BIRD SWEEPS WINGLESS SPRINTS AT EPHRATA RACEWAY PARK

( Ephrata , WA ) 8/30/08  by Kelly Hart

            In the inaugural Wingless 360 Sprint car race at Eprhata Raceway Park , Shawnigan Lake , British Columbia driver Jeff Bird was the show Saturday Night. Bird set fast time, won his dash and heat race, and the 40-lap Main Event for a clean sweep of the evening’s events. Evan Margeson won the WMRA Midget Main Event and the Damon Claibourn picked off his second straight win in the Kim Janke State Farm Agent Youth Hornets.

            The crowd was also treated to races featuring the Golden Wheels Midgets and the West Coast Vintage Racers.

            With a new track record for Wingless 360 Sprints at 14.423 Bird was about two-tenths of a second faster than his closest competitor. Bird finished second at the 360 Cast Iron Winged Sprint Nationals to start the season at ERP. There were 18 cars in attendance, and 65 year old Frankie Volz, Sr. moved up his Vintage Racing Sprint Car to join the field at the back on the start of the main event, in his 51^st year of racing. Volz would finish in 7^th place out of the 18 starters. Trophy Dash wins went to Bird and Kyle Secord. Heat race wins were captured by Bird and Wes Helgeson. There were racers representing NSRA, WILROC, INSCA, ERP and WESCO present at this race. And Ephrata Raceway Park wants to thank each of the teams for towing long distances to show support for this event. Plans are to run the race again in 2009.

            At the drop of the green flag, Wes Helgeson took the early lead with the big field of cars cautiously getting the feel for the race track and their machines. On the fourth lap, Rich Hill spin in turn 2 bringing out the caution flag. The restart saw Ray Jones lose some fluid on turn two bringing out the red flag to dry the track. As the cars fired off to restart the race, Helgeson pulled off the race track handing the lead to Doug Peter. Peter has led many a main event lap this year at ERP but hasn’t been able to win a main. Tonight his luck continued as Bird drove by on the back straight into the lead on lap 8 and was never seriously challenged the rest of the way. A lap 21 yellow flag for Ray Jones whose motor finally blew, and lap 27 red flag for an incident in turn 2 with Rich Fast and Kevin Witte were the only stoppages the rest of the way. A great showing for locals Mike Fought finishing second, track co-owner “Fishin” Bob Witte third, Whitney Nolan was fourth, Tom Beierman fifth and Kevin Witte sixth as locals take 5 of the top 6 slots at their home racetrack.

            While car counts are down, action remains up with the Washington Midget Racing Association. Eleven cars filled the field with defending Champion Evan Margeson winning the 35-lap main event. Point leader Mark Atkinson set fast time at 13.459 the fastest lap of the night in any division. Trophy dashes were won by Margeson and Mitch Hoffses from Beaverton , OR. The heat races were claimed by Tony Berry and Logan Forler. Margeson led every lap of the 35 lap main for the win.

            It’s been a great late season run for Damon Claibourn. After blowing his motor a month ago and having to build a new one, Claibourn has now reeled off back-to-back wins in the Kim Janke State Farm Agent Youth Hornet division. Claibourn and Jesse Hector finished one-two with great racing nose to tail for many of the 15 laps. Bart Hector, Jr. has come back from a broken arm to finish well the last few weeks as well picking up third place. Fast time to Claibourn at 17.456. Trophy dash wins to Taylor Blackburn and Dallas White, who repeated those feats in the heat races.

            There were 4 Golden Wheel Vintage Midgets, and 8 vintage Sprint Cars from the West Coast Vintage Racers on hand for some racing exhibitions throughout the night. Congratulations to Frankie Volz, Sr. for the Vintage Sprint main event win and Brian McMurtry for the Golden Wheels Vintage Midget win.

            Next week at Ephrata Raceway Park an ambitious night of racing, featuring the Northwest Legends, Ephrata Pioneer Muffler II Adult Hornets, the ERP Mini Stocks, Jerry’s Auto Supply Hobby Stocks, Pepsi Cola Street Stocks and the BIG CARS. The BIG CARS will be racing for the final time in 2008 this next Saturday. Gates open at 5pm and racing is at 7pm.

KIM JANKE STATE FARM AGENT YOUTH HORNETS

Fast time: 43 Damon Claibourn 17.45

B Dash: 16 Taylor Blackburn, 64 Sami Todd, 6 Michael Olsick, 76 Cody Berry

A Dash: 09 Dallas White, 08 Jesse Hector, 68 Bart Hector Jr., 43 Claibourn

B Heat: 16 Blackburn, 76 Berry , 64 Todd, 11 Jatender Veenstra, 6 Olsick

A Heat: 09 White,43 Claibourn, 68 Bart Hector Jr., 08 Jesse Hector, 00 Dylan Adamson

Main: 43 Damon Claibourn, 08 Jesse Hector, 68 Bart Hector Jr., 11 Veenstra, 09 White, 00 Adamson, 16 Blackburn, 64 Todd, 76 Berry , 6 Olsick

Lap Leaders: 76 Berry 1-2, 43 Claibourn 3-15

WASHINGTON MIDGET RACING ASSOCIATION

Fast time: 23 Mark Atkinson 13.459

B Dash: 5 Mitch Hoffses, 14 Skeeter Flake, 98 Rick Brown, 9 Kerstin Smutny

A Dash: 50 Evan Margeson, 24 Tony Seidelman, 25 Brea Lopez, 23 Atkinson

B Heat: 45 Tony Berry , 5 Hoffses, 14 Flake, 98 Brown, 11 Troy Globe

A Heat: 22 Logan Forler, 50 Margeson, 23 Atkinson, 25 Lopez, 24 Seidelman

Main: 50 Evan Margeson, 25 Lopez, 24 Seidelman, 22 Forler, 98 Brown, 5 Hofsess, 14 Flake, 9 Smutny, 11 Globe, 45 Berry , 23 Atkinson

Lap Leaders: 50 Margeson 1-35

360 WINGLESS SPRINTS

Fast time: 55 Jeff Bird 14.423 (new track record)

B Dash: 19x Kyle Secord, 20 Corky Harbison, 82 Ray Jones, 28 Tom Beierman

A Dash: 55 Bird, 1 Whitney Nolan, 78 Mike Fought, 96 Kevin Witte

B Heat: 1x Wes Helgeson, 42 Doug Peter, 66 Mark Jones, 7e Bob Witte, 01 Rally Root

A Heat: 55 Bird, 19x Secord, 78 Fought, 1 Nolan, 96 Kevin Witte

Main: 55 Jeff Bird, 78 Fought, 7e Bob Witte, 1 Nolan, 28 Beierman, 96 Kevin Witte, 96x Frankie Volz Sr., 19x Secord, 6 Rich Fast, 50 Rich Hill, 66 Mark Jones, 44 Rod Stump, 82 Ray Jones, XX Russell Root, 42 Peter, 01 Rally Root, 1x Helgeson, 10 Brandon Skeeter, 20 Harbison

Lap Leaders: 1x Helgeson 1-4, 42 Peter 5-7, 55 Bird 8-40

GOLDEN WHEELS:

Main : 6 Brian McMurtry, 77 Bill Blackwell, 11 Lenora McMurtry, 35 Janis Day

WEST COAST VINTAGE RACERS

Main: 96x Frankie Volz Sr., 25 Donnie Nelson, 49 Dan Robinson, 45 Butch Duren , 2 Dave Craver, 8 Dick Nelson, 1a Alan Frame, 21 Marv Price

HISTORIC NIGHT AT EPHRATA RACEWAY PARK

( Ephrata , WA )  8/10/08     by Kelly Hart

            Historically one the best attended and better races of the year at Ephrata Raceway Park is the Rebel Jackson Memorial race with the ASA / NSRA Sprint Cars. With the season’s biggest crowd on hand a huge field of Sprint Cars put on a dazzling display of speed around the high banked asphalt quarter mile oval. Great racing in all four divisions on the night had the crowd on their feet as much as in their seats.

            Since it’s inception the Rebel Jackson Memorial race has been included in the highlight races of the season for ASA / NSRA and now you can add 15 year old high school student Sierra Jackson as the youngest winner in series history and the first female. The 50-lap feature started off with a bang as five-time series champion Rick Brown spun on the second turn of the first lap bringing out the first of two cautions and a complete restart. Mike Basher took the lead and was running away from the field when he encountered trouble on the 22^nd lap. In heavy traffic Basher and Duane Zeinstra made contact with Greg Middendorf, Jackson and series point leader Matt Hein all zeroing in on the leader. The contact sent both Basher and Zeinstra spinning in front of the oncoming cars and bringing out the second caution.

            With both cars unable to continue, Middendorf began the single file restart on lap 23 in the first spot. It took him less than 10 laps to find traffic when the fun began again. Once again with the leader in heavy traffic the other four cars in the top five started to hunt him down. Jackson was perfect in traffic making a horsepower move to get around Middendorf and take off with the lead on the 45^th circuit. For the final six laps Middendorf lost ground and fell back to fifth, with Hein, Andy Alberding and Kenny Hamilton getting by for second, third and fourth place. Hein couldn’t catch Jackson as she won her first ASA /NSRA main event, the Rebel Jackson Memorial Race at Ephrata Raceway Park .

            The Pepsi Cola Street Stocks have been dominated, victory wise by Bart Hector for most of the season. There was a patch around midseason where the driver of the #68 car got beaten a few times, but on this night he was dominating picking up the clean sweep of the evening events. Hector set fast time of 15.325 seconds and won the A Trophy Dash and the A Heat Race to go along with his main event win. The newlywed Daniel Hector won the B Trophy Dash and B Heat Race for another all-Hector winning evening in the Street Stock division.

            For the Kim Janke State Farm Youth Hornets Jesse Hector used a very fast race car to set fast time and win the main event. Hector and Dallas White had a touch and go moment on the tenth lap of their 15-lap main when the two made contact, saved the cars in perfect synchronized moves and continued on as if nothing had happened. In other Youth Hornet results, Dylan Adamson and Stephnie Patty won the Trophy Dashes with Steven Beck and White picking up Heat Race wins.

            At the end of the evening the crowd was treated to a BIG CAR Boat Race. With the “Wildman” Ray Hahne towing a beautiful magenta fiberglass boat on a trailer behind his International Travel All, the target was that you could only pass the boat if you hit it, and you would win an extra trophy and end the race if you could dislodge the boat from the trailer. Race winner Chris McCart was the first to hit the boat and dislodge the trailer from the Hahne’s trusty steed. But is was Billy Smith who shattered the boat, when he knocked it off the trailer and sent it sailing through the air into the path of Hahne who obliterated it with a might blow from the Travel All. Once again, the BIG CARS put BIG FUN into the Ephrata Raceway Park attendees.

            ERP takes the weekend of August 16^th off to support and enjoy the Grant County Fair but returns to action with the Northwest Outlaw Street Stocks on august 23^rd.

RESULTS:

BIG CARS

Main: 95 Chris McCart, 27 Billy Smith, 84 Troy Lannoye, 357 Jay Kimble, 11 Ray Hahne

Blast the Boat Trophy: 27 Billy Smith

PEPSI COLA STREET STOCKS

Fast time: 68 Bart Hector 15.325

B Dash: 82 Daniel Hector, 47 Dustin Kapalo, 8 Mike Greenwalt, 24 Derrick Kapalo

A Dash: 68 Bart Hector, 81 Eric Hector, 4 Brad Morrison, 29 JR Miner

B Heat: 82 Daniel Hector, 12x Rick Bretches, 12 Robert Sieg, 8 Greenwalt, 24 Derrick Kapalo

A Heat: 68 Bart Hector, 29 Miner, 81 Eric Hector, 22 Dustin Hubbard, 4 Morrison

Main : 68 Bart Hector, 81 Eric Hector, 1 Mitch Kleyn, 29 Miner, 4 Morrison, 7 Terri McCart, 82 Daniel Hector, 47 Dustin Kapalo, 24 Derrick Kapalo, 92 Mike Bise, 12 Sieg, 8 Greenwalt, 22 Hubbard, 12x Bretches

Lap leaders: 82 Daniel Hector 1-8, 68 Bart Hector 9-25

KIM JANKE STATE FARM AGENT YOUTH HORNETS

Fast time: 08 Jesse Hector 17.620

B Dash: 00 Dylan Adamson, 64 Sami Todd, 6 Michael Olsick, 89 Patrick Hector

A Dash: 61 Stephnie Patty, 08 Jesse Hector, 09 Dallas White, 68 Bart Hector Jr.

B Heat: 38 Steven Beck, 00 Adamson, 72 Kelly Olsick, 64 Todd, x15 Derek Burck

A Heat: 09 Dallas White, 08 Jesse Hector, 61 Patty, 43 Damon Claibourn, 16 Taylor Blackburn

Main: 08 Jesse Hector, 09 White, 38 Beck, 11 Jatender Veenstra, 16 Blackburn , 43 Claibourn, 61 Patty, 00 Adamson, 72 K. Olsick, 6 M. Olsick, 64 Todd, x15 D. Burck, 89 P. Hector

Lap leaders: 43 Claibourn 1-2, 08 Jesse Hector 3-15

ASA / NSRA SPRINT CARS

Fast time: 98h Matt Hein 12.694

B Dash: 65x Donnie Kudrna, 13q Dave Quick, 7e Todd Lolkus, 23 Wes Helgeson

A Dash: 01 Kenny Hamilton, 98h Hein, 51 Jake Mann, 76 Andy Alberding

Heat 1: 13b Mike Basher, 78 Mike Fought, 25j Sierra Jackson (top 3 to A Main)

Heat 2: 55 Jeff Bird, 01 Hamilton, 25z R.J. Fronsman (top 3 to A Main)

Heat 3: 1 Rick Brown, 76 Alberding, 4 Greg Middendorf (top 3 to A Main)

Heat 4: 17 Justin Mack, 99 Cory Lockwood, 98h Hein (top 3 to A Main)

B Main : 82 Adam Roduner, 7r Randy Dubois, 51 Mann, 65x Kudrna, 7v Cody Veenstra, 13q Dave Quick, 11z Duane Zeinstra, 65 Kevin Burck (top 8 to A Main), 23 Wes Helgeson, 19 Justin Popple, 7e Lolkus, 25n Whitney Nolan, 42 Doug Peter, 96 Kevin Witte, 28 Tom Beierman

Lap leader: 82 Roduner 1-15

A Main: 25j Sierra Jackson, 98h Hein, 76 Alberding, 01 Hamilton, 4 Middendorf, 17 Mack, 55 Bird, 78 Fought, 99 Lockwood, 51 Mann, 1 Brown, 25z Fronsman, 65 Burck, 7v Veenstra, 13q Quick, 13b Basher, 11z Zeinstra, 65x Kudrna, 7r Dubois, 82 Roduner

Lap leaders: 13b Basher 1-23, 4 Middendorf 24-43, 25j Jackson 44-50