Swift Causing Nwlm Traffic Jam
No matter how hard he tries, Cory Wolf can’t shake the image of Spokane’s Billy Swift appearing in his rear-view mirror during Northwest Late Model Racing Association races.
All season, the under-budgeted Swift has kept his late-model superstock right on the bumper of the Ronan, Mont., driver, both on the track and in the NWLM points chase.
After a swing that has taken the series to Montana for three of the last four races, it’s back to Stateline Speedway on Saturday night. Stateline streets and hobby cars are also on the bill for the 6 p.m. show.
Compacts, claimers and sportsmen will open the weekend with a Friday night program that begins at 6:30.
The Star Distributing/City Glass 100 will offer one of the bigger fields of the season, said association president Dave Bennett.
The NWLM racing at Stateline has been that exciting door-handle-to-door-handle stuff, almost like the season-long battle that Swift and Wolf have waged.
“We’ve just had some awesome racing this year, real hang-it-all-out stuff,” Bennett said.
Wolf, with a second-place finish to fellow Montanan Bob Schweigert two weeks ago, has been able to increase his lead from just three points to 30. Swift ran with both Schweigert and Wolf before a flat tire forced him into the pits and a seventh-place finish. Despite the added breathing room, with three races to go - two of which are at Stateline, Swift’s home track - and considering the tenacious charge the Spokane driver has put on this year, Wolf will want to keep Swift in his sights.
SRP: There’s no rest for the area’s drag racers, who just finished the 32nd Annual American Hot Rod Association World Finals at Spokane Raceway Park.
They will be at it again Saturday night with bracket racing and another appearance of the Spokane Pro Gas Association. The 9.90 index class will be running the fourth of five points races at SRP this season.
Other drivers will be aiming at second-year Spokane racer Clay Korb, who won the pro gas title at the World Finals.
Stock cars will also be in action after a one-week hiatus. The compacts, fever fours, street stocks and hobby cars all run on the halfmile, with time trials at 5:30. Drag eliminations begin at 7:30.
Hydros: Tom Hindley of Spokane claimed third place in the Grand National class hydroplane championships last weekend in Hampton, Va.
Hindley thought he had won the event when one of his competitors jumped the gun at the start and another was thought to have been disqualified for not running “on plane” at the start.
But race officials apparently disregarded those infractions, much to the dismay of Hindley and his Interstate Batteries boat.
You’ll be able to judge for yourself by watching the race, which will be rebroadcast on Prime Sports Northwest on Labor Day weekend.
Pit stops: The NASCAR Northwest Tour runs a rare Friday night race at Portland Speedway. Spokane racers who’ll make the trip are Kirk Rogers, Rick Schultz and Marc Groskreutz… . The Northwest Modifieds’ scheduled race Saturday at Yakima Speedway has been canceled, with no make-up date planned… . Spokane Kart Racing Association points race No. 7 is Saturday at the ORV Park in Airway Heights… . Sand drags and mud bogs run Saturday and Sunday at ORV Park… . Eagle Trac in Republic will run a dirt-track stock car race Saturday beginning at 1 p.m… . Clarkia’s Fossil Bowl stages another AAA Cup motocross race Sunday, with registration at 9 a.m.