Northwest Super Fours Make Stop At Stateline
Spokane race fans get their first look at a novel class of race cars Saturday night when the Northwest Super Fours pay their first visit to Stateline Speedway.
The class, which runs the bulk of its 16-race schedule between the half-mile tracks at Tri Cities and Yakima, will visit one of four shorter quarter-mile facilities at Stateline for race No. 7. Time trials begin at 6 p.m.
On the surface, the Super Fours look like any other late-model superstock as the tubular chassis carry body styles like Ford Thunderbirds, Chevy Luminas and Monte Carlos. It’s under the skin where they differ.
The most notable difference is in the motors, which are four cylinders, as opposed to the six- and eight-cylinder engines that are the norm in other classes.
“We’re a class for weekend veterans as well as a training ground for rookies on their way up,” said spokesman Patrick Culwell of Kennewick. And that response has been impressive with 33 different drivers competing in 1994. This season has seen 37 drivers run at least one race. James Van Cleve of Morton,
Wash. is the current points leader and the only driver to win two feature races.
Saturday night also marks the return of the Northwest Late Model Racing Association. After four races, it’s a dead heat between Newman Lake’s Billy Swift and Corey Wolf of Ronan, Montana. The two are tied for first place in the standings. Friday racing is also back on the schedule this weekend with Hobby Stocks, Street Stocks and Sportsman on the schedule, beginning with time trials at 6:30 on Saturday.
Busy weekend at SRP
Spokane Raceway Park will be a busy place this weekend with three special events on the drag strip and a big stock car event on the half-mile oval.
With the season at its midway point, bracket drag racers will be competing for bonus points Saturday night. The annual Mid-Season Championship will offer double points for Super Pro, Pro and Street Eliminator, the track’s three money brackets. Time trials begin at 4:30.
Also on the quarter-mile Saturday will be the third appearance of the Spokane Pro Gas Association. The first two races in the 9.90 index class of race cars have produced two different winners. James Arsenault and Rod Hoerner each have a win and are tied with 550 points heading into Saturday.
The second annual NAPA Auto Parts Hobby Stock Summer Classic headlines the stock car racing program. Time trials start at 5:30 with Compacts, Street Stocks and Fever Fours joining the program.
The Mopar Unlimiteds special club drag racing event will be held on Sunday. Time trials begin at 10:30.
Off to a fast start
Work on Spokane’s new U-19 unlimited hydroplane is ahead of schedule, reports team manager and driver Tom Hindley.
“We have completed work on the boat’s bottom and replaced some internal frames,” Hindley said. “We’ll have the boat partially painted and will have the hull’s main colors and trim colors on by this weekend.”
Roll-out of the boat is planned for the July 4th weekend and the first race will come in Tri Cities on July 28-30.
Pit stops
NASCAR’s Northwest Tour runs its firstever road-course race Saturday at Portland International Raceway as a back-up show to the Indy Car race on Sunday. The race will be televised live on TNN… . The Spokane Kart Racing Association runs its sixth points race of the season Saturday at the Spokane County ORV Park… . Northport International Raceway runs its usual dirt track program on Saturday with racing at 4 p.m. . . . Also on Saturday, Republic’s Eagle Track will run its mid-season championship with a 1 p.m. start.
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