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Willamette Speedway Completes Race #3 Of 2014

Willamette Speedway Completes Race #3 Of 2014
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Doc's Photos)
Despite a forecast that called for rain Willamette Speedway was able to complete the entire racing program on Saturday May 17th. The historic 1/3-mile clay oval hosted the X-Factor Race Cars Super Late Models, Wirth Wireless IMCA Modifieds, Crocker’s Cars Super Sports, and the Albany & Eastern Railroad Sportsman.

Rob Campos of Scio in his Doerfler Farms/Drager Performance/Battle Buddies of Central Oregon #9 GRT lead the early laps of the X-Factor Race Cars Super Late Model feature. But Happy Valley’s John Duty would get to the front and set a rapid pace in his Don Frank Flooring/Mid Ohio Graphics/Darrell and Mardell Williams/Metro Services #5 Rocket. Duty would cruise to victory lane and earn his first win in two feature starts at Willamette in 2014.

Coming from the back of the bus to earn second place on the final lap was the J&S Farms/Cornett Racing Engines #37 Rocket of Rob Mayea from Bend followed by Scio’s Steve Moore in the Hot Rod Bettie’s Tattoo/Schram Brothers Excavating/Xtreme Motorsports/Bodies By Steve-O #21 MasterSbilt in third. The top five would be completed by Brian Cronk of Portland in his Metro Services/Dog Lover’s Gold Dog Food/Big Sky Landscaping/Gassner Trucking #29 Rocket in fourth while fifth was the Driving Force Graphics/Tubeshark Tube Bender/Clements Racing Engines #46 Rocket of Darren Coffell from Bend. Earning the victory in the Don Frank Flooring Trophy Dash was Corbett’s Collen Winebarger in his Discount Race Car Parts/Gordy Lee Photography/Frisbie Motorsports #SW MasterSbilt.

It was a thriller of a feature in the Wirth Wireless IMCA Modifieds with the race being decided in the final circuits. Collen Winebarger in the Discount Race Car Parts/Gordy Lee Photography/Frisbie Motorsports #SW Shaw by Jeff Taylor and the Ester Lee Motel of Lincoln City/Dr. Mary Harada Breast Cancer Specialist at Samaritan Health Services/Debra Herndon Family Nurse Practitioner #25 Rocket by Ruhlman of Albany driver Craig Cassell would put on a great battle for the lead with each other.

Things would get interesting on a late race restart when Kyle Yeack of Lebanon attempted to take over the lead only to get together with Cassell allowing Monte Bischoff of Medford to capitalize on the opportunity. Going from fourth to the front in a single turn Bischoff would lead the rest of the distance to pick up the victory. It would be the second win in 2014 for the Payroll Specialties Inc./Hoppes Construction #F1 Impressive team after capturing the Bill Mills Memorial at Madras Speedway a few weeks before.

Finishing the night in second was Craig Cassell followed by Collen Winebarger in third. Fourth place would go to the Fastenal/ Cascade Outdoor Power & Equipment/Radiator Supply House/Mountain View Woodworking #47 Pro of Kyle Yeack while fifth was Matt Mitchell from Vancouver, Washington in his A-Line Concrete Cutting/Shepard Performance/Van Raden Industries #15M Rayburn. Picking up the win in the Wirth Wireless Trophy Dash was Monte Bischoff.

In Crocker’s Cars Super Sport action Randy Barley, from Albany, led the first half of the main event piloting his Dennis Automotive & Tires/Lebanon Auto Body/Charlie James Racing Graphics #13B Rayburn. However on a restart the Gil Pickett Custom Cabinets/G&B Natural Health/Airport Steel/Santiam Barn & Supply #98 Swartz of Salem’s Gil Pickett would obtain the race lead. Pickett would set sail for the rest of the distance to win the first Crocker’s Car Super Sport feature of the season.

Randy Barley would cross the stripe in second followed by Albany’s Bricen James in his James Gang Pizza/Lebanon Auto Body/Sign Express/Rainbow Rentals #13 MasterSbilt in third. Dennis Archer of Halsey was fourth driving the Archer Floor Covering #39 Swartz while completing the top five was Chris Mott out of Salem in his Woodworking Enterprises/Airport Steel/Five Star Drywall #16 Rayburn in fifth. Sweet Home driver Brian Thompson, in the Crocker’s Cars/Left Coast Motorsports #44 Swartz, was able to pick up the victory in the Trophy Dash while the Mossy Oak Camouflage/Dave Smith Decoys/Bower’s Race and Rod Shop #22M MasterSbilt entry of Salem’s Dave Miller was the winner of the consolation feature.

In the Albany & Eastern Railroad Sportsman main event Casey Rhoades set a rapid pace for several laps. The Lebanon native, piloting his Hyer Convenience Store/SpinWare at the Heritage Mall/Sure Flow Concrete Pumping/Omen 5150 Tattoo #J55 entry, unfortunately suffered mechanical problems that would end his night prematurely. That would give the lead to Jeff Rash, also from Lebanon, and he would set the pace in the Glen Hackney owned Wirth Wireless/Hackney Racing #1 Swartz.

But in the last three laps a new race leader would emerge. Philomath teenager Briley Pompe would obtain the coveted top spot in the last few circuits and crossed the start/finish line in first place. It would mark the first career Albany & Eastern Railroad Sportsman feature victory for the young man and the Pompe Racing #0P Lawson team.

In second place would be the Wirth Wireless/Hackney Racing #2 Swartz of Albany driver Brian Smith, and also driving a Glen Hackney car, while in third was the Fritz Cutting & Coring/Flatt Muffler & Custom Exhaust/Doerfler Farms/Zosel Sheds #88 Rayburn of Newberg native Brian Winkler. The balance of the top five would consist of Steve Moore driving the Glen Hackney owned Wirth Wireless/Hackney Racing #3 Swartz in fourth and the Fastenal/ Cascade Outdoor Power & Equipment/Radiator Supply House/Mountain View Woodworking #47 Pro of Kyle Yeack in fifth. Picking up the win in Trophy Dash action was Brian Smith.

Willamette Speedway will return with three great nights of racing. The weekend will be kicked off on Friday May 23rd with the American Sprint Car Series-Northwest Region in the house featuring the area’s best 360 Sprint drivers. Street Stocks will the support class for the evening.

Then there will be two more nights of racing for the annual Clair Cup which will be sponsored by Les Schwab Tires. Classes on Saturday May 24th will be the X-Factor Race Cars Super Late Models, Wirth Wireless IMCA Modifieds, Albany & Eastern Railroad Sportsman, and Street Stocks while Sunday the 25th will feature X-Factor Race Cars Super Late Models, Wirth Wireless IMCA Modifieds, Crocker’s Cars Super Sports, and Albany & Eastern Railroad Sportsman.

Prices on Friday for the Sprint Car show are Adults $15.00, Seniors/Military/Juniors (13-17) $13.00, Youths (Ages 12-6) $8.00, and Children under the age of 5 are FREE and a family pass will be offered for two Adults and up to four Youths for just $35.00. Racing is scheduled to get underway around 7:00 PM.

On Saturday and Sunday the Pit Gates will open at 1:00 PM, the Pit Meeting will take place at 2:30, Front Gates open at 3:30, and Racing starts at 6:00. Tickets each night are Adults $12.00, Seniors/Military/Juniors (13-17) $10.00, Youths (Ages 12-6) $5.00, and Children under the age of 5 are FREE and a family pass will be offered for two Adults and up to four Youths for just $35.00. For more information log on to www.trophymotorsports.com.

Race Summary:
Race #3
Saturday May 17th, 2014
Willamette Speedway
Lebanon, Oregon

X-Factor Race Cars Super Late Models
A Feature: 1. 5-John Duty; 2. 37-Rob Mayea; 3. 21-Steve Moore; 4. 29-Brian Cronk; 5. 46-Darren Coffell; 6. 4-Brady Sell; 7. 24-Rick Wyatt; 8. 15-Justin Duty; 9. 38-Thomas Hunziker; 10. SW-Collen Winebarger; 11. 9-Rob Campos; 12. 09-Todd Shandy; 13. 13-Tony Brakeall; 14. U2-Bruce Hipple; 15. 113-Jimmy Schram; 16. 40-Brian Smith; 17. 74-Dan Dieble; 18. 5-Britton Donahoo; 19. 111-Joey Tanner; 20. 57-Randy Boyd; 21. 32-Phil Housworth

Wirth Wireless IMCA Modifieds
A Feature: 1. F1-Monte Bischoff; 2. 25-Craig Cassell; 3. SW-Collen Winebarger; 4. 47-Kyle Yeack; 5. 15M-Matt Mitchell; 6. 33C-Craig Hanson; 7. 21A-Matthew Drager; 8. 00-Ken Gummus; 9. 04-Rod McCombs; 10. 2G-Brad Gentry

Crockers Cars Super Sports
A Feature: 1. 98-Gil Pickett; 2. 13B-Randy Barley; 3. 13-Bricen James; 4. 39-Dennis Archer; 5. 16-Chris Mott; 6. 77S-James Slover; 7. 29-Sean Cronk; 8. 18-Tim Archer; 9. 22-Dave Miller; 10. 44-Brian Thompson; 11. 17-Vahn Stone; 12. 5-Danny Altom; 13. 11-Larry Rametes; 14. 10-Brian Brown; 15. 33-Jordan Wright; 16. 84-Clay Debban

B Feature : 1. 22-Dave Miller; 2. 11-Larry Rametes; 3. 61-Jerry Casey; 4. 6-Keeton Epps; 5. 2-Brian Gary; 6. 07-Destiny Epps; 7. 38-Randy Passmore

Albany & Eastern Railroad Sportsman
A Feature: 1. 0P-Briley Pompe; 2. 2-Brian Smith; 3. 88-Brian Winkler; 4. 3-Steve Moore; 5. 47-Kyle Yeack; 6. 97JR-Ron Berry; 7. 33-Anthony Bentley; 8. 57-Adam Passmore; 9. J5A-Cory Aldrich; 10. 49-James Whitehouse; 11. 11-Joey Cannon; 12. 1-Jeff Rash; 13. 55-Casey Rhoades; 14. 0-Clyde Rood; 15. 14-Jefferson Auto Club

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