Annual Crash Bash On Tap At Stateline

It’s a good thing that a number of businesses are planning to offer Friday as a holiday, because to get a good seat for Friday night’s demolition derby at Stateline Speedway you might need to stand in line a while.

The annual crash bash is one of the area’s best-attended motorsports events and is expected to again fill the plentiful grandstands at the Post Falls track.

“I’d expect it to sell out,” said track promoter Joe Doellefeld, who also noted the winner of the demo in other words, the last car left running claims the $1,500 first-place money.

Gates open at 4:30 p.m. for the general-admission event. Time trials are at 5:30, with wacky events like the backward trophy dash and cat ‘n’ mouse game beginning at 7:30. A fireworks show will follow.

Some tickets still remain and are available at the Post Falls Trustworthy Hardware.

Human torch appears

There will be fireworks - both on the track and in the sky - during Spokane Raceway Park’s annual July 4 Weekend racing program.

The Human Torch Chamber of Fire, plus an appearance by the Inland Northwest’s first jet dragster will highlight Saturday’s card.

The stuntman known as “The Human Torch” walks away from an enclosure after being subjected to a spectacular explosion and fire. Then Neil Hansen and his “Brain Damage” jet dragster will explode and melt a passenger car.

In addition, Virgil Sellers will have his “Plum Crazy” wheelstander on hand. At the conclusion of racing, SRP plans a fireworks display.

There will also be actual racing this Saturday with bracket drags and three classes of cars scheduled to invade the oval. Gates open at 3 p.m. Racing starts at 7:30.

Friday night is another in the Mountain Dew High School Drag Racing Series, with gates opening at 5.

Liberty 5,000

Northport International Raceway officials are bracing for the flood. No, not a deluge of water out of Sheep Creek, but of stock-car drivers who have indicated they will compete in this weekend’s Liberty 5,000 despite failing to pre-register.

“We’re getting inquiries from everywhere,” said N-Port Dirt Racing Association President Carlene Wells.

The three-day race begins with practice Friday. Time trials and qualifying heats are Saturday and the 75-lap main event takes place Sunday. A first-place purse of $2,500 goes to winners in both the Superstock and Modified divisions. For further information contact Wells at (509) 684-1702.

Villwock wins

Any lingering doubts about Dave Villwock’s ability to make a successful return to the Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Association circuit were eliminated by his convincing victory at the Pontiac Grand Am Thunder in Evansville, Ind., last Sunday afternoon.

Villwock, behind the wheel of Miss Budweiser and competing for the first time since losing two fingers in a racing accident at Tri Cities nearly a year ago, won at Evansville for the third consecutive year.

In other hydro news, officials of the Budweiser Indiana Governor’s Cup, scheduled this weekend in Madison, have decided to postpone the event because of rising waters of the Ohio River. It has been rescheduled for Sept. 4-6.

The next scheduled event is the Chrysler Jeep APBA Gold Cup at Detroit, July 9-12.

Pit stops

Because of Friday night’s demolition derby, Stateline Speedway will not have racing Saturday night. Next racing at the track will be the weekly “Wednesday Night Fever” program… The Northwest Modifieds will be racing Saturday night in Ronan, Mont… . If pre-race talk is any indication, flat-track motorcycle racing may have found a new home at the half-mile Ravalli County Fairgrounds in Hamilton, Mont. “They’re expecting anywhere from 3,500 to 4,000 people,” said race coordinator Bert Marsh, who is helping organize the July 4 race at the old horse racing track. Marsh will bring many of the riders back to Spokane for a July 10-11 American Motorcyclist Association race at Playfair Race Course… . The NASCAR Northwest Series resumes Saturday with a race in Roseburg, Ore.