Pfaffle Turns Back The Clock

Ten years have passed since Marty Pfaffle was in the headlines for winning a second straight Northwest Modified Series championship.

From the looks of things, Pfaffle will win another title in his return to open-wheel racing in 1999.

The veteran Moses Lake driver has a big-enough lead over 19-year-old teammate Josh Roberts that he needs only to qualify in Saturday’s Stateline finale to clinch the championship.

It’s been a great season for Pfaffle, Roberts and the modifieds in general.

While away from the modifieds, Pfaffle has been getting seat time by racing late-models and dabbling in a new truck class.

“When he’s on, you can’t beat him,” said association president Ed Hudson, a two-time series champion.

Pfaffle’s been on four times this year, winning twice at Stateline.

The Sportsmen class will decide its season championship Saturday, when it will be joined by Hobby Cars. Time trials begin at 6 p.m.

Sunday is Stateline’s annual Harvest Jamboree racers playday, with time trials at 1 p.m.

Title up for grabs at Northport

Northport International Raceway will conclude its 1999 season on Sunday afternoon with one points race already decided and another up in the air.

Colville’s Monte Zema Jr. has long locked up his third straight Modified title, finishing ahead of Skip Clark. John Maupin, Willie Miller and Dave Johnson are set to battle it out in Superstocks.

Time trials begin at 1 p.m. with racing at 2.

Northport will have its final event Spet. 26, when it will stage the Tom Patrick Memorial open comp.

Berg bids farewell

The 10-year driving career of Veradale’s Tony Berg came to a close Saturday at Stateline Speedway, where the Northwest Mini-Supers ran their final race.

Berg retires from the rigors of both prepping and racing stock cars, having scored runner-up finishes in points the past two seasons.

Former competitor Mike Hathaway praised Berg, who has raced in local compact classes from their beginning.

“Tony built the entire car. He did all the fabrication and the engines,” Hathaway said.

Kopp wins at Dallas

A win is a win. At least that’s the way Mica’s Joe Kopp probably sees it.

Although last Saturday’s Dallas Mile was shortened to nine laps because of poor track conditions and injuries to rider Toby Jorgenson, Kopp led every lap and was well in the lead when the race was halted. The win was Kopp’s second career AMA Grand National flat track series victory. His first came in 1997.

Kopp heads to Sacramento this weekend and then takes a week off - sort of - to compete in Thursday’s Joe Kopp Challenge and Friday’s AMA Hot Shoe race at Playfair Race Course.

Pit stops

Flat-track riders will get a tune up for next week’s Playfair motorcycle racing program in a Friday night race at West Plains Speedway at the Spokane Motorsports Complex in Airway Heights starting at 7:30 p.m… . Spokane Raceway Park has bracket drag racing Saturday night, plus a stock car program featuring the final race of the Northwest Late Models. Both racing programs begin at 7 p.m. On Sunday, SRP plays host to the 7th annual Dave Rogers Muscle Car Drags, which begin at 1:30 p.m… . The motocross track at the Motorsports Complex hosts the Supercross Night Series on Saturday starting at 7 p.m… . Just An All-Terrain Vehicle Club is in the formation stages and will host a kick-off event - 7-Mile Dirtfest - on Sunday, Sept. 26.

For further information call 509-468-2937 or e-mail: dirtfest@hotmail.com.

Streaks, stats

Spokane’s Shelly Pedersen has been hamed Rookie of the Year in the Limited Sportsmen class at Tri City Raceway. Pederson, who travels to the West Richland track for each race, is one of two women in the class. She finished eighth in points… . Joe Ruddach made it eight straight in the N.W. Mini-Supers last Saturday at Stateline and won his first title in the class. Ruddach also established a new track-record with a qualifying lap of 14.972 seconds for the compact late-model class… . Just four points separate leader Tom Sweatman and challenger Pete Harding as the NASCAR Northwest Series closes out the 1999 season at Twin Falls, Idaho, this Saturday… . Vince LaViolette has won three straight races in Stateline’s Bump-to-Pass class.