ICAR, INSCA heats up at Stateline
Kevin Burke leads the chase for the 2010 INSCA points championship with Mike Fought just 10 points behind. Dixon Helgeson is third with Rick Nelson and 2009 series champion Justin Popple sitting in fifth place.
Doug Pace
The Spokesman-Review
After a successful Idaho 200 weekend, Stateline Speedway continues its August racing schedule with the Appleway Chevrolet Parts Center ICAR Series and the Inland Northwest Sprint Car Association.
Dan Garber leads the drivers point standings by 58 markers over the region’s hottest young talent, Blake Williams. Both drivers are coming off top-10 finishes in last weekend’s Idaho 200.
Andy Brown, Colton Garber and Corey Juhnke round out the top-5 driver’s points standings.
Kevin Burke leads the chase for the 2010 INSCA points championship with Mike Fought just 10 points behind. Dixon Helgeson is third with Rick Nelson and 2009 series champion Justin Popple sitting in fifth place.
This will be the series’ third stop of the season at the Post Falls quarter-mile facility.
Northport busy
Northport Raceway hosts a special Saturday night program featuring the Hornets, Fever 4s, Super Stocks and Modifieds.
Gordy Zaitsoff leads the chase for the Modified season championship with Cory Schrader just 15 points behind heading into the weekend. Jason Hanks, Chris Laughter and Trent Twamley round out the top five. Less than 100 points separate Laughter from Zaitsoff.
In the Super Stock division, Ron Merrill and Randy Traaen are locked in a tight battle for their division’s points championship. Merrill holds a slim 18-point lead on Traaen with John Gumaer 23 points behind Traaen. There are three races left in the 2010 season.
Jason Warren has been the top shoe in the Fever Four class this season but Dan Southern has been able to stay near the top of the points standings throughout the year. Warren brings a 26-point lead into Saturday night’s action and will look to make it two straight main event victories.
K&N Pro Series
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West heads into the Inland Empire for its inaugural appearance at Montana Raceway Park.
Set for 150 laps, the Toyota/NAPA Bonus Challenge features some of NASCAR’s brightest stars looking for an opportunity to advance their careers toward the top three divisions of stock car racing including the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series.
Spokane’s David Garber, who ranks fifth in points at Montana Raceway Park, is scheduled to compete in this weekend’s late model event.
One of many NASCAR drivers fans will want to keep an eye on is Paulie Harraka, who was selected to drive the No. 12 NAPA Gold Filters Toyota through the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program. Harraka won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opening event at Roseville, Calif. and currently ranks fifth in the chase for the 2010 championship. Also competing will be Blake Koch, who has competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on a part-time basis this season. Gary Lewis, who finished second in last weekend’s Idaho 200 and won last month’s Montana 200, is scheduled to compete in the West Series event and will also be behind the wheel of his late model.
The race will be televised on SPEED-TV Thursday at 3 p.m.
For fans making the trek from the greater Spokane area, a two-day ticket package includes the qualifying and positioning races for the Lucas Oil Super Late Model Best of the West Tundra 125, breakfast on Saturday morning and a full slate of racing on Saturday night. Tickets can be purchased through the track’s website at montanaracewaypark.com with the option to bypass the general admission gates.
