5/12/2013
Willamette Speedway
Another Great Night Of Willamette Racing
Another Great Night Of Willamette Racing
By Ben Deatherage
(Photos Courtesy of Doc's Photos)
Willamette Speedway hosted race four of the 2013 season with some great racing taking place through the course of the night. DIRTcar Super Late Model, IMCA Modified, Super Sport, Sportsman, and Street Stock divisions were all on hand for the Saturday May 11th affair. Visiting victory lane was a good mix of repeat winners and new faces at the historic 1/3-mile clay oval. The Karts kicked the weekend off on Friday the 10th (results below).
Fans of the DIRTcar Super Late Models got their money’s worth as it was whoever could master lap traffic would visit victory lane. Starting in the front of the field Brian Cronk of Portland in the Metro Services/Dog Lover’s Gold Dog Food/Big Sky Landscaping #29 Rocket led in the early goings with Cody Sell of Shedd putting on some pressure. But as the leader got into traffic defending champion Trevor Glaser of Tangent was moving forward.
Glaser, who started thirteenth, was able to maneuver in traffic to get his Bayer Crop Science/Farmland Tractor Supply/Ground and Water #2 Trak-Star into the lead. The Left Coast Motorsports #44 Swartz of Cody Sell kept Glaser in his sights for some time until Glaser would lose Sell in lapped traffic. Glaser would lead the rest of the distance to earn his second victory of the season. It makes him the first driver in the DIRTcar Super Late Model division to have won more than once.
“Traffic definitely helped us out,” commented Glaser, “the track was great you had to run hard the whole time. The key was just being smooth.”
A fantastic battle took place for second on back with Cody Sell finishing in the runner-up position over Jeremy Shank of Salem in third in his Left Coast Motorsports #30 Swartz. Rob Mayea from Bend in the J&S Farms/Cornett Racing Engines #37 Victory Circle was fourth followed by Brian Cronk in fifth.
In IMCA Modified action a former champion was back in victory lane. Starting in the third row in the main event Dustin Dittman of Albany was quick to get to the front. Driving his Susan River Reality/Gray’s Automotive/Mid-Valley Farms #7 Shaw, Dittman would drive flawlessly to keep his car out in front of the rest of the field. It would mark his first feature victory in nearly a year.
“This definitely feels good,” said Dittman, “Last year was very trying and it’s great that we can get the first win out of the way early. The race track was good it was fast on top even though I got the lead on the bottom.”
Finishing in second would be Brett James of Albany in his James Gang Pizza/Lebanon Auto Body #26 GRT who was fast all night in preliminary action and third place went to Vancouver, Washington driver Matt Mitchell in the A-Line Concrete Cutting/Sheppard Performance #15M Rayburn. The rest of the top five comprised of Philomath native Brody Pompe driving the #P0 X-Factor in fourth followed by the L Squared Racing #6L machine of Jonathan Lewis from Lebanon in fifth.
With Super Sports back in action after a week off Brian Smith of Albany earned the win in a caution filled feature. Smith, driving the Knothole Market #74 Rayburn for car owner Dan Dieble, set a rapid pace but couldn’t quite shake Newport’s Jordan Wright. The Newport Candy Shoppe/Cub’s Cave #32 Swartz of Wright was fast but was unable to pass the leader Smith. Smith would go on to become the third different winner in three Super Sport features.
“I’ve always had fun in this class when I ran it years ago,” stated Smith, “the car was fast all night and I managed to stay out in front. I really have to give special thanks out to Dan Dieble, Randy Boyd, and the guys at Virgil Hanson Automotive Machine for all their help.”
Jordan Wright would finish the night second while last year’s Sportsman division champion Danny Altom of Lebanon was third in his Cornwell Tools/AAMCO Transmissions #5 Rayburn. The chauffer from Shedd, Clay Debban, was fourth in the #84 Rayburn with fifth place being captured by the Archer Floor Covering #39 Swartz of Dennis Archer from Tangent.
Jeff Marson of Mulino became the third different winner in four Sportsman main events. Casey Rhoades of Lebanon in the Hyer Convenience Store/Sureflow Concrete Pumping Services #55 was the early leader in the first half of the feature but would lose it to Marson. Rhoades did his best to keep in stride with Marson but Rhoades would have a tire pop with seven laps to go forcing him pull off. From that point onward Marson would cruise out in front and put the Marson Tansit/Van Raden Industries #13 Port City Chassis in victory lane.
Last but not least the Street Stocks were on hand at Willamette Speedway. Seven-time champion David Cronk, after starting tenth, cut his way through the field when it came time for the main event. The Metro Services/Gassner Trucking #29 Camaro was back in victory lane after a one week absence for his third win of the season.
Last week’s winner Bricen James, in his James Gang Pizza/Charlie James Racing Graphics/Rainbow Rentals #13 Monte Carlo, put up a noble fight to attempt to overtake Cronk but he would finish second while crossing the line in third was the John’s Frame Shop #83 Camaro of Doug Scott from Sandy. Earning fourth was the Tim’s Automotive/Dick Kludte Trucking #27 Malibu of Bill Allison from Dallas followed by Crawfordsville native Kyle Yeack in his Mountain View Woodworking/Cascade Outdoor Power Equipment #47 Camaro in fifth.
The Willamette Speedway returns to action this Friday May 17th with Karts and Saturday the 18th for 1/3-mile action. Classes on hand for Saturday will include the DIRTcar Super Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Super Sports, Street Stocks, and Mini Trucks. For more information log on to www.trophymotorsports.com or call the brand new Northwest Tracks Hotline at (360)-699-RACE. Mylaps results can be found at www.mylaps.com/en/events/897221.
Race Summary
Friday May 10th, 2013
Willamette Speedway
Lebanon, Oregon
Pee Wee
3 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Ian Whisler, 2. Bradley Stumph, 3. Carter Patterson
5HP
6 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Conner Hanson, 2. Eston Whisler, 3. Trinity Pendley, 4. Kason Miller, 5. Skyler Winebarger, 6. Caleb Day
KT Division
3 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Jerry Patterson, 2. Matt Ponzoha, 3. Brent Meyer
125cc
7 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Custin Jones, 2. Duke Johnson, 3. Mike Day Jr., 4. Casey Starr, 5. Dalton Piefer, 6. Dakota Hanson, 7. Kyle Roles
250cc
6 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Kyle Cormican, 2. Eric Scofield, 3. Jared Lund, 4. Austin Jones, 5. Megan Day, 6. Justin Jones
Open Kage
11 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Jake Ferguson, 2. Brendan Waterman, 3. Patrick Dills, 4. Randy Phelps, 5. Andrew Burzynski, 6. Justin Haft, 7. Briley Pompe, 8. Matt McDowell, 9. Cooper Desbiens, 10. Kevin Hilgendorf, DNS James Burkey
Micros
1 Entry
A-Feature: 1. Jeff Broadwell
Saturday May 11th, 2013
Willamette Speedway
Lebanon, Oregon
DIRTcar Super Late Models
20 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Trevor Glaser, 2. Cody Sell, 3. Jeremy Shank, 4. Rob Mayea, 5. Brian Cronk, 6. Joey Tanner, 7. Justin Duty, 8. Russ Sell, 9. Rick Wyatt, 10. Terry Hall, 11. Kye Frick, 12. Jimmy Schram, 13. Dan Dieble, 14. Tony Brakeall, 15. John Duty, 16. Rob Campos, 17. Todd Shandy, 18. Trent Elliott, 19. Darren Coffell, 20. John Campos
IMCA Modifieds
10 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Dustin Dittman, 2. Brett James, 3. Matt Mitchell, 4. Brody Pompe, 5. Jonathan Lewis, 6. Vernon Foster, 7. Tom Yeack, 8. Jeffrey Rivers, 9. Jeff Lovell, 10. Kyle Yeack
Super Sports
16 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Brian Smith, 2. Jordan Wright, 3. Danny Altom, 4. Clay Debban, 5. Dennis Archer, 6. Sean Cronk, 7. Steve Moore, 8. Larry Rametes, 9. Tim Archer, 10. Randy Barley, 11. Tanner Wines, 12. Destiny Epps, 13. Sonny Wallace, 14. Chris Mott, 15. Robert Mercer, 16. Gil Pickett
Sportsman
17 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Jeff Marson, 2. Brian Goetz, 3. Brian Brown, 4. Brian Winkler, 5. Phil Housworth, 6. Loren Kruesi, 7. Austin Gorham, 8. Todd Miller, 9. Briley Pompe, 10. Casey Rhoades, 11. Clyde Rood, 12. Thomas Whiting, 13. Brian Smith, 14. Brad Gentry, 15. Steve Jorgenson, 16. Glen Hackney, 17. John Campos
Street Stocks
14 Entries
A-Feature: 1. David Cronk, 2. Bricen James, 3. Doug Scott, 4. Bill Allison, 5. Kyle Yeack, 6. Matt King, 7. #14, 8. Bud Kingsberry, 9. Justin Evans, 10. Christina Foster, 11. Jeff Marson, 12. Michael Byram, 13. Richard Crowell, 14. Cody Sells
Submitted By: Ben Deatherage