Richards Attempts To Turn Luck Around

A year at ago, Spokane’s Kevin Richards was wowing the NASCAR Winston West series with an impressive rookie run in the Monaco Enterprises Chevrolet. At this juncture of the schedule, he was in sixth place in points.

This season finds Richards struggling. He has just one top-10 finish and sits in 12th place in points.

He hopes this Sunday’s King Soopers 150 at Pikes Peak International Raceway near Colorado Springs will be a turning point.

“Hopefully, we’ve got it all behind us. Colorado (Pikes Peak International Speedway) has been good to us in the past,” said Richards.

Young vs. old

Marty Pfaffle of Moses Lake tries for another win as the Northwest Modified Series pays a second visit to Stateline Speedway on Saturday.

The veteran Pfaffle, who won back-to-back titles in 1988 and 1989, returns to the series for the first time in 10 years. He will receive challenges from a number of veterans, but also from a growing group of young drivers. They include a pair of Ephrata racers, 20-year-old Tyler DeLong and 19-year-old Josh Roberts.

Omak’s Nathon Goetz, a high school junior, and Justin Hoffman of Plummer, Idaho, both 18, will try to make a mark in open-wheel racing. Goetz goes from two-wheel to four-wheel racing after nine years as a motocross rider. Hoffman, a Lakeside High student, already has a year of experience in modified, having won the 1998 NWM Limited division championship.

Joining the modifieds will be the Oldtime Racers. Time trials are at 6, with racing at 7:30.

Mission accomplished

John Preston, the defending Spokane Pro Gas Association champion, scored his first career National Hot Rod Association divisional win last Monday at Mission Raceway in suburban Vancouver. The final rounds were postponed by cold and rain.

“I’m still in Wally World,” Preston said, referring to the trophy that bears a likeness of NHRA founder Wally Parks.

Not only was the win noteworthy, but so was the manner in which it was achieved. The 59-car Super Comp field had only four “door cars” and 55 dragsters. Preston’s ‘94 T-Bird and Bob Miller’s Corvette beat the odds and met in the final round, where Preston ran an 8.89 at 166 mph while Miller was disqualified by a red-light start.

Preston said the victory belongs in large part to his wife, Dee.

“Heck, I just drive the car. She’s my pit crew and does all the work,” he said.

Preston, who missed the opening race at Boise, is in the thick of the chase for a divisional points championship. It changes his approach to the season.

“I didn’t plan on running Ashcroft (Memorial Day Weekend), and now I have to hit the remaining four races,” said Preston, who hopes for at least a top-five finish in points.

Pit stops

Spokane Raceway Park runs its 24th annual Lilac Funny Car race on Saturday. There will be no stock car racing this week at SRP… . Outlaw Go-Karts race at the Spokane Motorsports Complex in Airway Heights on Friday night (time trials 5:30, racing 7 p.m.) while another race in the Motocross Day Series takes place Saturday (gates open 7 a.m.,racing 9:45)… . Republic’s Eagle Track will hold its season opener this Saturday, entertaining race 2 of the Northeastern Washington Dirt Challenge Series. Time trials are at noon with racing at 1 p.m… . The AMA Grand National Dirt Track series moves to Woodstock, Ga., this Saturday night where Mica’s Joe Kopp tries to improves on his sixth-place finish at Hagerstown, Md., last week… . Speaking of the Kopp family, cousins Rob and Lon Kopp were 1-2 in last Sunday’s Orofino Cross Country race, while another cousin, Jason Seehorn, was fourth… . Ephrata’s Central Park Raceway renews its Spud Cup and features the Columbia River Sprints on Saturday.

Streaks, stats

Joe Ruddach won last Saturday’s N.W. Mini-Super race in Kalispell, Mont., and has taken over the points lead from Tony Berg. The series visits Hermiston, Ore., this Saturday… . John Maupin of Ione won his second straight Superstock main event last Sunday at Northport. Chewelah’s Skip Clark scored his first win of the season in the Modifieds.

This sidebar appeared with the story: SCHEDULE Coming up Friday Outlaw Go-Karts: Spokane Motorsports Complex, points race, time trials 5:30, racing 7 Saturday Drag Racing: Spokane Raceway Park, 24th annual Lilac Funny Car championships, gates open 3 p.m., racing 7 Motorcycles: Spokane Motorsports Complex, Motocross Day Series, gates open 7 a.m., racing 9:45 Stock Cars: Republic’s Eagle Track, Republic/Northport Challenge Series, time trials noon, racing 1 p.m. Stock Cars: Stateline Speedway, N.W. Modifieds, Oldtime Racers, time trials 6 p.m., racing 7:30 Wednesday Stock Cars: Stateline Speedway, Wednesday Night Fever, Fever 4 Hobbies, Bump-To-Pass, time trials 6 p.m., racing 7:30