Motorcyclists test their endurance
They’re here for fun, but it sure sounds like a lot of work for the Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association.
Sprint Bikes, capable of speeds in the 180 mph range at the end of the long Spokane Raceway Park straightaway, will be among the entrants that participate in one of the legs of the Northwest Endurance Cup.
The Endurance Cup involves two races in Portland and this weekend’s stop in Spokane. Portland’s races are 4 hours each and Spokane’s will last 6 hours.
The Endurance Race will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and use both the SRP drag strip and road course. Gates open at 6:30 a.m. Sunday with racing all day until 6 p.m. Admission is $16 for the weekend.
The weekend’s racing program will consist of many different styles of bikes, powered by 600 to 1,000 cc. There are Light, Middle and Heavyweight classes.
WMRRA president Luke Gaylord explained the key event of the weekend, the Endurance race, can only be run in Spokane.
“It can’t be done in Seattle (because) there are no hot pits,” Gaylord said.
According to Gaylord, SRP is the only road racing facility in the northwest with a “hot pit,” that allows tire changes and for teams to swap riders.
An endurance race is a 6-hour timed event in which teams of three to four riders run approximately half-hour legs. Scorekeepers track the number of laps a team completes and at the end of the 6 hours the win goes to the team completing the most number of laps.
Prize money goes to the first three places.
WMRRA tried an 8-hour race two years ago, but found it was too taxing.
“There’s a rider factor and a worker factor,” Gaylord said.
It’s basically an 8-hour work day for everyone involved, including the all-volunteer race-day staff.
The Spokane race will attract somewhere between 200 and 300 riders from a club that boasts 400 members, according to Gaylord.
Thompson chases lead
Eight races and hundreds of laps into the 2006 Late Model Challenge and the points race between the top two drivers is as close as can be.
There are five points separating Tacoma’s Troy Conrad and Shelby Thompson of Spokane as the LMCS drivers head to Yakima on Saturday for the Sea Galley Crab Legs 100 at Yakima Speedway.
Conrad seemed to be a lock for his first series championship three races ago.
Two strong finishes and qualifying efforts have allowed Thompson to close the gap to five points.
While Thompson has finished third, second and first in his last three outings, Conrad has a pair of sixth places and a seventh last time out in Wenatchee when a flat tire knocked him out of contention.
Thompson isn’t counting on Conrad to continue his slump.
“He’s a strong competitor,” Thompson said. “Troy’s good at the two tracks we’re running. He’s fast everywhere.”
Thompson is riding high after capturing his first LMCS win at the series’ last outing. But he’s cautious and thinking conservatively.
“We’re just going out and trying to put in a good finish,” he said.
Conrad started the season with five consecutive top-five finishes, including two wins.
Thompson started with four top fives and no wins. In the last three races Thompson has finished, in order, third, second and first. Conrad has struggled with a seventh and two sixths.
The series fast qualifier receives five points. The winner of the race earns 100 points, with 97 for second and 94 for third.
The LMCS schedule closes with a Sept. 16 race at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash.
Pit stops
Extreme Motorsports motocross track will be open for practice today through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The next race event will be the start of the Fall Series with races Nos. 1 and 2 scheduled for Sept. 9 and 10. Info: www.extmotorsports.com. … After taking last week off for a little break, Northport International Raceway resumes Sunday with competition in Fever Fours, Street Stocks and Modifieds, plus Mud Bogs. Time trials begin at noon with racing at 1. The Mud Boggers start at 11 a.m. … Besides the WMRRA motorcycles this weekend, Spokane Raceway Park will run Bracket Drags and Imports on Saturday beginning with time trials at 3:30. … Stateline Speedway hosts Winged Sprints, Hobby Cars and the I-Car Series Limited Late Models on Saturday. Time trials begin at 6 p.m. … Sunset Speedway at the Motorsports Complex in Airway Heights will run a kart race Saturday (racing 3 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.) … Joe Kopp tries to gain ground in his battle for an AMA Singles flat track championship this weekend in a pair of races at Springfield, Ill. Kopp trails Jacob Johnson by 11 points.
Streaks and stats
Blaine Sneva added to his Northwest Modifieds Sereis points lead by winning his second straight race and fifth of the season last Saturday at Spokane Raceway Park. Sneva moved 17 points up on Colville’s Mark Weaver with two races to go, the next Sept. 16 at Stateline. … Randy Ray won last Saturday’s Spokane Pro Gas Association race at Spokane Raceway Park, moving from third to second in points with one race remaining. … Mike Behar took the lead halfway through last Saturday’s Inland Northwest Superstock Series race at Stateline Speedway and won his second feature race of the season. Andy Brown and Jack Morse finished second and third, respectively, continuing their late-season hot streaks.