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Strawberry Cup Produces Some Memorable Moments

Strawberry Cup Produces Some Memorable Moments
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Doc's Photos)
Willamette Speedway was the site of the annual Strawberry Cup this year presented by Wilson’s NAPA Auto Parts on Saturday June 7th. The event dates as far back as the 1960’s and is one of the oldest races in the entire Pacific Northwest region. Classes on tap for the evening included the X-Factor Race Cars Super Late Models, Wirth Wireless IMCA Modifieds, Crocker’s Cars Super Sports, Albany & Eastern Railroad Sportsman, and Street Stocks.

In the X-Factor Race Cars Super Late Models Keizer’s John Campos was the car to beat for much of the race. It seemed like the Northwest Family Chiropractic/Danette Pemberton with Saba/Northern Lights Theatre Pub #36 GRT was having no difficulties and was well on his way to pick up the win but a late race caution would come out to make things interesting.

On the ensuing restart Rob Mayea of Bend would make some daring moves to work his way to the front and eventually throw his name into the mix. With just a little bit of time left in the race Mayea would make a move for the lead and would bring the crowd to their feet for his first victory at Willamette since May of 2012 as well as his first career Strawberry Cup trophy in the Late Model classification for the J&S Farms/Cornett Racing Engines #37 Rocket team.

John Campos would finish in a respectable second in another brilliant run for him in 2014 while third would go to Happy Valley youngster Justin Duty in his Don Frank Flooring/Big Sky Landscaping/Mid Ohio Graphics/Metro Services #15 Rocket. The rest of the top five would consist of the Driving Force Graphics/Tubeshark Tube Bender/Clements Racing Engines #46 Rocket driven by Darren Coffell of Bend in fourth and coming home in fifth was Sodaville native Tony Brakeall in his Sure Flow Concrete Pumping Services/Liberty Automotive/Swing Construction/James Gang Pizza #13 Swartz.

In Wirth Wireless IMCA Modified action Collen Winebarger was yet again blazing the trail in main event action. The Discount Race Car Parts/Gordy Lee Photography/Frisbie Motorsports #SW Shaw by Jeff Taylor, of Winebarger who hails from Corbett, would lead for a good amount of laps before being overtaken by Jeremy Shank from Salem.

In his only appearance thus far in 2014 at a track that he has had so much success Shank would take care of business to earn the victory. Although he has had won in the Late Model portion during Strawberry Cup it would mark the first time that the second-generation driver would visit the winner’s circle in a Modified in this historic event. It was also the second win of the season for Shank and his Left Coast Motorsports/South Pacific Auto Sales and Service Center/Bilstein Shock by Left Coast #30 Swartz entry, the other coming a month early at Madras.

Last year’s Strawberry Cup winner Jesse Williamson from Coburg would cross the wire second in the Jerry Schram owned Schram Brothers Excavating/Century III Stables #16 Shaw followed by Collen Winebarger in third. Medford’s Monte Bischoff in the Payroll Specialties Inc./Hoppes Construction #F1 Impressive was fourth and behind him in fifth was 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 Craig Cassell from Albany.

The Crocker’s Cars Super Sport feature would see several race incidents. Unfortunately there were so many stoppages that the race was cut short. Starting towards the back of the field Albany teenager Bricen James, and the winner of the Open Kage feature the night before, went elbows up to charge to the front of the pack. James would pull off an exciting pass for the lead on the final lap to win his second straight Super Sport victory in his James Gang Pizza/Lebanon Auto Body/Sign Express/Rainbow Rentals #13 MasterSbilt for his first career Strawberry Cup trophy.

Dennis Archer from Halsey was second in the Archer Floor Covering #39 Swartz while the Gil Pickett Custom Cabinets/G&B Natural Health/Airport Steel/Santiam Barn & Supply #98 Swartz of Salem’s Bob Jeffrey ended the night third. Sweet Home’s Curt Fry was an impressive fourth in the All Star Auto Repair, Sales, and Towing/KFIR AM 720 #32 Shaw while fifth place went to Tim Archer of Springfield in the Archer Floor Covering #18 Swartz entry.

Albany’s Brian Smith was able to capture the lead early in the Albany & Eastern Railroad Sportsman feature. Smith, driving the Glen Hackney owned Hackey Racing/Wirth Wireless #2 Swartz, would dominate the competition to earn his first win in the class this year and his first Strawberry Cup triumph.

Briley Pompe of Philomath would cross the stripe in second in his Pompe Racing/The Storage Depot/X-Factor Race Cars #0P Lawson while behind him in third was Newberg’s Brian Winkler chauffeuring the Fritz Cutting & Coring/Flatt Muffler & Custom Exhaust/Doerfler Farms/Zosel Sheds #88 Rayburn. The top five would be completed with the Wirth Wireless/Crocker’s Cars/Housworth-Bentley Racing #33 Jet of Anthony Bentley from Scio in fourth and in fifth the Independence pilot James Whitehouse in his Harry's Lock and Key/T-N-T Motorsports/Yamhill-Mac Towing/Pam-Pam's Junk #49 Howe.

In Street Stock competition Kyle Yeack was able to take care of business. Taking over the lead early and not giving it up for the rest of the distance Yeack would visit victory lane for the second time of the season but for the first occasion in the Street Stocks. It would be the second time that he would win the Strawberry Cup trophy both of which have occurred in the Street Stocks and his first ever win for the Doran Racing #47 Monte Carlo for car owners Haven and Roy Doran.

The Big Sky Landscaping #88 Camaro of Gresham’s Kevin Roberts was second and in third was defending Strawberry Cup winner Justin Evans of Lebanon in the Al Flora owned Albie’s Medical Transports/Allied Medical Transport/Monty’s Race Repair/Wirth Wireless #99 Cougar. Bricen James ended the night in fourth in his James Gang Pizza/Lebanon Auto Body/Sign Express/Rainbow Rentals #13 Monte Carlo while behind him was the Tim’s Automotive/Dick Kludte Trucking/Squirrels Taxi Service/Les Schwab Tires of Independence #27 Malibu of Dayton’s Bill Allison.

Willamette Speedway will hosting a practice on Friday June 13th from 4:00 PM to Dusk. Pit Passes are $10.00 and Car/Driver fees are $25.00. On Saturday the 14th will be Fan Appreciation Night as well as the Cars of Stars promotion. You will get a chance to meet your favorite drivers as they will park their cars on the race track just before opening ceremonies and you can get autographs, pictures, etc. during this time. There will be a little different format utilized as it will be main events only so no heat races that night. But wait it doesn’t end there because the “Cars of Stars” promotion will be an opportunity for you the fan to walk away with a 1:24 scale die cast replica of your favorite driver.

Classes in action include the X-Factor Race Cars Super Late Models, Wirth Wireless IMCA Modifieds, Crocker’s Cars Super Sports, Albany & Eastern Railroad Sportsman, Street Stocks, and 4-Cylinders while the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series will be in the house to take on the local Late Model contingent. On Saturday 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 for this event 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.

Then the weekend doesn’t end right there. Willamette Speedway will host their annual Father’s Day Tuff Truck event on Sunday the 15th. The Pit Gates/Front Gates open at 11:00 AM while the event will get underway around 1:00 PM. Tickets for this event 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. For more information log on to www.trophymotorsports.com.

Race Summary:
Strawberry Cup Presented By Wilson's NAPA Auto Parts
Saturday June 7th, 2014
Willamette Speedway
Lebanon, Oregon

X-Factor Race Cars Super Late Models
A Feature: 1. 37-Rob Mayea; 2. 36-John Campos; 3. 15-Justin Duty; 4. 46-Darren Coffell; 5. 13-Tony Brakeall; 6. 29-Brian Cronk; 7. 4-Brady Sell; 8. 111-Joey Tanner; 9. 38-Thomas Hunziker; 10. 5-John Duty; 11. 21-Steve Moore; 12. SW-Collen Winebarger; 13. 09-Todd Shandy; 14. 11-Justin Dittman; 15. 74-Dan Dieble; 16. 51-Ryan Bothwell; 17. 14-Keith Marson; 18. 30-Jeremy Shank; 19. 02-Tom Lawson; 20. 24-Rick Wyatt

B Feature: 1. 09-Todd Shandy; 2. 4-Brady Sell; 3. 51-Ryan Bothwell; 4. 14-Keith Marson; 5. 51-Todd Sieg; 6. 57-Randy Boyd; 7. 16-Jerry Schram; 8. 26-Mark Carrell; 9. 08-Kye Frick; 10. 13-Jeff Marson

Wirth Wireless IMCA Modifieds
A Feature: 1. 30-Jeremy Shank; 2. 16-Jesse Williamson; 3. SW-Collen Winebarger; 4. F1-Monte Bischoff; 5. 25-Craig Cassell; 6. 54N-Nick Trenchard; 7. 83-Dustin Dittman; 8. 15M-Matt Mitchell; 9. 49-Tom Yeack; 10. 21A-Matthew Drager; 11. W6-Kevin Williamson; 12. 44-Austin Gorham; 13. 24-Curtis Towns; 14. 33C-Craig Hanson; 15. 20-Jordan McDonald; 16. 41-Ricky Ashley; 17. 28-Rick Sapp; 18. M1-Mark Wauge

Crocker's Cars Super Sports
A Feature: 1. 13-Bricen James; 2. 39-Dennis Archer; 3. 98-Bob Jeffrey; 4. 32-Curt Fry; 5. 18-Tim Archer; 6. 13B-Randy Barley; 7. 2-Brian Gary; 8. 77S-James Slover; 9. 84-Clay Debban; 10. 61-Jerry Casey; 11. 29-Sean Cronk; 12. 47-Leo Hillyer; 13. 10-Brian Brown; 14. 74-Drew Deieble; 15. 44-Brian Thompson; 16. 23-Shawn Benton; 17. 16-Chris Mott; 18. 22-Dave Miller; 19. 17-Vahn Stone

Albany & Eastern Railroad Sportsman
A Feature: 1. 2-Brian Smith; 2. 0P-Briley Pompe; 3. 88-Brian Winkler; 4. 33-Anthony Bentley; 5. 49-James Whitehouse; 6. 0-Clyde Rood; 7. 3-Mike Campbell; 8. 75-Dave Foote; 9. 55-Casey Rhoades; 10. 11-Joey Cannon; 11. 3-Steve Moore; 12. 14-Tom Whiting; 13. 12-Jennifer Robbins; 14. 14-Jefferson Auto Club; 15. 1-Jeff Rash

Street Stocks
A Feature: 1. 47-Kyle Yeack; 2. 88-Kevin Roberts; 3. 99-Justin Evans; 4. 13-Bricen James; 5. 27-Bill Allison; 6. 11-Joey Cannon; 7. 83-John Kerr; 8. 17Z-Ethan Landers; 9. 97-Ryan Emry; 10. T3-Talyn Roberts; 11. 3:16-Bry Campos; 12. 19-Austin Bottcher; 13. 24C-Randy Jackson; 14. 34-Mark Gaylord; 15. 14J-Jefferson Auto Club; 16. K4-J.J. Irvine

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