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Sportsman Division Looks To Have Another Great Year At Willamette In 2014

Sportsman Division Looks To Have Another Great Year At Willamette In 2014
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Doc's Photos)
Lebanon, Oregon- The Sportsman division at Willamette Speedway is one of the toughest classes to not only win championships in but also main events. The last three championships have come down to the wire with all three of them being decided by less than one-hundred points. In 2014 the division will be in action a whopping twenty-three times including the must see forty-lap Sportsman Spectacular on Saturday August 2nd.

“The Sportsman are hands down, pound for pound the best class of racing,” commented Willamette Speedway Announcer Cory Penfold, “you have five to seven drivers that can win week in and week out. It’s kind of like the old IROC (International Race of Champions) class where everyone is even. There are so many drivers that race each other the hardest and the cleanest and that makes it so fun to watch.”

Last year Phil Housworth managed to hold off Brian Smith to win his first career title at Willamette Speedway. Housworth won two races compared to Smith’s four but Housworth posted thirteen top five finishes in seventeen main event starts. In eighteen races there were nine different winners with Brian Smith managing to win the most with his previously mentioned four over Ron Berry and Todd Miller who both won three features. Phil Housworth and Brian Goetz visited victory lane twice and Clyde Rood, Jeff Marson, Brian Winkler, and Brian Brown all managed just one win a piece.

2012 seen another great point battle with the title going to Danny Altom as he beat out the team of Glen Hackney and Brian Smith by only seventy-four markers. That year the wins were not spread out as much with five drivers making it to the winner’s circle in fifteen complete events. Brian Smith led the win column with an amazing five victories over Altom’s four. Justin Dittman won three main events while Brian Winkler was twice a winner that season. Todd Miller was the only driver in 2012 to win just one main event.

2011 had the closest point battle in the last couple of season as David Cronk beat young Brody Pompe by only twenty-five points. It would be Cronk’s fourth time he would capture the Sportsman title and his fourth championship in the division which accounts for half of the eight career crowns he’s managed to obtain at Willamette. The season would see twelve different feature winners in seventeen events.

That year Cronk led the class with four main event victories with Pompe and Chris Bishop scoring two wins each. The impressive list of nine drivers that won one race included Danny Altom, Jeff Marson, Tom Conway, Todd Miller, Bill Allison, Randy Boyd, Clyde Rood, Brian Cronk, and Brian Winkler.

Willamette Speedway will host a practice on Friday April 11th lasting from 4:00 PM to dusk. On Saturday the 12th the historic 1/3-mile will host the Cabin Fever Season Open to get the 2014 season started. For the latest news and information log on to www.trophymotorsports.com.

Past Willamette Speedway Sportsman Track Champions
1970- No Info
1971- Bill Strange
1972- Bill Strange
1973- Jordan Epperson
1974- No Info
1975- No Info
1976- No Info
1977- No Info
1978- No Info
1979- Bill Smith/Tim Sapp
1980- Bill Smithson
1981- Charlie Moe
1982- No Info
1983- Roger Jantzi
1984- Tim Sapp
1985- Tim Sapp
1986- Mitch Gordon
1987- Dan Kent
1988- Wes Boatwright/Leroy Perez
1989- Dan Kent
1990- Gil Pickett
1991- Gil Pickett
1992- Charlie Anderson
1993- Tom Conway
1994- Tom Conway
1995- Charlie James/Mark Patterson
1996- Glen Soto
1997- Warren Jegglie
1998- Warren Jegglie
1999- Glen Hackney
2000- Tim Goodwin
2001- Wes Boatwright
2002- David Cronk
2003- Lance Cronk
2004- David Cronk
2005- Mike Bennett
2006- Tom Conway
2007- Brian Cronk
2008- Mike Bennett
2009- David Cronk
2010- Todd Miller
2011- David Cronk
2012- Danny Altom
2013- Phil Housworth

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