Keeping Pace: Liberty Lake’s Tom Manfred making his mark on Lucas Oil drags circuit
Liberty Lake’s Tom Manfred continues to blaze new trails on the NHRA Lucas Oil Division 6 Series.
Earlier in the season Manfred notched his 10th Super Street main event victory and set out to get win No. 11. That victory came last weekend in Mission, British Columbia, where more than just a win light was secured.
Manfred’s victory moved him to the top of the Division 6 championship standings while also earning the honor of being the winningest driver in the Northwest’s Super Street class.
“I’ve had such a good year it’s been mind-boggling,” Manfred said. “(Drag racing) is so tough that if you make one little mistake the day is over and you’re on the trailer having a long drive home. So far we’ve had some good runs but there’s still a few races left to go.”
NHRA divisional racing allows a driver to claim his best five races then add those points to the yearly tally that factors into the overall champion. Boise’s Gordon Boven and Everett native Allen Macham, both of whom have races left to run, are chasing Manfred.
Manfred has reached five events to count towards his points total but could trade one out if he posts a stronger finish in the next two races.
“You can count those (best five) races into the championship and we’ve had five good ones to put up. I know Gordon is going to be tough because he’s got a few more races to run,” Manfred said. “We’re going to go down to Salt Lake City (Sept. 27-28) and see if we can get him there. There’s still a race left in Las Vegas later this year so the season is still not over with yet.”
Kart racing
With two races left to decide championships in a variety of divisions, Spokane Kart Racing Association’s event Saturday has plenty to offer for race fans interested in seeing go-karting up close, with free admission.
Located on the grounds of the Spokane County ORV Park, SKRA’s facility has been a gem in regional karting for many years. Providing a nearly half-mile road course layout with elevation changes, drivers of all ages experience a variety of speeds during the track’s events.
Interest in sprint race-style karting has picked up at SKRA with the track hosting over 50 drivers this year in its local events.
Tops among the tight title chases is the Junior II Clone division where Tylea Randock and Jimmy Lasswell are separated by a few hundred points.
Two more junior classes, Kid Karts and Junior I Clone, also have close championship standings left to sort out this weekend. Kid Karts, which are a smaller-scale machine with low-horsepower motors driven by youth over the age of 5, has Justin Krasselt holding a slim lead over Dakota Morris and Cameron Balakesley.
In Junior I Clone, Riley Miller and Carson Balakesley are staring at a small gap between the pair to settle the championship. Also having strong seasons in the class are Isabella Grunland, Ryan Hanson and Tanner Juhnke.
The adult-based World Formula division is home to what may be SKRA’s most dominant driver, Ryan Krasselt, who has earned top points in nine of the season’s 10 races. With Krasselt storming his way to the championship, Parker Shaw and Alan Russell are left to chase the division’s runner-up spot. Shaw leads Russell by just under 500 points.