Ochs Sets Sights On Modified Crown
In Driver’s Education, you’re constantly schooled to check your mirrors at regular intervals.
Pardon Greg Ochs if he’s not paying attention to who’s in his mirror on Saturday night.
The 30-year-old Colville racer is keeping his eyes focused on what’s ahead of him, not what’s behind, in the Interstate Batteries Northwest Modified Season Championship at Stateline Speedway.
Time trials start at 6 p.m., with racing to follow at 7:30. A Hobby Car and Fever Four challenge is also on the schedule.
Ochs, in his fifth modified season, is in line to win his first series points title. He said he’s “not at all concerned” that Spokane’s Jeff Zimmerman suddenly looms large in Ochs’ rear-view mirror. Ochs is trying to put Zimmerman’s challenge out of his mind.
“Let the cards fall where they may,” Ochs said, borrowing a recent quote from Zimmerman, who has steadily snipped away at Ochs’ lead in the last half-dozen races. Zimmerman, also in search of his first title, trails Ochs by just eight points.
“There’s nothing you can do extra special,” said Ochs, who was second overall a year ago. “The key for us right now is to just finish the race.”
Ochs has won three times this season, and has maintained the series lead since the second race.
Not Swift enough
The 1995 Northwest Late Model Racing came to an end last Saturday night at Stateline Speedway and work has already begun on planning the 1996 campaign.
For the second straight year, Corey Wolfe of Ronan, Mont. and Billy Swift of Newman Lake finished first and second in the standings.
”(For us to win the title) Corey needed to stay home,” said Swift, who ended up third in the season finale. Wolfe finished seventh in the 18-car field, but just needed to start the 100-lap feature to clinch the title.
Mark Owens of Libby, Mont., won his fifth NWLM race of the year and his first at Stateline.
“Mark could have been a player in the championship except that he missed a couple of races,” said Swift, who doubles as president of the association.
Looking to expand their ranks, the NWLMS is investigating the possibility of adding new race sites for 1996.
Hermiston, Ore., Ephrata’s State Central Speedway and Tri City Raceway are all possibilities, Swift said.
Swain tries for first … again
Allen Swain sits poised to accomplish a unique feat in local stock car racing circles if he hangs on to win the Compact Class championship at Spokane Raceway Park Saturday night.
By winning at SRP, Swain will have taken titles at both of the area’s race tracks. Earlier, Swain won the Compact title at Stateline Speedway. Both John McCroskey and Mark Wakefield hold comfortable leads in their respective Street Stock and Hobby Stock classes. Jim Darby and Tom Dry are locked in a tight battle for first in Fever Fours.
On the drag side, Dave Oien leads handily in Super Pro, as does Mark Reseb in Pro Eliminator. The Street Eliminator crown will be decided between Jim Van Dorn and the G&G Racing Team.
Drag time trials begin at 5 p.m., with the stock cars starting an hour later with qualifying. Racing begins at 7:30.
Pit stops
Last Sunday’s Dave Rogers Memorial Muscle Car Drags attracted a record number of entries, organizer Ron James said. Cynthia Prentiss of KHQ won the Celebrity Challenge race and donated her $500 prize to the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery. Gary McDonald of the Spokane Corvette Club won the President’s Cup title and donated his $250 prize to the Wishing Star Foundation… . Rod Hoerner will try for a second NHRA Division Six Super Gas win and a division championship in a race this weekend at Ashcroft, British Columbia… . Autosports Northwest will hold its final autocross of the season Sunday at the Supervalue Parking Lot on East Montgomery Avenue in the Spokane Valley. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Contact Gary Klawitter at 926-8157 for further info.
xxxx