Points Races Tight At State Line Track

Racing season is not even one-third of the way complete and if early point standings are any indication at Stateline Speedway, it ought to be an interesting run to the championship at the Post Falls track.

Most races are two-way battles. Two-time Street Stock winner Randy Lasswell has the biggest lead of anyone, 33 points over Wally Bacon.

Brian Saling is eight points up on Mark Jones in Compact Streets. Brett Santa Rosa and Matt Comstock trail the leader by 22 and 23 points, respectively, in the class that appears to have the most contenders.

Mike Evans holds a 10-point margin over Sean Rhinesmith in Fever Four Hobby Cars.

Eleven points separate Hobby Stock leader Rob Vest and three-race winner Steve Shaffer.

Only two races are in the books in Sportsman, and Lasswell sits just three points ahead of Pat Lewis. Each has won once in the class.

This weekend could make things that much closer. Every class will be in action starting Friday night at 6:30 with the Hobby Cars, Compact Streets and Sportsman. Saturday, the Street Stocks are the lone local class running in a program featuring the Outlaw Compacts and Northwest Formula Indys starting with time trials at 6 p.m.

Berg tries to extend streak

For the past two seasons, the story in the Northwest Mini-Supers has been Allen Swain. With Swain reportedly sitting out this season, it appears the man to beat is Tony Berg.

Berg has three victories and a four-race win streak dating back to the last event of the 1997 season. He’ll put the streak on the line Saturday night in the first of two races the compact late-models will run on the big half-mile track at Spokane Raceway Park.

The Mini-Supers will be part of a show including Fever Four Hobbys, Hobby Stocks, Street Stocks and Mini-Trucks.

Karts in IKF Gold Cup

The Spokane Kart Racing Association will present its biggest race of the season when the club hosts one of the International Karting Federation Gold Cup races Friday through Sunday at the Spokane County ORV Park in Airway Heights.

For info, contact Bob Thompson at (509) 924-6755 or (509) 928-0915.

Pit stops

Northport International Raceway will run its fifth points race of the season - the Whitebird Saloon Sun ‘N Speed 200 - Sunday starting with time trials at 1 p.m. … Spokane’s Kevin Richards continues to have an impressive run as a rookie driver in the NASCAR Winston West Series. He’s driven his Monaco Enterprises Chevy to fourth place in points and was fourth in his last race at Mesa Marin. Richards also is the leader in Rookie of the Year points. … The NASCAR Northwest Tour visits Tri City Raceway on Saturday night.

The NHRA Division Six drag racing series heads to Seattle International Raceway this week, hoping to leave behind the rain that canceled the race two weeks ago at Mission, British Columbia. … The Northwest Modifieds will try to outrun the rain again in Montana on Saturday night when they visit Mission Valley Speedway in Ronan. Last Saturday’s race at Kalispell was rained out. … Kalispell will try to get in its first-ever Interstate Superstocks race on Saturday night. … The season’s first ORV Park motocross race takes place on Sunday.