Repeat Title Close For Zimmerman
Many racers will tell you that success in the sport depends on three main elements driver’s skill, the car and racing luck, not necessarily in that order.
As the Northwest Modified season comes to an end Saturday night at Stateline Speedway, defending series champ Jeff Zimmerman of Spokane draws on that formula for success as he attempts to repeat his title.
“I’ve thought about it and have come to the conclusion that our success has been based on 50 percent car preparation, 45 percent racing luck and 5 percent driving skill,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman, who leads Colville’s Greg Ochs in the championship chase, gives his crew deserved high marks when grading his successes over the past two seasons.
“I think that with the car prep I’ve had, most any driver in our class could be just as competitive as I’ve been over the past two seasons.”
If he repeats, Zimmerman will become the first modified driver to do so since Marty Pfaffle won back-to-back titles in 1988 and 1989.
Saturday’s racing, which includes the Street Stock championship, and a regular points race in Hobby Stocks, begins at 6 p.m.
Drag racers challenge
The championships in two of the NHRA Federal Mogul classes come down to this weekend’s season finale at Renegade Raceway in Wapato, Wash., and involve a handful of Spokane-area racers.
With 288 points, Brian Tibesar of Coeur d’Alene is tied with Mike Seekins for the lead in Super Comp. Todd Hoerner of Spokane is 10 points back. All three drivers have divisional race victories this season.
Rod Hoerner, also of Spokane, winless in five previous divisional races, has used some deep runs into the field in past races and sits 32 points behind Boise’s Aaron Marcum in Super Gas. To win, Hoerner says he needs to reach the semifinals and Marcum must lose in the early rounds.
Racing starts Friday and runs through Sunday.
P.O.K.R. karts end season
Spokane’s Rod Nelson could have taken an easier road to the inaugural championship in the Pro Outlaw Kart Racing Association.
Instead, a week after flipping his kart and suffering minor injuries, Nelson smacked into the wall, was hurt more seriously and missed three weeks of racing.
Despite his misfortunes, Nelson still leads in points going into tonight’s finale at the Spokane County ORV Park. Racing in Airway Heights starts at 6.
Hot streaks
Dave Oien has won his last two Super Pro outings at Spokane Raceway Park and is the only driver in the class with back-to-back victories this season… . With his win last Saturday at Ronan, Mont., Eltopia’s Dan Noble has put together a two-race win streak in the Northwest Modified Series. Jeff Zimmerman was second and Colville’s Dave Weaver third.
Pit stops
Spokane Raceway Park has bracket drag racing and stocks scheduled for Saturday, beginning with time trials at 5:30 p.m. SRP will also conclude its Mountain Dew High School drag series on Sunday, with gates opening at 10 a.m… . Northport International Raceway hosts its fifth annual Tom Patrick Memorial race Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m. The track offers a $10 per carload admission price for the race that honors a racer killed at the track… . With a pair of top-five finishes in his last two races, Spokane’s Rick Schultz has jumped into fifth place in NASCAR Northwest Tour points. Greg Biffle, runner-up in the Labor Day race at Tri Cities and the driver for Hall Racing of Spokane, is sixth, heading into Saturday’s next-to-last race at Tenino, Wash.
Joe Kopp has been racking up big frequent flyer miles. Kopp raced last Friday in the AMA national event at Castle Rock, Wash., finishing third in the 600cc class. Then, he hopped a flight across the country, only to be rained out in an AMA Grand National race at Syracuse, N.Y. This Saturday, Kopp will run at Shakopee, Minn… . The unlimited hydroplane fleet returns to action, after a five-week layoff, in San Diego’s Bayfair Muncey Cup…. Mary and Ray Jacobi’s three-year battle to operate Tuscor Speedway in western Montana appears to have come to an end. The Jacobis have announced their intention to put the track, buildings and acreage up for sale. For information contact Mary Jacobi at (406) 827-9173… . Local sprint car historian Don Radbruch of Sagle, Idaho, wants to locate anyone who might have further information on a major auto race staged at Coeur d’Alene in 1921. Radbruch, who says he’s “a hopelessly insane racing history nut,” can be reached at (208) 263-5953.
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