Memorial Headlines Srp Races

Dave Rogers gave tirelessly of much of his spare time. He lent his radio voice as emcee for numerous charity auctions and telethons, many aimed at helping kids in the community. The local radio personality died suddenly in 1993, cutting short this work.

Sunday at Spokane Raceway Park, the fifth edition of “The Dave Rogers Memorial Muscle Car Drags,” takes place and will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Rogers was a big fan of drag racing and was especially fond of muscle cars - Camaros, Roadrunners and Mustangs. It’s appropriate that his spirit of giving lives on in the annual competition.

“I used to watch all the good he did in the community and he asked nothing in return,” said race organizer Ron James. “We decided to keep the spirit of the giving going, by doing this race.

“This event has really taken off,” James said. “We’ve doubled the car count from year one and we’ve got lots of people calling to ask how they can get involved.”

There’s even a backlog of alternate celebrity challengers lining up for the eight-car media race, won last year by KREM’s Tom Hudson.

Last year’s event raised nearly $1,600 for a variety of local charities. This year, $2 from each ticket goes to MDA.

Gates open at 10 a.m. with five different classes set to compete. The Celebrity Challenge race is set for noon.

Also Sunday, there will be a separate benefit for the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery on the oval track in conjunction with a late-model, open-competition race. One ticket sees both the drags and the stock car race.

Ulmer in control

Two victories and a seasonlong string of top-10 finishes have propelled Ephrata’s Jay Ulmer into the points lead of the Interstate Superstock Racing Series.

Ulmer has clinched the 1997 points title, despite running in just seven of the eight series races. The series concludes its season Saturday night at Stateline Speedway.

Ulmer leads defending champion Mike Sauls by more than 300 points. Sauls moved past Spokane’s Rick Kellogg after the last race two weeks ago.

Also on the Saturday race card in Post Falls are the season championships for the N.W. MiniSupers and N.W. Mini-Trucks. Time trials begin at 6 p.m. Sunday at Stateline is the annual Harvest Jamboree and racers play-day. Racing gets started at 1 p.m.

Pit stops

The Northwest Late Models conclude their season Saturday night at Spokane Raceway Park. Also on the SRP schedule is bracket drag racing. Gates open at 4 p.m…. The NASCAR Northwest Tour, rained out last Saturday at Tenino, Wash., tries again Saturday night at Twin Falls, Idaho, in the final race of the season. Rick Schultz and Greg Biffle (driving for Ron Hall of Spokane) hope to improve on their standing in the top 10…. Joe Kopp makes a brief return home to Spokane Sunday to race in an AMA-sanctioned, flat-track motorcycle race at the Spokane County ORV Park. Sign-up is at 10 a.m. with racing at 1 p.m. Call (509) 484-4119 for further info…. Ken Nelson of Post Falls was the top local finisher in last weekend’s final NHRA Division Six drag race held at Renegade Raceway near Yakima with a runner-up in Super Gas. Both Brian Tibesar of Coeur d’Alene and Spokane’s Rod Hoerner remained in the chase for divisional points titles, but they will have to race in Arizona in October to gain the points necessary for the championships…. Ron Nelson held on to the lead through the final week of the Pro Outlaw Kart Racing Association season to earn the inaugural title…. Rain forced postponement of the Northwest Modified Series season championship to next Saturday at Stateline Speedway.

Hot streaks

John Killorn won his second Pro Eliminator race in three weeks last Saturday at Spokane Raceway Park…. Scott Perry ended John McCroskey’s two-race win streak in Fever Fours and Herb Acree won a second straight in Hobby Stocks at SRP….

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