Richards Looks To Pass Test
For Kevin Richards, his passing grade at Sunday’s test at the Salinas 250 at Laguna Seca’s hilly and challenging race course will not be measured by “A,” “B” or “C.”
A “W” is what the Spokane driver of the Monaco Enterprises NASCAR Winston West racing team will want on his report card when the checkered flag flies. Richards will find out if going to Skip Barber’s driving school earlier this year at Laguna Seca gives him an edge and pays off in a victory in Sunday’s race at the track west of Salinas, Calif. The race is 69 laps or about 150 miles and has a purse and awards of $179,191.
Laguna Seca is hosting stock cars for the first time in 19 years. Normally, the track features Indy cars and motorcycles.
Richards is one of just a few Winston West drivers who have driven the track in any form of competitive manner.
Richards drove the course in an open wheel car which is a lot lighter than his 3,400-pound stock car. It will be a challenge adjusting to the heavier car on the same track. Richards will be behind the wheel of a new Billy Hess-built road course car that has had the crew spending some long days getting it race-ready. The road course car has more down force and rather than being off-set like the speedway and short track cars he drives, everything “is all symmetrical.”
Sunday’s race is the first one the series has run on a road course in two years. First time out on a road course, Richards finished second at Topeka, Kan., during his rookie Winston West campaign in 1998. He was fourth at Sears Point near the end of the season.
When comparing other road-race tracks he’s run, Richards said, “Laguna Seca is a lot narrower and a lot faster. It’s a very technical track.”
Already a winner this year in the season opener at Phoenix, Richards currently is in second place in points. trailing Brendan Gaughan of Las Vegas, Nev., 680-571.
Mini-sprints
The Northwest Mini Sprint Association will make it’s lone stop in Spokane this Saturday at West Plains Speedway in a race that promises to bring in drivers from across the Northwest.
The race is the second stop of the six-race series that stretches from Deming Speedway in Bellingham to Boise.
Among the drivers coming is young Kiel Vaillant, a 15-year-old from Vancouver, British Columbia. An accomplished quarter midget driver with many championships to his credit, Kiel moved into micro sprints at age 13 and drove to two second-place finishes in the NMSA 250 Championships in the Junior and Senior divisions. He was Deming Speedway’s “rookie of the year” in 1999.
Time trials begin at 6 p.m.
Pit stops
Stateline Speedway begins its Friday night racing program this week with Street Stocks, Hobby Cars and Mini-Trucks. Time trials are at 6:30. That’s the first event of a busy three-day weekend of racing at the Post Falls track. Saturday, the Washington Midget Racing Association makes its first visit to the area and is joined by Stateline Mini-Supers, Sportsman and Hobby Cars. All time trials are at 6. Sunday at 1 p.m is the first of four demolition derbys… . Spokane Raceway Park stages the 25th edition of its Lilac Funny Car championships. SRP did not provide a list of entries but we do know from checking out radio ads that the evening will consist of alcohol funny cars, a couple of nitro nostalgia dragsters, plus the “Brain Damage” jet car and of course all regular SRP brackets. Time trials begin at 3:30. … With the big funny car show on the schedule, there is no stock car racing this week at SRP. … The Spokane Kart Racing Association runs back-to-back points races with both Saturday and Sunday time trials beginning at noon…. Joe Kopp currently occupies second place in the point standings… . The unlimited hydroplane season opens at Lake Havasu, Ariz., on Sunday.
Streaks, stats
Joe Kopp had a series of problems with his carburetor in qualifying races, but used a provisional start to claim a seventh place in a Wrenchead.com flat track motorcycle series race at Indianapolis on Saturday. … At Stateline Speedway, Tyler DeLong of Ephrata led wire-to-wire while winning his first career Northwest Modified Series race Saturday. Bill Currier posted his second straight Hobby Stock win and fifth in six races this season, while Pat Lewis won his second Grand American Sportsman race. … Scott Benner won his second straight Pro Gas race Saturday night at Spokane Raceway Park, while Dale Hornby won his second Pro Eliminator race in three tries. Sally Moore (Street) and Bart Knowles (Super Pro) were first time winners. Jeff Joldersma became the first multiple winner in SRP’s Street Stock class…. Deb Brown ended the two-race Hobby Stock streak of Rick Gimeno and Tim Eickstad stopped Larry Weber’s run in Hobby Compacts.