he was
tossed aside.
MORE STUFF:
Look for Texas native TJ Michael to make some starts in the Clayton Snow
sprinter in 2020…Colby Copeland seems like the odd man out as two of the
rides he drove last year (Antaya and Van Lare) are now occupied. He also
drove the Canales 5c at times last year…Who is going to drive for
Canadian car owner Doug Rutz in 2020?…One of the drivers Rutz used last
year was Tony Gualda. As of now Gualda has made no official
announcements concerning his 2020 plan…Early indications seem like
Mitchel Moles will spend more time in the 360 sprints. He completely
dominated the micro sprints in California last year…Former mini sprint
star Joey Ancona who was rookie in 2019 in the 360 class will return in
2020 in his families 88a and looks to improve on a solid rookie
season…Jake Hagopian another big name in California mini sprint racing
made some appearances in the Jason Meyers 14 last year. Not sure the
plans for the teams in 2020 but he was getting better each time
out…Speaking of mini sprint stars Washington’s Colby Thornhill started
dabbling in sportsman and 360 sprints at the end of the last year. Can’t
wait to see what this super young and super talented driver can do in a
full year of sprint car racing…The American invasion of Australia
finished with the Classic at Premier Speedway. Australian superstar
McFadden picked up the win in Australia’s most prestigious race. It was
his second classic victory. In addition he currently leads the World
Series Sprints points.…Felllow Australians Jamie Veal and Kerry Madsen
followed him to the line to round out the podium at the
classic…Californian Cory Elaison was highest finishing American at the
Classic and finished his Australian tour with one win and seven podiums
in 10 starts…Tim Shaffer and Buddy Koifoid finished sixth and seventh as
the other two Americans in the top 10 at the Classic… Californian Kalib
Henry scored a 10 thousand dollar 360 win two weekends ago in Victoria
and was impressive in his Australian debut with two wins overall
That is all for now.
My next column will look in depth at the northwest sprint car schedule
for 2020.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswm
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…As sprint car teams along the west coast and
across the United States prepare for the 2020 season many drivers have
taken the opportunity to head to a land where it is summer and spring
car racing is in full bloom. From World of Outlaw champions Donny Schatz
and Brad Sweet to upcoming stars like California’s Kalib Henry and ASCS
driver Harli White drivers go to Australia to keep their craft sharp
during the off season and make name for themselves. And no month is
better than January as it offers a chance for a lot of racing in a short
time.
Whether it be to follow the World Series Sprint Cars, go
to Valvoline Speedway for New South Wales speed week, hang on the coast
in Brisbane or be across the outback in Western Australia opportunity
abounds to get some laps in and if lucky make some money while your at
it. The avalanche of American stars and American based Australian
drivers begins in earnest on December 26 and runs January. During this
time drivers can the run World Series Sprint Cars tour (a 16 races
version of the World Outlaws) or simply pick and choose. Here is look at
how American drivers have fared since December 26 thru January 11.
Over in Western Australia Shane Stewart, Bud Kaeding and
Harli White competed in four races 9 days starting the day after
Christmas. After some bad luck the first two rounds Stewart roared to
two victories to close out his stay on the western coast. Stewart has
also competed in New Zealand during the offseason will soon be in
Victoria to close out his Australian visit. The former Outlaw regular
has still not announced his 2020 plans in America. White started her
stay with a fourth but struggled the last three nights while Kaeding
closed with a strong fifth and third.
Over in the Victoria/South Australia area the World
Series Sprints kicked off their season with six races in seven nights at
five tracks (speed week ran 12/26 - 1/1). With weather claiming one
night five nights were completed. Cory Eliason and Lucas Wolfe
participated in the five nights as did American based Australians Brooke
Tatnell and Kerry Madsen. Eliason never finished worst than fourth in
the five nights with four thirds and fourth. Madsen was almost as
consistent as three seconds and a third before a DNF in the final round
cost him the speed week championship which went Kasey Kahne pilot James
McFadden who won the final two nights. Wolfe and Tatnell struggled but
Tatnell was able to get a win on night three. Madsen, Wolfe and Tatnell
all followed the tour up to Queensland but Eliason peeled off to New
South Wales.
The New South Wales speed week consisted of 6 races over
16 days with 5 races conducted between 12/26 and 1/4 with the finale on
1/11. All the races were held at Valvoline Raceway. Sweet kicked off the
speed week with three wins in four races with only local legend Robbie
Farr interrupt this streak when he won on December 30. After scoring
another fourth Sweet’s run in New South Wales ended with a DNF. As of
this writing he was back in the states practicing for Chili Bowl.
Joining Sweet in Chili Bowl after a NSW speed week run was Aaron Reutzel.
Reutzel best run in six races at Valvoline were a pair of seconds.
Reutzel did snag a World Series Sprint Car win as he made the long trip
up Queensland for a Sunday night win on 1/5. Outlaw rookie of the year
Carson Macedo started his New South Wales visit before Christmas and all
he has done is win two sprint races score 5 top 5’s in seven starts and
also snag a midget a win. His Australian stay will continue through
January. Other drivers staying through January are McKenna Haase who
competed during speed week and Eliason.
Speaking of Eliason he started his Australian stay on a
tear as he ran third, third, fourth, third, third with World Series tour
then hopped over to Valvoline and immediately won. He finished 15th in
his most recent start at Valvoline. Two American based Australians
competed in the speed week as well. Iowa based and Vortex Wing guru
Lynton Jeffrey will stay for one more weekend has scored four top 10s.
Ian Madsen who drives for the Iowa based KPC team in the states has
struggled with with three tenths being his best runs. He will stay in
his homeland until starting the American season in February.
Back to the World Series tour and their trip up to
Queensland meant the stars of the World Series tour were getting ready
to take on Schatz. As the World Sprints stars were competing in Victoria
and South Australia Schatz was getting comfortable at Archerfield
Speedway in Brisbane. Archerfield had a three race schedule featuring
Donny Schatz against the locals on 12/26, 12/28 and 1/1 before he was
set compete against the World Series tour stars for three nights. In all
his stay was to be six races at Archerfield.
Schatz was three for three by the time the World Series
tour showed up in town on January 4 and he immediately made it four for
four at Archerfield as he outraced Australian Rusty Hickman and Kerry
Madsen for the win. The World Series tour headed to Toowoomba the next
day and it was Reutzel over Australian Farr and teenager Jock Goodyer.
After a night off the tour was it again at Maryborough Racewary and it
was point leader McFadden winning over Madsen and Goodyer. After two
nights off the tour was back at Archerfield for the two night Australian
Open and that meant Mr. Schatz was back in the field. Schatz roared to
his fifth win in five races in Australia (all at Archerfield) ahead of
Madsen and Lachlan McHugh. Unfortunately the Saturday finale was rained
out and Schatz has joined Sweet and Reutzel at the Chili Bowl. Wolfe and
Tatnell were consistent during the Queensland run. Wolfe scored three
top 10s, while Tatnell had a fifth and two elevenths. One American
addition for the final weekend in Queensland was young California star
Kalib Henry who is driving for South Australia based Trevor Green. Henry
ran fourth on January 4 in South Australia in his debut in Australia,
scored a midweek special at Valvoline and then ran ninth in the first
night of the Australian Open. Henry will be around a few more weekends.
The World Series will race Tuesday in Lismore, New South
Wales before taking a month break to allow their drivers to compete in
Utlimate Championship (Valvoline this weekend), The Presidents Cup
(midweek), Kings Challenge(midweek) , The Classic (next weekend) and the
Australian Championship in Tasmania (only Australian drivers are
eligible). After this series re-convenes for a four race two weekend
trip to Western Australia.
The American invasion is not over as after Chili Bowl
many Americans will make the trip to Australia for The Classic at
Premier Speedway. Some will compete in the Presidents Cup and Kings
Challenge giving them a chance to make it four races in five day trip.
Amongst the Americans competing in The Classic (the Australian Knoxville
Nationals) are young California stars Gio Scelzi and Buddy Kofoid in
addition to Henry. Former classic champion Tim Kaeding is also entered
as are American stars Shane Stewart and Tim Shaffer. Also Macedo and
Eliason will be in the house. Oh and somebody named Kyle Larson. They
will take on the best of Australia including McFadden, K.Madsen, I.
Madsen, David Murcott, Jamie Veal, Robbie Farr and many others.
After The Classic Americans will head home and get ready
for the American racing season and Florida and February. The West Coast
season will start next Saturday in Stockton with a non sanctioned 360
sprint show.
NEWS AND NOTES: The World of Outlaw race that was
schedule for Calistoga in the spring has been moved to Merced as
Calistoga works through administrative issues. As of now track will host
remaining scheduled races according to news from the track…The NARC 410
series will have two new faces on tour as Kyle Offill and Jodie Robinson
will compete for rookie of the year. Offill was fourth last year on the
Sprint Car Challenge tour and Robinson was fifth in 360 points at
Placerville last year. Each driver scored a win last year and it was on
the same weekend in August as Offill won in Chico on Friday 8/2 and the
next night Robinson won with the SCCT in Merced…Placerville Speedway,
Silver Dollar Speedway, Marysville Raceway, Petaluma Speedways and the
Washington based Summer Thunder Series also recently released
schedules…Big change for Placerville as popular Posse Shootout moves to
late June…Silver Dollar speedway has announced 360 sprints will race all
four nights at Gold Cup. Also Fall Nationals which have been the last
weekend of September moves to first weekend in October…The Adobe Cup at
Petaluma which has traditionally ran the first Saturday of October will
run last weekend of September in 2020…The Summer Thunder Series which
had a 16 race schedule the last two years is down to 12 for now - no
spring show in Yakima and no show scheduled at Cottage Grove as of now.
Initial schedule release mentioned more dates could be added…Still no
news out of Oregon as far as scheduling or even the status of the race
tracks. Cottage Grove and Willamette have both been involved in many
rumors with most not having a good outcome. But we have been through
this before and the show has gone on in Central Oregon so lets hope all
this noise is just that.
Before I head out just want to list my five Chili Bowl
favorites in the order of a Saturday night top 10:
1. Christoper Bell
2. Rico Abreu
3. Zeb Wise
4. Kyle Larson
5. Logan Seavey
6. Justin Grant
7. Chris Windom
8. Tyler Courtney
9. Shane Golobic
10. Damion Gardner
terrelljospeh@hotmail.com or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR
SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…The holiday
season is full of food, family and football. It is time to enjoy and
relax and maybe having one too many egg nog drinks. But amidst the
football and drinks slowly but surely West Coast sprint car schedules
are starting to come out and put the 2020 season in focus. The Outlaws
had released their schedule a few weeks ago and it featured two trips to
the West Coast – April and the traditional swing in early September. The
USAC National sprints also released their schedule they will be headed
west in November as they usually do. Over the last few days we started
see the releasing of schedules by West Coast series and tracks.
NARC 410 was
the first before Christmas to get their schedule out. Next was the west
coast USAC series as CRA and the West Coast sprints released their
schedules. The CRA series features 22 races with a similar scheduled to
years past. The big difference for 2020 is California Speed Week has
been eliminated and replaced with a four race Labor Day weekend that
features Merced, Calistoga (two night Louie Vermeil Classic) and the
traditional Monday night show at Petaluma. The West Coast series
features 14 races with two special non point shows at Ventura to close
the season. Combined that is 38 non winged races which feature no
schedule conflicts so a driver/team could pursue both championships.
Via an
e-mail exchange with Lance Jennings I was informed that one of the key
components in making the schedules for West Coast USAC series is
allowing drivers/teams a chance to make all the races. Go one step
further the USAC Western State Midget schedule has no conflicts with
either sprint division. The Midget schedule features another 18 races
which means a driver could conceivably run 56 races if they ran all the
USAC shows on the West Coast. Furthermore a CRA driver/team could also
complete in all USAC Southwest Series shows (based in Arizona) which
would put the total number of non winged 410 races that could be
competed in at 33 (seven CRA and Southwest series races are
co-sanctioned). The reason I dive into this the initial release of the
USAC schedules was met with some skepticism as the amount of races
seemed too small for the individual series. But when combined there are
plenty of opportunities for non winged sprint and midget drivers to race
if even not exclusively with one series.
USAC is
making a conscious effort to not compete against itself and provide a
quality product that has enough drivers at the races to keep fan
interested. Which brings me the next schedule that was released during
the week – Grays Harbor Raceway in Washington released its schedule
Friday.
The last
handful of years have seen Steve Beitler run both GHR and Skagit
Speedway and Beitlerscheduled in a way as to not compete for sprint cars
but maximize sprint car count in Washington. Times have changed and Bert
Johnson is now firmly in control of GHR and he just released a tentative
schedule that raised a few eyebrows for sure. First he increased the
sprint car dates from 10 to 13. Second a limited sprint class has been
added and third as of now no Summer Thunder Series race on the docket.
Let me address my concerns with all three of these items.
The 13
scheduled sprint car races almost guarantees a few conflicting dates
with Skagit. While I am all about more sprint car races at the track
closest to my residence I have also seen in the past that when both
tracks schedule sprint cars on the same night GHR usually barely has
enough sprints to even put on a show. This leads directly to my concern
about the addition of Limited Sprints. Where are these cars going to
come from? Can GHR realistically support two sprint divisions – again I
am very skeptical. Not enough sprints in South Puget Sound area in my
opinion and will the few local 360 teams move to Limited Sprints in the
name of cost. This is what has happened in Oregon as more drivers focus
on the Limited Sprints leaving the 360 scene in Oregon on life support.
Also early indication is Limited Sprints will run different rules than
Skagit’s Sportsmen division which seems to be an interesting decision.
Finally not bringing Summer Thunder to GHR would be a bad deal for fans
– as these are typically some of the best and most competitive races of
the year in the Northwest. I have e-mailed GHR staff to get some clarity
on these points but to date have not heard anything back.
Speaking of
Summer Thunder Series – they have yet to release their schedule. Another
major West Coast touring series the Sprint Car Challenge Tour should
have their schedule out soon. Even though each of these series have not
released schedule it is known that each will have a few change. Notably
the Summer Thunder Series will not start in Yakima as it has in previous
seasons and the SCCT will not have the Asparagus Cup this year – the
Outlaws are on the docket for Asparagus Cup weekend at Stockton.
That is it
for this week. My next column will look at the action in Australia as
the land down under has its busiest stretch of their race season with
many American and West Coast stars competing.
Follow me on
twitter @idrinkiswim. Email
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…Does racing season even end anymore? Not
that I am complaining at all - just with the internet (silly season),
indoor season (Gateway, Chili Bowl, plus the shootout and the TQ indoor
series on the East Coast) and Australia/New Zealend fans and drivers
alike can find racing all year around to put their attention to. The
internet has allowed us to follow every race at every venue at all times
and allowed the gossip machine to be 24/7. Indoor season has allowed a
chance for fans and drivers to making treks to all over of the US and
take in racing indoor as it often freezes outside. And don't forgot
about Australia/New Zealand which this year has a large swath of
American (and Australian drivers who race in America) heading across the
pond to challenge the stars of Australia and New Zealand.
But even with all that even more impressive is how the
outdoor dirt track season just continues to expand. The dirt Late Models
race all year around outside. The midgets off season is just two months
with a new month long November trip added this last year which created
“midget season.” The non winged sprint and winged sprints have
traditionally raced until November and restarted in Florida in February
- this pattern has not changed. With all this racing it has condensed
silly season and last few weeks have seen a lot of moves and changes and
rumors. How has all this affected West Coast drivers to date?
Well here is what we know:
• Kyle Larson started his own midget team late in 2019 and the NASCAR
star has been on roll with five straight midget wins since Mid-November.
Larson has always competed with Keith Kunz but left the team over the
summer in what ultimately started a mass exodus KKM
• Three California natives will chase Outlaw points. Defending champion
Brad Sweet, rookie of the year Carson Macedo and Missouri based aspiring
rookie of the year Mason Daniel
• NoCal star Justyn Cox will spend 2020 in the C&M Motorsports sprinter
chasing points at Placerville. He will also make starts in his own ride
and possibly some for Doug Rutz
• Central California based Dennis Roth will continue to run an Outlaw
team with Oklahoman and former Outlaw champion Daryn Pittman
chauffeuring. No word on how much his California team will run
• Kalib Henry is seeking to expand his career with more 410 exposure in
2020. He raced 360s last year splitting most of his time between the
Jensen Motorsports and McCollouch RV ride and finished second in
Placerville points. He will head to Australia to steer the Trevor Green
sprinter based out of South Australia
• After spending last year exclusively in Ohio California teenager Buddy
Koifoid will steer the Keith Kunz house car on the USAC midget tour as
well as making cameo appearances Ed Neuheiser sprinter he drove last
year. Look for Koifoid to make few starts in New Zealand as well
• Tanner Carrick who had been with Keith Kunz is moving to the Petry
Motorsports team to chase USAC midget points. He will fill in his
schedule with sprint car races in California aboard his families ride.
Carrick is also entered in the Tulsa shootout
• California native Cory Eliason will follow a similar schedule in 2020
as he did in 2019. He will start the season in Australia driving for the
potent Diamond Motorsports team and then chase All Star points again for
Washington based Kevin Rudeen
• California Outlaw Kart legend Logan Seavey has raced midgets for the
most part during the last three years will take his first shot at the
USAC sprint car title this year as he will steer the Reinhold-Underwood
sprinter full time after making a handful of starts for the team last
year - including a win at Kokomo. He will spend indoor midget season
competing for Swindell Motorsports. Seeing Seavey leave Kunz and Toyota
was one of the surprise moves of the off season so far
• Rico Abreu has not announced sprint plans but is staying with Keith
Kunz midget program so look for sporadic starts throughout the season
for Abreu on the midget scene
• Dominic Scelzi has an aggressive 2020 schedule as he spends his last
season on the road. He has hired Jimmy Carr to spin the wrenches. Scelzi
still might make some starts for Roth Motorsports out west
• California born and World Outlaw regulars Brad Sweet and Carson Macedo
have kept busy since World Finals racing midgets before heading
Australia. Macedo actually got to Australia a few weeks ago and swept a
sprint/midget show at Sydney
• In the non winged scene Brody Roa has announced that he will drive his
family car next year on the USAC/CRA tour and will seek other rides to
fill in his west coast schedule. In 2019 Roa bounced around rides the
last few months and his results suffered. It looks he is trying to
establish some stability and focus on CRA in the family ride
NARC was the first major series on the West Coast to release their
schedule. The 19 (maybe 20 with a TBA) race schedule features all the
staples - Broadway at Chico, Murphy at Tulare, SCCT/NARC doubleheader in
June at Placerville, Kaeding classic at Ocean in July, speed week in
late August, Vermeil Labor Day weekend, cotton classic in October and
season finale at Stockton. Amongst the few changes is NARC does not race
the two weeks the ASCS National tour is in Washington opening
opportunities for NoCal drivers to come north in June. Also speed week
is has changed track structure with Ocean and Petaluma added and no
Silver Dollar as of now.
I am still concerned about the Vermeil classic as it is
the same weekend as the Outlaws at Skagit - last year Skagit struggled
to get 20 cars as no NoCal drivers came north and I'm afraid this year
could be even a tougher draw. But in the end NARC like all series has to
schedule races that make most sense and are the best fit to promote
their brand. The Louie Vermeil Classic is great for NARC as it combines
with USAC/CRA at a historic track for both series. Skagit had a record
crowd last year. Nobody is giving in and their maybe no reason to.
E-mail at terrelljoseph@hotmail.com or follow me on
twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
by Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…Will the winter ever
end…oh wait that is right it has not even officially started. Although
in the northwest it has been dark and wet for the last month so it seems
like winter has settled in. For this writer it means time to turn my
attention to Australia, chili bowl and winter in Florida before the west
coast scene starts back up in March. But before 2019 closes I want to
list the top five drivers on the west coast according to me. For the
purpose of West Coast I consider only races ran in California, Oregon
and Washington. I looked at wins, podiums, championships plus overall
performance to determine my top five drivers of 2019 (winged and non
winged). I will also give recognize one driver as most versatile
Winged Top
Five
1-Shane
Golobic - Not much of a surprise. Golobic drove the Matt Wood NOS
sprinter all year and was consistently up front. Not concentrating on
one series or track Golobic gobbled up wins with the Outlaws, NARC, SCCT
and civil war series on his to 10 total. But Golobic didn't just win he
was also the model of consistency as he racked up a west coast best 28
podium finishes. Golobic continues to set the standard out west and as
long he competes on the West Coast don't expect much to change
2-Rico Abreu-
Steering the always potent Abreu Vineyards sprinter Rico was the man the
last two months of the year. Even though Rico spent time in the midwest
during the summer he still raced out west enough to rack up nine wins
and 15 podiums. Down the stretch Rico was unbelievable as he won six of
his last eight starts including sweeping the $26k to win Trophy Cup - a
feat that had never been accomplished before. Abreu also won the $11k
Murphy Classic at Tulare, the final night of the Vermeil Classic and the
$7k Placerville shootout.
3-Justin
Sanders- Like the first two on the list Sanders did not chase points -
but he did chase wins. Amongst his 11 west coast wins (he had one
Arizona to bring his overall total to 12) were the Broadway Memorial at
Chico and the Johnny Key Classic at Ocean. Sanders also swept the NARC-SCCT
doubleheader in late June at Placerville and grabbed a win at Cottage
Grove during Northwest speed week. One of Sanders best runs was a third
at Placerville versus the Outlaws. Sanders finished the season 21
podiums total. Sanders drove his own families XXX, the Dale Miller XXX
and a cameo appearance in the Doug Rutz sprinter and Willie Kahne
sprinter.
4-Andy
Forsberg - Dominating the northern California scene Forsberg won the
Placerville track championship and finished second in points at Chico.
Forsberg rolled to a West Coast best 13 wins as he spilt time between
the F&F Racing sprinter and his own ride. Forsberg overall totaled 21
podiums. Forsberg won seven times at Placerville, five times at
Marysville and once at Chico.
5-DJ Netto -
Almost went with Bud Kaeding in this spot but further analysis of
Netto’s resume led me back to him. Netto drove the Netto Ag KCP (with a
few appearance in the C&M Motorsports sprinter) to two championships -
NARC and the Keller-Tulare championship. Netto amazingly won no 410
races but did reach victory lane five times in 360 competition. Netto’s
13 podiums are the least of the top five but he had fewer starts as he
raced less than he has in years past. Still he was a model of
consistency as he scored the two championships - only driver on west
coast that could make that claim.
Honorable
Mentions: Bud Kaeding (6 wins, 21 podiums), Sean Becker (8 wins, 12
podiums), Mitchell Faccinto (8 wins, 12 podiums), Dominic Scelzi (7
wins, 12 podiums), Devon Borden (7 wins, 9 podiums) and Jason Solwold (4
wins, 15 podiums)
Non-Winged
(USAC/CRA and USAC West Coast races in Nevada and Arizona count)
1)Damion
Gardner - Driving the Alexander Motorsports sprinter Gardner garnered
another USAC/CRA championship as he scored three wins and seven podiums.
Gardner was not as dominant as years past and used the qualifying points
and heat points to make up for some average feature finishes claim the
uSAC/CRA championship. Gardner was third at Perris Nationals - the West
Coast’s biggest non winged race. Gardner was also the 2019 California
speed week champion.
2)Jake
Swanson - His season got off to a slow start but once he established
himself as the shoe of the Burkhart-Grau sprinter he came alive. Also
making appearances in the Josh Ford and Dwight Cheney sprinters Swanson
won four races and tallied 14 podiums as he competed with USAC/CRA and
USAC West Coast sprint series. Swanson was especially lethal in mid to
late August when he won August 17 at Perris form the tail, the next week
at Ventura with the West Coast series and then finally closed out by
winning the Vermeil classic giving him three wins in four starts.
3)Austin
Liggett - splitting his time between the USAC West Coast and USAC/CRA
series (while also racking up three midget wins) Liggett drove his
family sprinter to four wins and seven podiums. Liggett’s biggest win of
the year was September 6 when he won the USAC/CRA show at Merced.
4)Austin
Williams - Finished a career best second in USAC/CRA points on his first
season aboard the Sertich sprinter. Williams scored two wins between
August 31 and September 28. In this time he also scored five podiums in
seven starts as he closed in on Gardner for the point lead. Ultimately
the charge fell short for the rising star who finished the season with
two wins and seven podiums during his career best year. Williams also
finished second in California speed week points.
5)Brody Roa
- what could have been? Roa started the season on a tear with four
straight podiums to start the USAC/CRA season. However Roa would not get
a podium after August 17 with USAC/CRA as he limped to the finish. After
spending most of the season in his own sprinter Roa moved over Cheney
Motorsports team for a month before returning his own team at season
end. He also made a few appearances in the Grau sprinter out of Arizona
with the West Coast series. Ultimately Roa would finish the season with
three wins and seven podiums. Roa also grabbed the USAC Southwest
championship scoring two wins with that series (based in Arizona and did
not count as west coast)
Honorable
Mention: Richard Vander Weerd (2 wins, 6 podiums).
Overall Most
Versatile Driver
Chase
Johnson - splitting time between his own families sprinter (360s) and
the Shawn and Cyndi Thomas sprinter (410s), Johnson had wins with and
without a wing. Johnson won with NARC, SCCT, USAC/CRA, USAC West Coast.
He also won point races at Petaluma and Ocean. Johnson had eight sprint
wins total and 11 podiums. Johnson finished 10th in NARC season points
and fifth in USAC/CRA speed week points showcasing his versatility. For
good measure Johnson scored two midget wins.
NEWS AND
NOTES: One of the first big moves of the offseason on the West Coast was
Justyn Cox committing to the C&M Motorsports teams for an attack on the
Placerville and SCCT championships in 2020. This team used a myriad of
drivers in 2019 after parting ways with Tony Guada…The seems open to up
the Doug Rutz seat who last year employed Cox, Gualda, Sanders and Kalib
Henry at different points…Speaking of open seats. Geoff Ensign spent
most of 2019 in the Clayton Snow sprinter but the pair has seen a slow
parting and the Snow team was in Arizona with Wisconsin star Bill Balog
at the end of November. Ensign was in his own ride in Arizona. In 2018
Snow used a variety of drivers while 2019 saw the team commit to Ensign.
2020?…A couple of California natives who race midgets in the midwest
have left the Keith Kunz stable - Tanner Carrick and Logan
Seavey…Carrick will move to Petry Motorsports in 2020. He will still
spend time in the sprinter as in years past…Seavey left the KKM stable
and headed to Swindell Motorsports for Gateway and Chili Bowl. Swindell
Motorsports don't run Midgets during the season but Sammy’s son Kevin
Swindell Speedlab team needs a new driver for its sprint car. Seavey?
This would an interesting combination…This is in addition to long time
Kunz drivers Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell leaving the team…Is the
Kunz stable empty? No. Kunz has already announced young Oklahoma star
will be moving to the team for Chili Bowl and probably beyond. I also
wouldn't be surprised if Buddy Koifoid gets the nod for Chili Bowl and
beyond with Kunz after some late starts with KKM this year…The Outlaw’s
got smart and pushed their California tour back to April featuring eight
races from late March thru mid April. The stops include the traditional
USAC/CRA paring at Perris and doubleheaders at Tulare and Stockton. Also
included are a return to Santa Maria and an Ocean/Calistoga weekend…The
fall swing stayed the same with Skagit and Gray Harbor Labor Day weekend
a midweek show at Willamette. Gold Cup is a Friday and Saturday show
with a Stockton/Calistoga weekend closing out the west coast Outlaw
swing…Big surprise is no Brad Sweet show at Placerville on Outlaw
schedule. No mid week races at all scheduled in California.
Until next time. That is all for 2019. It is
time to look forward and 2020 and the season to come.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow me at @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…The last weekend officially marked the end
of race season in California as the stars of USAC battled it out at
Ventura for the right to be a Turkey Night champion and when the dust
settled it was Kyle Larson (midgets) and Chase Johnson (sprints) who
stood above the rest to claim wins Friday night on a rough Ventura
racetrack. But that is not what I want to write about - instead I want
to take a look at the winged sprint season in California in review from
the first race at Stockton in January to the last a few weeks ago in
Hanford. This column will list every winner at every track in California
during 2019.
The winged season started in late January at the
Stockton Dirt Track and it was Mitchell Faccinto roaring to the win. A
month later Keller and Stockton held sprint car races and this time it
was DJ Netto and Tony Gualda claiming the win. For Gualda it was his
first career win.
March saw the Outlaws hit the west coast and although
they battled wet weather the whole stay five races were completed at
five different tracks. Ian Madsen won in Tulare, Carson Macedo in Chico,
Logan Schuchart at Stockton while David Gravel and Aaron Reutzel split
the final weekend of March at Kings and Perris. But the Outlaws weren't
the only ones running in March. The Civil War series kicked its five
race schedule March 9 at Marysville and Any Forsberg rolled to the win.
That same night Faccinto won in Tulare in a 360 companion race to the
Outlaw headliner. A week later Michael Ing opened the regular season at
Marysville with a win, He would also win the next two point races March
30 and April 6. March closed out with Sprint Car Challenge Tour kicking
off their season at Placerville and Andy Forsberg claiming victory on
the hill.
The first week of April saw the NARC 410 series start
their year at Kern County Raceway and Dominic Scalzi made his 410 debut
with Dennis Roth a successful one as he scored the win. Up north on the
hill Placerville was hosting its season opener and it Justyn Cox driving
to victory. A week later the Stockton held the Asparagus Cup paying $10k
to win Friday night and $15k to win Saturday night. This became a
GioScelzi party as the then 17 year old simply dominated the competition
and ran away with both nights. Scelzi was chased by some of the best in
California. Friday night he outran Faccinto and Shane Golobic. Saturday
night it was Tim Kaeding and Kyle Hirst trailing. These stars of
California were left in Gio’s wake but they shouldn't feel bad…by the
end of the season Gio had won an Outlaw main, an All Stars main and a
USAC National Midget main - all before turning 18.
This was also the same weekend Ocean Speedway kicked off
its season and it was Chase Johnson claiming the win. The next weekend
was Easter weekend but still plenty of action was on deck. On Friday
night it was Bud Kaeding winning at Ocean and it was USAC midget star
Tanner Carrick doing the deed at Chico for their season opener the same
night. The next night saw Outlaw star Carson Macedo get some home
cooking and win at Keller, while Chase Johnson was claiming the Petaluma
season opener and NoCal legend Sean Becker scored his first win of the
year at Placerville. April closed with Bud scoring another Ocean win,
Faccinto getting another win at Tulare and Shane Golobic getting his
first win of the year at Petaluma with the SCCT.
May kicked off with the Dave Broadway Memorial at Chico.
Justin Sanders would dominate the Broadway and for extra measure scored
the Friday night 410 win at Chico to sweep the weekend. Golobic ran
second both nights. While Sanders was on kill at Chico plenty of other
action was taking place in the Golden State. Kurt Nelson was getting a
popular victory at Ocean, while Saturday night saw Scott Parker and
Brent Bjork pick career first wins at Tulare and Petaluma respectively.
Finally up on the hill Forsberg was getting yet another win at
Placerville. The second weekend of May would start with two of the best
in the state claiming victories as Sanders won at Ocean and Golobic at
Chico. The next night saw many familiar faces win as Chase Johnson won
at Petaluma, Faccinto at Kings and Forsberg at Placerville. But this
weekend did have one surprise as Steel Powell scored his first ever win
up at Marysville making him the 21st different winged sprint car winner
through the second week of May. The next weekend was headlined by the
Peter Murphy Classic at Tulare but rain had different ideas, Before the
rain struck Rico Abreu won the Friday SCCT race and in the process
foreshadowed greatness at Tulare. Amazingly that was the only race of
the weekend. Memorial Day saw a light holiday schedule saw Netto get the
win a Stockton and Angelo Comet score the win at Antioch and extend the
different winner list to 23. Bud Kaeding would close out the month with
another Friday night win at Ocean.
June would see Colby Copeland win at Petaluma to start
the month with NARC. Amazingly this would be his only win of the year.
The first day of June would also see Golobic win at Placerville and
Billy Aton at Antioch with the Civil War series. The next weekend saw
the re-scheduled Peter Murphy Classic and it opened on Friday with Ryan
Bernal opening with win and becoming the 26th different winner of season
on California. The next night Dominic Scelzi claim the 360 main while
Abreu would win the headline with NARC 410 and score the $11k prize. He
was followed by part time competitor and full time crew chief Jonathan
Allard and Netto.
The Murphy Classic wasn't the only event on tap the
second weekend of June as Chase Madjic won Friday at Chico, while
Saturday night saw Forsberg win at Placerville, Ing at Marysville and
Bradley Terrell at Petaluma. Terrell became overall different winner
number 28. Father’s day weekend saw Sanders winning at Ocean and Hirst
at Chico on Friday night. Saturday saw Netto score the SCCT win at
Keller with other winners being Ryan Robinson at Antioch and Kalib Henry
at Marysville in rare appearance at the Raceway. The next weekend saw a
NARC double header and Scelzi claimed the prize Friday night at Ocean
while Sean Watts scored his first ever NARC win the next evening in
Stockton. 360 winners on the weekend were Shane Hopkins up at
Placerville and rookie Tucker Worth claiming the prize at Keller. Watts,
Hopkins and Worth pushed the different winner number to 33. June wrapped
up with a rare three race weekend. Friday saw two more first time 2019
winners at Chelsea Blevins scored the win in Chico and Cole Macedo got
the job done at Ocean. The next night saw the SCCT and NARC at
Placerville and it was Sanders double dipping and winning both features.
At the same time Ing was winning another race at Marysville. Petaluma
would close out June with a Sunday SCCT show and it was Chase Johnson
doing Chase Johnson things at Petaluma.
July would kickoff with a July 3 show at Marysville and
it was Forsberg getting the win. The next night it was Becker winning in
Chico and Golobic at Placerville. The first Saturday of July would only
have one show and it was a SCCT show at Stockton. Golobic would grab the
victory. The following Friday it was Scelzi winning in Ocean and Becker
again victorious in Chico. The next night NARC was in Petaluma and
surprise Chase Johnson was in top dawg again. It would be Johnson’s
fifth and final winged of the year (oveall he would add five more nn
winged and midget wins). Other action on July 13 saw Becker win at
Placerville giving him three win in three different cars in nine days.
Billy Wallace won at Marysville becoming different winner number 36. The
next weekend was headlined by the Howard Kaeding classic at Ocean.
Friday night it was Sanders winning the Civil War event and Bud Kaeding
winning the NARC show Saturday night. Other winners over this weekend
were Forsberg in Placerville and Chase Johnson’s younger brother Colby
in Petaluma. July closed with Bud Kaeding winning in Ocean Friday nignt.
The next night Dominic Scelzi got it done with NARC at Santa Maria. For
the second straight Saturday night Forsberg won in Placerville and Colby
Johnson in Petaluma.
August opened up with some new winners as Kyle Olfill
scored his first win at Chico on Friday August 2 and Jodie Robinson
scored her first ever win Saturday at Merced the SCCT. To complete the
theme Danny Wagner won at Antioch (winning the sprint and mod main at
the track) moving the different winner list to 40. The second weekend of
August saw Sanders win at Ocean on Friday for what would be the first of
four in a row at the track. Saturday night saw NARC regular Geoff Ensign
get the win at Petaluma, Ing score another at Marysville, Henry getting
his first of the year at Placerville and Netto getting his third win of
the year at Keller. Becker was back at it August 16 at Chico. The
following night saw Henry win again at Placerville and Matt DiMartini
winning at Antioch. DiMartini became different winner number 42. The
Civil War Series was headliner of the weekend with $5k to win Johnny Key
Classic at Ocean and it was all Sanders as he won ahead of Copeland and
Abreu.
NARC Speed Week kicked off Wednesday August 21 at
Placerville and Kyle Larson was the winner becoming different winner
number 43 in California winged racing during 2019. The next night at
Chico it was Tim Kaeding. Brother Bud was the headliner Friday night at
Stockton and Tim rebounded Saturday night with a $10k win at Stockton
ahead of Golobic and Netto. With Speed Week rolling through the last
full weekend of August the rest of the California scene did not stand
still. August 23 saw normal conquers - Becker at Chico and Sanders at
Ocean. The next night Becker was too good again at Petaluma and Forsberg
did his thing at Marysville. The month of August ended on a Saturday
amidst Labor Day weekend and it was Dominic Scelzi winning $6k at
Calistoga as part of the Vermeil Classic and Ing was won his sixth and
final race of the year at Marysville.
September opened with Abreu winning the Sunday night of
the Vermeil Classic and almost $8k in the process as he outraced Bud
Kaeding and Golobic. Three nights later the Gold Cup opened at Chico
with two nights of 360 sprint action. No surprise when the dust settled
it was Forsberg winning Wednesday and Golobic winning Thursday. Friday
night of Gold Cup saw Outlaws start Fall California swing and it was
California native Brad Sweet winning over California regulars Tim
Kaeding and Golobic. The next night it was Outlaws Daryn Pittman was
victorious over Sweet and Schuchart. September also some 360 action as
Netto was won his fourth and final 360 race of the year at Keller and
Bradley Terrell would win at Petaluma. Terrell brought the different win
total to 46. It would not change the rest of the year. A midweek show at
Placerville saw Golobic score $20k in the Brad Sweet promoted show. The
Outlaws closed the swing Friday and Saturday at Stockton and Calistoga.
Schuchart would win Friday and Gravel on Saturday. Also on Saturday
September 14 Forsberg scored another win at Placerville. September would
close with two big 360 weekends.
September 20 and 21 saw the Placerville Shootout take
center stage and Cox was the winner Friday. Saturday night was the
headliner and with $7k on the line Abreu scored his second big win of
the year after winning the Murphy Classic in June. Golobic and Hirst
gave chase but couldn't stop Abreu. The next weekend was the Fall
Nationals was on display at Chico and it was again Cox winning the
Friday night show. Saturday night saw Tim Kaeding get the $5k win ahead
of Sanders and Bud Kaeding.
October 4 saw Ocean speedway return to action and it was
all Sanders as he won his sixth race of the year at the track and ninth
in California (10 on West Coast total). Sclezi won with NARC at Kern Co.
next night for his fifth series win (seventh overall). On the same night
in Petaluma Becker was scoring eighth overall win of the year. Becker
won the $5k Adobe Cup ahead of Henry and Gualda. The next weekend was a
Cotton Classic double dip featuring NARC and SCCT. Cole Macedo was the
SCCT winner and it was Abreu winning the NARC version.
October 17-19 was the annual Trophy Cup. Easily
considered the biggest race in the year as the drivers compete for a
$26k overall top prize. With nearly 90 drivers checked in Abreu would
dominate the competition winning all three main events. Thursday he
outclassed three time Trophy Cup champion JacHaudenschild and Hirst. The
next night it was Golobic and California star turned All Star regular
Cory Eliason giving chase. For a final act Abreu raced from 17th on
Saturday to score the 50 lap headliner ahead of All Star champion
Reuztel and Tim Kaeding. Abreu was followed in overall points by Golobic
and Cory Eliason.
October would close out with Forsberg winning another
race at Marysville as the end of the season was in sight. November
opened with a two night show at Stockton featuring 360s Friday and SCCT-NARC
combo on Saturday night. Golobic was the class of the field on Friday
and backed it up on Saturday winning the NARC feature for his ninth
total win of the year. The other victor was Abreu as he scored the $7k
SCCT win and his ninth win of the year in California. The next weekend
it was the Civil War series at Marysville and it was Forsberg getting
his 13th overall win of the year. Then on November 16 almost 10 months
after he started it all Faccinto closed the year with a win at Keller.
It was Faccinto’s fifth win of the year in California (he had seven
overall on West Coast).
That is every race and every winner of the California
360/410 2019 winged sprint car season in a nutshell. My next column will
feature my top 10 drivers of the year on the West Coast.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim.
WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…The
Demon has done it again and just keeps etching his name into the
southern California record books as he claimed the 2019 USAC/CRA
championship. I remember 2001 when some hotshot from Northern California
showed up at Perris driving a non winged sprint car like it had a wing
on it. The word spread quick that he had ruffled some feathers and maybe
was necessarily welcomed at the PAS. Many said it would not last and
proclaimed his career in southern California would be short. Rip
Williams more than once had to each him the hard way. But he persisted
and almost 20 years later and eight USAC/CRA championships later Damion
“The Demon” Gardner has become among the most decorated champions in the
history of non winged racing on the west coast joining the legendary
likes of Williams, Dean Thompson, Bubby Jones, Ron Shuman and Lealand
McSpadden.
The 2019 USAC/CRA season started way back in March at Canyon in Arizona
and it was midwest regulars Josh Hodges and Hunter Schuerenberg winning.
Schuerenberg would win aboard the Reinhold-Underwood sprinter and this
team would enjoy much success all year including a USAC national
championship with CJ Leary. A few weeks later at Perris it was Brody Roa
claiming the win and the early point lead aboard his families sprinter.
He spend some time in the Cheney Motorsports sprinter before returning
back to him family car for the last weekend.
In April it was a single race at Perris and Richard Vander Weerd would
begin his great run at the track as he would pick up his first win of
the year. Vander Weerd only raced part-time during the year but racked
up two wins and six podiums just at Perris.
May saw the series run three shows. To start the month 360 star and
former Mopar Million hard charger Troy Rutherford shocked as he won
utilizing a 360 in Ventura. A week later he almost pulled the feat again
but ran second to Gardner at Bakersfield while Scheurenberg returned to
the west coast to close out the month with a win at Perris. At this
point Gardner had gained the point and would not relinquish. June saw
only one race at Perris and again it was Vander Weerd leading the way
followed by Jake Swanson in the Grau-Burkhart sprinter. Swanson to this
point has bounced around rides but had now found a home and started
making noise. He would wind up fourth in points with two wins, nine
podiums and average finish 8.05.
July would feature two early races at Santa Maria and Perris. Roa would
roll to victory at Santa Maria over the improving Tommy Malcolm. Malcolm
would finish sixth in points at seasons end. Malcolm would follow Chris
Gansen all year in points who was fifth. A week later in Perris Gardner
scored his only win at the PAS as he was followed to the line by two
stars from Arizona - RJ Johnson and Stevie Sussex.
After a little break for Indiana Sprint Week the CRA stars returned in
August to Perris and it was the Jake Swanson show. After having to start
at the back of the A Swanson sliced and diced to the front won the race
in dramatic fashion as he outraced Vander Weerd and Roa in one for the
ages. Swanson used all the PAS and more to accomplish the amazing feat.
The month ended just as California Speedweek started and it was Austin
Williams scoring the win at Calistoga over Austin Liggett and Gardner.
At the same time Williams announced his entrance into the championship
point race and speedweek point race.
Speedweek would be five race nine day ordeal. Saturday and Sunday at
Calistoga and Monday at Petaluma. After three day break it concluded in
Merced and the coastal paradise of Santa Maria. In years past it was a
two day break with a Thursday show at Silver Dollar allowing this writer
to attend at least one show. This year unfortunately Chico was off the
schedule…it would be nice to get this fixed. The Chico show always
provided a mix of the SoCal stars versus NoCal stars on a Thursday night
in September that was a once a year of occurrence. But I digress.
After Williams win to kickoff speedweek it was Swanson cruising back to
victory lane to close out the Calistoga doubt dip over Ryan Bernal in
the 360 powered Colby Copeland sprinter and forever Tulsa shootout
legend Jason Mcdougal. The next night in Petaluma winged star Chase
Johnson won over younger brother Colby Johnson and Williams. As
speedweek headed to Merced the week championship seemed to belong to
Williams or Danny Fair, Jr. who had been steering the Cheney Motorsports
sprinter to consistent finishes. Merced would see Liggett win over Faria
and Chase Johnson.
As the series headed to Santa Maria to end speedweek it seemed like
Gardner was vulnerable as he was third place and almost out of the
speedweek championship contention and Williams was gaining on the season
point race. But legends rise and Gardner used a huge night including a
win to claim the speed week championship and show the championship was
his to lose. Williams was second at Santa Maria and Swanson third.
September was busy and after a week break the USAC/CRA stars were back
at Perris and Williams was winning over Swanson and Gardner. A week
later USAC/CRA was in Arizona at the Arizona Speedway and southwest star
RJ Johnson won over Sussex and Williams.
The series ran no races in October but had five in November
co-sanctioned with USAC National at Perris and Arizona. At Perris it was
Brady Bacon win the first two nights of the Oval Nationals while USAC
national point leader CJ Leary scored the headliner last Saturday.
Gardner was third. The season closed over the weekend as Tyler Courtney
double dipped and won both races in the desert at Arizona Speedway and
scored $18,500 for Western World triumphs. Gardner’s sixth place run
was enough to clinch the championship over Williams and Roa.. Leary won
the national championship over Courtney who had series high nine wins.
Overall Courtney has 19 USAC wins in the three national series on the
year.
Back to USAC/CRA and a quick look at the top three in points. Gardner
had three wins and 17 top 10s with an average finish of 6.47. Williams
had two wins and 19 top 10s wth an average finish of 6.56 as he had his
best year to date. Roa rounded out the top three in points as he had two
wins and 14 top 10s with an average finish of 8.52. Roa started the
season with five straight top fives before fading down the stretch. Each
contender started all 22 main events.
NEWS NOTES:
14 different drivers won a main during the USAC/CRA season. Talk about
competitive…A third championship was decided Saturday and it was the
USAC Southwest championship which was in its first season as a 410
series. It had been a 360 series previously. California star Roa used
three different rides to score the championship over RJ Johnson and
Stevie Sussex….Saturday also marked the final winged race of the year at
Keller Auto Speedway and it was Mitchell Faccinto winning over brother
Michael and young star Tucker Worth…For Mitchell is was the perfect
bookend as he opened the west coast season in January with a win at
Stockton. It was Mitchell’s eight win of the year but first since
July…For brother Michael it was his best finish to date in the winged
car. With extra laps at the end of the year aboard the Van Dyke sprinter
Michael has shown vast improvement…Officially Andy Forsberg was the
total win leader in winged sprints on the west coast as he finished with
13 wins…Justin Sanders was the only other driver in double digits with
12… Rico Abreu and Shane Golobic each finished with nine…Their is still
one winged race to be ran in Arizona at the end of November and that
race always gets some intriguing names to support it - I would expect at
least a few west coast stars to participate.
Lastly California native Mason Daniel has announced he will race with
the World of Outlaws next year with former Outlaw champion Danny Lasoski
turning the wrenches. Daniel got almost 30 races with Outlaws this year
as he started to dabble in 410 stuff. This will be a huge jump for a
driver who has been a sprint car only two full seasons and with only
full season of 410 racing - not saying he will not be successful just
acknowledging this is a huge jump in nighty competition. I often do
wonder if drivers would be suited to race a premier series or region
(All Stars, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Knoxville, NARC) and see if they truly
have what it takes to get it done. Because you if can dominate any the
before mentioned series this would a clue that maybe you could play with
Outlaws on a nightly basis.
With Daniels decision that adds another California driver to the
national sprint car scene and bring it to four (with Brad Sweet, Carson
Macedo and Daniels with the Outlaws and Cory Eliason on the All Star
tour). This doesn't include Logan Seavey and Jesse Colwell (running
midgets nationally), Abreu (who runs a majority of his shows in the
midwest) or Buddy Koifoid who currently is shoeing a Keith Kunz Midget
but spent the year in Ohio.
My next column will be part one of a two part column that looks at the
winged season in California in rewind.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…Last
weekend the sprint car world was focused on Charlotte (ironically the
home of NASCAR) as Brad Sweet and Donny Schatz settled their season long
World of Outlaw point battle. In addition their was the swirling rumors
surrounding David Gravel and his race car future. In the end Sweet won
the championship and Gravel swept the weekend amid rumors of him going
to the truck series
–
more on that later.
But that story has been mostly written and last week my
attention
was focused
south to the annual Midwest versus West Coast battle known as the Oval
Nationals at the Perris Auto Speedway.
This
tradition which dates to the late 1990s is any many ways the premier non
wing race of the year. While the purse has changed over time the
importance of winning this event has not. USAC National stars versus the
stars of USAC/CRA on the USAC/CRA driver’s
home turf - it only happens once a year that the best collide at the
home of sprint car racing in Southern California. While the West Coast
have held strong traditionally in recent times the national driver have
gained the advantage and the 2019 Oval Nationals were no different as
seven of the nine podium spots went to USAC national stars.
The weekend
kicked off with two of the premier sprint drivers in the non winged
world - Alabama’s Kevin Thomas, Jr. and northern California’s Damion
Gardner- chasing Oval Nationals history. Thomas was seeking a record
third straight Oval Nationals while Gardner was seeking a record fourth
overall. But in the end neither driver achieved history as it was season
long USAC national point leader C.J. Leary claiming the crown as he
drove the Arizona based Reinbold-Underwood Spike to his first Oval
Nationals championship ever.
For Leary it
was another step in his ascension to being one of, if not, the premier
non-winged driver in the world. Despite being only his second win of the
season with the USAC nationals series (he also has two USAC southwest
series wins) he has racked up a series high
30 top
10s this year
in 32 starts
– which simply
amazing racing against the premier non winged drivers in the sport. This
has allowed him to maintain his point leader over Tyler Courtney who has
won seven mains. Courtney finished fifth Saturday aboard the
Clauson-Marshall-Newman Spike.
Chris Windom
chased Leary to the finish but the former Oval nationals champion could
not get close enough to contend down the stretch and settled for second
in the Parallax-Goacher Twister. Wisdom also ran second Thursday night.
The two
drivers reaching for history had up and down weekends. Gardner had a
solid first night finishing fourth, wrecked on the opening lap of Friday’s
main and finished the weekend by making a strong move at the end to
finish third ahead of early leader Chase Stockon. As usual Gardner was
aboard the Alexander Motorsports Spike. Stockon was fourth aboard the
TBI Racing DRC. Thomas struggled all weekend by his standards and had to
run the semi on Saturday before winding up sixth in the final tally
aboard the Hayward-Thomas DRC. With that mentioned Thomas did score top
10s all three nights.
A new
Oval Nationals tradition has become sweeping the first two nights. What
do I mean? Last year Justin Grant won the first two nights. This year is
was Brady Bacon doing the trick as he scored the first two wins of his
career at the PAS. It took Bacon 27 starts to get that first win and he
it liked so much he did it twice aboard the Hoffman Dynamics XXX. Bacon
ran up front most of Saturday night but came home 12th after a late race
incident with Stockton as cars slowed for a yellow. Grant had an
uninspiring Oval Nationals as he was sixth and second the first two
nights before being a non factor Saturday night in the TOPP Motorsports
entry.
Richard
Vander Weerd and Austin Williams were two of the locals that put
together solid weekends and each finished in the top 10 all three
nights. Vander Weerd who competes on a limited basis had a weekend best
third Thursday aboard his father’s
Maxim. Williams steered the Tom and Laurie Sertich DRC to a weekend best
fifth on Friday night. Other driver in the top 10 all three nights were
Leary (fifth, 10th and first), Thomas, Jr. (ninth, seventh and sixth)
and Courtney (eighth, third and fifth).
That is
my quick look at the Oval Nationals from 1000 miles away. This week the
Midwest versus West Coast battle moves to Arizona as the USAC Nationals
and USAC/CRA drivers will settle their championships. Leary and Gardner
are in control of their respective point races but neither has clinched.
The USAC Southwest championship is also on the line and currently Brody
Roa is in control of the points battle. The USAC sprints will be joined
by the USAC midgets as they start their West Coast invasion.
NEWS AND NOTES: One
winged race was on the card over weekend out West and it took place at
Marysville Raceway as the Civil War Series ran the last of their five
race season. Andy Forsberg picked up the victory ahead of Justyn Cox and
track champion Michael Ing. Koen Shaw was crowned champion of the Civil
War Series…It
was Forsberg’s
13th
win of the year
–
all have taken place
at Marysville, Chico and Placerville…
Cox was making
his initial appearance in the C&M Motorsports sprinter and picked up his
eighth second place finish in California for the season…California
transplant turned non winged sprint star Chad Boespflug was announced as
the new driver for the Knoxville based Troy Renfro team. Austin McCarl
drove this car in 2017-2018. This will be Boespflug’s
first full time winged ride…I don’t cover a lot
of mini sprint action but it is worth noting Central California star
Mitchel Moles has now 43 main events this year in micro action
–
that is Frank Flud
like numbers… As
of November12 57 midgets are entered for the Hangtown 100. In addition
the weather looks very nice for this huge event…Kalib
Henry who is coming a off a solid season in which he elevated his game
is actively seeking some funding or a ride so he can get into 410s more.
Somebody needs to jump on this as this kid was really fast this year
utilizing a variety of different rides.
Finally
back to Gravel. The rumors are swirling and have settled a little bit as
he announced he would return JJR while he seeks Truck opportunities. As
of now JJR is committed to the Outlaws and Gravel is committed to
expanding his horizons. While this last year was a dream season for JJR
and Gravel definitely wants to continue with the team I am curious how
long the competing interests will last when race season takes off again
in 2020.
In
addition Ian Madsen and the KPC team are going to a
“true”
outlaw
schedule while the CJB seat remains empty (Gravel was linked to the
second car before going back to JJR) and Shane Stewart has no ride. All
this means we will have some changes on the tour next year and that
silly season should be just that
– “silly”.
Well that
is it for now. I will have a column next week looking back at the USAC
/CRA season as they crown their champion. The California winged season
will end Saturday at Keller and I will begin working on a California
winged season in rewind. Not sure when this column will get finished but
hopefully sooner than later.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
by
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…It
seems like eons ago that sprint cars were actually circling the dirt in
the northwest - in actuality it has been a month and half. Luckily
during this time the scene in California has waged on but as I left
trophy cup a few weeks ago their seemed to be sense the season was
over…but it wasn’t and in reality there is still a lot of good open
wheel racing remaining out west.
The week after trophy cup was light as only Marysville was in action and
to no one’s surprise Andy Forsberg rolled to is 12th win of the year.
But this last weekend was packed full of winged action at the Stockton
Dirt Track. Friday night was $2500 to win non sanctioned 360 race which
Shane Golobic rolled to victory ahead of Justyn Cox who was aboard the
Doug Rutz Richmond powered sprinter and the ever improving Michael
Faccinto who was driving a second Harley Van Dyke sprinter.
Saturday night was the headliner as it featured the final rounds of the
two premier winged series on the west coast - NARC 410 and the Sprint
Car Challenge Tour (SCCT). More amazingly each series point championship
was in balance as top three in each series had a chance to win the
championship depending on the outcome Saturday night. For the SCCT it
was two defending champion Kyle Hirst trying to hold off Sean Becker and
Tim Kaeding. For the NARC series DJ Netto had led the points most of the
year but a late push by Bud Kaeding saw them tied entering Stockton.
Dominic Scelzi was close behind in third.
First NARC 410. Netto had gotten the point lead early in the year by
being consistent and continued the trend all year. Nettostarted the main
with the point lead after earning qualifying points and finished third
ahead Scelzi who was fifth and Kaeding who was in the lower half of the
top 10. Netto ultimately won the championship with five podiums and an
amazing 16 top 10s in 18 starts. His average finish was 6.2 abroad the
Netto Ag KPC. Kaeding had two wins and seven podiums and 15 tops 10s.
His average finish was 6.1 but he could not overcome a slow start to the
season and bad last last race in the Williams Motorsports Maxim. Scelzi
was by far the dominant driver in the series as he won a series high
five times and had six podiums total to go with 15 tops 10s. However a
few bad finishes derailed his championship run aboard the Roth
Enterprise KPC.
On the SCCT side going into the final night neither of the top three in
points had won a race in the first 11 shows. That would not change
championship night. Hirst, much like Netto, relied on consistency and an
eighth place finish on the final night was enough to seal the deal as
Kaeding’s sixth was enough to fill the gap. Becker was outside the top
10 in the final tally a Stockton. Overall Hirst had four podiums and 10
top 10s in 12 starts. He had an average finish of 7.4 aboard the
Tiner-Hirst sprinter. Kaeding rode the Joshua Bates sprinter to three
podiums and eight top 10s. Kaeding had an average finish of 8.3. Becker
did his work aboard the Monhoff Racing sprinter and had one podium to go
with nine top 10s. His average finish was 8.4
As these six great drivers were racing for a championship two of the
best in the state of California continued to dominate - Golobic and Rico
Abreu. In addition to his Friday night win Golobic scored the NARC 410
win Saturday night ahead of Wille Croft and Netto and then ran second in
the SCCT main to Abreu. Some Outlaw driver named Carson Macedo rounded
out the podium. For Abreu and Golobic it has been a dominant run since
the calendar hit September. How dominant? For Golobic since then he has
four wins (including a World of Outlaw win) and 12 podiums in 18 starts
and an overall second place finish at the Trophy Cup. Abreu has not been
quite as consistent but he rolled to six wins and seven podiums in 17
starts in California. Most impressively though was Abreu’s dominance at
Trophy Cup when he swept the weekend. Overall Golobic has nine wins on
the season in California and Abreu has eight in California.
Winged sprint racing is almost over for real in California with a show
at Marysville this Saturday and a show at Keller the following Saturday
being all that remain. But that means it is time to turn the attention
to the stars of USAC as the sprints and midgets invade the west coast.
The USAC sprints will be at Perris this weekend for the legendary Oval
Nationals and then Arizona next weekend as they are joined by midgets.
After Arizona the sprints will head home but the midgets will head to
Placerville for the mid week Hangtown 100 which is shaping up to be an
event for the ages. After this the midgets head to Bakersfield on Nov.
23 and will finish their season with annual running of Turkey night at
Ventura. The midgets will be joined in Ventura by the USAC West Coast
sprints as they will run a two night show and I would expect a very big
national presence in the sprint division.
NEWS AND
NOTES: In addition to the top three in points only one other driver made
all 12 SCCT races and that was Kyle Oflill…Eight drivers made all 18
NARC shows. It would have been nine but Ryan Bernal was busy fighting
fires and could not make the race at Stockton…His replacement was Carson
Macedo who used the off weekend to pull double duty Saturday night in
the Tarlton Racing KPC…Buddy Koifoid who spent his season turning heads
in Ohio abroad the Mike Linder prepared sprinter was aboard a second
Doug Rutz sprint at Stocktokn. Unfortunately he did not return for the
second night…Speaking of Rutz his primary driver Justyn Cox was second
Friday night before mechanical failures derailed their Saturday night.
Cox gets aboard the C&M Motorsports this weekend at Marysville…Another
driver who spent some of the year driving for Rutz is Tony Gualda who
has seemingly found a home in the Jim VanLare sprinter here late in the
year…Cole Macedo who has spent most of the year driver the Mike Phulps
360 for SCCT was aboard Chuck Crouse sprinter at Stockton. He debuted in
this ride the pervious weekend at Marysville…Justin Sanders was making
an appearance aboard the Larry Antaya sprinter and struggled all weekend
as he often does when he not aboard either his family ride or the
VonSchriltz 410. Normal Antaya driver Colby Copeland was aboard his
normal SCCT ride in the Canales sprinter…Washington star Jason Solwold
made the trip to Stockton aboard the Shaylen-Raye sprinter. Solwold was
fifth Friday night and a DNF Saturday…Geoff Ensign was back in the
Clayton Snow sprinter on Saturday night after missing Trophy Cup and
finished his first full season with NARC fifth in points and as rookie
of the year…Chase Johnson who turned many heads in the winged world this
year looks to compete against the stars of USAC. Johnson who has made
five starts with USAC/CRA this year and will compete at the Oval
Nationals aboard the Shawn Thomas sprinter and will be at USAC national
midget races in the Rodela midget. Johnson won on the last weekend of
October in Ventura in the Rodela midget. Johnson now has wins with NARC,
SCCT, USAC/CRA, USAC West Coast, BCRA and USAC W/S midgets this season -
WOW!…Look for silly season start soon and I would expect we might see
some different combinations on the west coast next year.
Well that is all for now.I will be observing the Oval Nationals from
afar in the cozy confines of the dark northwest and have a column next
week with all my thoughts about the stars USAC taking on the stars of
USAC/CRA.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…The 16 hour tow back
from Tulare every October is brutal - all day in the car straight
through the valley, up the hills and into the northwest. We left the
sunny valley at 7am and arrived in the rainy northwest right before 11
pm. But it is no doubt worth at as Trophy Cup offers the grand finale of
the season in a lot of ways and has also become arguably the biggest 360
race in the country. With $26,000 guaranteed to the overall points
champions stars from all across the country appear to challenge for a
piece of the Trophy Cup pie. With $4,000 going to the main winner each
night plenty of money is available for teams unless…somebody does the
unimaginable and win all three mains hoarding the many for themselves.
And this is exactly what Rico Abreu did. Abreu made history by winning
all three nights - never before had this been accomplished.
Entering the Trophy Cup Abreu was third on my favorite list and had been
coming into the weekend on a hot streak as he had won three straight 410
races in October. Well the hot streak continued as Abreu pounded the
boards for three straight nights and now has a personal win streak of
six after sweeping the weekend. It is almost impossible to just finish
in the top five all three nights because the level of competition and
yet Abreu was able to win all three nights after starting 10th, 6th and
17th respectively. He drove by fast car after fast car each night and
once he got into second you new the the leader was in trouble.
Thursday night Abreu ran down teammate and defending champion Jac
Haudenschild as he just out gassed the “Wild Child”. The next night he
stalked Shane Golobic and waited to the end to make his move. Finally on
Saturday Abreu used the lap 33 fuel break to make his move as he roared
from fourth to first over the final laps and ultimately chasing down
pole sitter Aaron Reutzel to complete the sweep. Following Abreu in the
Saturday finale to the stripe was Reuztel, Tim Kaeding, Jason Solwold
and Jac Haudenschild.
For Abreu it has been a crazy last month as he let crew chief Drew
Warner go in September and has had David Robinson, Jr spinning the
wrenches since and the results speak for themselves. Abreu has at times
been inconsistent in his career but when he gets rolling and he can bang
the cushion with the best and he is nearly unbeatable in California.
Abreu acknowledged in his post race interview that sprint car racing is
a tough sport and he just felt that things weren't clicking which
prompted him to make the crew chief move late in the season. The Trophy
Cup victory is just another feather in his cap to go along with his two
Chili Bowls and two Gold Cups.
Going into the Saturday finale it had become a four driver chase.
Entering the main on Saturday Cory Eliason, Kyle Hirst, Abreu and
Golobic were separated by one point meaning who finished first amongst
the four was going to win the Trophy Cup. And amazingly unless it was
Golobic it was going to be a first time winner. Elision struggled with
bad luck (ultimately came home ninth), Hirst was mired in the field
(finished eighth) leaving Golobic as the sole challenger to Abreu. The
2016-2017 Trophy Cup champion gave great effort but ultimately only made
it to sixth and finished second in points. Golobic had a fourth, second
and sixth on the weekend. Hirst would finish third in points as he used
a huge heat race performance Saturday night to get himself into
contention. Eliason was fourth in the final run down and Haudenschild
was fifth.
While those four drivers were the class of the field as we entered
Saturday’s main some other drivers definitely had great weekends and
performed at a level that will make fans take notice in the Trophy Cups
to come. Amongst those drivers Chase Johnson, Justyn Cox, Colton Heath
and Mitchel Moles.
Johnson just continues to impress and get better. Known for his exploits
at Petaluma Johnson has developed into a contender everywhere and was on
a rail after starting fourth Saturday night. He quickly moved past
Dominic Scelzi and Jason Solwold into second and hounded Reutzel for
numerous laps. He would pull next to Reutzel a few times but ultimately
found the turn two wall and an end to his night. However even though his
Trophy Cup did not end the way he wanted it to Johnson announced his
presence as a contender at tracks other than Petaluma. Johnson was in
the A every night.
Cox was fast time in his group each night and at times the fastest car
on the track Abreu included. However Cox and his Doug Rutz Richmond
powered XXX just couldn't get a complete night and were left wondering
what could have been. Cox had moved into the top three on Saturday after
starting 12th but was derailed with a parts failure ending his charge to
the front. For all his speed Cox was a DNF all three nights and that is
it what makes Trophy Cup difficult - you have to be fast and consistent.
DNFs are killer at Trophy Cup and Cox had too many.
Washington star Colton Heath announced his arrival last year when he put
it in the A after a great Friday night. This year Heath doubled down as
he struggled Thursday bur was very impressive Friday and ultimately went
into the A seventh in total points. Heath however was lap two victim as
he worked through the field ending his Trophy Cup early. But the LAW
Motorsports SHARK powered XXX has now made in known that success at
Trophy Cup is not a fluke but trend.
Finally micro sprint start Mitchel Moles was impressive all weekend as
he made a rare 360 sprint start. While Moles in no stranger to success
(he has around 30 micro wins this year) the 360s and Trophy Cup
specifically is a much different beast. Moles proved to be up to the
task as he he put it in the show Thursday and then again on Saturday.
This young driver just needs seat time in the 360 and he will be making
waves. Moles wasn't spectacular but it was his steady driving that
indicates future success at Trophy Cup and beyond - he did not seem
overwhelmed or intimated which can easily happen at Trophy Cup. Moles
was impressive winning the Saturday night B main as he survived and
advanced.
The Tulare Raceway did an amazing job with the track especially Thursday
when high winds tormented the central valley. The track crew overcame
and produced the best track I have ever seen at Tulare. The track had
multiple grooves and did not take rubber as so often the case when the
wind blows. Friday and Saturday were good but Thursday was the gold
standard as the track had multiple grooves and unlimited action.
NEWS AND
NOTES: 89 cars filled the pits Thursday - by far the highest on the West
Caost this year. 86 came back Friday and an impressive 78 made all three
nights…12 states were represented: California (69 entrants), Idaho (Cole
Danell and Hunter Standley), Pennsylvania (Freddie Rahmer and Tim
Shaffer), Texas (Aaron Reutzel), Washington (Chase Goetz, Reece Goetz,
Heath, Devon Borden, Solwold, JJ Hickle and Bailey Jean), North Dakota
(Ken Estenson), Oregon (Brain Boswell), Indiana (Collin Markle),
Tennessee (Paul McMahon), Oklahoma (Seth Bergman), Ohio (Randy Hannagan
and Jac Haudenschild) and Nebraska (Monty Ferriera)…Danell, Hannagan,
McMahon, Markle, Boswell and Ferriera are all originally from
California…Two big name drivers almost saw their Trophy Cup end early -
Jon Allard and Reutzel. Allard borrowed an engine from Willie Croft and
Reutzel borrowed one from Roth Motorsports…Tim Kaeding, Haudenschild,
Eliason and Golobic finished in the top ten all three nights as did
Abreu…Dominic Scelzi entered as a favorite but never found the speed and
was a DNF Saturday aboard the Roth Motorsports KPC after a less than
overwhelming weekend…Usually Justin Sanders races to win but this week
he was happy with a fifth Friday and a top 10 point finish aboard the
Dale Miller XXX. Sanders has traditionally struggled at Tulare…Sanders
was able to rebound after a tough Thursday that required some support
from XXX to get him back on track for the weekend…Tarlton racing
seemingly had a couple ringers in Buddy Koifoid and Tim Shaffer to steer
their KPCs but the rest of the field did not see it that way and neither
was a contender during the weekend. Each buried themselves with below
average qualifying runs each night…Freddie Rahmer competed in the 2017
Trophy Cup and returned for 2019 edition aboard the Kaeding Performance
Maxim. Rahmer made Thursday’s main but found the wall. He struggled the
rest of the weekend…Tony Gualda spent October hustling up a ride fro
Trophy Cup and was able to land the SHARK powered Vanlare ride.
Unfortunately two top wings later and Gualda was a spectator for
Saturday night…One driver unable to hustle up a ride was Sean Becker.
Becker spent the week spectating. Unbelievable this driver was a
spectator at both Gold Cup and Trophy Cup…Another star missing was Geoff
Ensign who has resided in the Clayton Snow sprinter all year. Word is
this team has parted ways…Other good drivers that did not participate at
Trophy Cup included Ryan Robinson, Koen Shaw, Michael Faccinto and Bobby
McMahon…The car Becker was slated to drive was the Menne Motorsports
Shaver powered sprinter. However they parted ways leading up to Trophy
Cup…Menne then turned to ASCS national star Seth Bergman to steer his
ride. Bergman struggled all weekend as the team fought motor problems
and didn't make it out of Saturday’s C main…Hannagan spent the weekend
aboard the Washington based Lemley owned Ostrich powered sprinter. A
former outlaw winner at Tulare Hannagan transferred from the B Saturday
to put it in the A…Jason Statler -one of the 13 competitors at Trophy
Cup to win an Outlaw main - did some alphabet soup work to go C to B to
A on Saturday night…Overall 13 drivers at Trophy Cup can claim outlaw an
A main win on their resume…One driver with a bunch of huge wins just not
an outlaw win is Bud Kaeding. Kaeding couldn't get his Williams
Motorsports/Alviso Rock Maxim rolling and ultimately missed the A
Saturday night. The only main Bud qualified for was Friday night when he
worked through the B to the A…It was hard not to notice that KPC and XXX
have become the chassis of the choice on the West Coast…One of the
drivers utilizing a XXX chassis was JJ Ringo. Driving the Keller
Motorsports sprinter the Ocean speedway champion and USAC West Coast
regular had a goal of making one main event. He did just that when he
qualified for the Friday A main…Three young female stars were in the
field and had some tough breaks while showing a bright future…Chelsea
Blevins was racing for the lead in her heat Thursday night when she
found the wall and destroyed her car. With no backup car she was done
for the night…305 superstar Brooklyn Holland all destroyed a car
Thursday night when she drilled the infield tire on the start of her
heat. Her team put a new car together for Friday and she finished out
the weekend…Bailey Jean had a motor expire after the heat Friday ending
the weekend early for the high school senior…All three are young,
talented drivers that will keep improving…Finally Oregon native and
California born Roger Crockett got his first ASCS national win not in
Washington or Oregon when he won at Devil’s Bowl Saturday night.
That is it for now. I am pretty sure I am done chasing races for the
year but you never know - the Hangtown 100 is lingering and this is
seemingly a must see event and I am all about must see west coast
events. i will continue to write columns every week about the west coast
scene.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…Well
the wait is over. It is finally here. Trophy Cup week that is. With a
car count around 100 expected which includes national stars, former
trophy cup champions and overall the best of the best it is beyond
difficult to pick a favorite. But I will try. So here I go with my 10
favorites (with the money line for each) to hoist the big check come
Saturday night.
1)Aaron Reutzel (+25)
Reutzel has had previous success at Tulare and has been unstoppable in
the Midwest this year racking up win after win against stout
competition. While no doubt the track and competition are different out
west one thing is not – Reutzel’s talent.
2)Shane Golobic (+50)
The 2016 and 2017 champion Golobic has taken the last two weeks off as
he welcomed a child to the world but Golobic will be all business this
weekend. Golobic tends to be the driver to beat in California and I
expect when the dust settles Saturday night he will be somewhere in the
mix.
3) Rico Abreu (+75)
Rico will put on a show
–
that is a given. But
surprisingly for all his accolades and accomplishments Rico has never
been the big winner at the Trophy Cup. He comes toTrophy Cup on
the heels of winning three straight 410 races so momentum is on his side
– and he has reputation for banging the boards at
Tulare with the best of them.
4) Tim Kaeding (+110) Amazingly the last
time TK won a Trophy Cup was 2009 and that year he did it in epic
fashion as he won the Saturday night main from last as well as the
overall Trophy Cup – still the only one to
accomplish that feat. TK has been fast all year and don’t
sleep on him – he is still one of the best in the
business.
5) GioScelzi (+115) Dominated the Asparagus
Cup at Stockton in April walking away with $25,000 in two nights. Can he
add another big win to his fattening resume? I would be careful to be
against it as this ultra talented youngster is constantly raising the
bar.
6) Buddy Koifoid (+190) Might surprise some
to see this driver this high on the list but my only concern is how we
will adapt to the Tarlton sprinter which he will be making his first
appearance in. Besides that he is a proven winner at Tulare and has
showed that he can win against any competition. Also is now starting to
make a name for himself in the midgets as he fools around with the Keith
Kunz camp.
7) JacHaudenschild (+225) Three time winner
and defending champion who is coming off a third Saturday night at
Keller in his first appearance in the Abreu sprinter this year. Haud is
always a threat but has struggled a little this year –
that is the reason for being number seven on the list
8) Cory Eliason (+280) This guy just goes
places in and wins. It is that simple. Proved this year he can run
strong in the Midwest and proved years ago he can run strong on the west
coast. This will be his first Trophy Cup aboard the Rudeen Racing
sprinter.
9) Kyle Hirst (+390) Has taken a step back
this year and has been only a part time racer as he and Steven Tiner get
Tiner-Hirst Enterprises up and running. But don’t
be fooled – he may be part time but he still
possesses full time talent. Although Hirst has never been necessarily
dominating at Trophy Cup don’t worry. If it is a
big race and he is there then Hirst is a legit contender.
10) Dominic Scelzi (+500) Was a contender
last year and has been very fast all year in the Roth Motorsports
sprinter scoring seven wins. Scelzi is still looking for that headline
win in his career and no place better to accomplish than at Trophy Cup.
It speaks to
the talent of the field when former champions Bud Kaeding and Willie
Croft aren’t among the favorites. Neither are accomplished national
stars like Paul McMahon, Tim Shaffer and Seth Bergman. Even perennial
California front runners were snubbed like DJ Netto, Mitchell Faccinto,
Ryan Bernal, Chase Johnson, Justyn Cox and Colby Copeland. That doesn’t
mean these guys can’t win – just didn’t make the cut. Somebody was going
to be left out. These drivers all come in at +900.
Okay two sleepers:
•
Justin Sanders (+1000) not many laps at Tulare for this
driver but don’t worry. His talent is undeniable and he wins races for a
living. While Sanders has yet to really be a Trophy Cup contender I have
learned to respect this driver and what he can do – he is capable of
completely dominating the competition at any point.
•
Jason Solwod (+1500) Solwold has been electric the last
two years on Thursday night. The next step is to be electric on
Saturday. Can he do it – I am not sure but like Sanders it is dumb to
count out Solwold when he shows up.
WEST COAST NEWS
AND NOTES: Rico Abreu and Cole Macedo warmed up for the Trophy Cup with
big wins during the Cotton Classic. Abreu was victorious with NARC while
Macedo scored his first career win the with the Sprint Car Challenge
Tour…For Macedo -who
operates under the shadow of his brother Carson –
it was another step in his development as he continues to improve. It
was his second overall win of the year…Chasing
Abreu to the line was Bud Kaeding and Cory Eliason who was aboard the
Rod Tiner sprinter…Kaeding, Dominic Scelzi and DJ
Netto are waged in a tight war for the NARC championship. Scelzi was
fifth Saturday and Netto sixth…Macedo was
followed by Justyn Cox and Haudenschild. Cox was back aboard his own
sprinter for the weekend and continues to run strong as the season winds
down…Cox and Kalib Henry will be teammates for
the Trophy Cup as they will each steer a Doug and Kathy Rutz sprinter.
Tony Gualda who has been in the Rutz cars often this year has landed a
ride in the Vanlare sprinter for Trophy Cup…ASCS
National star and 2018 Dirt Cup champion Seth Bergman will pilot the
Menne motorsports sprinter during Trophy Cup…Randy Hannagan who began
his career in the bay area but has made a living in Ohio will return to
the west coast aboard the Lemley family sprinter based out of
Washington…Iowan Terry McCarl who has been a regular at Trophy Cup
through the years will not be attendance…Amazingly Sean Becker is
amongst the big name drivers with still has no ride for Trophy Cup.
Other drivers include siblings Ryan and Jodie Robinson…Also Michael
Faccinto is without a ride after an impressive four week stint aboard
the Harley Van Dyke sprinter. Keith Kunz driverJessie Love returns to
the seat for Trophy Cup…California native Logan Seavey continues his
assault on the POWRI National Midget Series as he scored win number 12
Sunday night setting a series record. Overall Seavey has won 16 open
wheel dirt track races this year…Lastly Austin Liggett continues to be
impressive as he picked up his fifth non wing win of the year Saturday
at Petaluma with USAC West Coast sprint cars. Liggett’s five wins are
tied with Brody Roa for most non winged wins on the west coast…Tristan
Guardino won the season USAC west coast season championship. He also
made some cameo appearances late in the year at Ocean with the winged
360.
That is
it. Time to start getting packed and make the 16 hour tow south to the
Trophy Cup. I will be providing updates all weekend long on twitter from
Trophy Cup as the champion seeks $26,000.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…Oh boy it is only two
weeks away…that is Trophy Cup 2019. The biggest race on the west coast
bar none is near and the hype is beginning. Most important everybody
wants to handicap favorites and discuss which driver will walk away with
all the money and glory Saturday night October 19 in the central valley
of California. Well I decided to look at back at season to date and
compile the numbers and figure out who have been the best drivers on the
west coast this year. I looked at all the races on the west coast and
added wins and podium finishes to determine the best drivers of the year
on the west coast. This does not mean these are my favorites but just a
look at the drivers that consistently finished up front on the west
coast.
1) Shane Golobic (33 pts)- Driving the Matt Wood sprinter Golobic has
been nothing less than the best this year as he has racked up eight wins
and an amazing 25 podiums on the west coast this year. In addition to
being recognized as the best sprint car driver on the west coast Golobic
is also a two time Trophy Cup champion. What is not to like. Golobic
enters as one of the obvious favorites.
2)Justin Sanders (30 pts)- Sanders has won 11 races to date in three
different rides. Overall he has scored 19 podiums. He enters Trophy Cup
in the Dale Miller sprinter which he has one win and three podiums on
the year. Sanders is amazing but seems to do his best work in his family
car or the Von Schriltz XXX. Can he be as dominant in the Miller
sprinter on a track he rarely competes at?
3)Andy Forsberg (29 pts) - Like Sanders Forsberg has won 11 races to
date. His been in the podium 18 times as he splits time between his own
ride and the F&F sprinter. Don't look for Forsberg at Trophy Cup…he will
not be competing. Forsberg does all is work on the tight 1/4 miles in
the northern valley. Paul McMahon will be aboard the F&F sprinter at
Trophy Cup.
4)Bud Kaeding (26 pts) - Kaeding flew under the radar this year but the
only driver to ever win a Trophy Cup, Oval Nationals and Western World
is no stranger to big wins. Overall he scored five wins and 21 podiums
as he split time between his father’s Maxim and the Williams/Alviso Rock
Maxim. Kaeding cannot be underestimated.
5)Sean Becker (20 pts) - One of the best in California Becker
traditionally does his best work north of the bay and this year he
scored eight wins and 12 podiums finishes as he split his time between
three different rides. Don't be confused Becker can be a contender in
the central valley and just needs a chance. Becker currently does not
have a ride for Trophy Cup.
Just missing the cut was Mitchell Faccinto (seven wins and 12 podiums)
and Jason Solwold (four wins and 15 podiums). Faccinto had seven wins
through mid-July but has been silent since, while Solwold has seemingly
lived on the podium this year. Dominic Scelzi also has seven wins but
has split his time between the west coast and the World of Outlaw Tour
cutting into his point total.
New and
Notes…Becker’s eighth win came over the weekend as he set a new track
record and won the $5000 Adobe Cup at Petaluma aboard the Dan Monhoff
sprinter… Becker outlasted Kalib Henry and Tony Gualda…Henry was aboard
his father’s sprinter, while Gualda was taking his first voyage in the
Worden family sprinter…Gualda is still looking for a Trophy Cup
ride…Sanders won his 11th feature over the weekend at Ocean
Friday night…He finished the season with five straight wins at the
coastal racetrack…Sanders was the winner however was not the champion as
that honor went to JJ Ringo abroad the Keller Motorsports sprinter…It
was the first championship for the driver but not a first for team
owner Mike Keller. He is a former sprint car champion at Santa Maria
Raceway in the 1980s…Brad Furr ran second to Sanders at Ocean while
Colby Copeland rounded out the podium as he made his first appearance in
Antaya Motorsports sprinters in a month… Scelzi continues to dominate
the win column with NARC as he scored his fifth win of the season with
the series Saturday night at Kern County Raceway…Despite his dominance
in wins Scelzi still sits third in NARC points behind DJ Netto and Bud
Kaeding. With two race left only eight points separate the top three…Kaeding
was second Saturday night while Rya Bernal rounded out the podium.
Bernal is fourth in NARC points in first full season running with
series…Normally a winged driver Kaleb Montgomery picked up the USAC West
Coast victory at Santa Maria Raceway. Montgomery is a very talented
driver who just needs some better funding to fulfill his
potential…Showing off his versatility Ringo followed securing a
championship at Ocean with a third place run Saturday at Santa
Maria…Although northwest season is over big news over the weekend was
rookie Bailey Jean Sucich being the lucky winner of a new SHARK racing
engine. She was amongst the 10 drivers to compete weekly at Skagit and
Grays Harbor during the Dual Track Bonus. All ten drivers were entered
into a drawing with top prize being a $45,000 SHARK ASCS engine. Sucich
was the lucky winner…The Dual Track Bonus increased car counts all
summer in Washington and hopefully new GHR promoter Bert Johnson will
work with Steve Beitler to continue this new concept in 2020.
Next week will be my last column before Trophy Cup and I will provide my
10 favorites for the race. The only sprint car race on tap this weekend
on the west coast is the iconic Cotton Classic at Kings Speedway in
Hanford. This is shows the ultimate double dip as it features the NARC
410 sprinters and the SCCT 360 sprinters.
Terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…If
you live on the west coast and you like sprint car racing all eyes have
turned towards California. With rain and cold weather hitting the
northwest it was a quick hard reminder that summer is done and fall is
here. Luckily the southern part of the west coast enjoys better weather
and warmer temps and an opportunity for the season to continue for the
stars of the west coast.
The only
thing on tap this weekend was the Stephen Allard Fall Nationals at
Silver Dollar Speedway. The two night show has long been a staple of the
west coast sprint car scene but with addition of the late Stephen Allard
name this event has turned into one of the premier events on the west
coast. This year saw 51 drivers compete Friday and 55 on Saturday making
it the highest car count on the west coast all year to date
–
bigger than Asparagus
Cup, Dirt Cup, Platinum Cup and the Placerville Posse shootout. This
shows how much drivers want to pay homage to Stephen Allard and his
legacy. Although the show pays less than other big 360 races on the west
coast, it is definitely one of those races where the prestige of winning
is often times bigger than the money.
This year’s
addition saw Justyn Cox pick up his first career win at Silver Dollar on
Friday night outlasting Shane Golobic while it was Tim Kaeding getting
the job done on Saturday as he raced by Justin Sanders late in the race.
Golobic was going for his eighth podium and third win of September
unfortunately was unable to make the call Saturday ending his
spectacular month in lackluster fashion.
This time
of year every race is analyzed in the lens of Trophy Cup and looking for
favorites, surprises and those drivers struggling during 360 money
season. Golobic has two trophy cup wins and has to date let the
competition know he will be a contender. Tim Kaeding has been fast in
the 410 but now seems to be getting the 360 rolling and he also has
trophy cup wins in his resume. Cox is peaking and Justin Sanders looks
to get the speed he needs to contend for that first trophy cup win. Rico
Abreu will back on the West Coast soon and will bring a teammate and
last years winner Jac Haudenschild with him. The Scelzi brothers will be
potent as they have each spent a lot of the year competing against stout
Midwest/Outlaw competition. The Tarlton team will be employing
“The
Steel City Outlaw”
Tim Shaffer
and young Buddy Koifoid. These are just of the few big name favorites as
Trophy Cup is now less than three weeks away.
But
before Trophy Cup there are still some big shows on the table this next
weeks action will include the season championship at Ocean Speedway on
Friday night, while Saturday night features 360s at Petaluma for the
$5000 to adobe cup and the 410 stars of NARC at Kern County in the
central valley.
News and
Notes: Cox whose Septemer started slow finished strong with first and
sixth at Placerville and then a first and fifth at Silver Dollar. He was
aboard the Doug and Kathy Rutz sprinter at Silver Dollar…Speaking
of the Doug and Kathy Rutz Friday was the first time their car has been
in victory lane in California. Cox will back aboard this weekend in
Petaluma…Amazingly
Tim Kaeding’s
win was his first 360 win of the year in the Joshua Bates sprinter…Sanders
who has struggled in the 360 in September led for a while on Saturday
before settling for second in the Dale Miller sprinter…Michael
Faccinto spent his second weekend in a row aboard the Harley Van Dyke
sprinter and put it in the main each night. He best run was 10th
on Saturday…Michael’s
brother Mitchell was back in action after a few weeks off and brought
the Stan Greenberg sprinter home fourth on Saturday…Another
driver who took the previous week off Bud Kaeding rounded out the podium
Saturday in the Williams Motorsports/Alviso Rock Maxim…Chase
Madjic
– coming off
some bad press concerning the World of Outlaws
–
came home fifth
Friday night as the outlaw kart star continues to improve in the sprints…Washington
star Devon Borden started his California swing by putting his ride in
the main both nights at Fall nationals…Other
northwest stars competing at Fall Nationals were Skagit regular Greg
Hamilton, Summer Nationals winner JJ Hickle and Cottage Grove champion
Tyler Thompson…Hamilton
put it in the A Friday, while Hickle put it in the A Saturday after
scratching Friday…Willie
Croft who struggled last week at Placerville rebounded with a third on
Friday and a top 10 on Saturday aboard his own sprinter…Silver
Dollar legends Andy Forsberg and Sean Becker each had solid weekends
resulting in top 10 runs each night. Ryan Robinson, Cox and Croft were
the only other drivers to run top 10 both nights...California stars were
well represented at the four crown nationals at Eldora. In All Star
action Cory Eliason, Gio Scelzi and Buddy Koifoid were 2-3-4 in the
main. In midget action Tanner Carrick, Logan Seavey and Rico Abreu ran
2-3-4…Speaking
of California stars Brad Sweet has reasserted control of the World of
Outlaw point race after Donny Schatz had a ough weekend. Sweet looks to
join Jason Meyers as the only California natives to win the Outlaw
championship…
Down south in
Arizona RJ Johnson picked up his first USAC/CRA win of the year as he
outlasted fellow Arizona star Stevie Sussex and Austin Williams. Damion
Gardner ran fourth and maintained his point lead…The
non-winged boys have five races left
–
all in November all
joint shows with the National guys.
That is
all for this week. While my next race isn’t
until Trophy Cup look for columns the next two weeks looking at the
action on the west coast and previewing Trophy Cup.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…The
Northwest sprint car season came to an end this last weekend with a two
day show at the Yakima Dirt Track. The season began more than five
months ago at the same track in early April with a Jason Solwold sweep
and ended with Grays Harbor Champion Jay Cole winning Friday night and
Summer Thunder Series Champion Devon Borden Saturday night. In between
battles had been waged and slides jobs exchanged and as the dust settled
19 drivers had won at least one main event in Washington and Oregon.
For Borden it ended a magical season in the northwest as he scored one
ASCS national win (preliminary night of Brownfield Classic at Grays
Harbor), three Summer Thunder wins and seven wins overall as he was the
winningest driver throughout Washington and Oregon. Borden marked his
arrival in early May when he outraced Solwold at Skagit to score his
first career Summer Thunder Series win. This win at Skagit against the
barometer of the northwest was a signal of what was to come. Borden
stormed to five more wins throughout the summer often in dominating
fashion. In total he racked up 10 podiums.
While Borden was dominating the win scene Solwold was always in the mix.
After sweeping shows at Yakima and Cottage Grove to start the season
Solwold would not find victory lane again despite running on the podium
15 times and top 5 in all but three 360 races he entered. He was
involved in an epic battle on Saturday night of Dirt Cup before
finishing fourth and at the Summer Nationals he settled for his third
bridesmaid in four years. In between he barely missed winning his first
Brownfield Classic as he chased Matt Covington to the finish line.
Solwold had one last act left in late August when he ran third with
Outlaws on a Friday night at Skagit Speedway. Logan Schuchart would
sweep the show at Skagit, Daryn Pittman scored the win at Grays Harbor
and Brad Sweet won at Willamette in Oregon.
Back to Dirt Cup, This classic which takes place in mid June provided
one for the ages as the 40 lap finale ultimately turned into a trade of
slide jobs and test of bravo as Solwold and ASCS National Stars Blake
Hahn, Matt Covington, Robbie Price and Seth Bergman swapped spots on a
lap by lap basis. Hahn lead early, Covington broke while leading late
but when the checkered fell it was Canadian and former Skagit track
Champion Robbie Price standing tall with the $15,000 paycheck as he
outlasted Hahn and Bergman. Another northwest regular turned ASCS star
Roger Crockett won Friday night over a hard charging Colton Heath. Hahn
won the first night over Covington and Solwold.
On to Heath - the northwest stalwart finished with three wins as he
scored two wins (one in May over Solwold and one in mid July) at Skagit
and a Summer Thunder win at Grays Harbor to open September. Despite
being the only regular with multiple wins at Skagit he wasn't factor in
the point battle which was won by Cam Smith. Smith won an early June
main over Bergman and Solwold and then gained the point lead in late
August to score his first track championship. Smith was chased in points
by one-time winner Greg Hamilton. Besides his Summer Thunder win at the
track in early May Borden also won at Skagit in late August.
The other driver who one two 360 races at Skagit provided one of the
biggest surprises of the year. It may have been forecasted on opening
night at Skagit when JJ Hickle finally scored his first win at the track
to open the season. He then endured bad break after bad break. He didn't
make it to Saturday night of Dirt Cup as he struggled mightily through
the weekend and was only able make it to one night of northwest speed
week before heading back home. But come the end of July he was talk of
the of the northwest as he shocked the Skagit faithful when he passed
Solwold and Bergman in the waning laps to claim the $10,000 first prize.
Hickle drove by the two as they raced each other and set sail to the
biggest win of his career. Bergman won the preliminary night at Summer
Nationals over…who else Solwold. Hickle is now the pedal masher for the
Ivan Worden based sprinter based out of California.
Time to talk about Seth Bergman. He arrived in late May to race in his
native northwest for the summer and the competition immediately took
notice. He won in early June at Grays Harbor and was second the next
week at Skagit. He finished third at Dirt Cup and was seemingly a factor
in every race he entered. He picked up a mid-July win at Grays Harbor
then won in early August at Cottage Grove. He headed home shortly after
and had won four races and scored nine podiums during his two plus month
stay..
Cole’s win Friday at Yakima was a shocker and his first career Summer
Thunder Series win. Cole also won a point race in mid June at Grays
Harbor during his championship run there as he enjoyed a resurgence in
his career this summer. Cam Smith would finish second points after
winning a feature in May at the track. In addition to his ASCS win in
June Borden won in late April, early July and early September.
While Bergman grabbed a a lot of headline he was not the only invader of
the northwest this summer. California stars Justyn Cox and Tony Gualda
spent ample time steering the Doug and Kathy Rutz sprinters. They each
picked up a wins at Cottage Grove. Cox nabbed the win at the Grove
during the Marvin Smith memorial, while Gualda took the second night of
the Summer Thunder Series two night stand in August. Both drivers did
their best work in Oregon as neither scored a podium in Washington.
Gualda however could not make the call for Dirt Cup which allowed
California star Justin Sanders to hop into the Rutz car and make his
first appearance at the famed race. While he did not find success during
the weekend returned to the northwest a month later for speed week and
snagged a victory at Cottage Grove on Wednesday night in his familiar
family owned sprinter. Sanders also finished second to Cox at the Marvin
Smith as he steered the Willie Kahne sprinter in the Memorial Day
tradition..
On the subject of speed week California star Mitchell Faccinto
completely dominated as he won three of the five races - he won at
Yreka, Sunset and the finale at Cottage Grove. Faccinto never finished
outside the top five and was off the podium only once during the five
races. As he dominated Kyle Hirst spent the first three races of the
speed week turning wrenches and drinking beer and then hopped in the
drivers seat the fourth night and won at Cottage Grove. Hirst then
finished third Saturday as he continues to rack up podiums in his
limited starts. Colby Copeland seemingly had the Saturday finale won at
Cottage Grove but bad luck bit hard on lap 38 as broke while leading.
The race at Sunset will forever be remembered for a classic wheel to
wheel battle between Sanders and Oregon star Jake Wheeler that lasted
countless laps and involved no touhcing.
Cottage Grove produced three different winners during speed week and
overall had ten 360 races and producing nine different winners. Solwold
won twice with Faccinto, Sanders, HIrst, Cox, Wheeler (early June),
Tyler Thompson (late August), Bergman and Gualda all snagging one.
Thompson won the track championship.
And that is the northwest season in review. All 19 winners are mentioned
at least once. I will do the same thing for California when the season
ends there.
NEWS AND
NOTES: With the northwest season complete look for Borden pick up some
races in California as he seeks to get as many laps as he can…Another
young northwest star started his sprint career this weekend as Colby
Thornhill made his debut at Yakima and ran in the top 10 Saturday.
Thonrhill is a known commodity in mini sprint ranks from Deming to
California to Tulsa…Young Oregon star Tanner Holmes made the trip to
Yakima worthwhile as he ran second on Saturday night. His best finish to
date with the Summer Thunder Series…Idaho based Logan Forler made a rare
a northwest appearance this weekend at Yakima as he had not been seen in
the northwest since April at Cottage Grove…Speaking of rare appearances
Utah based Chauncey and Channing Filler made the long trek to the Yakima
Dirt Track. Chauncey has a win earlier this year at Sweetwater, WY
duringASCS Frontier region competition…Justyn Cox and Rico Abreu were
the winners during Placerville’s season closing two night Posse
Shootout…Abreu’s win was worth $7000 and combined with a second on
Friday was a great rebound for Abreu who recently had a re-shuffle on
his team…Golobic finished second and third over the weekend and now has
23 podium finishes on the west coast this year…Kyle Hirst was aboard the
Canales sprinter and finished third Saturday night - not bad for a part
timer… Placerville track champion Andy Forsberg scored two top fives
during the Posse Shootout while point runner up Kalib Henry nailed down
a fourth Friday night…Copeland continues to run good in high profile 360
races as of late - second at Johnny Key, third at Platinum Cup and fifth
at the Shooutout. All have been aboard the Van Lare SHARK powered
sprinter…Copeland was teammates to Gualda who was in the second Van Lare
car…Gualda will be back in the Rutz sprinter this weekend at Chico as
will as Cox…Cox who steered the Morrison Concrete/Moxie Motorsports
sprinter at Placerville this weekend including the $2500 Friday night
win…Sanders and fellow California star Tim Kaeding made little noise
over the weekend at Placerville. That isn't normal…Michael Faccinto
spent the weekend aboard the Harley Van Dyke sprinter at Placerville
came home seventh on Saturday. Faccinto is a star in micros and midgets
and is a legend at the Tulsa Expo Arena but still seeking that full time
sprint car ride…Some of the stars absent for weekend at Placerville were
Mitchell Faccinto, Bud Kaeding, Geoff Ensign, Willie Croft and DJ Netto…Normal
central California competitors Kaleb Montgomery and JJ Ringo made the
trip to Placerville for the two nights. Montgomery put it in the A
Friday, while Ringo snagged an A spot during Saturday night…Austen
Williams scored his second USAC/CRA win of the year as he won the battle
over Jake Swanson and Damion Gardner…It was the last race at the Perris
oval before the prestigious Oval Nationals in November…Gardner continues
to lead the points over Williams and Brody Roa…Roa ran fifth in his
debut in the Dwight Cheney sprinter.
That is all. I am out.
terrelljoseh@hotmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By
Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…Every year as I drive home
from Gold Cup I began to realize the racing season is winding down. In
the northwest the season is just about over but even in California the
season starts to slow down as usually their is only one maybe two
offerings each weekend as the summer turns fall and fall starts to turn
to winter. And with this champions begin to get crowned.
In late August Petaluma crowned Joh Clark while
over in the valley Sean Becker was crowned at Silver Dollar Speedway. Up
the I-5 in Oregon Cottage Grove crowned youngster Tyler Thompson. Labor
Day weekend saw Michael Ing score the championship at Marysville after
an impressive six wins at the track. A week later up in Washington Jay
Cole added to his already full trophy chest as he scored the honors at
Grays Harbor Raceway. This last weekend saw two of the more high profile
track championships on the west coast awarded as Placerville Speedway in
California and Skagit Speedway in Washington ran their season
championships…or tried to.
What I mean by tried to is that while
Placerville was able to settle their championship on the trackSkagit
Speedway had rain decide the battle. Going into Saturday night Cam Smith
had a mere five point lead over Greg Hamilton as both drivers sought
their first track championship. Multiple time track champion Eric Fisher
was sitting 14 points behind looking for a bad night from both to score
another Skagit crown. However in what has been one of the driest years
in recent history in the northwest mother nature had different ideas
Saturday night and she let loose early and often forcing an early
cancellation and handing the championship to Smith who had only gained
the point lead during the previous point race in late August. Smith
aboard the Dave Smith sprinter had one win and five top five finishes on
the season versus one win and four top five finishes for Hamiton who
steers the Greg Hamilton Racing sprinter. Ultimately it was the final
point race August 24 that settled it as Smith came home fourth and
Hamilton finished seventh.
Placerville Speedway did settle theirs on the
track and Andy Forsberg capped off an amazing run at Placerville to
score the championship over budding star Kalib Henry. Forsberg left no
doubt as he roared to his seventh win of the season at the speedway
aboard the F&F Racing sprinter. Forsberg has won more championships than
one can count and continues to dominate those small northern California
bullrings. Henry who had won the previous two point races couldn't keep
pace on championship night and settled for second in points in what has
been a breakout season for the young driver who split time at the track
aboard the Jensen Motorsports sprinter, the Mcculloch’s RV sprinter and
even one night in his dad’s sprinter. Henry will definitely be a
contender next weekend as Placerville closes out their season with their
two night NorCal Posse Shootout.
While this was going on the World of Outlaws
were closing out their west coast swing in Calistoga after a midweek
adventure in Placerville and a Friday night rendezvous at Stockton.
David Gravel closed it out in style by setting fast time and then
dominating the main event to score his eighth win on the season and keep
his slim championship hopes alive. Donny Schatz who finished fourth at
Calistoga weathered the west coast swing and some rough nights to escape
with a slim point lead over Brad Sweet who scored two wins and five
podiums during the nine race swing as he put the pressure on. Daryn
Pittman also scored two wins during the swing as he continues to run
fourth in points ahead of Logan Schuchart who roared to three wins and
five podiums during the swing. His third victory of the swing at
Stockton was bittersweet as it came at the expense of his teammate Jacob
Allen who seemingly had his first outlaw victory sealed when ignition
problem knocked him out on lap 28. It was another heartbreak for Allen
who just can’t quite seem to get over the hill and conquer a main event.
And while this was the heartbreak story of the week the feel good story
of the week happened Wednesday in Placerville as Shane Golobic took the
popular win in the Matt Wood sprinter. It was his second outlaw win of
his young career. After battling for the lead on the opening night of
Gold Cup Golobic found himself back in outlaw victory lane at
Placerville. Th win left him feeling confident again as he had began to
doubt whether he would conquer the outlaws ever again after doing it is
a teenager.
NEWS AND
NOTES: As Golobic was scoring an outlaw win fellow California superstar
Justin Sanders was again ever so close as he finished third Wednesday
night at Placerville….Golobic (twice), Sanders, Tim Kaeding and Jason
Solwold were only non outlaw drivers to score podium finishes during the
west coast swing …Golobic, Dominic Scelzi, Rico Abreu and Bud Kaeding
were the only California locals attend all five races during the outlaw
swing through the California…It was Golobic’s first 410 win of the year
to go with six wins in 360 competition…Forsberg leads all drivers on the
West Coast with wins as he sits at 11 following his win this
weekend…Tony Gualda made his second appearance aboard the Van Lare SHARK
powered sprinter Saturday at Placerville and ran second…Justyn Cox whose
own ride is out of engines announced he will drive the Morrison
Motorsports sprinter at the Posse Shootout. Siblings Ryan and Jodie
Robinson have each spent time in this car this season…California star
Buddy Koifoid spent the season racing in Ohio in the Ed Neumeister owned
Linder family operated sprinter has announced he is searching for a ride
as this was only a one year deal. Koifoid has enjoyed much success this
season including a track championship at Fremont Speedway and an All
Star win. Koifoid will be in Tarlton sprinter at Trophy Cup…Also
announced All Star point leader Aaron Reutzel will be in a car at Trophy
Cup…Another Californian star competing in the midwest Logan Seavey
continues to have a dream season as he scored his 10th POWRI National
Midget series win of the year. It was 13th midget win of the year and
15th open wheel win overall. Not bad…Another young California star
making noise Gio Scelzi made his pavement Late Model debut over the
weekend at Irwindale and did what he does - win….Non wing star Brody Roa
won the USAC southwest feature Saturday night leads the point standing
and sits third in USAC/CRA points as seeks to win both
championships…Fellow SoCal star Jake Swanson currently sits in the top
10 in all four western USAC series (USAC/CRA, USAC Southwest, USAC West
Coast and USAC W/S Midgets)… And finally straight out of the midwest
Kyle Cummins won his seventh non wing feature of the year at Tri-State
speedway in Indiana. They have only had seven features all year. That is
right - perfection.
Next weeks action features the Shootout at
Placerville in California and the two night Summer Thunder Series finale
at the Yakima Dirt Track. I will be at home in Olympia working on those
chores I neglected during the summer months.
terrelljoseph@hotmai.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Along the
I-5…Only once a year on the west coast can a fan or driver do four
nights of sprint car racing in a row at the same track. That time is of
course the annual Gold Cup which happens every September at the famous
Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Ca. The high banked quarter mile is
action packed and it can be slick, hooked up, rough and all points in
between leaving two nights never being the same. This is year was no
different as fans were greeted to different track surfaces almost every
night. Unexpected rains on Wednesday and non stop winds on Thursday and
Saturday contributed to the wide range of track surfaces. Overall 63
different drivers competed in the four night extravaganza.
This years Gold Cup took on a new form as it no longer featured the
USAC/CRA sprints on Thursday night as it had for so many years but
instead was essentially split into two two night shows. Wednesday and
Thursday featured the 360s as they competed for $2500 on Wednesday and
$4000 on Thursday in a show billed as the Platinum Cup. The format was
based on the World of Outlaw format with the difference being that the
first four on the preliminary night transferred directly to the dash and
therefore the main on Thursday night.
Wednesday night may have been the best action of the week as the 30 lap
main event featured an amazing eight official lead changes but had many
more as Andy Forsberg and Kalib Henry swapped the top spot on an almost
turn by turn basis during the final 15 laps. Forsberg worked the bottom
to perfection as he used patience to grab the lead for good at the white
flag and hold on during a furious final lap aboard the F&F Racing
sprinter. Henry continues to shine in the last half on the season ran
the top without fear aboard the McCollouch RV sprinter and ultimately
settled for second. Pole sitter Shane Golobic and 13th starting Dominic
Scalzi grabbed the last two automatic transfers.
Following Wednesday’s 30 lap main Thursday was to be a 40 a lap edition
but mother nature had different ideas. With a non stop wind from the
south that never relented the track crew battled the surface all night
and ultimately the 40 lap race was shortened to 30 because of excessive
tire wear. And while in the past I have been very critical of tracks
shortening main events on this night this was the obvious choice. Rubber
could be smelt starting about lap 11 and it was obvious excessive wear
was occurring. Golobic would grab the main aboard the Matt Wood Racing
sprinter as he snuck by Colby Copeland on lap 17 as Copeland hadn't
found the rubber. Wille Croft also snuck by Copeland in own Amerikote
sprinter to secure second. Copeland finished third aboard the Van Lare
SHARK powered sprinter. Copeland was disappointed as he again came up
short in his efforts to score a big win for the Van Lare family. He was
leading the Oregon speed week finale when he broke in July, finished
second at the Johnny Key in August and now third at the Platinum Cup in
September.
After two nights of 360 action it was time for the Gold Cup headliner
which consisted of two nights of World of Outlaw action. Friday night
featured an $8000 to win 30 lap adventure and Saturday was $15,000 to
win while taking 40 trips around the Silver Dollar oval. The last few
years the outlaw have struggled in Chico with California drivers
displaying a major home court advantage. Rico Abreu had won two of the
last three and last year led a California sweep of the podium on
Saturday as Tim Kaeding was second and Cory Eliason third. In 2017
Justin Sanders finished a strong second after looking like he had the
car to beat. This year the outlaws got their revenge at Gold Cup on
Saturday night as they dominated the action and once again proved why
they are the best drivers in the world.
Friday night the California drivers looked like agin they may rule the
weekend as outlaw regular and California native Brad Sweet won over
fellow Californians Kaeding and Golobic. Golobic - who has one previous
career outlaw win at Antioch Speedway - started second and was strong as
he raced Kaeding for the lead early until Sweet swept by both of them
and took the lead on lap 17 and never looked back. Kaeding brought the
Sides Motorsports sprinter home second as it was his third straight
second at Gold Cup. Golobic was third, while Sanders was seventh in the
Jon Von Schriltz XXX and Bud Kaeding brought the Morrie Williams
sprinters home ninth. Although the the track Friday was hooked up and
passing was at a premium Sheldon Haudenschild was able to go from 14th
to fourth at the checkered.
Saturday the outlaw took control. it was that simple. With $15,000 on
the line and 40 laps around the Silver Dollar Speedway awaiting them the
outlaws dominated the action Saturday night. Early on Sanders looked
like he was going to carry the torch for California but after starting
sixth in the main Sanders couldn't get going and ultimately left on the
hook on lap 38. Copeland started eighth in the Trevor Canales sprinter
and was running fifth when a wing hydraulic derailed his effort on lap
17.
From this point the outlaws laid dominance as they placed in nine out of
the top positions with one exception being Tim Kaeding who ultimately
finished sixth. Daryn Pittman jumped to the lead at the start aboard the
California based Dennis Roth KPC and never looked back as he lead all 40
laps to secure his second career Gold Cup championship. Sweet made a few
challenges and as the laps waned Logan Schuchart joined the battle after
starting 12th but the lap 38 caution for Sanders reset the field and
left Pittman open track which he used to his advantage. He was followed
to the line by Sweet and Schuchart. David Gravel came home fourth and
Sheldon Haudenschild once again charged from mudpack (this time 13th) to
secure a top five position.
Saturday night offered a rough track but once which offered a lot of
racing and much more excitement than Pittman’s dominance would lead to
believe. The heat races were competitive - especially heat three
featured a wicked battle for third to seventh - and their was great
action throughout the field during Saturday’s main event. It is
difficult to have four nights of racing on a track and the crew at
Silver Dollar Speedway worked hard all weekend to try to give drivers
and fans the best track possible. Although the track was for perfect at
all times overall their each night offered plenty of action and intrigue
and that is all that can be asked for.
WEEKEND NEWS
AND NOTES: The story of the weekend in a lot of ways was Antioch
Speedway local Billy Aton who made a rare 410 start a memorable one
Friday night. Aton qualified 12th finished second in his heat which led
to a dash appearance and ultimately a sixth place starting position in
main event He came home 11th. Aton did not return Saturday night…After
his win Wednesday local star Andy Forsberg struggled the rest of the
weekend and did not qualify for the 40 lap main Saturday night…Golobic
bid for four podiums in four nights took a hit on Saturday when he one
to pits early during a caution as ran around the top five. He would
finish outside the top 10 Saturday night…The World of Outlaw shows
featured lower than expected car counts wit 30 and 29
respectively…Amongst the missing were Silver Dollar superstar Sean
Becker (no ride), NARC point leader DJ Netto (who won Saturday’s 360
show at Kings), Mitchell Faccinto (who competed Wednesday and Thursday
before heading back home to Kings for Saturday) and early season NARC
point leader Ryan Bernal (he spent the weekend steering the Josh Ford
sprinter in USAC/CRA competition at Merced and Santa Maria)…Geoff Ensign
competed in amazing nine races in eight days as he competed in three
USAC/CRA races, two NARC races, the Platinum Cup and with World of
Outlaws…11 drivers competed in all four nights at Silver Dollar with
Kaeding, Sanders and Copeland using two different rides to accomplish
the feat…Kaeding was in the Joshua Bates sprinter the first two nights,
Sanders steered the Dale Miller sprinter Wednesday and Thursday and
Copeland was in the Van Lare sprinter and then the Trevor Canales
sprinter….Jon Allard and outlaw kart star Chase Madjic each competed in
three nights as Allard subbed for Madjic on Wednesday in the Mittry
Motorsports sprinters. Madjic was back in the ride the rest of the
weekend and Allard was aboard the Olfill family Country Builders
Construction sprinter Friday and Saturday…it was weird to not see
California star Kyle Hirst compete the 410 version of Gold Cup although
he did compete in the Platinum Cup aboard the C & M Motorsports
sprinter…which speaking of the C & M sprinter former driver Tony Gualda
was spotted in their pit area Thursday night. Saturday he was aboard the
Van Lare sprinter in Petaluma and finished fourth. Local driver Bradley
Terrell picked up the win in Petaluma…The drive of the weekend may have
occurred on Thursday night when Oregon driver Jake Wheeler wheeled his
sprinter to an eighth place finish after starting 18th. What was
impressive about this was the fact the track had taken rubber and no
could seemingly pass expect Wheeler as he used the top part of the
track. Wheeler literally drove the wheels off as he had two ear flats as
the race ended…Speaking of northwest drivers JJ Hickle was aboard the
Worden family car for the week and could not stay out of trouble in
Chico each night as lady luck was not on his side. He rebounded to
finish fifth at Petaluma on Saturday…On the northwest line Devon Borden
scored his sixth win of the year up at Grays Harbor as he won the season
finale. Jay Cole won the championship…Other champions crowned this year
include Michael (Marysville), Sean Becker (Silver Dollar) and John Clark
(Petaluma)…Lastly Damion Gardner claimed the win at Santa Maria Raceway
Saturday night to conclude USAC/CRA speed week and win the championship.
He won the title by one point over Austen Williams who had won the
previous weekend in Calistoga…Austin Liggett picked up the victory
Friday in Merced but missed the races at Petaluma on Monday and Santa
Maria Saturday spoiling his chance for the championship…Danny Faria, Jr.
finished third in the mini series followed by NARC regular Chase Johnson
(won at Petaluma) and Jake Swanson (won at Calistoga).
That is all for now. I am sure there is more I want to write about but I
cant think of it now. With Gold Cup in the rear view all attention is
now towards Trophy Cup as that is the next race I will attend. I will
continue to write every week and keep to update all things West Coast
sprint car racing.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…Well that is that.
The World of Outlaws hit the state of Washington Friday night at Skagit
Speedway and with a blink of the eye they were departing Grays Harbor
Raceway Monday night. Throw in a Summer Thunder Series race Sunday night
at GHR and it was four race weekend for those dedicated race fans and
for Jason Solwold as he was the only driver to compete in all four
nights. But Washington was not the only state with a lot on the menu
this week as California had the big Louie Vermeil Classic
(Saturday/Sunday) featuring USAC/CRA and NARC, Petaluma had USAC/CRA
Mondaynight and by the way Marysville Raceway had a point race Saturday
night. Yes a lot 360/410 sprint action on the west coast this week.
Before I dive into all the happenings of the weekend on the west coast a
big announcement was made Monday night that the World of Outlaws would
be coming back to GHR on Labor Day in 2020. This come on the heels of
Bert Johnson taking over the track in the beginning of August from Steve
Beitler. It was big for Johnson to be able to lock in the outlaws as
their had been some murmur about them not returning. No official
announcement was made at Skagit but with the Outlaws signed for Monday
of Labor Day weekend next year it makes sense that Skagit will have its
traditional Friday and Saturday dates. Although the car counts were
lower than years past the crowds for the all three outlaw races in
Washington show why the series keeps coming back to the northwest. Huge
crowds greeted the outlaws each night.
While it was great news to hear GHR confirmed for next year the track
will definitely need to step up its program when it comes to hosting two
day shows. The first night was marred by numerous scoring delays during
the modified main and a push truck running over Cam Smith’s back tire.
Monday night was more of the same as the track changed the format on
ford focus midgets without warning and sprint qualifying saw at least
three instances where the push truck had pushed off a sprint car to
early creating some close calls. Also while Monday nights main was much
better than Sunday track conditions both nights left something to be
desired as huge ruts were visibly evident in turns three and four. The
power of the 410s helped them navigate these obstacles better than the
360s which allowed them to put on a better show but the GHR staff needs
to produce a better racing surface for the outlaws.
One more quick item to discuss. A lot was made - especially by fans in
the northwest - about NARC running the same weekend in Calistoga and how
that hurt car count. And while it would have been nice if their was no
conflict truth is NARC has to do what is best for their schedule and
drivers and that really only two or three drivers would have come up to
race with outlaws in Washington meaning car counts would still have been
in the low 20s.
WEEKEND NEWS
AND NOTES: Daryn Pittman won the first two World of Outlaw races of the
year but since then has been blanked. He changed that Monday night as
took the lead early from Shane Stewart and never looked back. Pittman
continues to run fourth in points…Pittman’s pass for the lead Monday was
the only pass for the lead over the weekend. Schuchart led all 70 laps
at Skagit and Colton Heath led all 30 laps of the Summer Thunder Series
main on Sunday…For Heath it was his first Summer Thunder win of the year
as he tries to win his second championship in a row. Unfortunately point
leader Devon Borden finished second. Two point races remain…For all
intent and purposes Jay Cole cliched his 10th track title in the 360
class Sunday night with one race remaining…Donny Schatz closed his
weekend with a second at GHR after running second at Skagit Saturday. In
both races Donny came on late. In each instance he was running fifth
before making his charge…Schatz second place finish came at the expense
of Carson Macedo who had to settle for third in his first trip to GHR…Down
in Marysville Saturday night Carson’s little brother Cole picked up the
win the Tarlton Racing sprinter…The NARC Calistoga shows were won by
Rico Abreu and Dominic Scelzi. For Scelzi it was his series leading
fourth win of the year…Bud Kaeding was the only driver on the podium
each night as he finished third and second…With three races left Kaeding
trails DJ Netto by five points. Scelzi sits it third 12 points behind
Netto. Willie Croft and Ryan Bernal round out the top five…Bernal joined
Kaeding, Geoff Ensign and Chase Johnson in running both divisions at
Calistoga. He finished second Saturday in the Colby Copeland owned
sprinter with USAC/CRA…Austen Willaiams won Saturday with USAC/CRA while
Jake Swnson took the win Sunday. For Swanson it was third win in as many
weekends…Johnson won Monday at Petaluma with USAC/CRA after a strong
weekend at Calistoga where results didn't show his speed. Johnson
continues to be the most versatile driver California as he has picked up
sprint car wins with NARC, SCCT and USAC/CRA. Overall he has seven
sprint car wins this year…Ensign spent the weekend aboard his normal
Clayton Snow ride for NARC and Finkerbinder sprinter for the USAC/CRA
portion. His best finish over the weekend was seventh Sunday at
Calistoga in the USAC/CRA main…Johnson (in the Thomas sprinter for each
division) and Ensign were the only drivers to compete in both NARC shows
and all three USAC/CRA shows over the weekend…The Canadian based Doug
and Kathy Rutz owned team had an interesting weekend as they employed
three drivers in three nights…Friday Borden made his 410 debut, Saturday
featured Tony Gualda and Justyn Cox as did Sunday. Borden was the only
driver to finish a main as the team battled lady luck all weekend. They
had planned to run GHR Monday and Willamette Wednesday with Cox but a
change of plans had them head home Monday morning and Cox return to
California to run the first two nights of Gold Cup…As previously
mentioned Solwold ran all four nights in Washington over the weekend. He
brought the Shaylen Raye sprinter home third, ninth, fifth and 10th.
Summer Nationals champion JJ Hickle ran sixth Sunday with Summer Thunder
Series will head to California this week to hop into the Worden sprinter
and run the first two nights of Gold Cup and then Saturday at Petaluma.
Well that is all for now. Getting ready to hit
the road and head to Silver Dollar speedway for four nights of Gold Cup
action. The new format should be exciting with two full nights of winged
360s and two full nights of winged 410s. In addition to Gold Cup other
sprint car action on the West Coast includes season championships at GHR,
point races at Petaluma and Kings Speedway and the conclusion of
USAC/CRA speed week at Merced Friday and Santa Maria Saturday.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim. I will be posting updates all
weekend long from Silver Dollar Speedway.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR
SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…And
just like that the World of Outlaw swing through Washington is almost
done. What started Friday at Skagit Speedway will end tonight at Grays
Harbor Raceway with a 30 lap $8000 to win main event. After two nights
at the bullring the Outlaws will move to the wide and fast GHR for their
annual visit. The outlaws have been coming to GHR since the mid-1990’s
with a few missed years. The track has produced many different outlaw
winners but in recent years one driver has dominated and with that the
sharpies are ready to lay the odds for tonight’s race. Last nights track
conditions at GHR has the sharpies concerned as the track became very
rough during the Summer Thunder 360 main event. A rough track could
shake the bottle up but the sharpies have moved on and are assuming
track conditions will improve tonight.
1) Donny Schatz (+25) The sharpies almost went even money but decided
against it. With that said Schatz has been the driver to beat the last
five years with three wins in four starts. Schatz struggled a little
Friday at Skagit but rebounded in a big way Saturday as he roared to a
second place finish after running fifth for most of the feature. Schatz
is seeking his ninth win of the 2019 campaign as he enters the night
with a 26 point lead over Brad Sweet.
2) David Gravel (+75) Gravel started with a bang at Skagit Friday when
he broke the existing track record but the rest of the weekend was
rather average. Gravel struggled Saturday as his JJR team changed
engines and replaced the front end in an attempt to gain extra speed.
Gravel has never won at GHR but has been third the last two visits and
currently sits third in points 114 behind Schatz. Gravel is looking for
his eighth win of the year and is always dangerous at high speed joints
like GHR.
3)Logan Schuchart (+85) Schuchart has never been on the podium at GHR so
how is he third in the odds. Easy after a dominating performance at
Skagit in which he led all 70 laps in two nights the sharpies were not
going to overlook Schuchart again. He comes in into the race fifth in
points and is seeking his seventh win of the year.
4)Brad Sweet (+115) The point leader for most of the year Sweet leads
the series in wins and top five finishes. Sweet contended at Skagit
Saturday before coming home third has one podium at GHR in the last five
years. The sharpies almost didn't put Sweet on the list but thought
better of it. Sweet has been in a draught and would like nothing better
than to get win 13 as the series heads to the Golden State.
5)Daryn Pittman (+140) Pittman sits fourth in points and has done it by
being consistent. He only has two wins but has been up front all year
long. Pittman finished second at GHR last year. Pittman had solid
weekend at Skagit but really wants to make up some ground as the West
Coast swing has always been good to him.
Shane Stewart won in 2017 but with all the noise surrounding him and CJB
Motorsports team the sharpies decided to stay away from a driver who has
had much success at the GHR oval over the years including two outlaw
wins and two Fred Brownfield Classic victories.
A couple long shot odds for tonights show:
Brent Marks (+400) For some reason the sharpies like the Pennsylvania
standout Marks tonight. Maybe they just feel he is do for a good run.
GHR is a little bigger than Skagit and Marks background is racing on the
big high speed Pennsylvania ovals.
Jason Solwold (+950) struggled a little Saturday night after his podium
run on Friday. Solwold finished fifth last night as he tried to just
survive the rough track has a lot confidence in his 410 program and with
shuffle on the crew that has Peter Murphy turning the wrenches the
sharpies see potential for the upset. Solwold missed last years race at
GHR.
Well that is it for now. Time to get back to the track for the final
night of the outlaw swing through Washington. I will have an article
tomorrow with complete breakdown of all the action on the west coast
over the weekend.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Skagit Speedway…Outlaw
weekend in the northwest is always huge. It is the most anticipated
racing weekend of the year amongst fans and the campground and crowds
proved it. Friday night saw the campground packed and the stands full.
With 410 racing a thing of the past in the northwest fans flock to this
weekend to see the premier division in all of sprint cars do its work.
With 19 cars checked in (supported by 35 focus midget) the outlaws
rolled the through a professionally ran program and Logan Schuchart was
taking the checkered flag a little after 850 p.m.
Fan were greeted
to a super hooked up Skagit Speedway putting passing at a premium and
challenging the fitness of the drivers. David Gravel admitted to being
worn out after running a 10 lap heat race in about a minute and a half.
Second and third place finishers Kraig Kinser and Jason Solwold both
talked in post race interviews about the demanding nature of the track
and the stress it put on cars and drivers. Schuchart made reference to
the track being scary fast. Each start of a race was high intensity as
drivers saw how important it was to get into turn one and out of two
fast if they wanted to gain a position. In heat one Carson Macedo came
together with Shane Stewart as they raced off turn four on the start -
each big eyed to get into turn one first and gain the position.
Stewart’s CJM Motorsports car was destroyed while Macedo was recipient
of a few wayward punches from Stewart.
How fast was it
last night at Skagit Speedway for the World of Outlaws? An amazing six
drivers qualified under the old track record led by David Gravel. With
new clay put down earlier in the week Skagit Speedway was super hooked
up all night long putting passing at a premium. The track widened during
the 30 lap main event but still was too hooked up to see in significant
movement during the A main. While it was little one lane and lacked
passing the main event was amazing in its own right as the drivers were
challenged by the demanding conditions and speeds. Watching the fastest
sprint car drivers in the world push Skagit Speedway to its limit was an
amazing sight nonetheless.
Schuchart scored
his first career outlaw win at Skagit Speedway and fifth of the year in
the SHARK owned XXX. Schuchart was never challenged as he railed around
the lightning fast Skagit Speedway and pulled away during the last 15
laps. Schuchart seemed to be able push the limits for more laps than
other drivers as he kept a roaring pace over the second half of the race
while the rest of the field fell behind. Kinser looked like he was the
driver to beat during the heat and dash but lost the race into turn one
in his KInser Racing owned Maxim and ran an unchallenged second all
race.
Solwold who
started out outlaw weekend last year with a bang only to end with thud
was super fast all night and brought home the Shaylen Raye Motorsports
sprinter home third. Solwold had a scary moment late in the race as he
struggled to get around slower Austen Wheatley allowing fourth place Ian
Madsen to make up ground. Solwold eventually used a bonsai move in turn
four to clear Wheatley and secure the spot. Madsen would finish fourth
ahead of Brad Sweet.
New and Notes:
After being announced he would be parting ways with CJB Motorsports team
Stewart was hoping for a big weekend at a favorite track. His first
night was not what he was hoping for as he had to pull down second car
to tag the A and finish 13th after his violent heat race flip…Local
Justin Youngquist put together funds to rent a 410 for the weekend but
trouble in the heat race caused him to scratch for A…Devon Borden’s
first career run in the 410 was a learning day as he mainly tried to
stay out of trouble and get laps in the Doug and Kathy Rutz owned
sprinter…Justyn Cox will drive the car tonight through
Willamette…Australian Jessie Attard drove from Pennsylvania to finish
his American season with a run with the World of Outlaws on the West
Coast. Attard crossed the line in 15th…Former World of Outlaw champion
Jason Meyers was in the pits taking in the action at Skagit
Speedway…Rumors about his presence were many but I am not going to
speculate on these at this time…The low car count was definitely a point
of conversation but most recognize it is the reality of a 410 race where
410s don't run.
You can catch me
tonight at Skagit Speedway for night two of the World of Outlaws. Down
in California the Louie Vermeil Classic tips off for two night featuring
NARC and USAC/CRA. Next two nights I will down in Elma Sunday for Summer
Thunder Series and Monday for the World of Outlaws. This is my favorite
week of the year as after Elma I head to Silver Dollar Speedway for four
more nights of sprint car action.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswm. I will be providing twitter
updates all night service permitting.
THE WEST COAST
SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…Their
was time through from 2006-2013ish that Skagit regulars provided some
steep competition and won twice (Jason Sowlold-2006 and Travis
Jacobson-2012) with a few stolen by lap traffic (Jayme Barnes
2008-2009). In 2011 it was local car owner Kevin Rudeen winning with
soon to be Skagit speedway legend and Texan born Sam Hafertepe, Jr.
takin the honors (his legend is well known at Skagit).Now Knoxville
regular Trey Starks has battled the outlaws on the famed Skagit oval in
previous years - before that he was winning Dirt Cup preliminary mains
at an age most of us are acting dumb at. But times have changed though
the fun of setting odds for Outlaw weekend hasn’t. The sharpies have set
this weekends outlaw show at Skagit. They looked at history, the last
five years of results at Skagit with Outlaws and then factored the
current year to set the favorites.
1)
David
Gravel (+50) – A little a bit of surprise given Gravel’s inconsistent
history at Skagit. He did sweep in 2016 but has struggled mightily at
times making it very difficult to handicap him. However given the fact
that he has shown the ability to dominate at Skagit and given the run he
has been on the last month the sharpies were swayed by recent results
more than recent history.
2)
Donny
Schatz (+75) – Like Gravel Schatz has mixed history at Skagit. He swept
in 2014 but has only been on the podium twice since then in seven races.
But it is Donny and like Gravel he has been running good lately and
recently reclaimed the point lead. Schatz seems poised to get on a hot
streak and seal the championship with some great string of wins – maybe
Skagit will start the run?
3)
Brad Sweet
(+100) – Has never won at Skagit. Led the Outlaw points until recently
as he has struggled coming out of Knoxville. But don’t sleep on Sweet.
He has three podiums in his last four mains at Skagit and has won more
Outlaw races this year than anybody (12). While Sweet has been in a rut
the last few weeks he thrives on the West Coast bullrings and Skagit is
one he still hasn’t won at.
4)
Shane
Stewart (+200) – this one is about history. Nobody runs better at Skagit
in big shows than Shane Stewart. NOBODY! With this said he only has one
podium in his last six A main starts at Skagit with the Outlaws and has
probably not quite met expectations in the his first year with CJB team.
However like Sweet Stewart feasts on the West Coast and no better track
to start a West Coast run at than the place he has made his personal
playground in the past
5)
Daryn
Pittman (+225)- Kind of surprised this guy is fifth given the fact that
he has won two of the last three main events at Skagit. With that said
in Pittman’s last nine starts at Skagit he has no other podiums besides
his two wins. Pittman is one of the most consistent drivers on the tour
and always seems get slept on.
The five favorites are all Outlaw regulars as they have
dominated Skagit action in recent years with the amount of non outlaw
drivers dropping each year. This year looks to be the lowest as some of
the drivers who have supported the Outlaws at Skagit (Rico Abreu, Willie
Croft and Dominic Scelzi) will be in Calistoga running with NARC 410
series in dual show with USAC/CRA. With that said their is two non
Outlaw drivers the sharpies thought were worthy of odds.
•
Tim Kaeding
(+600) - Has never won a major race at Skagit and has struggled at times
but sharpies looked at Kaeding’s recent performances and couldn’t
overlook him. He dominated the NARC speedweek this past weekend has been
a front runner all year in the 410 division when he has ran them
whether it has been in the Tiner sprinter or the Sides Motorsports
sprinters. He will be driving the Sides car this weekend. He may not win
but look for Kaeding to be a factor.
•
Jason
Solwold (+1000) - Last minute addition. Sharpies like the fact he got
410 laps in at Knoxville and think it might translate to a good run at
his home track. Solwold has not won all year at Skagit but he can be
break the drought in a big way with a magical run this weekend.
Even though the car count will hover around 20 for the
weekend, which will disappoint some,I expect great action as Steve
Beitler and his crew have had Skagit Speedway in top shape the last few
years for the World of Outlaws and this year should provide more of the
same.
NEWS & NOTES: A lot of action of the west coast
last weekend and it was headlined by four night NARC speed week
featuring Kyle Larson…Larson
won the first night and immediately talk of a four night sweep started
but the Kaeding brothers had something different in mind as they won the
next three (Tim won two, Bud the other one)…Tim
Kaeding was truly dominant as he rolled the Rod Tiner sprinter to four
podiums in four nights…On
Friday night both Ocean Speedway and Silver Dollar speedway had 360’s
on tap and couple familiar faces graced victory lane….At
Ocean Justin Sanders picked up his fifth win of the year at the track
and 10th overall on the West Coast to lead all drivers...At
Silver Dollar Sean Becker closed out the regular season with his fourth
win in last five races at the track in the Menne Motorsports sprinter to
clinch the track championship. Becker was not done as he won the next
night in Petaluma in the Worden sprinter. It Becker’s
sixth overall win of the year…Running
second to Becker at Silver Dollar was Kalib Henry in the Jensen
Motorsports sprinter. Henry has been fast lately no matter the ride and
seems poise to challenge for some of the big money California 360 races
coming up…Making
a rare appearance Friday night at Ocean was legend Brent Kaeding who
drove his own sprinter to second place finish…In
addition to Petaluma Saturday night saw 360 action at Marysville, in
Oregon at Cottage Grove and Skagit…Like
Becker Andy Forsberg ran the first two nights of NARC speed week before
running the 360 Friday and Saturday. After running fourth on Friday at
Chico, Forsberg rebounded to win at Marysville. It was his ninth overall
win of the year…Young
Oregon driver Tyler Thompson picked up his first 360 career 360 win at
Cottage Grove outrunning Kyle Miller and Tony Gualda…Gualda’s
teammate for the night in Rutz sprinter was Southern Oregon star Garen
Linder…Lastly
at Skagit Devon Borden dominated as he rolled to his second win of the
year at Skagit and fifth overall. Borden set fast time and stormed to
the lead by lap two and was never challenged.
That is all for now. As previously mentioned
I am headed to Skagit for Friday and Saturday and then GHR Sunday and
Monday. Will definitely have an article Sunday handicapping the
favorites for GHR and looking back at the nights of action at Skagit.
Also look for an article next Tuesday covering the action at GHR.
terrlljoseph@hotmail.com
and on twitter @idrinkiswim. Follow on twitter for updates all weekend
long.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
BY Joseph Terrell - Tale of the Northwest Nomad
Cannon Beach, Or…I am a dirt
track guy. No doubt about it. Been going for more than 36 years every
summer chasing dirt track racing up and down the west coast. it is my
passion and the reason I started writing this column was because I spend
so much time going to races and talking about races that I figured I
might as well write about it. But over the last few years and have
broadened my horizons and began to enjoy NASCAR at a time when it isn't
cool to like NASCAR. I am now a loyal follower and am pretty much up to
speed to what is happening in the three major divisions at all times -
when three years ago the only the thing i knew or cared about was Kyle
Busch. So with this is mind I headed up to Evergreen Speedway in Monroe,
Wa. to take in a K&N West Pro Series 150 and the track local super late
models around the monster 5/8 mile oval. This would be new to me no
doubt. I have been to a few a pavement shows through the years but never
a race sanctioned by NASCAR.
Until Saturday my experience with live NASCAR
racing had been one night of truck qualifying years ago at Evergreen. I
remember missing the Saturday night show to head to Skagit for a weekly
show so I was in for a new experience on this night. First their would
be no heat races. Both the K&N Series and super late models (along with
the two support divisions) just qualified and then ran their main
events. Where in dirt track racing we are used to show of qualifying,
heat races and main event that start as the sun sets pavement racing is
different as it as an all day experience.
We arrived little before 3 pm so we could catch
the super late models and K&N cars qualify. From 415 to 545 pm track was
quite as their was an autograph session and chance for fans to stretch
their legs and take in the events of the day. The K&N cars were
immediately impounded after qualifying - meaning teams could make no
changes to the cars in between qualifying and the beginning of the race
(I kinda wish major touring sprint car series would do this between
qualifying and heats). At 545 the track came alive with the first
support division and at 630 the K&N series took green. The K&N race was
150 laps with caution laps counting and on lap 75 their was five minute
break to to change tires and making any necessary chassis adjustments.
Obviously one of the draws of the K&N series is
young female sensation Hailie Deegan. Deegan has become a face of racing
with her aggressive driving style and amazing personality and will
continue to be as she has all the right ingredients to become a major
star. Deegan - who finished ninth in Bristol with K&N East on Thursday -
was strong during the middle of the race but slipped during the last 50
laps after getting to second. She battled an ill handling car at the end
finally came home seventh. While I have not doubt Deegan has a great
future I just hope the hype doesn't exceed the reality. Deegan is good -
and one day might be great - but she is 18 and has a long way to go.
Sometime race fans will latch onto a driver and expect what cannot be
achieved. As a race fan I just want to enjoy Hailie Deegan and see where
this goes and not overhype but just enjoy another young driver trying to
make their way.
Just like dirt racing pavement racing is full of
stars you’ve never heard of. Trevor Huddleston a little known driver
nationally but an established superstar in California/Arizona pavement
scene ran away with the show Saturday night to score his second win of
the year. Huddleston won 22 races on pavement in 2017 running
regionally. Running right behind him was 17 year old Wisconsin star
Derek Kraus. Kraus is leading K&N West points and was second in K&N East
points before missing Thursday’s race at Bristol. Kraus a high school
wrestler has already dabbled in trucks. The pole sitter and early leader
was Brittney Zamora a young star from Kennewick, Wa. who had the crowd
on their feet all Saturday night. Zamora ultimately came home third in
her best K&N West finish to date. Zamora, like Kraus and Deegan,
competes in both K&N Series for a majority of the races.
And just like dirt racing pavement racing can be
very humbling. Zamora pulled double duty and was beaming after her K&N
run which she had faded to fifth before working her way to third. But in
the super late models Zamora was just another driver as she ran mid pack
before finally finishing sixth. She was never a factor at a track she
has many laps at proving that like dirt track racing locals are fast and
you can’t just show up and expect to win because your a big name.
I enjoyed my first K&N race and their will be
more but it now time for this guy to back to dirt.
WEST COAST
NEWS AND NOTES: No 360 racing in the Northwest sprint car racing this
week as the ISCS limited sprint week of speed took center stage. Oregon
star Tanner Holmes won the championship and winning three of the six
races…Oregon drivers won the first five nights but Washington’s Kelsey
Carpenter stopped the streak on the final night at GHR. Using a term
often overused - why doesn't Carpenter have regular 360 ride?….Down in
California three 360 races produced three different winners at Silver
Dollar Speedway Friday and then Ocean and Placerville Saturday…At Chico
Sean Becker did Sean Becker things and won the always emotional Tyler
Wolf memorial. Becker’s win came aboard the Dan Menne #75 sprinter. In
true Becker fashion he finished fifth the next night at Ocean in first
voyage aboard the Antaya Motorsports #16…Speaking of the Antaya
Motorsports ride normal driver Colby Copeland was behind the wheel
Friday in Chico before hopping into the Van Lare #5v Saturday at Ocean
and finishing second…Second to who at Ocean? Well of course that would
be Justin Sanders who dominated the $5000 to win Johnny Key Classic and
in the process won his west coast best ninth main event of the year
aboard his families #17. Sanders finished 13th Friday night at Chico in
the Dale Miller #4sa…Up at Placerville Kalib Henry won for the second
straight week. It was his third win of the year as he won earlier in the
year at Marysville Raceway. Henry won the week before in the McCullouch
RV #17 scored his win this week in the Jensen Motorsports #5j…Henry
started the year in the Worden Family #63 but that ride has recently
become the stomping grounds of Skagit Summer Nationals winner JJ Hickle.
Hickle was in the ride this weekend in Edmonton and I’d expect to see
him in it more as the northwest season winds down…Speaking of Edmonton
California ace Justyn Cox steered the Doug and Kathy Rutz #8 to win in
their home country Friday night. Saturday night was spooked by rain…Back
to California and the merry go around of rides and drivers. C&M
Motorsports who have used a myriad of drives to fill their seat since
departing with Tony Gualda in July had Kyle Hirst in the saddle Friday
at SDS and Saturday at Placerville. Hirst delivered with a second and
third place finish…Andy Gregg who started his season late but has been
strong finished second Saturday at Placerville in his own GUTS #16
after finishing fourth at SDS on Friday in a different ride. Gregg in
putting the 410 for this weeks 410 speed week…Lastly what about the
performance by Jake Swanson with the USAC/CRA at Perris as he rebounded
from an early problem went to the back then roared back to win the race.
All dirt track fans should go to a non wing race once at the PAS - it
will change your life…My PAS moment was watching Brent Kaeding about
16-17 years ago work the top line and go from deep in the field to
second on a preliminary night at the Oval Nationals - it was BK at his
best and the last time I saw him truly like this…When right PAS is
amazing…Speaking of the PAS besides Rip Williams no driver has been as
dominant their as Damion Gardner yet he continues to struggle at the PAS
this year and has yet to win.
While the west coast is dominated by 360’s the
next few weeks will focus on 410s as we have 410 speed week in
California and the the outlaws start their fall swing labor day weekend
in Washington. My next article will look back at 410 speed week and look
forward to the outlaw swing. In addition we have USAC/CRA speedweek
which kicks off at Calistoga September 1.
I will be headed to GHR next weekend for their
weekly show…until then I’ll be either swimming, running or cycling.
E-mail
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim.
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
BY Joseph Terrell - Tales of the Northwest Nomad
Olympia, Wa…One
of the pinnacles of July each year in the northwest is Northwest
Speedwell. It has occurred early in the month and late in the month a
few times but most often in the middle. Nonetheless northwest sprint car
fans knew July was speed week month and more 20 years later nothing has
changed. And just as that tradition has stood the test of time another
speed week tradition is just beginning. Started last year the Interstate
Sprint Car Series (ISCS) conducts a six race, six night , five tracks
speed week for limited Sprints. After a successful inaugural campaign
the Week of Speed as it has been dubbed returned again this year.
Friday night I took in night five of the 2019 edition - and it also my
first time spectating the ISCS series as a series. The format runs
similar to Speed week in July where qualifying and heat race points are
combined to determine your starting position. Then a pill draw is done
amongst the top eight in points to determine the first four rows. The
only difference really being that the ISCS qualifies in groups.
Coming into Friday Oregon teenager Tanner Holmes had dominated the
competition through the first four nights - which had been in Oregon
before coming to Elma, Washington for the last two nights. Only fellow
Oregon standout Jake Wheeler has been able to slow Tanner Holmes
momentum as he had won Tuesday night at Cottage Grove. Besides that it
had been all Holmes as he won in Coos Bay on Monday, the unplanned
second night at Cottage Grove on Wednesday and then finally picked up
his third win of the week on the suddenly fun Sunset Speedway in Banks.
As the tour rolled into Elma on Friday to take on the mighty Grays
Harbor Raceway (which had recently received some new clay) the question
was could anybody stop the Tanner Holmes express. The answer…
…Yes somebody could stop the Tanner Holmes express and it was fellow
Oregon teenager Tyler Thompson. As Holmes was dominating Thompson had
really been picking up the pace after a rough first two races. He had
podium finishes on Wednesday and Thursday and on Friday he drove his
families KPC flawlessly as he roared from seventh to take the lead from
Skagit Speedway sportsmen ace Kelsey Carpenter on lap 16 and never
looked back. Thompson was elated in victory lane commenting on the
raciness of the track and how wing adjustments during the race really
helped him get his car where it needed to be.
Carpenter making his first Week of Speed start aboard the Bill Rude
sprinter started second and led 10 laps before settling for second. He
along with California’s Emily Williams looked to break the Oregon
stranglehold on victory lane as Oregon drivers have now won all five
races. Williams started third contended in the middle laps and then held
off eighth starting Holmes for her best finish of the week.
On a side note Holmes, Thompson and Williams made all five nights of 360
speed week in July and now have made the first five nights of the ISCS
Week of Speed.
Now back to Cottage Grove and that unplanned second night. First lets
rewind to July when at the last minute Willamette Speedway cancelled
their 360 speed week date because of mystery rain. Cottage Grove which
was running Friday and Saturday that week stepped up and took the
cancelled Willamette show giving them three nights.
Now back to August and in this instance Cottage Grove was to run Tuesday
and then a quick jaunt up I-5 to Willamette on Wednesday. Well the Linn
County Health Department had other ideas and shut down the track Monday
afternoon until further notice for numerous health violations that have
not been fixed. Amongst the things to fixed was a lack of hot water in
the restroom and lack of an accessible family restroom.This was supposed
to be addressed by the beginning of the season in April and was not.
Other issues that were to be addressed by June were not including
obtaining permits to install approve fire alarm systems.
At this point Willamette sits shut down as they not only have the
mandates of April and June to remedy they also have issues that they
need to be compliant with by 2020 race season including destroying and
rebuilding a restroom. Not to mention the fire marshal has been poking
around. Things are definitely shaky for the famed Linn County Oval. The
World of Outlaws as of now are still on the schedule for September 4 but
that time is fast approaching. And as we get closer I am sure more than
a few drivers wouldn't mind seeing Cottage Grove again come to the
rescue of a Willamette sprint car date. Stay tuned on this fluid issue.
That is it for now. Headed to Evergreen Saturday night for K&N West and
Super Late Models on the 5/8 mile paved oval. I will have a recap of my
day at a pavement show and also a run down of all the happenings in the
West Coast Sprint Car scene from the weekend.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
by Joseph Terrell - Tales of the Northwest Nomad
Olympia, Wa…Unless you have been abducted by aliens and
taken to a place with no media you are aware the Knoxville Nationals
occurred this last week. And while I spent most of the week holed up in
my office at work I closely followed from afar as David Gravel finished
what he started in 2017 and claimed his very first Knoxville Nationals.
After a dominating performance in 2017 that was derailed by mechanical
issues as he was on his way to victory, Gravel left no doubt this year
as he won the Capitani Classic, his preliminary night and then topped
off with a dominating performance Saturday night to bring home the
$150,000.
Not only did Gravel win he spent the week being
accompanied by NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon. With Gravel’s win the rumors
started immediately that Gravel was headed to NASCAR. And while Gravel
has been open about his interest in going South for his next career move
lets not jump to conclusions. NASCAR is tricky game to get into and we
all know the difficulty World of Outlaw drivers have had being
successful in Cup cars. So before we bid Gravel farewell lets see how
things play out. But having a person like Jeff Gordon being a supporter
and believer will only keep the intrigue going as we start the final
third of the sprint car season.
While Gravel deserves all the attention and accolades, I
cannot ignore the job done by JJR to rebound from tragedy last year to
being at the top of the sport again. Led by Phil Dietz the JJR team has
quickly meshed with Gravel and now owns two Knoxville Nationals
Championships as a team. That is an amazing accomplishment for this
team. Dietz has become one of the best crew chiefs on the tour and I
would keep your eyes on this team as they are not out of the
championship hunt and obviously have tons of momentum.
Finishing second to Gravel was 22nd starting Logan
Schuchart who roared through the star studded field to claim the
runner-up spot. For Schuchart it was another great run in a major race
that came up just short. Rewind to last month and Schuchart made a
spirited charged from 12th at Kings Royal to take the lead and then
ultimately finish second. That is two runner-ups and 30 passed cars in
the two biggest 410 shows of the year. Not bad for Schuchart and the
SHARK racing team as they continue to develop as a team and have really
become a contender. Schuchart, much like Bobby Pierce in Dirt Late
Models, is starting to be that driver that can come from anywhere in the
field on any night to win a race – and like Pierce he has knack for
doing when the field loaded. His consistency is not that of Brad Sweet,
Donny Schatz and Gravel but he can race with them any night.
Rounding the top five on Saturday was Daryn Pittman (his
best nationals finish), Tim Kaeding and Aaron Reutzel. Reutzel started
on the pole Saturday and was my pick but faded during the race to fifth.
Nonetheless his performance was another step in his ascension to
stardom. While Californian Kaeding - who spends most of the year
wheeling 360s in California - continues to shine whenever he is aboard
the Sides Motorsports sprinter. Kaeding will definitely be a factor on
the west coast swing as preliminary plans have him in the Sides car
during most, if not all, of the Outlaw swing which kicks off at Skagit
Speedway Labor Day weekend.
Speaking of Schatz and Sweet their could not have been a
bigger surprise than seeing these two outside the top five Saturday
night. Sweet hung around the top five all night until an incident late
in the race forced him to hold onto sixth. Schatz was never a factor all
weekend as a tough preliminary night and mechanical issue Saturday left
him behind the eight ball- he was able to salvage a ninth place finish.
This was the first time Schatz has been out of the top two at the
Nationals since forever and just another sign of how competitive sprint
car racing has become. While I thoroughly believe that Schatz and Sweet
are the class of sprint car racing this last weekend proved once again
that difference between one and 24 in main events is not much and that
anything less than perfection could have you playing catch up with no
chance of recovery.
As fans start the murmur that the Schatz era is ending I
would be very careful those words. There has been behind the scenes
factors contributing to Schatz’s “struggles” this year but he still has
plenty of good years left and a great shot at another Outlaw
championship during a down year. The Don-Don is not going anywhere soon
so that noise can stop immediately.
WEST NEWS AND NOTES: The West Coast was well represented
in the main event at Knoxville with California natives Sweet, Kaeding,
Dominic Scelzi, GioScelzi, Cory Eliason, Rico Abreu and Washington
native Trey Starks…Speaking of Starks he shrugged off what has been a
tough year with on opening night win at the Nationals. Sometimes it is
easy to forget that Starks is young and is just tapping his
potential…Two west coast stars who did not fair as well were California
hot shoe Shane Golobic and Northwest legend Jason Solwold. In six starts
at Knoxville Golobic qualified for only one main event, while Solwold
only made two out of six…West coast car owner Harley Van Dyke was close
to getting his sprinter into both the 360 and 410 nationals. Californian
Colby Copeland parked the Van Dyke ride in the 360 nationals, while
Indiana native Spencer Bayston made an incredible charge Friday night
and almost most secured a transfer spot – he finished sixth. Bayston’s
Saturday night was not as good as it ended in awreck, fist fight and
getting called out on twitter by Josh Baughman…West Coast winners over
the weekend were Justin Sanders (Ocean), Greg Hamilton (Skagit), Michael
Ing (Marysville), Geoff Ensign (Petaluma), Kalib Henry (Placerville) and
DJ Netto (Kings)…For Sanders it was wins number eight tying him with
Andy Forsberg for the most on the West Coast. Mitchell Faccinto has
seven…Devon Borden joined Tony Gualda as a teammate in the revolving
door that is the Rutz sprinter over in Montana – Gualda won the first
night. Don’t have full results for the rest of the week…Gualda has
seemingly become the primary driver for Rutz as Borden was jumping at
the chance to get a few laps at a different track…Borden had mini sprint
star and 2019 Clay Cup champion Jared Peterson in his ride at Skagit
Saturday and Peterson set fast time and ran top three for most of the
race before a late race spin…Speaking of Peterson he is one the best
mini sprint drivers in the nation (he won Friday at Deming) and is
always fast when given opportunities in a sprint – their have been
rumors swirling about Peterson landing another sprint ride in the
future. Only time will tell.
This week I will be at GHR on Friday catching night five
of ISCS sprintweek. Last year this week long series provided great
racing and strong car counts. The week goes Monday thru Saturday with
last two nights at GHR. On Saturday I am doing something completely
different and headed up to Evergreen Speedway to take in the K & N West
series race. This will be my first ever K & N race.
With that said my next article will be a little
different as I will commentate on the K & N West Series and the show
they put on.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SCENE
By Joseph Terrell - The Tales of the Northwest Nomad
Olympia, Wa…What
an interesting week on the west coast sprint car scene. As all the eyes
of the spring car world turned towards Knoxville, Iowa the west coast
scene plowed forward and produced many storylines on a weekend that saw
some new blood grace victory lane. Even though I spent my weekend in
Eastern Washington on a family vacation as always my eyes and ears were
peeled to the racing world giving me ample topics to write about.
I’ll start in Chico on Friday as young driver
Kyle Olfill finally scored his first 360 win. It had been elusive for
Olifill as he had competed against the best of California with the SCCT
and NARC series. With guidance from Jonathan Allard Olfill has shown
steady improvement this year and going into Friday nights show at Chico
was the weekly point leader. Olfill struggled the next night at Merced
for the SCCT show but nonetheless was a successful weekend for the
younger driver aboard his families #2k sprinter. This is a family that
is used to victory lane as their history includes such successful
drivers as Ronnie Day and Terry McCarl. Something says that might get
used to victory lane again.
Speaking of the SCCT in Merced a new winner was
again produced. While Olfill’s win had been long coming as he had spent
the last two plus years racing against the best in California honing his
skills Saturday’s nights winner at Merced come as much more of a
surprise as 16 year old Jodie Robinson shocked the SCCT field as she
captured the 30 lap main event aboard the Morrison Concrete/Moxie
Motorsports #97. Robinson has been a regular at Placerville most of the
year aboard the Rick Spencer #34 but was making only her second start of
the season with the SCCT and she made it count as she outlasted two of
the best in California in Justyn Cox and Tim Kaeding. Robinson who has
made cameo appearances the last few years in sprinters, Keith Kunz
midgets and stock cars seems like she is really starting to settle into
the sprint car. Not only was this her first SCCT win it was her first
ever sprint car podium. She will be back in the Spencer sprinter next
week at Placerville.
Also on Saturday night a former SCCT regular
Tony Gualda was scoring his first Summer Thunder Series sprint win and
also his first career win in Oregon. Gualda was aboard the Doug Rutz XXX
#8r as he roared to his victory of the year. Gualda has now finished in
the top four in his last four starts aboard the Rutz sprinter and as he
looks for options look for him to continue to occupy this seat. Gualda
still sits fifth is SCCT points so he still has a shot at a top five
finish in SCCT points if can get ride a in the for the final two shows.
Nonetheless Gualda has been a pleasant addition to he northwest scene
the last few weeks as he searches for a ride in California.
Friday night Seth Bergman rolled to the victory
in Cottage Grove with the STSS as scored his fourth victory of the
summer in the northwest. Aboard the always potent Bergman Racing Baylor
Racing Engines powered XXX Bergman finished second on Saturday as he as
ran his streak to six of consecutive podium finishes. Bergman just
welcomed his second child to the world this last week continues to hang
out in the northwest for family reasons. Look for his to return back to
the southwest sooner than later after an up and down northwest stay that
nonetheless has produced four wins.
Noteworthy for the STSS weekend in Oregon was
the absence of point leader Jason Solwold as he competed in Knoxville.
His absence allowed 16 year old Devon Borden claim the point lead and
the inside track on the championship as three races remain. However
Oregon star Kyle Miller ran Solwold’s number all weekend which allowed
the Shaylen Raye team to retain the lead in owner points. This set off a
storm of controversy as Miler was just painting on the numbers and not
running the actual car as Shaylen Raye team was in Knoxville. I stated
my opinion on twitter on this subject and do not want to go down that
rabbit hole again but I find the whole situation lame. If the team is
absent they should not receive points.
And finally at Antioch Speedway on Saturday
night Danny Wagner claimed not only the 360 feature but also won the
modified main event. You just don't see that very often.
West Coast News and Notes: More than a few of
the best form the west coast are trying their hand at Knoxville - of
course National WoO drivers Carson Macedo and Brad Sweet will be in
town, as will be All Star regular Cory Eliason, WoO winner Gio Scelzi
and Washington native Knoxville regular Trey Starks. NARC will be
represented by Willie Croft, Dominic Scelzi, Shane Golobic and Chase
Johnson. Kaeding will be in a second Sides sprinter. National star Rico
Abreu will be in the house and as will be California native Mason
Daniel. Solwold will try to make his 6th National A Main start… Speaking
of Knoxville James McFadden dominated as he won the 360 nationals.
Elision, Gio Scelzi, Daniel and Colby Copeland (aboard the Van Dyke #5h)
each put it in the A Saturday night representing the West Coast .
Solwold finished seventh in the B… As mentioned Tony Gualda has found a
semi-residence in the Doug Rutz British Columbia based sprinter. This
relationship was very part time for most of the season but Gualda’s
status has changed since he no longer occupies the seat of the C &
Motorsports #7c. Justyn Cox has also spent a lot of time in the Doug
Rutz car this year so I am still not quite sure what Gualda’s schedule
will look like in the Rutz ride…Speaking of the C & M Motorsports
sprinter DJ Netto wheeled it to a fourth place run Saturday night and
word seems to be he might steer that wheel a few more times. The team
had used Steven Tiner for a few weeks but he is a part time fill in as
he concentrates on THE (Tiner-Hirst Enterprises). Netto on the other
hand could find it beneficial as he could concentrate his Netto Ag team
on the 410 ranks and steer the C & M sprinter in the 360 ranks…After
Saturday’s show in Merced only four drivers had made every show this
year (Kyle Hirst, Kaeding, Sean Becker and Olfill)…34 cars at Merced was
a nice car count for the SCCT and represented one of their best of the
year…Robinson was the eighth different on the SCCT this year…In Oregon
the STSS struggled with car counts under 20 each night. Previously the
series had always pulled 20 plus in Oregon…Only six drivers have made
every STSS series show (Borden, Colten Heath, Cam Smith, Lance Sargent,
Bailey Jean Sucich and Chris Bullock)…Bergman now sits in the top 10 in
points with STSS after missing the first three races. His three wins now
lead the series while Borden and Solwold each have two…Gualda was ninth
different winner with STSS this year.
Well that is it. Until next time if you can’t
ind me at a race track you can fid me swimming, running or cycling.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
or follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim.
NARC RETURNS TO SMR AND PROMISES MORE
TALES OF THE NORTHWEST NOMAD
By Joseph Terrell
San Luis
Obispo, Ca…I spent my youth going to Santa Maria Speedway so returning
was definitely going to a rush of emotions. The pits had changed, the
stands had been redone and it is now called Santa Maria Raceway. And
more specifically it is called Santa Maria Raceway at Stadium 805. But
times change and unlike some of the old faithful I refuse to judge any
of the change except as an objective observer. And i like them as the
seating was great and the track perfect.
Cut into the rolling hills Santa Maria Raceway
is truly cut out of hill which creates great viewing as the spectator
feels like they are looking down on the track as they are perched above.
Upon entering Santa Maria Raceway I notched that it is Santa Maria
Raceway at Stadium 805 as the huge micro brewery located in Paso Robles
has stepped up and become a huge sponsor at the central coast oval.
It had been four plus years since the winged 410
sprint cars has appeared at the Santa Maria Raceway and as usual
whenever winged 410 sprint are in the house a huge crowd awaits. Filling
in early as they always do at SMR the stands were full and the drivers
were quick recognize all night long the huge crowd. One big difference
is from before is the lap times as the track surface has changed
drastically over the years with qualifying times in the mid 12 seconds
instead of the low 11 seconds they had been previously. No matter though
as most drivers and crew members seemed to like the slower times as it
provided a little more racier of surface.
Much like Grays Harbor Raceway in Washington SMR
is drastically effected by the switch from day to night. Getting cars on
the track early and conducting qualifying before 6 pm the track was dry
and dusty as the cars completed qualifying. Qualifying was to be
followed by a wheelie contest but the wheelie contest never got on track
as the dry track conditions lacked the traction needed to give the fans
a true wheelie contest. Bud Kaeding, Dominic Scelzi, Kaleb Montgomery
and Jenna Frazier all tried but ultimately Kaeding’s half wheelie and
excessive burnouts were enough for the $1000 top prize. But once the sun
set the moisture literally re-appeared on the track changing the surface
to the more tacky SMR that I grew up on.
Just like the night before at Ocean Speedway the
team at SMR did an excellent job of rolling through the show and keeping
the action going. In addition to the other four classes 20 NARC sprint
cars filled the pits. Jim Allen and his team at NARC are working really
hard to keep 410 racing alive on the west coast and while the car counts
have varied the NARC group has been able to get at least 20 cars for all
shows which provides enough cars to put on a full show for the fans.
The NARC format rewards fast qualifying and heat
race wins. This always allows a chance for a little shakeup at the top
as solid heat race performance and good pill draw for the dash can put a
unexpected driver up front and ultimately in victory lane - example Sean
Watts a few weeks ago. This night it was 17 year old Nathan Rolfe who
had the Dennis Rolfe sprinter on the pole for the first time ever to
start the A main. After getting a quick jump Chase Johnson immediately
got by Rolfe and Rolfe’s dream night started to slip away. Rolfe though
held on for sixth as he is amongst the many young California stars that
continue to improve.
Speaking of Chase Johnson he looked like he was
going to score his second NARC win of the year aboard the Cyndi Thomas
sprinter but in the end Dominic Scelzi was to strong on a late race
restart as he stormed by Johnson on his way to his third NARC win of the
year abroad the Dennis Roth Beef Packers sprinter with the famed Scotty
Martin turning the wrenches. Scelzi who has his eyes pointed towards
Knoxville (as does Johnson) now has four wins on the season in
California.
Another driver making a late race charge was
wheelie contest winner and fast time Bud Kaeding. After winning the
previous night at Ocean speedway in his dad’s car Bud was looking for a
double dip weekend spending Saturday night aboard the Morrie Williams
Maxim. Kaeding whose family has a long history at SMR always looks to
put on a show in front of the crowd that is always favorable to him.
Kaeding had a few chances to make move in heavy traffic but never could
get a run on Scelzi and Johnson and settled for third.
Rounding out the top five was Willie Croft
aboard his Holey Smokes BBQ sprinter and DJ Netto in the Netto Ag
sprinter. Both drivers started in the fourth row and ran patient races
to secure top five finishes as each driver had a good points night as
the series takes a little break until 410 speedweek at the end of
August.
Point leader Ryan Bernal who is competing is his
first full year on the NARC tour aboard the Tarlton Motorsports KPC
struggled at SMR a track that he has years of experience in with the non
winged sprint. Mired mid pack all race long Bernal was ultimately
credited with an eighth place finish.
WEST COAST
NOTES: A more than a few NARC drivers commented on the full house at
Santa Maria and NARC guru Jim Allen said the fans can expect two events
next year as their reward…After competing Friday night in Ocean Kaeding
and JJ Ringo also competed on Saturday night…Young upstart Brooklyn
Holland competed in the 305s Saturday at SMR after running against the
360 Friday at Ocean…Speaking of 305s longtime 410 and 360 star Blake
Robertson dominated the 305 sprint A main after Holland led the first
few laps…Seven time 360 winner this year Mitchell Faccinto had full
night in the Stan Greenberg KPC sprinter as he had replace his rear end
after qualifying and then was struck with more gremlins in the A…No word
on the new point leader but Bernal, Croft, Netto, Kaeding and Scelzi are
locked in tight five car battle with six races remaining on the
schedule…As Dominic was rolling at SMR his brother Gio Scelzi was
getting it done in Knoxville against the All Stars…Also at Knoxville
another California star shined as Cory Eliason won the 360 main event…Up
on the hill Andy Forsberg took the Forini classic and the $5,000 top
prize. it was sixth win of the year at Placerville and eighth
overall…Speaking of big races non bigger than the Summer Nationals at
Skagit Speedway this weekend and it was JJ Hickle shocking the world as
he passed northwest superstars Jason Solwold and Seth Bergman to secure
the $10,000 win. It Hickle’s biggest win ever and turnaround for what
has been a rough summer for the Washington driver.
Well that is it for now as I conclude my quick
tour of the California coast. Not sure when the next time I will be at
the track as my schedule is a little mixed up but l look to make the
Friday night Sportsmen sprint speedweek show at GHR August 16 and K&N
West series at Evergreen Speedway the following night.
e-mail
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
twitter @idrinkiswim
THE NOMAD HEADS TO THE OCEAN
THE TALES OF THE NORTHWEST NOMAD
by Joseph Terrell
San Luis
Obispo, Ca…It had been a long time since I have been to Ocean Speedway
in Watsonville, Ca. At least 25 years so it is was fair to say that I
don't have much memories of the dirt oval located Santa Cruz
Fairgrounds. It was with anticipation that I departed from the San Jose
airport to Watsonville, Ca. To get there I had cross over the small
layer of coastal mountains but I had the unfortunate luck of getting
stuck behind some very slow traffic prolonging the hour plus drive.
At about 2:30 pm I finally arrived at Ocean
speedway and in many ways it reminds me of every other fairground track
in California from the layout of the grandstands and to the pit area.
It’s like Chico in many regards with maybe less banking. The pits at
Ocean don't open until 2 pm and with cars on the track at 5 or so it
means the pit area fills quickly. Five divisions were on tap this night
and while I will continue to wish for no more than two or three division
shows I understand the financial reasons behind it.
And if your going to run multiple divisions then
do it efficiently and that is exactly what the Prentice Motorsports team
at Ocean Speedway did. They stared qualifying at six and the final
checked was waved before 830 pm. The track did a great job keeping the
action going all night long. As soon as one race finished the next was
already lined up and ready to go. To often tracks have unnecessary
delays and the show will drags on for too long. Not at Ocean Speedway as
they did a great job keeping the action going all night.
At the end of the evening it was Bud Kaeding who
stood victorious. Kaeding led early and then chased down mid race leader
Koen Shaw as he struggled with traffic and then withstood spirited runs
by Justin Sanders and Brad Furr in the waning laps to hold on for his
fifth win of the season at Santa Cruz county oval. As usual Kaeding did
his Friday night work in his dad’s famous Al’s Roofing Shaver powered
Maxim. Kaedng now has 10 podium finished to his credit this season at
Ocean.
Shaw continue to run good as he makes the weekly
tow the from the Central Valley every week to the coast and he was
rewarded with his second podium of the year. After starting on the pole
and leading almost half the race the team was happy with the results but
were definitely wondering in the pits what would have been had lapped
traffic not been such an issue. Specifically Richard Fajardo who bottled
up Shaw for multiple laps as he struggled to get by Fajardo who has
stuck in the low groove.
Furr started the night by setting fast time in
his Brad Furr Racing Don Ott powered sprint and then winning his heat
race was non factor for the entire race until late race spin by Sanders
brought out a caution and set up a a two lap dash to the finish. At this
point Furr was now second and the on ensuring restart Furr shot by
Kaeding on the bottom in turns one and two but Kaeding would not be
denied as he powered around turns three and four and shot off the top to
take the win at the checkered. Furr settled for second and his second
podium of the year. The former World of Outlaw A main winner continues
to be a weekly stalwart at Ocean Speedway.
Speaking of Ocean Speedway stalwarts no driver
has had more success at the oval than Sanders. Sanders started the night
slow in his families XXX picked up the pace by winning his heat race
then making several slide jobs attempts at Kaeding including one where
he got by him but in the end he got bottled up behind a lapped car as he
was in stuck in an indecisive moment and spun in turn two. In the pits
many were talking about the rivalry that has developed between Kaeding
and Sanders but while the two raced each hard and close and it was
nothing out of the ordinary. Just close and great racing by two very
distinguished drivers with tremendous resumes.
No driver was more than impressive than Joel
Myer, Jr.. The 14 year old Petaluma/Antioch regular was making his
second appearance at Ocean speedway aboard his families ART and was fast
all night. After starting eighth he was was patient and finally brought
his sprinter home fourth. The former go kart driver is still his early
in is career but he showed a lot of promise as he raced up front all
night long.
More West Coast Notes: Myers was not only driver
representing the youth movement at Ocean Speedway…Among the young
budding stars in attendance were Keith Day, Jr., Jake Andreotti, Tucker
Worth, Joey Ancona, Jayson Bright and Brooklyn Holland…Ancona had a
tough night as he flipped in turn two in is heat and was not able to get
repairs made and scratched…Andreotti and Day continue to be teammates on
Friday night in a pair of Keith Day Trucking KPCs…Holland a 305 driver
was making her second appearance in a a 360 was impressive as she was in
the mix all night…Bright was seen getting valuable tutelage from legend
Brent Kaeding during the night…Worth was fast all night but just
couldn't keep his Worth Harvesting KPC out of trouble and was an early
DNF…Central California driver Steven Kent made a rare appearance at
Ocean Speedways as he steered his Dad’s KPC sprinter to seventh place
finish…Look for Ocean regular Jeremy Chisum to join the NARC field at
Santa Maria tonight…The only other action of Friday night was up Skagit
Speedway as Seth Bergman took the opening night of the Summer
Nationals…Jason Solwold, Travis Jacobson and Tony Gualda rounded out the
top four to automatically lock in for Saturday night…Speaking of Gualda
with him out of C & M Motorsports sprinter look for him to possible make
more appearances in Rutz sprinters…Tonight features three big races on
the West Coast - $10,000 to win Summer Nationals at Skagit, $5,000 to
win Forini classic at Placerville and NARC making a rare appearance
Santa Maria Raceway.
Well that is it for now. Time to get some cardio
in today before heading to Santa Maria Raceway tonight for NARC 410
action. This will be my first 410 race of the year.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
The Dogs Days of Summer of Here
by Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…As I hopped on highway 101 and then quickly
merged west on highway 8 to head out to Grays Harbor Raceway the sun was
pounding and it was official we have hit the dog days of summer. The
time of the year where the heat increases and teams struggle from week
to week as the grind of the season wears on. This is the time of year
where car counts can struggle as teams rebound from Dirt Cup and the
Brownfield Classic and prepare for the Summer Nationals at the end of
the month.
This night was no different as 13 sprint cars graced the
pits at GHR - the second smallest car count of the year for the Dual
Track Bonus series. DTB regulars Devon Borden (racing the clay cup
nationals at Deming) and Bailey Jean Sucich missed their first DTB
shows. Jake Helsel who has been driving the Bud Ashe Highline Sprinter
at most DTB shows was also absent. Jason Solwold continues to sit idle
as he prepares for his trip to Knoxville in Iowa. Reece Goetz who has
made a few appearances at GHR was also up at Clay Cup. That is what
happens in July - drivers regroup, take time off, or if they are lucky
try to find somebodies else stuff to drive. These things combined with
Skagit Speedways $10,000 to win Summer Nationals next week contributed
to one of the smallest car counts of the year.
One driver who used this week to his advantage was Seth
Bergman. Bergman had kicked around the idea of heading over to Montana
for the weekend finally got one of his motors back and put it to good
use as he dominated the 25 lap main after starting fourth to pick up his
second win of the year at GHR. Bergman had been hit with motor problems
and had been using a loaner until he finally got one of his back this
week. Bergman will probably be in the northwest for one more week as he
chases the big money at Skagit before heading back home to Oklahoma.
Given Bergman’s success in the past at Skagit Speedway the two time
Summer Nationals driver will have to be one of the favorites this week.
Speaking of the Summer Nationals one of the biggest 360
races in the nation will take place next weekend as $10,000 will go to
Saturday’s nights winners. Traditionally this race has been dominated by
locals and with all the racing going on everywhere else the Summer
Nationals does not draw many travelers often leaving the big pay day for
a local star. Nothing wrong with that as this always produces some of
the best races of the year.
Another favorite will obviously be Skagit Speedway point
leader Colton Heath. Heath who has been one of the most active drivers
in the northwest this year in his LAW Motorsports XXX finished second to
Bergman on Saturday night as he continues to be one of the fastest
drivers in the northwest. After an inconsistent stretch back in June
Heath has been up front consistently since then especially at Skagit
Speedway. Heath will be looking for his first Summer Nationals win after
having a couple near misses in the past.
Among other contenders will be Jason Solwold as he will
seek his fifth Summer National title before heading back to Knoxville.
Amazingly Solwold has not won a race at Skagit Speedway since last June.
He will definitely look to change that.
No official word on who will be in the Doug Rutz
sprinter(s) this weekend at Summer Nationals. Ruiz has used California
drivers Justyn Cox, Tony Gualda and Justin Sanders in the sit this year.
With a big $5000 to win race at Placerville Saturday night these three
drivers will have decisions to make. The Rutz sprinter was in victory
lane last year at the Summer Nationals with Californian Buddy Koifoid so
whoever is in this potent machine will be a contender.
Don’t forget about Devon Borden. The 16 year old driver
already has four wins this year including an ASCS National win and a
Summer Thunder Series win at Skagit. To say he was been fast is an
understatement and Borden has been especially lethal when starting on
the front row. Borden only weakness seems to be putting together a whole
weekend but if he can stay consistent during the weekend it would be no
surprise to see him holding the big check on Saturday night.
Some of the locals that will look to strike it big this
week will Eric Fisher, Greg Hamilton and Cam Smith. All three drivers
run fast at Skagit and have a lot of laps around the bullring. Given the
right circumstances and a good starting spot Saturday night any of these
three could find themselves holding a big check.
One driver who dearly needs a big win is JJ Hickle.
After a nice early season start Hickle has encountered nothing but bad
luck. His Dirt Cup was disastrous and he unable to compete on the
Saturday night. Last weekend he went to Cottage Grove and bad luck again
appeared as he was unable to start on Saturday. Fast forward to this
week and Hickle starts on the pole and takes the early lead then…just as
Jay Cole spins to bring the yellow Hickle pulls to the infield as his
sprinter caught fire. Luckily the fire was put out quickly but for
Hickle it was another DNF. Hickle is capable but needs lady luck to
swing to his side. Maybe his luck will change this weekend.
West Coast Notes: The big word in the northwest this
week was Jason Solwold entering the Knoxville 360 Nationals in the Troy
Renfro sprinter. The team will utilize an engine provided Mike Anderson.
Solwold and Renfro worked together in the past with some success. It
will be interesting to see if this team can have any success in this
huge show…Solwold will also enter the 410 nationals aboard his own ride
as he looks to start his sixth Knoxville Nationals A main…Bud Kaeding
got it done Saturday night at Ocean speedway to win the Howard Kaeding
classic. The HK classic featured a $5000 to win purse and had 34 cars
enter. Nice showing for the 410 class…Justin Sanders who had been two
for two in the NARC ranks this year finished fifth on Saturday in
Ocean…Trophy entry list is now full at 112. But with many TBA’s and more
than a few drivers registered who have prior racing commitments I expect
this list to change over the next three months. It always does…The eyes
of the mini sprint world were on the northwest this weekend as Deming
Speedway held their annual Clay Cup. Local 600 star Jared Peterson got
the job done defeating more than 60 open 600’s for the $10,000 win. It
was his second clay cup championship.
Unfortunately next week I will miss the Summer Nationals
at Skagit as I will be in California visiting family. However not all is
loss - I will be at Ocean Speedway on Friday and Santa Maria Raceway on
Saturday. I will be providing updates all night long from both tracks as
I watch the Ocean sprints and NARC sprints over the weekend.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com follow me @idrinkiswim on
twitter.
MITCHELL FACCINTO…LIKE CREAM HE RISES
BY Joseph Terrell
Sweet Home Olympia, Wa….After
Friday nights rubber down finish their was no doubt Brian Crockett and
his crew would get the The Grove put to its normal condition Saturday
night. And they did. Fans were greeted to a great A main with twists and
turns and everything in between.
Oregon sensation Tyler Thompson flipped landed
on his wheels and retained his spot because the red had came out before
his flip. He finished 7th. Another Oregon star and Grove veteran Kyle
Miller had the faithful on their feet as he drove from sixth to
second…but his efforts were wasted as he spun late in the race as he
challenged for the lead. His spin was dramatic as he spun in turn two,
hopped a huge cushion, did a 360 and kept going. That was just the
beginning.
Colby Copeland who had fought tough breaks the previous two nights
seemed to be on his way to a $3500 payday as he took the white flag then
craziness broke loose. As he took the white flag he slowed which caused
second running Kyle Hirst to slow and then…
Like cream Mitchell Faccinto rose to the top and leaving no doubt during
northwest speedweek he was the driver to beat. In his fourth tour of
northwest speedweek Faccinto and his Stan Greenberg owned #37 KPC left
their mark winning on all three tracks that were raced in on in the five
nights and never finishing worst than fourth all week. Overall it was
Faccinto now has seven 360 main event wins on the year and has clearly
established himself as the driver to beat in the 360 ranks on the west
coast. Faccinto capitalized on Hirst delay to storm by and pick up the
win after starting 9th. The last two nights Faccinto overcame poor
starting spots in the main to finish third and first. To say this driver
has come to age would be an understatement…Look out Shane Geologic, Kyle
Hirst, Justin Sanders a new king is looking to take the west coast
throne.
Hirst who looked like he might win his second race of the weekend but
settled for third abroad the THE #94. The commotion of Copeland slowing
caused the second place running Hirst to slow and leading to his
eventual third place finish. The Tiner-Hirst team ended with three
straight podiums to end the week.
One of the big winners of the late race shuffle was Seth Bergman as he
was able to get second after spending most of the race out of the top
five. Bergman struggled all week but was able capitalize on Copeland
breaking and fourth running Justyn Cox flipping on the last lap to go
from fifth to second on the last lap aboard his Bergman Racing SHARK
powered XXX.
Right behind him was Skagit Speedway and STSS champion Colton Heath.
Heath continued to his trend of being inconsistent on weekend shows.
After a lackluster Friday night after a good qualifying run Heath
rebound Saturday and was able to be near the front and capitalize on the
late race drama to go from seventh to fourth on the last lap aboard his
LAW Racing SHARK powered XXX.
Justin Sander was another driver able to make up ground on the last lap
as he went from ninth to fifth aboard his families Rider powered XXX.
Like Faccinto Sanders struggled both nights in preliminaries and had to
rebound from bad starting spots. Sanders fifth place run was his fourth
top five during the five night speedweek. Sanders struggled each night
in qualifying at the The Grove and never was able to be much of a factor
over the weekend after winning Wednesday nights show.
Kudos to all that put of Northwest speedweek. It has been going more
than 20 years in varying fashions and continues to be a must see event
on the west coast. You never know who is going to show up as over the
years many drivers such as Brent Kaeding and Jason Solwold among others
have only raced some of the week while plenty others have attempted the
whole week. One thing has remained the same and that is the uncertainty
of who will win. Drivers like Brad Furr swept all five nights before he
was even a big name, while luminaries such as Solwold have struggled to
find victory lane. Although Faccinto may have won three races… this year
was no different as each night was a crap shoot.
Speedweek
News and Notes: California drivers truly dominated this edition of
speedweek taking 12 of the 15 podium positions…Two went Washington
native but Oklahoma resident Bergman who managed two runner up
finishes…Speaking of Bergman look for him to be in Montana this weekend
and back at Skagit the following for the Summer Nationals…Rising Oregon
star Tanner Holmes aboard his families Bailey Bros. powered KPC looked
to be in place for another strong finish on Saturday but he slowed mid
race after while running in the top five…Speaking of young Oregon stars
Tyler Thompson continues to impress aboard his families KPC. He had two
top fives including the only podium finishes amongst northwest drivers
as he contested the whole week…On the theme of Oregon stars Garen Linder
returned to the track for the first time since Dirt Cup in the Seth
Nunes Rodgers powered KPC. He made the main both nights…Skagit speedway
regular Greg Hamilton shocked many Saturday night as he was fast time
and won the dash. After starting on the pole he ran second for about
half the race before fading to 6th in the final tally aboard his GHR
SHARK powered XXX…Doug Rutz teammates Justyn Cox and Tony Gualda were
fast all week but never landed on the podium in their Richmond powered
sprinters. Very much a surprise…Only one Washington driver contested all
five nights - teenage sensation Devon Borden…Like many California
drivers Ryan Robinson has been in many different rides this year. He
spent the week aboard the Morrison Racing Ott powered ART with his best
finish second Friday night at The Grove…Washington star JJ Hickle
continues to have a tough summer as he was pulling out of the track
before the B main Saturday…Copeland looked to be on the verge of victory
Friday and Saturday aboard the Van Lare SHARK powered ART before tires
and axles proved to be nemesis. He blew a tire Friday night and broke an
axle Saturday night…Silver Dollar regular Chelsea Belvins was on Friday
night but did not return Saturday…Raquel Ivy showed up Saturday night
and was leading her heat before her motor let go…By my count 14 drivers
contested the whole week - 10 from Califronia, 3 from Oregon and 1 from
Washington.
That is it for an amazing weekend of racing. I
will be at GHR this weekend posting up dates all night long on twitter
for the sprint cars. The following weekend I am going on a a special
road trip to the California coast (Ocean and Santa Maria).
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim
THE GROVE BABY - COTTAGE GROVE
BY Joseph Terrell
Cottage
Grove, Or…On the east coast The Grove would be Williams Grove but here
on the west coast it can only mean the Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage
Grove, Or. A pillar of the central Oregon racing scene The Grove is
widely regarded as putting on some of the best shows on all of the west
coast. While it is a only a quarter mile it is wide and has multiple
groves creating room for plenty passing and action. And because of this
The Grove hosts the final two nights of northwest speedweek.
We rolled into Cottage Grove about one yesterday
afternoon and immediately headed to the pits to see what was going on.
Generally this time of the year at The Grove the temp is the mid 90’s
and with lack of shade in the pits it can get uncomfortable during the
day. This year temps are much more reasonable in the mid 80’s. The pits
were already starting fill up and almost all the cars from the night
before had made the trip down to Cottage Grove. In addition five
regulars from the Washington scene had showed for the weekend. Their was
definitely a buzz in the pits not to see Jason Solwold as he his always
a contender at The Grove.
The Washington drivers making the tow for the
weekend were Colton Heath in the LAW 33, JJ Hickle in his own 3, Greg
Hamilton in the GHR 96, John Stuart in his 17 and Chris Bullock in his
17c. With such strong car counts in Washington this year I was little
surprised to see only six cars from the state at the The Grove (Devon
Borden has been running the whole week and Corbyn Fauver ran Wednesday
and Thursday). But with the amount of races a driver can run just racing
the dual track bonus and Summer Thunder it may have kept some drivers at
home as they enjoy the off week. Don't forget the Summer Thunder Series
will back at The Grove in a few weeks.
A strong 29 cars filled up the Cottage Grove
pits as in addition to the five cars from Washington Garen Linder, Matt
Hein, Don Waddell, young Idaho driver Tyler Drievers and chico star
Chelsea Blevins had joined the field. Linder was driving the Seth Nunes
5n car. After destroying his car at Dirt Cup Linder as been MIA. It was
nice to see the talented Southern Oregon driver back on the track.
Drievers races out of Idaho and gets limited track time do to the lack
of any dirt tracks in Idaho. This makes it hard for a young driver to
improve as they don't get valuable seat time. They do have plans to run
all ISCS limited sprint sprint week next month. That will help this
driver develop as he definitely is very green in a sprint car.
The big word in the pits yesterday was that
Steven Tiner was indeed going to step out of THE 94 for the weekend
after running the first three nights and his business partner Kyle Hirst
was hopping in. This paid dividends as the California star turned part
time driver Hirst won the dash and main event leading every lap in each
race. Hirst who has ran probably only 10-12 times this year is just one
of those drivers that doesn't get rusty. This writer is hoping he has a
ride for Gold Cup this year.
As I wrote Thursday night this speedweek is
dominated by California drivers as they have dominated the car count and
the results. Last night was no different as all six dash cars were from
California and the top four finishers were from California. It was
interesting night as stars such as Mitchell Faccinto and Justin Sanders
qualified outside the top 20. Faccinto was able to rebound after
starting 14th in the main worked his way to third. The first half of the
main was racy especially at times up front as Hirst and Copeland raced
each other through traffic. On two occasions Copeland had gotten pass
HIrst but just couldn't hold the lead. But then about lap 18 Seth
Bergman - who had worked his way to fourth blew - a right rear and the
rubber started smelling. The track got one lane quickly. Copeland would
shred his right rear on lap 27 as Hirst held on for the win over Ryan
Robinson in the Morrison Concrete 97 and Faccinto in the Greenberg 37.
Much like Steve Beitler and the crew at Skagit,
Brian Crockett and his track prep crew at The Grove were not going to
stand for that. As soon as the races ended Crockett ands crew were on
the track tilling and grading getting to work to make sure the drivers
get The Grove surface they are used to Saturday night. I expect a much
better surface tonight although I kind of expect the same winner.
A few quick
notes: As mentioned Kyle Hirst will run the last two nights of speedweek
in the THE 94…Jesse Love will miss tonight as he returns to California
to race midgets in Madera…Tony Gualda will also return home tonight to
his normal ride in Placerville…Seth Bergman who blew both of his engines
last month has been running a SHARK ASCS this week as his get fixed…On
Thursday at Sunset Tanner Holmes was excited to get to The Grove - it is
easy to see why as he qualified third and finished fifth…Robinson was
solid in the A and as others such as Copeland, Bergman and Faccinto were
drawing attention Robinson was putting in solid work running smooth and
was rewarded with a second…Faccinto is the only driver with a top five
each night…Sanders had finished on the podium the first three nights but
he struggled most of the night and finished mid pack after getting as
high as sixth in the main.
Well that is it for now. The crickets are
chirping and sun is coming out. Going to try to ride out to Lake Dorena
this morning before filling the rest of my day walking the pits and
watching races. I will be posting updates and news all afternoon and
night on twitter.
terrelljosseph@hotmail.com
and follow on twitter @idrinkiswim
SUNSET SPEEDWAY SHOCKS US ALL
The Tales of The Northwest Nomad
by Joseph Terrell
Banks,Or….After
making the two hour plus hour drive down mostly on the I-5 before
snaking west out to Portland I landed in Banks, Oregon and the home of
Sunset Speedway. Sunset Speedway is generously listed as a quarter mile
when reality it is a fifth mile. The track is narrow and small and
traditionally sprint cars have struggled to put on a decent show here.
But it is sprint racing and after 10 days way from dirt track I was
ready to go. Awaiting was round three of Northwest Sprint Week.
As I pulled into the grassy parking hour I
encountered two die hard Northwest fans who along with myself agreed it
is better to be at a race than at home but are expectations were low for
this evening. We held onto the one time it was decent and every time
hope it repeats itself…and it doesn’t. It is usually one lane around the
bottom where the race is over as they come out of turn two. With that
said I was still very excited because of the strong contenders among the
20 entries on this beautiful Oregon night.
Justin Sanders who had won the previous night
was aboard his family’s potent 17. Colby Copeland was in the Van Lare
5v. Steven Tiner in the THE 94. Justyn Cox and Tony Gualda in Rutz
Sprinters. Monday night winner in Yreka Mitch Faccinto in the Greenberg
37. National star Seth Bergman in his 23. The always inconsistent but
fast Jake Wheeler in WR 21w. Throw in rising stars Tanner Holmes, Tyler
Thompson and Jess Love. Also recent ASCS national tour winner Devon
Borden in family 8. And oh yeah former USAC national midget driver Ryan
Robinson was aboard the Moxley 97. Nice field.
And then after the track record was lowered by
over second by Devon Borden heat one rolled and took the green and we
knew immediately tonight was going to be different. The action was
fierce and especially impressive was Colby Copeland batting by Borden
and Thompson in a spirited run that featured some of the best 360 action
ever seen at Sunset. The action was side by side and multiple grooves
were available. The second and third heats were not quite as good but is
was evident that Sunset Speedway was different tonight. The racing was
spirited, side by side and fans were loving it.
After a dash the 30 lap main delivered. Even
though Faccinto and Tiner ran 1-2 all race long that doesn't tell the
story. The battle for third between Wheeler and Gaulda and then Sanders
and Wheeler was epic. Sanders finally won the battle when Wheeler
clipped a small infield tire and spun late in the race. Borden faded
early and then rebounded as the track got slicker and came home fourth
ahead of Thompson who had started 12th but was smooth in the late going
as he worked by drivers by like Bergman, Robinson and the Gualda to come
home an impressive fifth at the checkered.
Throughout the main the action was all over. From third back everybody
was in a race for position. The cushion off turn two was at the wall.
The bottom was fast even as the top worked in. Tiner stayed on the
bottom exclusively while Sanders seemed prefer to be up the track a
little more. Faccinto…well was just fast and was really developed into
an elite driver. And rubber was not an issue as it had been in the past.
Well that is why we go to the races…you never know when you will see an
unexpected great race. In victory the podium drivers all complimented
the racing surface and how nice it was to have two grooves. Despite
previous struggles the Sunset Speedway proved tonight it can provide
side by side great Sprint Car racing.
A few quick
notes: Look for some Washington drivers to join the field tomorrow. I
don't for sure who but i would expect 3-5…The 20 car field was dominated
by California as they more than half in the field…Young Washington
driver Corbyn Fauver was at Cottage Grove Wednesday and Sunset Thursday
as he diversifies his track experience…Borden just continues to impress.
Enough said about that…Drivers Justyn Cox, Seth Bergman and Colby
Copeland were in unfamiliar territory as they ran mid pack all main…In
the post race interview and after the race Sanders kept talking about
the battle he had with Wheeler as they went wheel to wheel many times
without touching. He loved it…It was announced that both Gualda and Love
will head back to California to Saturday to fulfill other race
commitments.
Well that is it for now. Time to get some sleep and head down to Cottage
Grove in the morning. Before driving down going to get some miles on the
bicycle in Banks.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and twitter @idrinkiswim
DID I HIT A NERVE….I
DIDN’T MEAN TO
Tales of the Northwest
Nomad
By Joseph Terrell
Kitsap Peninsula…After
two long weekends of chasing ASCS National Sprint racing I took last
weekend off to work and as Bryan Hulbert would say it was time “save my
lunch money” and get ready for another long weekend chasing the last
three nights of Northwest speedweek at Sunset Speedway Thursday night
and at Cottage Grove Speedway Friday and Saturday. I was going to write
this article about the upcoming speedweek but then something occurred
Saturday that changed my direction.
On Saturday evening as toiled away in my office at work I couldn’t help
but see come across my twitter feed that the Sprint Car Challenge Tour
only had 15 entries at Stockton Speedway. This for a series that was
consistently in the 30s until this year as some where in the 20’s has
become the norm. I retweeted my shock at this development and then after
the show was noticed that every participant in the evening seemingly
tweeted how great the series and promoters of the series are. I saw
tweets saying how the surface had been so good and how Scott Russell,
Matt Wood and the rest of the crew are so great. I hope this was not a
response to my simple inquiry and surprise about the car count. I sure
hope nobody took my tweet as a negative comment towards the SCCT as I
have nothing but respect for the group that puts this premier series
on. I am shocked – like many others I am sure – at where the car count
has gone though. With that said I have reasons for the low car count
which has everything to do with amount of options drivers now have and
nothing to do with excellent people behind the scene of SCCT.
The series continues to offer a great purse and after the show Saturday
series regulars were rewarded with a new right rear – no small gift to a
race team. It has a good point fund and encourages drivers to race every
night to be eligible for more rewards and perks. Unfortunately the
California scene is a little a saturated. Drivers like Mitchell Faccinto
and DJ Netto now have to Kings/Tulare series they can race, while SCCT
regular Andy Forsberg has recently dropped off the tour as focuses his
efforts at Placerville in the Family and Friends Sprinter and Chico in
his own. Willie Croft seems focused on 410 racing.Kalib Henry and the
Worden vowed to chase the whole series but split while back and both
have dropped off the tour. Another previous regular Colby Copeland has
ran an outlaw schedule this year as he has appeared in numerous
different rides this year. Justin Sanders has done the same thing as the
Dale Miller chose not to follow the tour after earlier committing. This
all leads to a perfect storm of drivers taking the same weekend off.
And while I was shocked by the low car count I am not concerned. The
sprint car scene in California and the West Coast in general is strong
and one night with a low car count is not vindictive of bigger problem.
On other hand it means drivers have choices and choices are good. They
don’t feel bound to one series as their are plenty of tracks and series
to race giving each driver more variety and creating situations where
you just never know who is going to show up on any given night.
In addition it was nice to see so many drivers compliment the surface at
Stockton as the track has taken some heat this year for track conditions
and purse structure for the Asparagus Cup. This was unwarranted as like
any dirt track Stockton will have their good nights and bad but the
track is continuing to support sprint cars with opportunities to race so
no complaints from me.
Do I really think my tweet set off a firestorm? Of course not. I just
needed something to write up this week. lol
Few NW Notes: Speedweek starts tonight in Yreka – usually the first two
nights are dominated by California drivers as the northwest teams don’t
get into full swing until midweek…Some of the California drivers
expected all week are Kyle Hirst, Mitchell Faccinto and Justyn
Cox…Normally a few of the lower buck teams out California will be a
surprise and do the whole week – who will they be this year?…Tony Gualda
will probably run most of the week in Rutz sprinter before returning to
Placerville on Saturday…Last week was the only time this year Grays
Harbor and Skagit had 360s on the same night and for good reason – car
counts were cut in half…Devon Borden picked up his third win of the year
at GHR (and fourth overall) while Colton Heath wheeled to his second win
of the year at Skagit.
Well that is for now. Catch me the in Oregon later this week. Look for
articles following last three nights of northwest speed week.
Terrelljoseph@hotmail.com and @idrinkiswim on twitter
FIVE NIGHT, FIVE RACES, FIVE WINNERS
THE TALES OF THE NORTHWEST NOMAD
BY Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…11
days ago it began with a cheap tent and a cooler full of beer. After
three days of beer and dirt at Skagit Speedway it was time for four days
off before regrouping and doing it all over again and then like that the
ASCS National Sprint Tour has come and gone. Five nights with five
different winners. Rubber down tracks, hooked up tracks and slick
tracks all awaited the drivers the last two weekends creating some
surprise results and five nights of ultra competitive racing.
The Brownfield Classic may not be the same type of event as Dirt Cup but
it is still a huge deal in the northwest and after a light Friday crowd
the Elma faithful filed the stands Saturday night to support the
Brownfield finale. After the first night in which the track was
lightening fast and difficult to pass on the second night featured a
slicker surface demanding a little more car control than the first
nights hammer down you-lift-you-lose surface. And even though the track
appeared (smelled as if it had) to take rubber an quick analysis of the
tires showed that some tire was left and rubber may not have been as bad
as it appeared.
While the World of Outlaws are without doubt the premier Sprint touring
division the invasion of the ASCS drivers is a true battle of invaders
versus locals. This year the invaders won as they claimed four of the
five races although in reality three of the five winners were from the
Northwest. The locals were solid as Jason Solwold and Colton Heath each
recorded four top tens, Devon Bordern won Friday night at GHR and had a
top 10 at Dirt Cup and Austen Wheatley continues to shine at GHR as he
came a hard fought fifth last night in the Brownfield Classic finale
after flirting with a podium for most of the night.
With his win last night Matt Covington joined Solwold, Blake Hahn and
Dirt Cup winner Robbie Price as the only drivers with two podiums during
the five nights - that speaks to the competitiveness of the field.
Overall Covington was the class of the field as he almost won Dirt Cup
before an engine failure and then rebounded to take the classic. It is
fitting that Covington would run so well in the northwest as his office
is a XXX chassis powered by SHARK engines - both are based in the
Burlington area near Skagit Speedway.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FAVORITES:
Just like the weekend before at Skagit the sharpies were wrong on the
favorites. It was basically declared a five driver race for the
Brownfield Classic but that is why they race the race. The five
favorites were solid but struggled to make any real noise.
Sam Hafertepe, Jr who had dominated the northwest swing in recent years
was only on the podium once - Friday night at GHR. Hafertepe who built a
new car last weekend at Skagit seemed to be in the hole because of bad
pill draws each night and was unable to make up for it. Although he did
garner a third and fourth over the weekend Hafertepe, Jr. was never
really in contention.
Another driver with terrible draws was Roger Crockett who with the
exception of Friday at Skagit spent most of the two weekends lingering
in mid pack - not an usual position for the Rocket. As a critic pointed
out to me a Friday night “Remember when Crockett was fast at Elma.”
After a great Dirt Cup Hahn struggled all weekend at GHR and had to use
a provisional to tag Saturday’s A main after a Friday night where he
barely held on to a top 10.
Seth Bergman had a tough draw on Friday but made the best of it to get a
top 5 and Saturday seemed to be in ideal position to score his first
Brownfield Classic as he won his heat and drew the number two starting
position. Luck was not on his side as he blew an engine as his heat
ended and after motor problems the night before elected to just push off
and then pit. He was credited with 23rd. Bergman who has won Dirt Cup
and the Summer Nationals but still needs the Brownfield was obviously
disappointed as he talked about his tough luck in this event.
Solwold was only favorite to make a run as he was on the move Saturday
night coming from 6th to 2nd but just couldn't make a run on Covington
after a late race caution. Solwold who had an up and down two weekends
was also disappointed in that like Bergman he only needs the Brownfield
to compliment his Dirt Cup and four Summer Nationals victory. Solwold
was happy to be on the podium but it was evident he was little deflated
as for the third time in five years he was on Saturday night podium at
the Brownfield but in the wrong spot.
MORE
BROWNFIELD/ASCS NOTES: After shocking the world Friday Night Devon
Borden struggled in his heat Saturday and started dead last in the B
before charging to third in the B and making the A…As mentioned earlier
Heath had a great two weekends that included a second, sixth and two
seventh…Reece Goetz who has made only a handful of starts this year went
from sixth to second in his heat and started the main second Saturday
night. He came home seventh…On the other hand Reece’s brother Chase was
a no show Saturday after numerous bad breaks over the two weekends…More
than a few were surprised to see Lance Sargent start 11th at Dirt Cup.
He backed it up by rolling off seventh for the Brownfield finale…John
Carney II was up and down during his Washington debut with his best run
being Friday night at GHR when he finished second. He finished fourth in
the B Saturday and was never a factor…Summer Thunder rookie Bailey Jean
Sucich had nice weekend making the main both nights…Another Summer
Thunder Series rookie Chris Bullock rolled off 10th Saturday night for
the Classic…Travis Jacobson was coming off a solid Dirt Cup had a tough
weekend and after a disappointing heat race Saturday night he and the
Cook racing team packed up shop and were on the road home at 815 pm…The
two weekends took their toll on Summer Thunder supporters and now only
seven drivers have made every race as Chris Schmlezle, JJ Hickle and
Danny Ochs all missed their first races…Also Jake Helsel who has had the
Bud Ashe sprinter running as well as it ever has was a no who Saturday
after experiencing some rumored engine gremlins…With only show up points
available for the five nights points have not changed for the Summer
Thunder Sprint Series. Solwold leads Borden, Cam Smith and Heath…On the
ASCS front Hahn gained the point lead at Dirt Cup but lost it at the
Brownfield and now sits third behind Hafertepe and Carney…Interestingly
Solwold is 14th and Heath 15th in National points due to the strength of
their five race performance.
Well that is it for now. I will be taking next weekend off due to work
commitments but I will be writing a piece previewing Northwest Sprint
Week which kicks off the Monday July 8 in Yreka, California. I will be
catching up with Speedwell on July 11 in Sunset and then the final two
nights in Cottage Grove.Will probably be my only racing trip to Oregon
the year.
If you cant catch me at the races then catch me swimming, running and
cycling.
E-mail
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
follow on twitter @idrinkiswim.
FAST FIRST NIGHT AT THE
CLASSIC
TALES OF THE NORTHWEST
NOMAD
By Joseph Terrell
Along I-5, Western
Washington…The first night of the Fred Brownfield Classic is in the
books and boy was it a quick one – literally. Steve Beitler and his crew
rolled off the 34 ASCS sprints and 19 midgets in two and a half hours.
Seven heats, a B main and two 25 lap main events and the checkered had
flown on the night. And not only was the show fast paced…overnight rains
and a little daytime drizzle left the Grays Harbor Raceway hooked up and
hammer down making passing a difficult proposition all night long.
When the
checkered fell last night a few fans were surprised when 16 year old
Devon Borden went green to checkered to become the youngest winners ASCS
National sprint history breaking the record set by some guy named Ricky
Stenhouse, Jr. I wasn’t as Borden has scored two wins already this year
and has shown that when he tarts up front he is tough to beat. This
night everything fell in place for Borden as he started second in his
heat and led all eight laps. He then started second in the main and
again led every lap as he dominated aboard the Borden Auto Parts Don Ott
powered sprinter. With yellow lags each time slower traffic started to
get dicy Borden was never seriously challenged.
Behind
Borden ASCS stars John Carney II and Sam Hafertepe, Jr. were given chase
but just couldn’t make up enough ground on the lightening fast track.
Each driver commented in victory lane on the difficulty of passing
because of the fast surface but were also quick to congratulate the
emerging star who has just been the class of the field.
Two early
favorites Roger Crockett and Seth Bergman had terrible pill draws and
with track conditions as they were each had a long night ahead. Crockett
struggled in his heat, was okay in the B and was on the tail end of the
lead lap as he never showed the prowess he usually exhibits at GHR.
Bergman on the other hand made a few passes in the heat and was patient
during the 25 lap main and finished 5th after being slotted
to start 13th.
A tour of
the pits last night had most drivers commenting on the fast race surface
and how the pill draw is everything when the heats are that hooked up.
With much dryer conditions expected today and another night of racing on
the track the overwhelming feeling was the track would get much racier
tonight.
Classic
Notes: Young driver Bailey Jean Sucich started the A on the pole and
finished a very solid 8th. She started her night be winning
her first ASCS heat…Oregon cage kart star Tanner Holmes weekend ended
early as his motor expired in the B. He was on the road home by 915
pm…Colton Heath continues to be solid the past two weekends and came
home 7th after transferring out of the B…ASCS point leader
Blake Hahn struggled all night as he was mired in a midpack battle that
included Reece Goetz, Austen Wheatley and Robbie Price among
others…Australian Andrew Caruana did some major front end damage after
running into the back of Jason Reed during the B main. They were
thrashing last night to get the car fixed…Speaking of bad luck Chase
Goetz back streak continues. After a rough Dirt Cup Goetz and team
worked all week to get the car together to only DNF after hot
laps…Lastly notable no shows were Oregon star Garen Linder (still
recovering from his Dirt Cup junking) and JJ Hickle (driving the Worden
sprinter in California all weekend).
Well off to the grind for the day before heading back out to GHR tonight
for night number two. This year no automatic lock ins so everybody will
start fresh. Borden has a proven to be legit contender. Can we get a
fifth different winner in five nights of ASCS in the Northwest. Drivers
that still haven’t won include Hafertepe, Jr., Bergman. Heath, Carney II
and Jason Solwold. I expect one of those five to win tonight.
Terrelljoseph@hotmail.com @idrinkiswim on twitter.
DIRT CUP –
YOU ONLY
GET TO IT ONCE A YEAR
Tales
of the Northwest Nomad
By Joseph Terrell
Kitsap Peninsula…Saturday
evening as Oklahoma driver Matt Covington was getting the Dick Wilskey
pole award for high points after two nights Covington could not stop
talking about how great a event Dirt Cup is and the how great the
northwest fans are. He made mention that it is so much more than a
normal race as the money, the competition and the fans make it a very
special weekend.
What a weekend it was.
After an anti-climatic ending Thursday night that I detailed Friday
morning, Steve Beitler and his crew went to work and had Skagit Speedway
on point the last two nights. Saturday’s
A main had the Skagit faithful going crazy as many said it was the best
race they have seen at Skagit. Saturdays 40 lap headliner featured six
lead changes and more slide jobs than one could count. The battle from
1-6 was non stop as the best 360 drivers in the country literally waged
a war on the Skagit oval. The most amazing thing was that even though
the racing was close and the slide jobs fierce their was no dirty moves.
Yes a couple of the dive bombs weretight - especially Seth Bergman’s
late move to pass Jason Solwold and get on the podium - but all were
done clean leaving room for everybody to operate.
When the dust settled Saturday night it was
British Columbia driver and former track champion Robbie Price who had
claimed the $15,000 prize as well as his first ASCS national victory.
The feeling from the sharpies all week was that Price would run well and
could possibly win a preliminary night but that his chances Saturday
night were slim at best. Oh how the sharpies were wrong as Price raced
the best I have seen him run and once he inherited the lead for the
final time on lap 30 he was not going to be denied as he drove away from
the field to secure the victory. Price’s
joy was Covington’s
misery as a blown motor handed the lead back top Price and robbed
Covington of his first big money race victory.
Covington and Price both slid beneath radar
all weekend as the sharpies were really into Blake Hahn, Sam Hafertepe,
Jr., Bergman, Solwold and California Superstars Justyn Cox and Justin
Sanders.
Hahn seemed like the
driver to beat after his Thursday night run and solidified it with a
solid Friday night but a midrace spin dropped him to fifth and seemingly
dashed his chances. He rebounded to get second but it had to be bitter
for Hahn as Dirt Cups are hard to win and if you waste the opportunity
you don’t
know if you will get another one.
Bergman made a late move
Saturday after what had been a lackluster weekend to that point to
finish third and gain another Dirt Cup podium. Solwold was up front all
weekend but like so many times this year just did not seem to have what
it takes to win. Nothing wrong with a fourth place finish but I know
Shaylen Raye Motorsports team was looking for more.
Hafertepe could just not
find the speed he needed all weekend and was never really a factor. Cox
and Sanders were just too inconsistent all weekend and come Saturday
night just were not in a position to do too much. Although it must be
mentioned after a very slow start Sanders seem pick up the pace Friday
and Saturday as he seemed to get his Doug Rutz ride rolling pretty good
by the end of the weekend. No word when we can expect Cox or Sanders in
the Rutz sprinters again but Northwest speedweek in a few weeks seems
the most likely.
In addition to the great
racing some great crowds greeted the 50 sprint cars all weekend. Friday
and Saturday were especially filled as parking got at a premium with all
the campers that were one site. For those that have never been to Dirt
Cup this just might be best part of the weekend. Campers were everywhere
from tents to the most expensive RVs and all sizes in between. Saturday
night after the races one of the best things to do is wander around and
see what party you might end up and who just might be there. More than a
few times some of the best drivers in the business have found themselves
wandering the campgrounds looking to unwind after a long weekend. Word
had it the hidden spot on Saturday night was the in the pits as DJ Festy
texted to me late Saturday night/early Sunday morning. By that point I
was winding down trying catch a few hour of sleep before packing up
heading back to reality.
Luckily reality only last
until Friday as we get ready to do it all over again at the Brownfield
Classic with two nights of ASCS national races. Look for around 40 cars
to fill the pits and take on the wide and ultra fast Grays Harbor
Raceway. Early thoughts from the sharpies are varied but I would expect
that the favorites this week will be among others Bergman, Hahn, Price,
Hafertepe, Solwold, Australian star Scott Bogucki and Friday night
preliminary winner Roger Crockett.
Dirt Cup New and Notes:
51 cars officially check in for the weekend as Dirt Cup continues to
hover around 50 number for total entries…this
years format was expanded to include four qualifiers from three the
previous years…After
last years point debacle that put more emphasis on heats and qualifiers
this years point system heavily weighed the A mains . By all accounts
the new system was much better received…
Crocketts
Friday victory came after an awful Thursday which he did not make it of
the A. Last years system would have made him a B main car but this year
a bad Thursday and a win on Friday were good enough to get an 8th
starting position and ultimately 11th place finish on
Saturday…
Bogucki who
was coming off a weekend sweep was seemingly checked out on Friday when
he caught the cushion and destroyed his car. His crew re-built the car
and Bogucki drove 13th to 5th on Saturday…Among
other drivers who had heavy car damage during the weekend were South
Dakota driver Travis Reber (re-build after Thursday night), Chase Goetz
(went to second car for Friday) and JJ Hickle (went home after Friday)…Two
young Oregon stars made their 360 debuts at Skagit were Tyler Thompson
and outlaw kart star Tanner Holmes. Holmes had the most success and was
running second Friday night when he had to avoid Bogucki causing severe
front end damage…Besides
Solwold three other locals graced the Top 10
–
Friday night
runnerup Colton Heath, former Dirt Cup runner Travis Jacobson and
budding superstar Devon Borden…Lastly Lance Seargent was a surprise all
weekend as he started 11th on the grid Saturday after almost not racing
due to recent struggles.
Well that is wrap until
this weekend at GHR. These truly are the best racing weekends of the
year in the northwest. I will be writing articles after both nights
races.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and on twitter @idrinkiswim.
RUBBER DOWN - I HAVE NEVER
SEEN THIS BEFORE
THE TALES OF THE NORTHWEST NOMAD
BY Joseph Terrell
Alger,Wa…The
48th annual Super Dirt Cup kicked off last night and history was made -
but not the sort that I thought was going to be made. Every year Dirt
Cup brings the unexpected but as the final 15 laps clicked off the board
last night and sprint cars resembled a train as they cascaded around the
bottom in the one big line. It took myself and most of the faithful to
understand what was happening. Was it true? Yes it was. Skagit Speedway
had taken rubber. In 22 years of attendance at this great track I have
never seen this happen at Skagit. The track has had many critics over
the years and sometimes for rightful reasons but a rubber down speedway
has never been one of them.
After a six great heats, four amazing qualifiers
and two very competitive B mains the Skagit faithful seemed guaranteed
an amazing main event. But before the sprint main rolled out the ford
focus midgets had their main and that is when it started to happen. The
signs were there but many of seasoned veterans at the track just
couldn't accept it. The sharpies were still saying Hafertepe was going
to win from 13th or Bergman from 5th not knowing or maybe accepting the
brutal reality of a rubber down follow the leader track.
Even the first few laps were inconclusive but
when Matt Covington blew by Jason Solwold and almost did the same thing
to eventual winner Blake Hahn it was obvious the rubber was down. Hahn
moved to the bottom to thwart Covington’s move and from that point on
Hahn lead Covington, Solwold and Bergamn on high speed parade around
Skagit Speedway. In victory lane even longtime track participant Solwold
admitted to being surprised the track took rubber and that he reacted
too slowly which allowed Covington to get by early in the race.
Hats off the Steve Beitler and his team as they
obviously were not satisfied with the track and before post race
interviews had been concluded he had his toys on the track going to
work. Having 50 sprints and more than 30 midgets on hand definitely took
its toll on the track and it will be interesting to see how Beitler and
his staff navigate the weekend to prevent what happened last night from
happening again.
First Night
Notes from Dirt Cup…After running strong at Skagit each year Hahn
finally scored his first win at the track…Northwest local now ASCS star
Robbie Price was high point driver going into the qualifiers and
eventually started 4th in the main before finishing 6th…John Carney had
an eventful first night at the Skagit Speedway but survived a qualifier
mishap to come home fifth…California star Justin Sanders who the
sharpies were all over struggled mightily and spun twice in the B main.
Sanders was looking for a heavy California cushion and their was not one
to be found…His Doug Rutz teammate Justyn Cox fared better and came home
with a solid top 10….After a lot of talk about the locals being strong
this year the top looked pretty familiar in that it was all National
drivers with the exception of Solwold. We have seen this act
before…Roger Crockett who entered as a driver to beat had steering
problems all night, got stuck in the back of the B and couldn't work his
way out…Brock Lemely switched engines after qualifying and struggled
until the B where he charged from 15th to 3rd before spinning in turn
2…For the first time I remember not one California or Edmonton based
team participated in Dirt Cup…Chase Goetz making his first 360 start of
the year had his night end quickly as he was stuffed in the wall in his
heat race. He scratched for the rest of the night and afterwards the car
was bare bones in the Goetz trailer…South Dakota traveller Travis Reber
took a wild ride in the B main and may have set a height record as he
flipped violently down the front stretch. But in the spirit of racer he
guaranteed to be back Friday night.
Well that is it from the first night of Dirt
Cup. Tonight we shake it up again and see what happens. Will Hafertepe
and Crockett rise to the top? Will Solwold and Hahn re-kindle their
emerging rivalry? Will Covington or Price shock the world and get it
done? Or does Bergman reign supreme again? We will find out more
tonight.
The sharpies will keep the odds updated Friday
afternoon and Saturday afternoon will be final odds. Follow on twitter.
Until Sunday evening Mr. Dirt Cup is checking
out and diving into the cooler full of Coors Light. Bingo.
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
or @idrinkiswim.
LIVING THE DIRT CUP DREAM – A WHO’S WHO
Tales of the Northwest Nomad
By Joseph Terrell
Kitsap Peninsula….The time is now. The wait is over. The
hype machine has been working overtime but now it is time for the
reality to hit and the hype to end. What am I talking about? Well of
course it could only be the annual edition of the Jim Raper
Memorial…Super Dirt Cup to the common fans. The festivities kick off
this Thursday and go through Saturday as the drivers chase the dream of
$15,000 payday. For more than 30 years Dirt Cup has been the premier
event of the Northwest and in many ways the West Coast. The winner list
has all the West Coast legends from Sills to Green, Kaeding to Kent,
Allard to Solwold and many in between. The names are a roll call of hall
of famers. But this is not just limited to West Coast stars as
luminaries such as Wolfgang, Jeff Swindell and Sam Hafertepe. Jr. have
also graced victory lane in this iconic race.
This is years edition is looking like it will be another super
competitive three nights of racing with many potential winners and the
sharpies have been evaluating closely during the last two months as they
follow the ASCS national tour and the local northwest scene as well as
keeping an eye on a couple of California invaders. This last weekend was
the last tune-up and some favorites warmed up with wins, others
struggled a bit, while a few (namely Jason Sowlold and Seth Bergman)
took the night off – obviously they feel like they have made their cases
to the sharpies and pundits.
With that said it is time to breakdown five drivers who are contenders
and five who are have some work to do:
CONTENDERS (no particular order):
• Sam Hafertepe, Jr. – Great resume at Skagit Speedway with two Dirt Cup
victories and a World of Outlaw win. Five wins on the ASCS national tour
this year. Last year made an epic run from 18th to 3rd on the final
night. Something tells might tell the sharpies he won’t have to work so
hard this year.
• Seth Bergman – Defending champ won Friday night last year from 16th
and then simply dominated Saturday night. What is not to like about
Bergman and his chances this year. Ran second in his only appearance at
Skagit this year. Sharpies have taken notice.
• Justin Sanders – first time at Skagit and Sanders is on the contender
list. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone familiar with this young
man as his resume is filled with wins. Swept Bradway memorial this year,
has knocked on the door of Outlaws win at Silver Dollar and warmed up
with a win and second over the weekend. Only question is how he will
adjust to driving Doug Rutz Sprinter. Some sharpies think he might open
as the favorite.
• Jason Solwold – stared the season ablaze with four straight wins.
Since no wins in six starts but has been on the podium four times.
Hasn’t seemed as strong the last month as he needs to but it is Skagit
Speedway and it is Jason Solwold so it is hard not to have him on the
contender list. Furthermore has scored four ASCS national wins in the
last four years. Sharpies are skeptical as of now though.
• Roger Crockett – Led the ASCS national points for awhile but has
slipped recently now resides out the top five. But Crockett is coming to
familiar territory and I look for him to be really strong. Crockett has
never won a Dirt Cup and traditionally has encountered tough luck but
this year the stars might align for Crockett to conquer the Dirt Cup
demon.
WORK TO DO:
• Colton Heath – Just hasn’t shown consistent speed this year. Always
fast at Skagit Heath seemed like a favorite early in the year but now
finds himself on the work do list. The sharpies want him to be a
favorite but just can’t justify it.
• Justyn Cox – I don’t why but the sharpies just don’t think Justyn Cox
is going to contend this week. Come Saturday night the sharpie might be
wrong but Skagit is a different beast and the sharpies need to see Cox
really perform before he is considered a legit contender at Skagit.
• Scott Bogucki – I know a runner up at Dirt Cup last year and two wins
over the weekend and he is on the work to do list…but the sharpies are
very skeptical that Bogucki will be able to repeat his success from last
year. Look for good value on this driver when the odds come out.
• Devon Border – Just too young…or is he? No doubt he might make some
noise and turn some heads but Dirt Cup is about consistency and the
sharpies need to see it from Borden. Come Saturday night however if he
starts up front he might just shake up everything.
• Robbie Price – Even though he comes home to Skagit after being on the
road all year the sharpies still are not convinced this rising Canadian
star is ready for the big time. But the former track champion is always
fast at Skagit and if he has a strong Thursday night a pretender might
become a contender.
There it is a quick run down. I will post final odds
Thursday morning on Twitter.
A QUICK TRIP AROUND THE WEST COAST: Multiple time
champion Jay Cole won his first main event at GHR this year. Cole has
struggled in recent years but looked strong on Saturday and officially
led all 25 laps…Austen Wheatley made his second start of the year and
made a pass for the lead momentarily on lap 12 but an incident with
slower traffic ended his night and Borden’s…Travis Jacobson continues to
perform well in the Cook Family sprinter and came home second at GHR…Mini
sprint and ford focus midget star Chance Crum hopped in JJ Hickle’s
sprinter (he was in Montana racing over the weekend) and ran a solid
6th….Down in California five 360 mains were ran over the weekend with
five different winners…Friday saw Kyle Hirst win the David Tater
Memorial at Silver Dollar over surprise second place finisher Chelsea
Blevins, while Justin Sanders did the honors out at Ocean…On Saturday it
was DJ Netto winning the fierce SCCT main at Kings over Sanders, Kalib
Henrywon up at Marysville and former Keith Kunz midget shoe Ryan
Robinson got it done at Antioch…Robinson who was a surprise show at Dirt
Cup last year has ran infrequently this year after competing
professionally the last few years in the midget ranks…Henry spent the
weekend aboard the Van Dyke #5h….The SCCT it has no doubt been a huge
success but the amount drivers who actually follow the whole tour has
fallen as their is so many options in California… but options are good
and create competition and that is why the California winged 360 sprint
scene is thriving.
Look for final Dirt Cup odds Thursday on twitter @idrinkiswim. Also I
will be posting an article on Friday discussing the opening night of
Dirt Cup.
As usual if I am not chasing races then I am swimming, running or
cycling. Catch me at Skagit Thursday-Saturday this week.
Terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
and @idrinkiswim.
The
Tales of the Northwest Nomad
By Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa… With ASCS National Tour invasion less than
two weeks away there is a lot of Sprint Car stuff to cover but before
that a quick recognition of the local modified class at Grays Harbor
Raceway. I know this website is dedicated to sprint car and open wheel
racing and that often fans here use modifieds as a punching bag. I don’t
share this opinion and truly believe that a perfect show is a two
division sprint and mod combo. Why do I like the mods? One only needs to
venture out to Grays Harbor Raceway. Last Saturday again proved that
this class can be pretty awesome.
The mods rolled out 18 deep
Saturday night and put on a 25 lap two caution classic that saw hard
charges, slide jobs, different leaders and a grandstand that was on the
edge of their seat when the checkered wave. The mods gave us everything
on this night that we want from the sprints. What is most special is
these guys are just all weekend warriors who work all week and then
strap on their superman capes come Saturday and race like drivers who do
it 70 times a year. Just wanted to give a shout out and recognition to
the drivers that are the backbone of dirt track racing.
Now time to discuss Sprints.
Saturday was the last tune-up at Skagit Speedway before Dirt Cup and it
was Cam Smith who wheeled the family sprinter to his first win of the
year at Skagit and second of the year. In the process Smith joined Devon
Borden as the only driver to win at Skagit and GHR for dual track bonus.
As has been discussed previously Smith has really stepped up his game
and it will be interesting to see what the sharpies put his Dirt Cup
odds at.
Speaking of Borden it was nice to
see he made to Skagit for Saturday’s race. He had posted earlier in the
week that the team was out of engines and were going to be out of action
for a bit. Haven’t heard what changed but Borden obviously was able to
hustle up some horsepower which is nice to see because this young star
is too good to be sitting at home playing video games.
Now back to the sharpies and
those Dirt Cup odds. After the previous weeks DTB at GHR the sharpies
seemed in unison that Seth Bergman was going to win Dirt Cup, Brownfield
and well hell every other sprint show he entered in the northwest. And
after breaking the track record early in the night it seemed the
sharpies were ready to put the pens down, retire the book and head out
for summer vacation but that is why they run the races and as dust
settled Saturday the sharpies had to start revisiting the odds. Not that
they moved too much but a definite reassessment is needed.
Speaking of the sharpies and odds
Sam Hafertepe, Jr. is starting to roll and has now got five ASCS
national wins. The driver that has proven to have much success at Skagit
Speedway (only himself and Jason Solwold have ever won a WoO and ASCS
race at Skagit) - will definitely be one of the drivers to beat and
rumor has it he might actually open as the favorite.
Speaking of favorites and odds it
will be interesting to see where the sharpies place such intriguing
picks as Solwold, Colton Heath, John Carney and JJ Hickle to name a few.
As a critic texted me Saturday night from Skagit at least 15 of the 24
drivers present could win. It has been a while since the northwest scene
has been that competitive and with ASCS national tour having plenty of
new names and faces it could be that the sharpies favor the locals when
the odds are released.
Northwest Sprint Notes: Austen Wheatley made his
northwest debut Saturday night as the big shows of the northwest
approach. Last year he struggled at Dirt Cup but was super competitive
at GHR. You never know how Wheatley will run…Last year Justin Youngquist
won the season finale for the Summer Thunder Series but had not been on
the track until Saturday night…Both Wheatley and Youngquist were
DNFs…For the first time in recent memory Skagit Speedway had a B main
for a weekly Sprint show. The birth of the Dual Track Bonus has really
paid dividends…Former Skagit champion Barry Martinez made his debut
aboard the Jensen Sprinter and finished 10th..Jason Solwold ran third
Saturday giving him nine podiums in 10 A main starts. His other finish
was fourth…It was a rare Saturday night with two northwest tracks
running 360s as Cottage Grove also had 360s on the menu…The talented but
inconsistent Jake Wheeler steered to his first career Cottage Grove win
and first 360 win by a local at the track since late 2017.
Now onto West Coast Sprint Notes:Andy Forsberg picked up
win number five at Placerville Saturday night putting him first on west
coast win list…Rico Abreu won a miracle at Tulare and with it scored a
cool $11,000. I was a little disappointed the Peter Murphy classic and
the huge payday only had 25 entrants…Chase Madjic rolled to his first
360 win Friday in Chico outlasting Justyn Cox…Speaking of Cox he got his
first taste of Skagit Speedway Saturday night and finished fourth in the
Doug Rutz sprinter. Yes the sharpies noticed when it comes to setting
odds for Dirt Cup…Ryan Bernal won the Friday night 360 race at Tulare
while Dominic Scelzi won Saturday night…Amazingly California had two 360
races Friday and four Saturday plus a NARC 410 race. That is seven full
sprint car races for the weekend. Yes sprint car racing in California is
doing oaky…And finally speaking of California for the second time in
three years a driver from Golden State captured Indiana Midget Week.
Congrats Logan Seavey on getting to done after Sunday was cancelled
because of that rare midwest rain lol.
Next week I will head to GHR for third
straight week to catch the final 360 race before Dirt Cup and Brownfield
as well as the Washington Modified Tour will roar for 30 laps as the
headliner this Saturday. I have confirmed the sharpies will be at GHR
Saturday for this last look and that initial Dirt Cup odds will be
posted Sunday morning @idrinkiswim.
Will probably do two articles next week as
action really picks up in the northwest. Follow me @idrinkiswim. email
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
Tales of the Northwest Nomad
by Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…June 1 was a Saturday and what better way to
kick off the month of June than with a Summer Thunder Series Sprint Car
race at Grays Harbor Raceway. Once the calendar turns to June all
northwest sprint fans get a little more excited and the competition gets
a little tighter as the local stars fine tune their hot rods in
anticipation of the ASCS National Tour hitting land the last two
weekends of the month. Those two weekends are without a doubt the best
back to back weekends of racing in the northwest all year so everybody
is looking to be at their best come then.
As the clock struck 6 pm Saturday night it was time to
head west out GHR. As I arrived first thing I noticed is it was going to
be a big crowd. The ticket line was deep and stands were much fuller
than usual. Amazing how the mention of fireworks drives people to the
races. But then again whatever gets fans out to the races is a plus -
just this week four tracks shut down with attendance being a factor in
all four. With the huge crowd and great weather I wandered into the
stands a little past seven and I was greeted with 25 sprint cars - a
season high in the state of Washington. Unfortunately I was also greeted
to three support divisions but given my previous statement about the
importance of attendance I will keep my displeasure on the subject to
myself.
One of the competitors in the pits and bringing a little
extra competition to the field was Washington native turned national 360
star Seth Bergman who has headed home to get a early jump on preparation
for the big shows a the end of the month. Bergman has elected to not
chase the ASCS national sprint tour this year and instead chase big
money shows and plans in being in the northwest through the Summer
Nationals at Skagit Speedway at the end of July. Seth has plenty of laps
at both GHR and Skagit and the extra prep time can only be detrimental
the to the rest of the field. On this Saturday it was very detrimental
as Seth announced his arrival home in a loud and proud fashion.
After setting fast time and running third in his heat
Seth started the main in the second row and quickly went to work. The
difference was the ability of Seth to enter turn three on the top as
leader JJ Hickle committed to the bottom and second place Jason Solwold
started in the middle of turn three and slid to the top of turn four -
as he was either unwilling or unable to enter on top coming into three.
Seth paced behind the top two for a few laps as he picked up momentum
running the scary high side until he finally drove by Solwold in turn
four and Hickle a lap later. From this point Bergman set sail and
definitely let the northwest competitors they need to step up their
games if they want to be a factor.
Both Hickle and Solwold ran solid races but have a ways
to go to be competitive with Bergman. His ability to navigate the track
and find the fast lane is very impressive and it seemed like Saturday he
knew the fast line a lap to two before the rest of the field found it.
The northwest drivers were a little conservative in searching for new
lines and it showed as Bergman was never challenged during the last 20
laps despite numerous restarts. With this said I fully expect the best
of the northwest (Solwold, Hickle, Colton Heath, Garen Linder, Cam Smith
among others) to make the necessary adjustments and close the gap
quickly. The bar has been raised for the locals and I expect next week
at Skagit Speedway for the best of the northwest to offer much more
resistance to the Bergman train than they did this week.
As previously mentioned 25 sprints signed into the pits
Saturday. This continues a strong year of resurgent car counts in the
northwest. While I know 25 may not seem like a lot but given the
trajectory of the last few years it is awesome to go to sprint car
racing in the northwest and know a full field will greet you. After a
few years where the best weekly field were 15 I will gladly take a year
where the we have only one field thus far below 15.
WEST COAST ROUND UP:
Northwest notes…Jake Helsel made his season
debut in the Bud Ashe Sprinter and qualified in the top eight and ran
fifth for most of the main before finishing 7th. Nice run for Helsel who
has spent the last few years running micros and sportsmen sprints…Former
Skagit champion Eric Fisher made a rare appearance at GHR and finished
fifth with a late race run…JJ Hickle lead early as he chases his first
career Summer Thunder Series victory. His second place run was his
fourth podium of the year…Speaking of podiums only Colton Heath with
five and Solwold with seven have more podiums in the northwest…Cam Smith
qualified like junk and started 17th in the A. On a track that was
difficult to pass on Smith worked himself up to 6th with a late race
charge…Local driver Jason Reed had a career best qualifying effort of
third. He had a hard time maintaining the momentum throughout the night
and finished outside the top 10…Up at Skagit Speedway 600 star Jesse
Schlotfeldt made his debut at the speedway in the Sportsman division.
Schlotfeldt is a known commodity in the micro world and was the pole
sitter for the headlining 600s at the Clay Cup Nationals last year. Did
I mention his age is somewhere south of 16. He finished 7th…Also at
Skagit were a handful drivers like Evan Margetson (winner of the ford
focus midget main), Kelsey Carpenter, Jayme Barnes and Chase Goetz (all
in the Sportsmen) who need to be 360 cars. JMO…Lastly speaking of Goetz
his brother made Reece made a rare 360 start and after a slow start
ended the night with a top 10. I once witnessed Reece Goetz win 4 main
events in two nights sweeping two divisions.
California Notes: A quite week in California saw only three
winged races over the weekend. Bud Kaeding won in Ocean Friday in his
Dad’s car, Colby Copeland got it done with NARC Saturday at Petaluma and
Shane Golobic did Shane Golobic things at Placerville winning the 360s
and midget main…Golobic heads to Indiana to compete on Indiana Midget
Week which starts Tuesday. He is a former champion of the IMW and is
always a threat in the Matt Wood midget…Golobic will having plenty of
west coast friends competing during IMW including Tanner Thorson.
Thorson was scheduled to chase the whole USAC National midget tour this
year aboard the Clyde Lamar Midget before suffering serious injuries in
a March highway accident. He will return to racing abroad a Keith Kunz
prepared midget this week…Kaeding’s win at Ocean was his third of the
year at the track in his Dad’s legendary Al’s Roofing Sprinter. Bud
continues to moonlight in his Dad’s car when not aboard the Morrie
William’s sprinter…Copeland who has been off to a slow start this year
broke out with a win at Petaluma Saturday overcoming three late race
restarts. Copeland continues to exude mastery at the tricky Petaluma
gumbo track…So far it looks like two California drivers will be
attending Dirt Cup: Justyn Cox and Justin Sanders will both be in Doug
Rutz sprinters. With $15,000 on the line will more from the Golden State
throw their name in the hat?
This next week is still up in there as I try to
determine whether to head to GHR or up to Skagit Speedway for the dual
track bonus. This also a rare weekend with two 360 shows on the same
night in the northwest as Cottage Grove will also be running the 360s
Saturday night.
As usual if i am not swimming or running i am chasing
races. Catch me at the race track.
Follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim. E-mail
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
.
The Tales of the
Northwest Nomad
by Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa….As we enter
the month of June in the Northwest it is inevitable the anticipation for
the summer big shows will pick up. The Marvin Smith Classic at Cottage
Grove Speedway over the weekend was the start of the northwest money
season. June will the have Dirt Cup and the Brownfield Classic, July
brings northwest Speedweek and Summer Nationals, August is a little
light but it all concludes labor day weekend with annual World of Outlaw
swing through the northwest. It will be great summer as the stars of
northwest will battle ASCS invaders, California invaders and even an
invader that is native to the northwest (Seth Bergman). A lot of
anticipation but it fails to 2006 when the wave hit its cress in the
northwest and for one moment we thought the sprint car world revolved
around us.
20006 was the year when the promotor battle of the northwest - as Fred
Brownfield (who ran Grays Harbor Raceway) formed his own National sprint
tour, while Steve Beitler was able to bring the outlaws back to Skagit –
seemed to go national. The traditional Outlaw weekend in August was now
moving to Skagit and at the same time The National Sprint Tour booked a
race at GHR for the same weekend. At first it created anxiety and nerves
among the northwest locals - was it better to go GHR for the fledging
National Sprint Tour or was it better go to the Outlaws and their return
to Skagit Speedway. Many of my buddies were leaning towards Skagit,
while I was all in at GHR. This was going to be and was a huge weekend
but unfortunately that weekend and northwest sprint scene changed
direction for ever on a tragic Friday night before Father’s day that
many us remember like yesterday.
Before the NST and WoO could lay battle in the northwest their was a
little race in June paying $25,000 called Super Dirt Cup that proceeded.
In these days Dirt Cup was a 410 race and was becoming more and more
competitive as the Washington drivers had stepped up their game making
it more difficult for California drivers to cash that check. 2006 was
shaping up the same way until a glitch in the schedule and the reality
that NST drivers needed more races on the schedule to pay the bills. As
Dirt Cup approached – at that time it was always Father’s Day weekend –
the rumors started to swirl that many NST drivers might be making an
appearance at Dirt Cup. First it was native Jason Solwold who announced
he would be a in local ride and then Shane Stewart did the same. Not
long after Jason Meyers and Tim Kaeding committed driving for teams out
of California. That made four out 12 registered NST drivers at Dirt Cup.
Texan Travis Rilat also made the announcement he would be making his
first appearance at Skagit Speedway. In a weird the NST had come to
Skagit – just Fred Brownfield was not promoting it.
In addition to all this the field had many future stars including USAC
firestorm Robert Ballou, Seth Bergman and some young driver from
California named Kyle Hirst who was desperately trying to break from his
Dad shadows. The B mains that weekend were A mains and it became very
evident after Thursday night this field was as deep and as competitive
as any in then history of this glorious race. Their was NST star power,
all the California legends (including Allard, Kaeding, Kent, Becker, Day
etc.) plus a super competitive local scene including Chad Hiller and
future Dirt Cup winner Jayme Barnes.
As great as
racing would be it seem the partying was determined to be better. I
remember driving all around Mount Vernon on Thursday afternoon with
northwest legend DJ Festy trying to find a keg beer. Our journey took us
across the Skagit River into west Mount Vernon and ended at some dive
bar. Before entering we surveyed the location and saw the sign we were
looking for “Kegs to Go.” Before we got our keg we had few big beers to
set the mood for the day. As we raced back to Skagit Speedway a skunky
odor poured from the car with a full keg in back. Back at camp we got
the keg in ice and the games began, In addition we had bottles of
various liquors to ensure we would be well lubricated all weekend. We
partied hard Thursday night but really went for it on Friday. With rain
in the forecast we decided to pass the time taking shots of Jim Beam and
guzzling keg cups of beer. Skagit Speedway was party central. Beer
bongs, apple pie, yucca and plenty of drinks and contraptions were
prevalent throughout the campground.
By the time
we headed to the track Friday night following a long rain delay the
crowd was in an alcohol fueled frenzy. The Skagit faithful had spent all
afternoon into the early evening indulging and now it was race time.
Everyone was waiting to see what Friday night would bring as it was last
chance for those struggled on Thursday to make noise and a chance for
those who did well Thursday solidify their position at the front of the
field for Saturday A main. The crowd was unreal that night with
excitement as so many stars battled for every position. As the heats
ended it was many big name drivers were looking at the B main and some
even the C main. Then it happened…
A murmur
started through the crowd. Steve Beitler disappeared from his normal
perch on his tower. And as the D main pushed off a dark cloud came over
the speedway. Their was a buzz…but it was not good. Sitting at the top
of the stands in turn four next to a passed out fan I finally got the
word. Tragedy had struck at GHR. Fred Brownfield has been struck by a
modified and the early indications were not good. As the dark cloud
opened up and the rain poured out the energy had been sucked out of
everybody. Fans were standing in groups in the heavy rain mourning with
a lost look in their eyes. Racers were despondent. I remember seeing
Kyle Hirst and his team standing quietly outside their trailer. Tim
Kaeding was in his hauler wondering what would become of the National
Sprint Tour and talking about how big of a loss this would have for the
sport. Steve Beitler elected to not run Friday’s main events Saturday –
in my estimation he did not want to re-live that night in any way.
Dirt Cup
would go on and Jonathan Allard would continue to build his legend as he
outran the legendary field. And the weekend in August was amazing and
Northwest sprint fans would have many great moments since as locals have
won outlaw races, dirt cups and ascs national shows. But none of these
events reached the height of that June weekend in 2006 and what was
seemingly on the horizon. When Fred Brownfield died he left many voids
but the biggest in racing was the loss of competition. Fred and Steve
competed each week as promoters and the result was pushing Sprint Car
racing in the northwest to its greatest heights. That death of
competition had a lasting effect on the Northwest and the mark on that
mountain can still be seen if you look just right at the rolling rolls
around Skagit Speedway. Every once in a while I will get a thrill as I
look back at that amazing moment and time in the northwest sprint car
scene.
But that was
2006 and it is 2019 and Sprint Car racing is alive and well in the
northwest this year and is experiencing a re-birth. Maybe it is time to
climb back up that hill and find a new benchmark. I always enter the
month of June with so much anticipation as it is the best time in
northwest with warm weather and great racing every week.
I will be at
GHR the next three weekends before Dirt Cup at Skagit and Brownfield
Classic at GHR to close out the month of June.
Follow me on
twitter @idrinkiswim. Email
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com.
The Tales of the Northwest Nomad
by Joseph Terrell
Olympia, Wa…Rarely would I have
weekend during race season that I didn't have to work and at the same
time didn't attend any races. Such was this weekend. Due to some
commitments out of my control Saturday and the fact I was running a half
marathon early Sunday morning (start time 745 am) meant no racing in the
cards this weekend. That doesn't mean I don't have a lot to write about
though.
First and foremost nice job by Colton Heath Saturday night at Skagit.
Heath started alongside Jason Solwold and trailed early on but
eventually chased down Solwold and secured his first win of the year. In
the eight starts in 2019 Heath has been on the podium five times -
getting off to a nice start in the competitive northwest 360 scene.
Heath is one of those drivers that is the backbone of sprint car racing.
Aboard the LAW Motorsports XXX Heath supports both Skagit Speedway and
Grays Harbor Raceway while making treks down to Oregon when time allows.
He is also regular competitor and and already registered for the Trophy
Cup in Tulare.
Heath has been on the northwest scene for a while starting in his family
owned Sportsmen Sprinter before moving to 360 and 410s and finally
establishing himself as a star in his current ride. As we fans we always
get enamored with stars and the up and comers but often loose track
those wily veterans like Heath who make the show go. He is not a
professional and doesn't have some massive hauler with full back up
cars. What he does have a is solid ride that is capable of winning at
any track in the northwest on any night. He is one of the many drivers
and cars that make the sport so special. A local driver in a local ride
who has a chance at winning plenty of big races this year starting this
weekend with the $4100 first prize Marvin Smith Memorial in Cottage
Grove.
Speaking of the Marvin Smith Memorial this weekend look for a solid
field to converge upon the Cottage Grove Speedway this weekend. In
addition to Heath many contenders will be on hand. Two time champion
Solwold will be on hand. Idaho based Lgan Forler will be searching for
his first Marvin Smith Memorial victory. Look for Oregon veterans Garen
Linder and Jake Wheeler as well as young Oregon stars Tyler Thompson and
Tanner Holmes to be up front. This race usually draws a few from
California which begs the question who will be in the Doug Rutz
sprinter. My bet is we will see Justyn Cox in that ride and he has a
long history of success at Cottage Grove. With Skagit racing Saturday
night it very likely that a few cars will make the tow from Skagit to
catch the second night of the weekend.
In addition potentially one more big name driver could be added to the
mix. Nothing is concrete as of press time but ASCS superstar Seth
Bergman has indicated he might be in town for this show. Also there is a
good chance Seth will spend a good part of his summer in the northwest
as he not following the national series this year. Indications are he
will compete in an array of shows including Dirt Cup, Brownfield
Memorial and the Skagit Summer Nationals. One would also assume
Northwest Speedwell is in his plans. This will definitely change the
landscape of the northwest scene this summer brining another top tier
contender to the already stout northwest competition.
West Coast
Sprint Stuff: With no racing I had some time to look back at the season
so far in winged sprint car racing in the northwest and west coast…first
the northwest…Colton Heath became the fifth different winner in nine
main events in the northwest…His five podiums trail only Solwold who has
six…Youngster Devon Borden registered his third podium of the year after
driving all night from Tulare the night before…Jay Cole is the only
driver with a perfect podium record - two races with two podium
finishes…Amongst drivers looking for their first wins of the year are
Eric Fisher, Brock Lemley, Travis Jacobson and the previously mentioned
Jay Cole…Now onto the west coast in general which includes California,
Oregon, Washington…Amazingly in a combined 51 410 and 360 winged races
their have been 30 winners…And still Tim Kaeding, Ryan Bernal, Brad
Furr, Geoff Ensign, Colby Copeland and plenty of other talented drivers
have yet to taste victory lane…Mitchell Faccinto, Andy Forsberg and
Sowlold continue to lead the win list with four…Kyle Hirst is also
winless but in his limited starts this year has been a contender each
night and currently only sits 14 points behind Shane Golobic in SCCT
points…Rico Abreu finally broke into victory lane Friday night in Tulare
as he has struggled to get that first win this year…And if speaking
about Tulare then Trophy Cup must mentioned…preregistration is off and
running with both Roth Motorsports (the Scelzi brothers) and Tarlton
Motorsports (Tim Shaffer and Buddy Koifoid) already forming super
teams…Lastly one of the bummers of Saturday’s rain out in Tulare was
that California legend and four time Dirt Cup champion Jonathan Allard
was going to make a rare start as spends most of his time these days
spinning wrenches for youngster Kyle Olfill.
Lastly I want to branch out nationwide and talk about the World of
Outlaws this last week in Pennsylvania. With Lance Dewease winning two
out of three shows he allowed the posse to reign king this weekend. In
addition to his victories Ryan Smith ran second Wednesday in Lincoln and
Danny Dietrich second Friday night at the Grove. After running roughshod
over the California contigent early in the year and the amount of posse
drivers that are no longer porch sitters it seemed like some nationally
were discounting the rivalry. The locals never did however and they were
right as though the Outlaws dominated the top 10 the posse dominated the
top two. Their is nothing better as a fan than seeing your local stars
battle and beat the outlaws and I have been fortunate to see it many
times in Washington and California. With that said the Outlaws always
rise to the challenge and the agitated interview with Donny Schatz makes
me think the outlaws will return in July looking to show the posse up.
Easier said than done though.
Next weeks entry will be a look back at when the wave crested in
Northwest Sprint Car racing and the long journey since then. Anybody who
is familiar with the Northwest sprint scene will appreciate this piece.
Until next time if I am not chasing races I must be running, swimming or
in the summer cycling.
Follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim. E-mail
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
THE TALES OF THE
NORTHWEST NOMAD
by Joseph
Terrell
Grays Harbor, Wa….Oh how
the weather changes in the northwest. After enjoying a nice warm day in
Olympia which included a long run, a couple afternoon beers and an
evening BBQ it was time to head out to Grays HarborRaceway about 630
pm. As we departed the sun was shining and the sun was warm…but I knew
not to be fooled. The weather would be different in Elma. I had my cold
weather clothes packed and ready to go. I threw a couple of blankets in
the van and rounded up my traveling partner for the night and headed
west.
As predicted
as we left Olympia and merged onto highway 8 the weather began to
change. Away went the sun and in came the clouds. As we winded through
the rolling hills on the way to the track the clouds got thicker and the
weather cooler It was over 70 when we left Olympia and by the time we
arrived in Elma it was 55. Why do I mention this? Because for the second
time this year I left my bags of warm clothes at home – they are not
going to do me much good there. As I got out of my car I realized this
epic mistake but luckily I had an extra blanket and used that for warmth
and was able to survive night without buying another desperation
sweatshirt.
This was my
first time out to GHR this year. It is located in the fairgrounds in
Elma and has gone through quite a transformation the last 20 years -
from a run down narrow track with long straights and short turns to a
track a featuring sweeping turns and high speeds on one of the best
track surfaces in America. At its best GHR has multiple lanes, endless
slide job and features speeds that make you hold your breath. The legend
of Fred Brownfield is evident every time I walk into the raceway.
Early in the
season the GHR race surface can be a little difficult as the wet, cool
climate makes it difficult for the track todry out enough to get racy.
Often as the track just starts to dry and the action picks up the
moisture will rise as the sun sets reverting the track to qualifying
conditions – fast speeds with little lifting and even less passing. As
the summer months come and it gets just enough warmer the track really
comes on and provides endless action. By the time the Brownfield
memorial comes in late June these will be the conditions that will be
present. Tonight would be the opposite – only three divisions, lack of
laps on track and very cloudy, cool evening created an endless night of
hot laps.
Both heat
races and the main were won from the front row. The main featured heat
race winners Cam Smith and Jay Cole on the front row and by the time
they roared out of two Smith was gone. He would never be challenged
during the 25 lap main event and multi time track champion Cole
maintained second without much competition. The only race up front that
looked interesting was JJ Hickle and Jason Solwold battling for third.
Solwold tried to use the top lane as everybody else pounded the bottom
but after a handful laps he gave up and moved to the bottom and followed
Hickle.
This is not
in anyways an indictment of GHR but just a reality of northwest racing
in spring time. Track conditions are often determined by the weather and
at no track is this more evident than GHR which battles the ocean
moisture rolling in at night.
On a
positive note 15 sprints qualified as the dual track series between
Skagit and GHR pays dividends. Car counts have averaged almost 17
sprints for the first four nights of the series after last year when
Skagit was often around 10-12 and GHR would be lucky to get 10. This
year the fields have been bigger and stronger.
Now time to
talk about Cam Smith. Smith had a relatively easy run to victory from
the pole - much to the delight of my partner for the night - and
continues to grow as a driver. Although the track lacked much passing up
front the one lane groove made lap traffic difficult and Smith handled
it with ease. Smith has been working on his craft for around a decade
now and has really come into his own and tonight showed as he worked the
traffic with ease - never letting the narrow track conditions hinder his
progress. He has become patient and aggressive at the same time and has
eliminated the mistakes that used to set back a good night. He is now a
driver that is either on or near the podium each night regardless the
competition.
Smith used
to bounce around from track to track and seemed to avoid Skagit for a
while. In the last year he has become dedicated to running Skagit and
GHR and he continues to get good results at each track. In a brief
conversation with Smith at last year’s trophy cup he mentioned he
specifically was focused on running good at Skagit with an eye on
winning the two bigs 360 races held there - but if he continues to up
is game at GHR he may have more opportunities to win a big race than he
thought.
West Coast Winners:
First and foremost last week I forget to talk about Justin Sanders going
into Silver Dollar Speedway and sweeping the weekend. He won the
Brownwell memorial Friday night and then cruised to victory Saturday
against King of the West competition during the historic Broadway
memorial. Two 410 wins in two nights for a primarily 360 driver although
he has been on the cusp of outlaw wins the last two years at Silver
Dollar and seemingly wins every where. Amazingly these were his first
two wins of the year and he started this weekend off in good fashion
Friday with third straight at Ocean Speedway. He was in prime condition
Saturday to win his fourth in a a row as he started up front at
Placerville but lady luck soured on him after one lap. Sanders continues
to be maybe the most underrated driver in America as he usually drives
multiple cars at different tracks to a lot of wins. Although he has
started slow by his standards come late September something tells me he
will be at his “normal” win total of 12+…only a few drivers win 12+
races regularly and they have names like Schatz,Dover and Hagar…speaking
of wins Andy Forsberg and Mitchell Faccinto continued their early season
success bringing their win totals to four this week…Forsberg won for the
third time at Placerville and Faccinto won his third race of the KIings/Tulare
challenge…This ties them with Solwold for most Sprint wins on the west
coast…Chase Johnson - maybe California’s most versatile driver - picked
up his third win of the season Saturday night at Petaluma..Johnson has
three 360 wins, competes full time in NARC 410, dabbles in USAC/CRA
competition, does some midget racing and moonlights at Cycleland is
going to get a huge win one day the question is just what
division…Somewhat surprisingly Shane Golobic has only two wins this year
- I say surprisingly because with the semiretirement of Kyle Hirst
Golobic has become the unofficial best driver in California…Many drivers
in California seemingly have many rides - Kalib Henry was in Jensen #5
this weekend and at least his third ride this year - he competes full
times in the Worden #63 on SCCT; Colby Copeland was in the Van Lare #5v
at Petaluma Saturday has been in at least two other rides beside the
Antaya Motorsports #16a he normally pilots; Justin Cox has been in at
least four rides this year; and Justin Sanders was in the three cars
over the last two weekends - the Von Schriltz #121, his families #17 and
his normal chariot the Dale Miller 4sa and don't forget Geoff Ensign as
he has been spotted in the Snow #7 and Finkerbinder #3f amongst other
rides. These are just a few of the drivers that seemingly are always
present but just not sure what ride it will be.
Well that is
about is for this week. I will be MIA the next few weeks as far as
attending races before a busy June but that doesn't mean the tales of
this nomad stop. Next two weeks will feature special topics that are
TBA.
As usual if
I am not swimming or running then I am chasing races and might land at a
race track near you.
Follow me
@idrinkiswim on twitter. Email terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
The Tales of the Northwest Nomad
by Joseph Terrell
5/5
Sweet Home -
Olympia, Wa…As we left home and headed to the beautiful Skagit Speedway
for round three of the Summer Thunder Series and Dual Track Series my
mind wandered as the miles ticked away on I-5. The northwest season is
just getting going but I feel the tone of the season and drivers to be
beat are becoming apparent. So far northwest racing has been dominated
by Jason Solwold who had scored four wins in four starts (sweeping
weekends in Yakima and Cottage Grove). In addition JJ Hickle and Devon
Borden had claimed Dual Track series races . Tonight it was time to see
if a new winner would emerge on the season as all three winners would be
present as well as host of other contenders. Or would one of the
previous winners cement their status as contender in the northwest.
As we pulled into the Skagit parking lot at
about 6:15 we could hear the 360 sprint cars working through their hot
lap sessions. A quick look into the pits confirmed a strong field with
seemingly all the usual suspects in the pits. We continued along to a
familiar camp site and parked. My partner headed in as the sprints got
ready to qualify but I stayed by the camp gabbing a little bit and
stretching my legs after the two hour plus drive up. As qualifying for
the sprints winded down I headed up and purchased my ticket and entered
the hallowed grounds. As I walked in qualifying was just ending and 18
of the 20 cars present had taken qualifying laps. Solwold had set fast
time in the Shalen Raye #18. Notably second place in points Logan Forler
and last years runner up and Summer Thunder regular Oregon’s Garen
Linder were not in the field.
After opening ceremonies the the show proceeded in rapid fashion with
ford focus midget heats, sprint heats and the outlaw tuner heats. The
midgets had a 12 lap b main and the sprints had a pill draw for the
fastest eight qualifiers to see where they would start the A main. When
Solwold drew the one pill it seemed that we had seen the end of the
movie. Who was going to beat him? Linder and Forler were not present and
defending champion Colton Heath had struggled in qualifying and was
starting 10th. Cam Smith who has been running strong was starting 6th
but would he be able to catch and then pass Solwold. And surely 16 year
old Devon Borden who was starting second would not muster much
resistance? Would he? As the A pushed off the I openly opined I thought
that Borden would at least lead early. But even I kind of assumed
Solwold would track him down at some point and that would be that.
Skagit Speedway has been the subject of much criticism over the years -
some earned for sure but much more of it made up and completely
unwarranted. But one thing was for sure - for much of then 2000’s and
2010’s Skagit Speedway would get super dusty. And I mean SUPER DUSTY.
Only the most loyal and dedicated fans (yes I was one of them) would
tolerate this. The conundrum was the dustier it got the better it got -
the ultimate catch 22. But in middle of 2015 Steve Beitler flipped the
script to bring in some new clay. It took some time for it to pay
dividend but a year later at the 2016 Summer Nationals it was apparent
the new clay was a difference maker as it had provided a dust free
version of racing that included slide jobs and multiple grooves. By the
time the World of Outlaws left in 2017 even long time critics from that
series had been transformed into believers. Why does this matter?
Because as Solwold and Borden raced into turn one and sliding to the top
of two it was obvious Skagit Speedway was in peak form this night.
Borden would take the initial lead and even as Solwold waged relentless
pursuit he seemingly had no answers for the young emerging star. About
lap 11 Solwold started to work his patent bottom groove as everybody
else banged the cushion but even as he pulled next to Borden on a few
occasions the youngster was not be deterred and Solwold was now dealing
with onslaught from Brock Lemley. At one point Borden, Solwold and Lemly
were nose to tail as they raced through turn two. By lap 15 though
Borden had reestablished control as Solwold and Lemley continued to
battle. On lap 17 a caution flew as STSS regular Chris Schmelzle found
the wall - unfortunately at the same time Lemley was spinning in turn
two. Now Solwold was behind the youngster and as the green flew the
crowd assumed Solwold would make a move but again Borden was up to the
challenge. As the laps waned it was obvious Solwold was up in the saddle
as he tried to desperately to make one last move but Borden had all the
answers and held the late charge to finish a car length ahead of Solwold
for the $2000 win.
In victory lane Borden stood next to his Borden #8 and was beyond elated
as all the hard work and time he and his father had put in during the
last year plus was being realized. Borden has had his up and downs in
both the sprint and 600s during the last year and their has been plenty
of nights as I cruised the pit area and his pit was thrashing as they
rebuilt a race car. But the talent that was so evident is now coming
through. After a win a week earlier that some critics had said was
against a weaker field and thus for not legit Borden had proven it was
no fluke and that he is now a player in the northwest. We have had many
teenage sensation in the northwest including Kasey Kahne, Travis Rutz
and Trey Starks. Looks like it is time to add a new one to the list. And
like all the previous their was some equipment torn up along the way.
As we made that familiar drive home and cruised through Seattle and the
lights shined bright I wondered if the world of Sprint Car Racing had
just found another shining light tonight at Skagit Speedway.
Northwest Sprint Notes: The Summer Thunder Sprint Series (STSS) in
the brain child of Steve Beitler and is in the long line of 360 sprint
touring series in the northwest. It provides a chance for drivers in the
northwest to chase a touring series that races at four different
tracks…In a weird turn of fate Saturday’s race had no drivers that lived
out of Washington as Oregon regular Garen Linder and Canadian regular
Luke Didius were not present…Travis Jacobson making another appearance
in the Cook #22x was fast and competitive and brought the car home
fourth after some impressive slide jobs through traffic that caught the
attention of a more than a few spectators…Cam Smith continued his
consistent ways to start the season in the Smith #17 and rolled home
third - he inherited third after the Lemley spin and kept Borden and
Solwold in sight but could never quite mount the challenge I thought he
might…After starting 10th Colton Heath in his LAW Motorsports #33 used
his experience to navigate to fifth - I look for Heath to pick up the
pace as the summer months and big money shows arrive…Elma’s Jason Reed
always seems to have an interesting night at Skagit and on this night he
missed qualifying but finished fourth in his heat then started 12th in
the A and finished in the top 10…In seven main events this season in the
northwest the win count is as follows: Solwold - 4; Borden -2; Hickle
1…Speaking of Hickle he finished 7th and was never really a factor all
night after a strong opening night at Skagit…Former track champion Eric
Fisher was one spot ahead of Hickle in the A but after qualifying a
stout third didn't seem to have the same speed the rest of the night…29
Northwest ford focus midgets were on hand to support the night…Former
Skagit Speedway Sprint driver Nick Evans lead the whole way but the race
was far from eventful…Mini Sprint star Chance Crum, Ford Focus Midget
hot shot Tristan Thomas, and midwest transplant Ross Rankine went wheel
to wheel to settle second through fourth…I have been a critic of the
ford focus midgets in the past but I have to say that they have joined
modified as my favorite support division in the northwest.
Before I head out I only want to say that I
wish all Summer Thunder Series main events were 40 laps - especially the
races at Skagit and Cottage Grove. But this is just my little rant as
overall the Summer Thunder Series is a great series that provides some
extra money and prestige to the northwest sprint car scene with racing
at four very different tracks: the big track in Yakima, the super fast
and scary track in Elma, the comfy confines and top to bottom action of
The Grove and the legendary and unpredictable Skagit Speedway.
Headed out to Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma this
Saturday. One thing is never forget your sweatshirt when going to GHR.
This track is one of the true hidden gems in the dirt track world. The
sprints can really fly at this wide sweeping 3/8 mile oval.
As always if I am not swimming or running I am
chasing races and on my way to track near you.
Follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim. Email
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
THE
TALES OF THE NORTHWEST NOMAD
BY JOSEPH TERRELL
4/29
Kitsap Peninsula…It is Saturday Night and I should be at
Grays Harbor Raceway catching opening night but instead I am on the
Kitsap Peninsula after a long day of wok swirling an easy IPA. I am
annoyed by the fact I am missing opening night and the sound of sprints
of roaring into turn one. I was also missing the modifieds slice and
dice like they only can on the ultra wide 3/8 mile oval.
Also down in Oregon Cottage Grove Speedway was having a two night show
fearing the 360 sprints. A lot of sprint car action in the northwest
this weekend and it got me thinking who are the best northwest sprint
car drivers since 1990. A little trip down memory lane - the biggest
criteria ismost of said drivers career has taken place in the northwest
(Oregon and Washington). The decision making process was difficult and
the committee of one needed a second beer to finalize the decision.
After much thought and deliberation the committee decided:
The obvious answer is former USAC midget national champion and NASCAR
legend Kasey Kahne. But Kasey did not spend much of his time in the
Northwest despite two dominant Dirt Cup championships. So while he is no
doubt the biggest name too come from the Northwest - he was not
eligible. The vote was so close that the committee decided on a split
decision:
1a) Jason Solwold - Won an amazing 23 races in the
Northwest in 2003 (16 -360, 7-410)…2008 WoO winner at Skagit Speedway…2
career outlaw wins, 4 ASCS National wins and also wins with the All Star
Circuit of Champions and the now defunct National Sprint Tour…2015 Dirt
Cup Champion at Skagit Speedway…1996, 1997, 2001 and 2017 Summer
Nationals Champion at Skagit Speedway…2015 and 2016 Marvin Smith
memorial winner at Cottage Grove Speedway...1998 Northern Sprint Tour
Champion…2010 ASCS NW Champion…2015, 216, 2017 Summer Thunder Series
Sprint Champion…Has been the most dominant driver in the northwest since
1996. Has never won the Fred Brownfield Memorial at Grays Harbor but has
won the prelim night in 2015 and 2018. Put on a show for the ages at the
2016 Summer Nationals to only have the next driver on this list take the
win.
1b) Roger Crockett – born in California spent a majority
of his career racing out of Oregon until recently moving to Oklahoma
following number three on the list…While most of the drivers on the list
have had their heroics at Skagit – Crockett made living at Cottage Grove
and Grays Harbor…Dominated the 360 touring series in the northwest for
years (NST, NSCS, ASCS Northwest)…Total of nine championships between
the three touring series (2001-04, 2007, 2009, 2011-13)…ASCS National
main event winner on multiple occasion including last years opener at
Devil’s Bowl Speedway…1998 California Civil War Series Champion…2017
Marvin Smith Classic winner…Nationally recognized as one of the best 360
drivers in the nation…World of Outlaws winner in Minnesota…won Summer
Nationals in 1998 and 2016 – beating Solwold on a classic late restart
that proved to be one of great nights of racing ever at Skagit
Speedway…only lacking a Dirt Cup victory…possibly the smoothest driver I
have ever seen
3)Seth Bergman…ASCS National star who has spent most of
his career on the road chasing the dream…but has spent enough his career
at home with major wins that I couldn’t leave him off the list…2014 and
2015 Summer Nationals Champion…2018 Super Dirt Championship in
dominating fashion…won the 2018 Dirt Cup Friday night preliminary main
from 16th in a historical run…three major wins is enough to get you on
this list…Still looking for a Fred Brownfield Memorial win…Consistently
wins 10 + races every year…If he raced in the northwest consistently he
would probably be number one on the list.
4)Travis Jacobson…maybe a little bit of surprise but
like Bergman it is his work in the big shows that solidifies his spot on
this list…3 consecutive Summer Nationals Championships from
2010-12...but it is his 2012 World of Outlaw race that cemented his
legend…led all 35 laps repealing all challengers as he joined Solwold as
locals who have won an Outlaw race at Skagit…his struggles at Dirt Cup
are well noted but he did have a runner up finish in 2005 chasing Jon
Allard throughout the latter half of the race. Maybe the best drive I
have ever seen at Skagit Speedway – unbeatable when he is on.
The final spot on this list was heavily debated but in
the end it is performances in the big shows that win out…
5)Jayme Barnes…not the most consistent driver ever…but
nobody can do the things he can when he is in the zone…2008 ASCS
Northwest Champion…runner up in 2008 World of Outlaw race at Grays
Harbor Raceway…20th to 2nd at 2001 Summer Nationals…but it is Dirt Cup
that gets this driver on this list…back to back Dirt Cups wins in local
low buck rides in 2008-09 and third in 2010…could have won outlaw races
in 2009 and 2010 at Skagit but lady luck was not his friend…while he has
had big lulls in his career and some failed adventures in bigger and
better financed rides Barnes work at Dirt Cup is legendary… Legend has
it someone told Danny Lasoski “They are running 10 second laps around
Skagit”and he said “no they aren’t…Barnes is running 10 seconds lap.”…
That is enough is for me.
Travis Rutz gets a special spot on this list. Though his
career was cut short he did manage two Summer Nationals championships
and enough thrilling moments for a lifetime.
Many names did not make the list just because of space
and they are in no order: 1991 Dirt Cup Champion Bobby Burrow, Chad
Hillier, Marc “the Shark” Huson, Jay Cole, Shawna Wilskey, 2014 Dirt Cup
Champion Brock Lemley, Danny Horner, Trey Starks, Dale Smith, Logan
Forler and Ricky Fauver are just a few of the greats who didn’t make the
cut.
My list is done, my beer is finished and it is time to
point the car toward home roll down highway 16, cross the Tacoma Narrows
Bridge and b-line for I-5.
Northwest Notes: Devon Borden picked up the first
win of his career Saturday night at Grays Harbor Raceway. After showing
a lot of speed and a heavy right foot Borden broke through – look for
more wins for this young man as confidence will only accelerate the fast
learning curve...12 360’s showed up for the second night of the dual
track series – less than the 20 at Skagit the previous week but up from
last year…Up at Skagit Chase Goetz won his second straight Sportsmen
Sprint race – talk about fighting out of your weight class…northwest
drivers and cars are all over the county representing – Cory Eliason in
the Rudeen ride (All Stars), Chad Kemenah in the Shannon Wheatley ride
(World of Outlaws mainly), Trey Starks (Knoxville), Skylar Gee (All
Stars), Seth Bergman (ASCS national) and Robbie Price (ASCS)…while I
would love to see all these cars and drivers in the northwest it is
always nice to local stars and car succeed…Finally in 2003 as previously
mentioned Solwold had the greatest season ever in the Northwest and the
2019 season is starting to bring back memories as Solwold swept the
Spring Fling at Cottage Grove…that is four wins in four starts – I am
definitely keeping an eye on this and see where this might go.
Next week I will head up to Skagit Speedway for round
three of the Summer Thunder series and the dual track series. Looking
forward to a solid group of sprinters and whether someone can stop the
Solwold train.
If I am not swimming or running I am chasing races so
until next time you never know if I will be at a race track near you.
Follow me @idrinkiswim on twitter. E-mail
terrelljoseph@hotmail.com
4/23
The Beautiful Skagit
Valley, Wa… Racing season in April and May in the northwest is always a
bit unpredictable. The weather is in constant flux and the rain gods may
appear at anytime and stay for an extended visit. I have endured springs
where it seems the rain will never stop even and when it doesn’t rain on
Saturday you have to be the most dedicated fan to sit through the cold,
wet nights. Other springs have offered nice days and cool nights - the
sky is clear and the air is dry. What type of spring this season will
bring only time will tell but for this last weekend it offered one of
those ideal spring days that leads to a great night of racing.
Mobbing up
the I-5 towards Skagit Speedway the traffic was rather thick on this
Saturday before Easter. Traffic built up at numerous locations in
Seattle and its surrounding areas - plus an unplanned stop in Everett at
the request of one the passengers on this trip - made a two hour trip
closer to four. As we worked out of the bottleneck and headed for Skagit
County the roads began to open up. Working through the rolling hills and
finally the Skagit valley appeared before us. Opening up to the Puget
Sound to the west the Skagit valley is an immense valley cut out the by
Skagit River. Littered with small towns such as La Conner, Conway, Bow
and Edison it can seem like a step back in time. As you snake through
the valley and pass through the city centers of Mount Vernon and then
Burlington you began to ride back into the rolling hills. And just as
the Skagit Valley fades into the background we departed from I-5 and
cruised on highway 99 following sprint car ace Lance Seargent until the
great Skagit Speedway appeared to our left and opening night was upon
us.
As we drove
up we didn't know what to expect for opening night. Last year only 11
360s had showed up and all year car counts would struggle during weekly
shows in northwest at Skagit and Grays Harbor Raceway. Over the winter
promoter Steve Beitler went to work and upped the weekly purses and also
created the dual track challenge between Skagit and Grays Harbor raceway
in Elma - this series is the northwest version of the Attica-Fremont
Series. After a couple of years of struggling car counts Beitler was
definitely looking to create more excitement in weekly racing. His
popular Summer Thunder Series has consistently drawn nice fields and is
a one of the best regional series around. Tonight though was to be the
first night of dual track challenge and would it make it difference…
….The answer
is yes - The nice crowd of avid fans were rewarded with a solid 19 360
sprints which provided 18 starters come main event time. The field was
competitive and deep - providing great racing on the comfy confines of
Skagit Speedway. Turns 3 and 4 turned out to be the most eventful with
multiple lines containing unpredictable ruts. After an early but
eventually fruitless challenge by former Word of Outlaw main event
winner Travis Jacobson Washington peninsula resident JJ Hickle drove
away from the field to score his first ever 360 main event at the
legendary grounds. Hickle has won multiple races at Grays Harbor Raceway
but before tonight had never graced victory lane at the home of the Dirt
Cup. Greg Hamilton - who has shown lots improvement the last year and
half - chased Hickle the last half of the race but settled for second.
Hamilton is becoming a contender and could be a sleeper come Dirt Cup
and Summer Nationals.
Amazingly in
the sportsmen sprint accomplished northwest sprint shoe Chase Goetz also
won his first sprint car race ever at Skagit.This surprised me as Goetz
has always been fast at Skagit Speedway in his 360 ride. Goetz was not
the only sprint star in the sportsman field as he was joined by former
two time Dirt Cup champion Jayme Barnes. I have been going to northwest
racing long enough that anytime Barnes is in the house you need pay
attention. After showing early speed he was a DNF. Somebody needs to get
this guy in a 360 for the summer big shows.
It was a
great opening night at Skagit and the little traffic on the way out was
a minor inconvenience to see so many fans out supporting dirt track
racing. Yes we could have bummed around the camp sites and driven home
with sun coming up but tonight we took the easy way out. We headed back
down the rolling hills, through the valley, down the freeway leaving
great Skagit Speedway behind us. We rolled through the cities with ease
as the clocked turned the page to Sunday and the previously four drive
was the two hour drive it should be. Traffic was a thing of the past and
the freeway rolled with ease on this perfect northwest spring night.
Weekly Notes: Cam Smith
and Hickle struggled early in qualifying but improved through the night
with Hicklewinning and Smith coming home fourth…Both of these drivers
expect and should compete for wins all season long…Another that will be
contender all season isColton Heath who rebounded from a tough opening
weekend at Yakima with quick time and a third place finish in the potent
LAW motorsports sprinter…Jacobson was in the Cook family sprinter and
had it rolling before incurring a DNF…another star of the past gracing
the grounds was Brock Lemley as he looks to resurrect his sprint car
career after a few years of not running much – if Brock puts the time in
he will be a contender sooner than later this year…Canadian car owner
Doug Rutz competed in California over the weekend with solid results. He
had Tony Gualda and Justyn Cox in the cars Friday night and Cox in the
car Saturday…
Lastly I
went a give big THANK YOU to all the promoters and race tracks (you know
who you are) that are busting tail making Sprint Car racing the best it
can be on the west coast. Whether it is Steve Beitler, Jim Allen (NARC),
Tony Jones (USAC/CRA), the Russell family (Placerville/SCCT) or the many
others I missed sprint car racing is alive and well on the west coast
thanks to your hard work and dedication.
More than
likely I will not make it out to any races this weekend – work
commitments and one of my racing partners is unavailable to ride along –
but until next time if you can’t find me in the pool or running long
distances check your local dirt track.
Follow me @idrinkiswim
on twitter.
4/16/19
Along I-5, West Coast…. As I roared down I-5 heading to Stockton,
Californiathis past weekend for the Asparagus Festival (of which the
Asparagus Cup was part of) at some point I left the northwest behind and
saw the promise land of California ahead of me. I think the exact spot
is somewhere in the Shasta Lake area as you wind through the mountains
and eventually into the central valley. Once you land in the valley the
sun arises and the climate changes immediately. It was nice to cruise
through the valley, window down, pegging 80 mph leaving the dark rain
clouds behind.
I arrived in Stockton mid day Thursday giving ample time to get setup
and situated for the weekends asparagus cup. $25,000 if a driver could
sweep – but with this tough California competition it seemed doubtful
this would happen. Too many good drivers, too many good teams, too much
luck needed. With such stars as Shane Golobic, Kyle Hirst , Gio Scelzi,
Mitchell Faccinto, Rico Abreu and DJ Netto to name a few the weekends
action was sure to be fast and furious.
Getting situated involved setting up my tent in a covered barn that I am
sure houses animals during the fair. Luckily the asparagus festival
doesn’t feature farm animals…meaning I did not have to share my sleeping
quarters with some over sized stinking boar. On the other hand the faint
smell of that oversized boar lingered.
After wasting the day Friday riding bad carnival rides over and over and
eating the much anticipated fried asparagus it was time to head to the
track. This was my first visit to the Stockton Dirt Track. It is cut out
of an old mile horse track with the front stretch coming out onto the
horse track front stretch. The turns are carved into the ground creating
the banking necessary to ensure drivers can run the bottom and push the
cushion. A little later as I walked the pits I noticed a few major
absences – Dominic Scelzi , Chase Johnson (who won at Ocean on Friday)
and Washington star Jason Solwold were MIA. Also two of the most potent
rides in California were not in the house – the legendary Beef Packers
machine and the Tommy Tarlton special decided home was the place to be
for the weekend. Still the pits filled with 37 stout sprint cars each
night (a total of 40 different drivers).
Most of the early action Friday was rather uneventful - although Jason
Statler and Blake Carrick made the main through their heats after
starting last which is a rare feat. The action in the B picked up but it
was the A that really set off. Rico did his thing and rolled 24th to 5th
while Gio Scelzi stalked Mitchell Faccinto relentlessly until finally
seizing his opportunity as the leaders raced into turn one on lap 28. It
was at this moment Scelzi let the slider rip. The 17 year old was
$10,000 richer.
Walking back to the camp that I night mentioned maybe Gio would sweep -
opinion had changed and a sweep now seemed reasonable. And he did just
that. After Colby Copeland set the early pace Saturday Gio rolled by him
with ease, opened the can of whooping and set sail. It was never in
doubt…Gio had double dipped and got paid $25,000. What a weekend for
this 17 year old young star.
Walking back to camp I decided to indulge in one last Asparagus Festival
artery clogger. It has going to be the Clam Chowder with shrimp covered
fries. Yes over the top…but yes super necessary for the enjoyment of the
experience After a roaring crowd all day Saturday the crowd had settled
late in the evening but still many lingered on the grounds. As I waited
for my heart bomb order I overheard an Asparagus Festival goer talking
to a friend how they should hit 99 and cruise to some other valley city
on this warm summer night and ride the wave of life. I was kinda jealous
and wanted to join them and ride the wave but that long ride home
awaited in the morning. I got my loaded fries headed to camp and chewed
the fat for a while before heading to sleep.
The drive back home is the reverse to the drive to California. From the
sun to the weather cooling to inevitable spring downpour it was sad to
leave but good to go back home. As I crossed that Oregon state line I
waived goodbye to California and looked forward to the season in the
Northwest and the inevitable spring buildup that leads to the grand
daddy of them all - Super Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway.
Stockton Observations: Blake Carrick and mini sprint
star Joey Ancona were representing the under 16 crowd…Ancona led most of
the way the last year at the $10,000 to win Super 600 Clay Cup Nationals
at Deming Speedway before a DNF…Speaking of mini sprint stars Caden
Sarale was also in attendance both night s as he advances his career
into sprint cars…The Keith Kunz connection was deep this week with
former and current drivers including Rico Abreu, Ryan Robinson, Tanner
Carrick, Blake Carrick and Logan Seavey…Speaking of Seavey he was making
a rare winged appearance in the Larry Antaya sprinter however the
defending USAC National Midget Champion was never a factor showing just
how the stiff the competition was…Garren Linder and Jake Wheeler
represented the state of Oregon during the weekend…The car count may
have been lower than what would of have been expected but it didn't
effect the level of competition as stars such as Justin Sanders, Rico
Abreu, DJ Netto, rising midget star Tanner Carrick and NorCal legends
Andy Forsberg and Sean Becker were never factors all weekend…watching
Kyle Hirst is a treat - he makes it look so easy sometimes. I hope he
gets behind the wheel more as the season progresses.
Looking to head to Skagit Speedway this week as long as
weather permits. Until then…if I am not swimming or running I am chasing
races. follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim.
THE TALES OF THE NORTHWEST NOMAD
By Joseph Terrell
4/9/19
Somewhere, Wa….The northwest sprint car season kicked
off this past weekend over the hills in Yakima at the Yakima dirt track.
This was the first races of the season for the regional Summer Thunder
Sprint Series. Unfortunately I was unable to make it over the mountain
to the valley as work commitments had me tied up all weekend. Instead I
followed along on twitter over the weekend.
Jason Solwold continues to be the dominant force in the
northwest. His sweep of the weekend only emphasized this point. However
this doesn’t mean he is unchallenged. Garen Linder, Colton Heath and JJ
Hickle to name a few are sure to offer many challenges to Solwold.
Linder and Heath specifically have shown the ability to compete and beat
Solwold. Also running strong over in Yakima was Logan Forler. Forler
tends not to follow a series but just pick and choose and the former
ASCS national regular is a threat every night he shows up. If he chooses
to follow the series he will not only step up the competition level but
would be a serious contender for the championship. In addition Forler is
the hardest working driver in show business – don’t believe get a pit
pass sometime and just observe Forler throughout the night. Race and
wrench and repeat.
A couple of other drivers who stepped up last year were
Cam Smith and Austen Wheatley. Smith has become super strong at Skagit
Speedway especially and I look for him to compete for both Dirt Cup and
Summer Nationals glory. Wheatley also came on strong last year – was
really good at Elma for the ASCS national weekend – but at this time I
am not sure of his racing plans for the year.
Another nugget from the Yakima weekend is the driver
shuffle that often happens aboard the potent Richmond engine powered
Doug Rutz sprinter. Last year this car featured among others mini sprint
star Jared Peterson (mainly at Skagit), JJ Hickle and California now
Midwest superstar Buddy Koifoid. Other drivers that have ventured into
this ride are Trey Starks and Wheatley. At Yakima this weekend Rutz had
young New Zealand star Breyton Davison in the car both nights and
California high flyer Tony Gualda turning the wheels Friday night. In
typical Gualda fashion he was hammer down as he set fast time and led
early in the feature before finishing with A DNF. No word on how many
appearances the Hollister, Ca. driver will make aboard the Rutz
sprinter. Gualda would finish a close second to Justyn Cox Saturday
night at Placerville.
But wait there is more….it was announced that Cox will
be making numerous appearances in the Rutz sprinter throughout the year
starting this week in Stockton at the mighty Asparagus Cup. Cox has also
stated he would like to be in the Rutz ride in Nortwest during the
summer when all the big northwest shows occur. As always the summer
should be awesome in the northwest.
Of course every time I see the Rutz sprinter I can not
help but think of the original shoe – Travis Rutz. Anybody from the
northwest can speak of the legend that this young man is and will always
be in the northwest. More talent and charisma than almost any driver I
have ever seen. I will never forget seeing Travis Rutz gushing as Joey
Saldana graced the campsite – Travis felt he was in company of a legend.
Me and my partners new we were in the presence of two legends.
Now on to the Asparagus Cup…I am now packing and getting
ready for the road trip down. This will be my first visit the Stockton
dirt track and am looking forward to the watching the stars of the
Golden State do battle. I think it is awesome the Nocetti Group put
together this great race and purse. I know their has been some negative
feedback on twitter but there is nothing wrong about promoter putting on
shows that pay $10,000 and $15,000 to win. Maybe it could pay better
through the field…but if aren’t first you are last J
Combine the Asparagus Cup with Dirt Cup at Skagit
Speedway, Summer Nationals at Skagit Speedway and Trophy Cup at the
Tulare Thunderbowl and the west coast boasts many of the highest 360 ci
winning purses in the United States. As I like to say the WEST COAST IS
THE BEST COAST.
Follow me on twitter @idrinkiswim as I will posting
different betting odds for each night of this weekends Asparagus Cup. Be
pre warned though – finding the betting window is like finding Narnia
(nearly impossible)
Until next week, when I will fill everybody in on the
ins and outs of the Asparagus Cup which is part of the much bigger
Asparagus festival (I can already taste the fried asparagus), so long
and stay safe chasing races.