Muscle Cars Set To Take Center Stage
Muscle cars always had a place in Dave Rogers’ heart. So it’s appropriate that a tribute to the former radio personality and race announcer who died suddenly in July of 1993 would naturally include a gathering of Camaros, ‘Cudas, GTOs, Mustangs, Roadrunners and ‘Vettes.
The third Dave Rogers Memorial Muscle Car Drags take place Sunday at Spokane Raceway Park, with time trials at 9:30 a.m. and eliminations at noon. Admission is $8, with $2 going to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
The event features a Celebrity Challenge race featuring drivers from the three area television stations. The winner of the race will receive $500 toward their favorite charity, event spokesman Ron James said.
Scheduled to race in identical street cars are Dennis Patchin and Tonia Bendickson from KXLY and KHQ’s Mark Peterson and Rick Douglas. KREM has yet to indicate which personalities it would send at the event.
For more information contact James at 928-6301.
Too little, too late for Swift
Billy Swift won his second Northwest Late Model Racing Association race last Sunday and has his sights set on a third at Saturday’s series finale at Stateline Speedway. The series title, however, seems lost.
“I think we’re too little, too late,” said Swift, who closed within 72 points of defending champion and current points leader Cory Wolfe. Wolfe has finished in the top five in all but two races this year and needs only to avoid major failure in the finale.
Time trials begin at 6 p.m. with racing at 7:30. Also on the schedule Saturday are challenge races for Street Stocks and Hobby Stocks.
Champs crowned at Stateline
Thanks to a tie, the season championship races in Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks and Sportsman classes last weekend produced four champions.
Nine-time race winner Randy Lasswell saw his slim lead melt away in the season’s final race, allowing Steve Cantrell to share the Street Stock title.
John Ward won the Hobby Stock championship and Tim Sawyer the Sportsman title. They will be among drivers honored at Stateline’s awards banquet on Saturday, Oct. 28 at Templin’s Resort in Post Falls. Tickets are $12.50 and available at the track.
Spokane hydro takes aim
Spokane’s U-19 Appian Renegade unlimited hydroplane, which has struggled recently, will try to bounce back at this weekend’s Muncey Cup in San Diego. The U-19 will conclude its season Oct. 15 at Honolulu.
“We’ve done a ton of work (on the boat) and we should
be in pretty good shape,” said driver Tom Hindley.
The changes include adding a salt water cowling and a wing. Performance will also be enhanced with motors that have been thoroughly rebuilt.
“We have three basically brand new motors that have been brought back to spec,” Hindley said. “The nozzles were wrong before; it’s amazing they made horsepower.”
Since a most unlikely heat victory in the first race of the season seven weeks ago in Tri Cities, things went from bad to worse. Mechanical problems plagued the boat in a poor outing at Seattle’s Seafair.
Pit stops
Spokane Raceway Park will have it’s next-to-last points race for its bracket drag racers on Saturday beginning with time trials at 4:30. Stock car racing is also on tap on the half-mile oval with time trials at 6 p.m… . The Spokane Kart Racing Association will hold its ninth points race on Sunday at the Spokane ORV Park in Airway Heights… . Clay Korb won last Saturday’s final Spokane Pro Gas Association race at Spokane Raceway Park, defeating James Arsenault in the finals. With the win, Korb finished third in the final standings while Arsenault was runner-up to champ Rod Hoerner… . Mica’s Joe Kopp, a flat track motorcycle racer, won the Western Regional Championship in the 600cc class at Castle Rock, Wash., last Saturday. Kopp’s fourth place in the 600 National, also Saturday, put Kopp in a tie for points with Chris Carr for the 600 National Series. Kopp heads to Eldora, Ohio, for another AMA national event next weekend… . Northport International Raceway stages its annual Tom Patrick Memorial race this Sunday with time trials at 1 p.m.
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