Golden Wheels make a return

Race fans can get a glimpse of the past this weekend when the Golden Wheels come rolling into town.

This group of vintage race cars, some dating back to the 1930s, will show themselves off both on and off the race track. They team with other open wheel cars, including the WMRA Midgets and Winged Sprints for a racing “exhibition,” Saturday at Stateline Speedway beginning at 6 p.m. Stateline’s Hobby Cars will give the fender fans their fix.

Started some 30 years ago, the Golden Wheels were organized when old racers got together and got to talking about the old days according to Colbert’s Nita Volz, whose husband Frank has a midget that will be part of the show.

In the beginning, the Golden Wheels were a social organization whose banquets drew upwards of 700 people according to Volz. Originally there were no cars involved and “just a lot of bench racing,” the term competitors use for talking about racing.

The group began exhibition racing in 1980 with three to four cars, Volz said. Now the numbers have increased greatly.

Local cars that will run at Stateline include Solar Midgets, one owned by the Volz’s and another couple by street-rodder Joe Felice.

Oldtimers will remember similar cars competing at the old Mead Speedway and the Sports Center at Francis and Division. Most of the classes cars are midgets, according to Volz.

The Golden Wheels range in age from the 1930s to 1970s. “They are museum pieces in action,” Volz said. They are all open-wheel cars which were the norm.

“Some of the cars are owned by people like Frankie who have been racing forever,” said Nita Volz. “For others it’s their introduction into racing.”

For safety reasons, competition amongst the Golden Wheel entrants is termed “exhibitions,” and not races, according to Volz. Being authentic, the cars do not have roll cages.

Safety is now a major concern for the Golden Wheels. “We used to wear just white pants and t-shirts, “like early drivers once did, but now everyone has a fire suit,” Volz said.

Along with competition Saturday at Stateline, the group will also bring the cars to the general public on Friday at Riverfront Park.

Among the cars on display near the carrousel from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. is the Tipke Roadster that local legend Norm Ellefson drove to victory at the Minnesota State Fair. Some Early Stocks, the winged sprint car driven by Sherrie Howard and the modern midget of Puget Sound driver Ken Ferris are also scheduled to appear.

Cofini’s dragster totaled in fire

Spokane drag racer Mike Cofini saw his race end long before it started.

The Top Alcohol Dragster competitor who was just coming off an NHRA Division Six win at Woodburn, Ore., had his trailer, race car, motors and spare parts burn to the ground just west of the summit of Snoqualmie Pass last Thursday prior to last week’s NHRA national event at Pacific Raceway in Kent, Wash.

After a rough start, Cofini had climbed to third in division points.

Cofini was unavailable for comment but NHRA Division Director Mike Rice reported it, “sounded like one of the brake rotors caught fire and everything but the truck was a total loss.”

Rice said everyone was fine except Cofini had to get a few stitches in one hand. Rice said, “there has already been a donation of a chassis and rear end for him to continue the season,” which continues Aug. 20-22 at Acton, Mont., near Billings.

Late Model 4’s race cancelled

The Northwest Late Model 4s will have plenty of time to fix the damage caused last week when five cars were involved in a spectacular wreck at Stateline Speedway.

The scheduled series race Saturday at Ronan, Mont., has been cancelled due to low car count according to series race director Angie Weaver.

“There were five cars involved,” Weaver reported, “All five cars were near totaled. When Jeremy Marceau’s car ended up on top of Jeff Raver’s car, Raver had tire marks on his helmet. “It was scary to watch, I’ll tell you,” according to Weaver.

Lewiston’s Chris Yochum will have to wait until Aug. 28 at Stateline to try to extend his two-race win streak.

Pit stops

Northport International Raceway experiments with twilight racing this Saturday with Modifieds, Street Stocks and Fever Fours competing in a racing program that begins with time trials at 5 p.m.

Spokane Raceway Park hosts bracket racing on the dragstrip and late models on the oval Saturday. Gates open at 3 p.m. with racing at 7.

Motorcycle racing promoter Todd Somers is moving his show north to the dirt track at Republic, Wash., for a flat track race on Aug. 14. Info: (509) 921-6432 or IEDTP@aol.com.

The Northwest Modifieds travel to Chaparall Speedway, near Boise, for a Saturday event that will put them up against modified drivers from across the Intermountain west. Called the Ultimate Modified Smackdown, the race will feature drivers from Idaho, Oregon and Utah on the 3/8-mile track. The winner’s share of the purse is $1,000.

Streaks and stats

Darren Rupinski of Hayden, Idaho, took over the lead from Kevin Richards on lap 53 and won last Saturday’s NAPP Late Model Series Windermere 100 race at Stateline Speedway. John Gamble of Otis Orchards, was second and Veradale’s Dan Garber third. …Tom Sweatman won his fifth career NASCAR Northwest Series race Saturday at Yakima in the Frank’s Chevrolet 125. Matt Hall of Spokane started 16th and finished 14th.