Look for fast times Saturday at Stateline

Records are predicted to fall when the Northwest Legends Touring Series pay a visit Saturday night to Stateline Speedway.

“We should have a great race at Stateline,” said Garrett Haxby, a Pro Division driver who has two wins and one pole this season in his 1934 Chevy Coupe. “It’s just been resurfaced, so there should be a lot of grip and make for some very exciting racing.”

Another one of the top competitors is Semi-Pro Division driver Matt Barrett, of Tacoma. Barrett, in his second season in the class, won the last Legends Series Semi-Pro Division race at Stateline Speedway last August.

The Legends are 5/8 scale replicas of cars raced in early NASCAR events from 1937 through the early 1940s. Legends cars use the engines, carburetors and ignitions from the Yamaha FJ1200 motorcycle. Legends cars can top out at speeds of 140 mph.

This, the fourth of fifteen events on the schedule, is the first of three visits for the Legends Series at Stateline Speedway during the 2004 season.

Time trials begin at 6 p.m. with racing at 7:30. The Northwest Late Model 4s and Street Stocks are also on the program.

Big Back in a big fund-raiser

If you thought lawn mowers were just for cutting the grass, think again and check out the 5th Annual Big Back In this Sunday at noon in Spirit Lake, Idaho.

Spirit Lake, the lakeside lumber town, becomes “Mower Town” when residents break out their custom riding mowers. One resembles a dragster, another a hot rod with a blown motor and yet another looks like a chopped motorcycle.

It’s all in fun, said Marc Kroetch, one of the event’s organizers.

“It began when resident Jack Owens suggested we all get out our lawn tractors and back them into the parking spots on main street before the motorcycles get there,” Kroetch said.

While Owens has since passed away, the tradition continues.

But there’s another side to the Back In too. “We’re the biggest contributors to community projects,” Kroetch said, noting that proceeds from previous Back Ins have funded revitalization of the community baseball field.

This year the goal is to raise $2,000 and to do so organizers will conduct a raffle of a new Troybilt lawn mower.

“As long as we’re obstructing traffic we might as well make the mayor happy and raise some money for the kids,” Kroetch said.

Info: Marc Krotech (208) 623-5812 or 623-4110.

Richards takes NAPA Series win

For Kevin Richards he’ll certainly take being lucky over good.

Last Saturday night at Stateline Speedway, Richards had resigned himself to a third-place finish. And while he didn’t lead the most laps of the second NAPA Auto Parts Inland Northwest Late Model Series race, he led the one that was most important – the last one.

With five laps to go in the 100-lap feature, Christian Roeder of Ephrata made contact with leader Rick Schultz of Spokane, who had been leading since lap 18. Schultz, winner of the first series event, tried to keep his car from spinning, only to come up short when he tangled with the lapped car of Mike Hoover.

Darren Rupinski was second, while Dan Garber was third.

Pit stops

High School drag racing returns to Spokane Raceway Park’s schedule this Friday. Time trials are at 5 p.m. with racing at 7. On Saturday, The Spokane Pro Gas Association makes their second appearance of the season.

Over on the oval, the third race of the N.W. Late Model Superstocks takes place. Richards and Amber Cope have won the the first two series races. Gates open at 3 p.m., racing is at 7.

Northport International Raceway will run its second race of the season Sunday with time trials set for 11 a.m. and racing at 1. Info: Mark Meldrum at 732-1168.

Joe Kopp looks for his first top-three finish this season when he rides at Florence Speedway in Union, Kentucky, near Cincinnati in the third race of the AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Championship on Saturday. Kopp is ninth in points.

A memorial service for veteran superstock driver Walt Ayling of Coulee Dam will be held Saturday, May 22 at 11 a.m. at Lake Roosevelt High. Ayling, 66, suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease and passed away May 13th in a Spokane hospital. Ayling raced for 21 years, many of which with the Northwest Superstock Series.

Streaks & stats

Stateline Speedway Road Runner driver Rich Hatton’s three straight victories moved him to a sizeable 110-point lead over Jamie Allen. Two wins in his last three races have pushed Aaron Nevers (263 points) into a slim lead over Paul Teufert (260) in the Street Stock points race. Robert Ballard’s two wins in three weeks show him with a 211 to 201 lead over Monty Collison in the Hobby Stocks. With three Fever Four main event wins in a row, Les Billings (344) has the lead over Mel Auckerman (326). Joel Schrader (158) holds the edge over Greg Ottmar (132) in the Demo Derby class despite Ottmar’s win in the opening event last Sunday. Darryl Carrillio and Lloyd Standish, both with 28 points, lead a tight pack of drivers in Bump To Pass.