Ama Heads To Playfair

Playfair Race Course will again have a new breed of horsepower hurtling over its dirt surface this weekend when flat-track motorcycle racing returns to the near-century-old facility.

This Friday and Saturday will be the first of two weekends set aside this summer for the 100 mph-plus bikes in an officially sanctioned American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) event.

Five classes of bikes will be competing, including 750 cc and 600 cc in both Pro and Pro-Am divisions. Some Spokane riders will be coming into the weekend on a roll, having won July 4 races in Hamilton, Mont.

Steve Liberty won the 750 class at Hamilton, while Lonn Kopp was the 600 Expert winner. Todd Summers was the 600 Pro-Am victor, and with a good showing Friday night will qualify for his expert plate.

Expect to see strong competition from Ron Yamamoto, a winner during the inaugural season at Playfair in 1996. The 1998 Playfair Half-Mile series is dedicated to the memory of Andy Tresser - last June’s winner here - who died in an accident in August at Rapid City, S.D.

A second weekend of racing, this one featuring a stop by riders on the AMA Hot Shoe Series, is scheduled for Aug. 14 and 15.

Gates open each day at 4 p.m. with racing at 5. Admission is $12 for adults with children 12 and under free.

SRP hosts big event

Spokane Raceway Park will present its second big drag racing show of the season on Saturday night with the running of the 17th annual Fox Hunt and Jet Car Championships.

A field of jet dragsters and funny cars will be on hand for the night in which all women are admitted free to SRP’s grandstands. Alcohol funny cars and regular SRP bracket drags are also on the schedule.

Gates open at 2 p.m., with eliminations set for 7:30.

Because of the Fox Hunt, there will be no stock car racing at SRP on Saturday. SRP will cancel next Saturday’s appearance of the Northwest Late Model Series. The race would have conflicted with the Montana 200 in Kalispell.

In place of the late models, SRP will run a 50-lap, $1,000-to-win Street Stock Invitational.

Interstates return to Stateline

Terry Halverson of Wenatchee puts a two-race Stateline Speedway winning streak on the line Saturday night as the Interstate Superstocks make a return visit.

Halverson won the May 30 and June 20 races in the series, but will get a solid challenge from a host of other drivers, including Shane Mitchell and Steve Thompson, who have won races at the Post Falls track.

Time trials begin at 6. Also on the program will be the Canadian Oldtimers, Northwest Mini-Trucks and Street Stocks.

After a week off following the July 3 Demo Derby, racing resumes on Friday night with the initial appearance of the Canadian Oldtimers, along with Hobby Cars and Compact Streets. Time trials are at 6:30.

Pit stops

Spokane’s Kevin Richards, fourth in Winston West points, will try to improve his standing and pick up his first series win on Friday night at Portland Speedway… . Rain again halted the Northwest Modifieds in Ronan, Mont., last weekend. The open wheels also been rained out in Kalispell, a track they visit next weekend as part of the Montana 200… . Northport’s Liberty 5,000 was a big success, and plans are in the works for the 1999 edition and the addition of two more classes, according to Northport Dirt Racing Association president Carlene Wells. Monte Zema Jr. of Colville was the Modified winner, finishing ahead of Larry Whaley of Castlegar, British Columbia, while Derek Rosse of Republic nipped Don VanSickle of Colville for the $2,500 first prize in Superstocks… . Joe Kopp of Mica was eighth in last week’s AMA Grand National flat track motorcycle race at Lake Odessa, Mich… . The unlimited hydroplanes will be in Detroit for the APBA Gold Cup this weekend.

Streaks ‘n stats

Janson McElfish is 2 for 2 in the Super Four Modifieds after his Wednesday Night Fever win… . Randy Lasswell will shoot for his third straight Street Stock win Saturday night at Stateline Speedway… . Shawn Bales ended Mark Wakefield’s three-race winning streak in Spokane Raceway Park’s Hobby Stock class last Saturday… . John Lanz won his sixth race in 13 outings in SRP’s Pro Eliminator drag racing bracket… . Gary Lewis celebrated both the Fourth of July and his wedding anniversary by winning his fifth NASCAR Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series race in seven starts Saturday night at Roseburg, Ore.