Changes Plentiful For Nw Modifieds
One of Washington’s oldest traveling racing series is moving in a new direction this year.
The Northwest Modifieds, which ran their first race in 1965 at the old Fairgrounds Speedway, begin their 36th season with new leadership, new tracks and looking for a new series champion.
Former two-time champion Ed Hudson takes over as the series’ new president and is enthused about the new season.
“We’ve got one of the most exciting forms of racing around,” Hudson said. “I’m really excited at seeing our cars get to race for some new fans. They’ll see a great show.”
The 1999 schedule has 16 points races, plus exhibition outings at Portland, and possibly Spanaway. The schedule opens April 17 and closes six months later, September 18, with both races at Stateline Speedway. In between come two visits each to Kalispell, Mont., and Ronan, Mont., plus Penticton, British Columbia. The series also returns to Ephrata’s Central Park Speedway, the old State Central Speedway which is opening under new management after being closed for the 1998 season.
The open-wheelers return to the half-mile tri-oval at Tri-Cities and also visit Yakima Speedway.
After three years of domination from Jeff Zimmerman, the series will be crowning a new champion. The three-time defending champ reportedly will move into regional late-model racing.
Among those waiting to take Zimmerman’s spot are Dave Weaver, in the car Hudson drove to his 1987 championship, as well as last year’s runner-up, Stan Cafferty, and two-time champ Marty Pfaffle, who returns to the series after a near 10-year absence.
While Zimmerman switches to race cars with fenders, his car remains in circulation, having been sold to Josh Roberts of Ephrata. At each of their 1999 races, the Northwest Modifieds will be helping the Children’s Miracle Network raise funds.
Super Four series
Three Spokane-area drivers will move into the touring Northwest Super Four racing series.
Andy Brown, Jennifer Rasmussen, and Bret SantaRosa will compete in the four-cylinder-powered, coil-over suspension late-model series.
Brown and Rasmussen have graduated from the Stateline Fever Fours to compact Streets and finally to the Northwest Mini-Supers over the past few years. SantaRosa has been a compact Street and Northwest Mini-Super racer recently. Brown scored a one-point victory over Tony Berg in the 1998 NW Mini-Super standings.
The trio moves from a series that primarily raced at Stateline Speedway to a schedule that calls for just three events in Spokane.
The Northwest Super Fours has scheduled Stateline dates on June 19, July 17 and August 7.
Kart Club
The Spokane Kart Racing Association has announced that it will play host to the International Kart Federation’s 4-Cycle Grand Nationals, July 12-17 at the club’s track in the Spokane Motorsports Complex (ORV Park).
The event is expected to attract more than 200 entries from across the United States and Canada. The race will feature 16 classes with racers ranging in age from 8 years old to adult.
For further information, call (509) 924-6755.
New sanction for outboard hydros
Outboard hydroplane racing in the Inland Northwest will have a new look this summer when the American Outboard Federation and Northwest Water Competition stage a series of races in the region.
AOF is a 27 year-old sanctioning organization, based, until now, east of the Mississippi. The races AOF helps coordinate will be the first it has sanctioned in the West.
Northwest Water Competition is operated by Roy and Charlie Mackey, both of whom have long been associated with racing in the region. Brent Harnack, a successful racer is also one of the founders.
One of the races that will be staged in the area will be the AOF “Short Course Nationals,” July 4-5 in Priest River, Idaho. Run on a 3/4-mile course on the Pend Oreille River, this race will draw racers from across the U.S. Other AOF races will be at Clarkston (July 31, Aug. 1), Richland (Aug. 28-29) and Winthrop (Oct. 2-3).
NWC will hold a general information meeting at 6 p.m. today at the Liberty Lake Sewer District Administration Building (behind Albertsons). Contact Roy Mackey at (509) 255-6237 for further information.
A big payday
In last Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Monroe, the series reached a milestone, running its 100th event. If one of the handful of racers who have run each and every one of those races had won the race, it would have been worth a handsome $100,000 bonus. Ron Hornaday was one of the eligible racers and he was the first driver across the finish line, so pocketed the 100 grand to make it the biggest payday of his racing career.
Pit stops
Rain has washed out all of the scheduled racing at both local race tracks and each hopes to get the season under way this weekend. Stateline Speedway has lost the first two weeks of its schedule to the weather and will try again tonight with its “Racer’s Jamboree,” a non-points event beginning with time trials at 5 and racing at 6:30… . Spokane Raceway Park offers bracket drags and stock cars on Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m… . Work parties will continue sprucing up Northport International Raceway for its opening day on April 24. For info, telephone (509) 684-1702… . New ownership is in place at three tracks in the region. Former Evergreen Speedway GM Tom Glithero and partner Larry Newland have added Kalispell’s Raceway Park to their holdings that include Yakima Speedway. Ellensburg car dealer Paul Alderman has taken over operation of Tri-City Raceway. Ex-drag racer Fred Rantz will operate Central Park Raceway, the former State Central Speedway in Ephrata.
This sidebar appeared with the story: RACING SCHEDULE On the tracks Today Go-Karts, Spokane Motorsports Complex, Track Clean-up Stock Cars, Northport Intl. Raceway, Work Day Stock Cars, Stateline Speedway, Columbia River Sprints, Hobby Cars, Street Stocks, Fever 4 Hobby Cars. Time trials 5:30 p.m., racing 7. Sunday Drag Racing, Spokane Raceway Park, Bracket Drag Racing, Gates open 10 a.m., racing 1:30. Stock Cars, Spokane Raceway Park Fever 4s, Hobby Stocks, Hobby Compacts, Street Stocks, Gates open 10 a.m., racing 1:30.