Ahra World Finals Bring Champs

Five former top fuel champions and a multiple winner in the funny car division headline the pro field for this weekend’s AHRA World Finals at Spokane Raceway Park. Two-time defending champ Bobby Baldwin, a four-time winner overall at SRP, brings the best recent success to the three-day race. There’s a pretty good field to challenge him including 1988 champ Terry Capp, 1989 winner Gordie Bonin, two-time champ Ron Smith, plus 72-year-old Chris Karamesines who last won here in 1985, but was runner-up two years ago.

Odessa’s Craig Smith may be the “hometown” favorite with his twocar team, one the Fantasy Springs Casino entry and the other the Terry Capp-driven Royal Canadian. Smith has been concentrating on developing sponsorship for his multi-car race team and running Spokane has been his only racing the past two years.

Gary Densham is back after missing last year’s race. Prior to his passing on the SRP race in 1999, the former high school shop teacher had won three straight funny car races here.

An interesting entry is Cruz Pedregon and his independent “Cruz Missile” funny car. Pedregon was the only driver in the decade of the 1990’s to stop John Force’s run as an NHRA funny car champion, winning the 1992 title.

Gates will open Friday at 3 p.m. Saturday at 10 a.m., and 8 a.m. Sunday.

Mini-Cups come to Stateline

Stateline Speedway has always been known for bringing the interesting and sometimes off-beat classes of racing to the Spokane area and this week they will do it again.

Saturday at the Post Falls track will mark the local debut of a new class called Mini-Cup cars.

According to co-promoter Walt Doellefeld, “Mini-Cups actually look like small Winston Cup cars. They are downsized super stocks and there should be about 12 to 14 cars from the coast.”

Also on the Stateline schedule are Street Stocks and Fever Four Hobby cars. Brian Nevers, Joe Owens and Dan Bacon are separated by just 32 points going into Saturday’s race. Lonnie Stocker on the other hand has mastery over the F-4s, leading Kathy Evans by nearly 200 points.

There’s not five grand to win this week, but the Interstate Superstocks also return to Stateline, where Kennewick’s Brad Rhoads and Spokane’s Todd Witham continue their battle for the points title. Racing starts at 6 p.m.

Hydros head For Oldtown

The second race oo the American Outboard Federation’s Region Six schedule will take place this weekend when the outboard hydros take to the water on the Pend Oreille River at Oldtown, Idaho.

Besides AOF national points and trophies, a special “Race 2000” points division will award the eventual season winner with an all-expense paid trip to the International Drag Boat World Finals in Arizona this October.

Racing in nearly a dozen classes begins at noon each day. Spectator admission is free.

Old-timers

The fifth annual “Racey Reunion” old-time racers picnic is scheduled for Sunday at the Nine Mile Resort. Spokesman and organizer Bud Gorder said the gathering has drawn former racers who competed in Spokane from as far back at the late 1940s and from as far away as California and Alaska.

For more information, telephone Gorder at (509) 467-4615.

Hot Summer Nights nearing

Tickets for the second Hot Summer Nights Motor Spectacular at the Spokane County Fairgrounds Arena on Aug. 4-5 are on sale at all G & B Select-a-Seat locations.

Hot Summer Nights features the Six States Distributors Tractor/Truck Pull and the NAPA Tuff Truck Competition.

Info: Vision Marketing at 509-466-0510.

Pit stops

Winged Outlaw karts from Montana will make a special appearance at West Plains Speedway at the Spokane Motorsports Complex on Friday night (TT 5:30)…. Flat track motorcycles will take over at West Plains on Saturday (TT 5:30)…. The early-rising motocross riders will stage another of their Day Series races on Saturday at the Complex with rider sign-up at 7 a.m. Racing continues on Sunday…. Former Northwest Superstock and ASA West President Mike Shaw is the new general manager at the Wenatchee Super Oval.