Tight points race has Superstock series revved up
The Inland Northwest Superstock Series reaches the halfway point Saturday at Stateline Speedway with a great points race in the works.
Just a little over 32 points separate the top four drivers as they head into the “Hooters 100.” Each of the top three drivers have a main event win. Two races have rained out.
Dave Garber leads the standings with 433 points and won in May. Andy Brown, the winner of the last race two weeks ago, trails by 23 points. Mike Behar, the opening race victor is in third with 405 points, while Dave Garber rounds out the contenders with 401.
Hobby Cars and Early Stocks round out the program. Trials begin at 6 p.m. with racing at 7:30.
ARCA West visits SRP
Spokane Raceway Park officially swings back into action when the traveling ARCA West Truck Series and Late Model Lites take to the half-mile.
“I’m told we’ll have 18 trucks and 12 Late Model Lites,” said SRP general manager J.R. Tice. The truck class was originally designed to be a stepping-stone to the NASCAR Craftsman Series, Tice said.
Gates open at 3 p.m. with racing at 7. SRP will also have regular bracket drags as well with a $10 admission to see both programs.
Rod Run this weekend
The Ninth Annual River City Rod Run takes place Friday through Sunday at the Greyhound Park in Post Falls.
Rain dogged the event last year but attendance improved slightly with more than 22,000 passing through the gates.
An estimated 750 cars will be at the event. Included is an appearance by one of Greg Biffle’s National Guard-sponsored Nextel Cup cars.
Other special events include: Miss Hot Rod 2006, the popular burnout contest as well as Sunday Demolition Derby, along with several hundred cars and bikes on display. Concerts featuring Foghat, Quiet Riot, John Kay and Steppenwolf take place each day.
Vintage series visits
The Vintage Motocross Pacific Northwest Nationals pay a visit to Extreme Motorsports in Airway Heights.
Riders from the West Coast will be competing for national points in numerous classes on bikes built from the ‘50s through the early ‘80s.
“From Bultacos to Zundapps , many bikes from all corners of the world will be not only on display but raced,” said spokesman David Howard. “These motocrossers are not letting there bikes sit in a museum but race them as hard as the day they were new.”
Kopp takes spill
Joe Kopp took a nasty spill on a wet track just two laps into last Saturday’s AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship race at Lake Geneva, Mich.
“I wasn’t knocked out, but my body took a big thumpin’,” Kopp reported. He finished 18th in the main event that was won by Ken Coolbeth.
Kopp ended up getting taken to the nearest hospital for a full head-to-toe cat scan of myself, “and lots of pokes and needles before being released.”
“All in all I really am doing pretty good considering the hard crash I had,” Kopp said as he prepares for Saturday’s event at West Virginia Motor Speedway, in Parkersburg, W.Va.
Pit stops
Eagle Track in Republic runs its fifth race of the season Saturday with competition in Modifieds, Street Stocks and Fever Fours. Racing begins at 3 p.m. … Sunset Speedway will host the sixth points race of the season for Speedway Karts on Saturday at 7 p.m. … The Spokane Kart Racing Association will run its fifth points race on Sunday. Both kart tracks are located at the Spokane Motorsports Complex in Airway Heights.
Streaks and stats
Deer Park’s Todd Hoerner takes the Top Comp points lead and a two-race win streak into the event at Woodburn (Ore.) Dragstrip, the site of the fourth of seven NHRA Division Six races this weekend. … Newman Lake’s Kevin Richards won his second Late Model Challenge Series Sunday at Mission Valley Speedway in Ronan, Mont. Shelby Thompson of Spokane was third both on Saturday in Kalispell and Sunday in Ronan. With a series of top-five finishes, Thompson has moved into second in points with the next LMCS race on Aug. 4 at Stateline Speedway… Brett Hordemann drove his alcohol dragster to a win over Mitch Edwards at Saturday’s Fox Hunt at Spokane Raceway Park… Jay Sauls of Puyallup lead the final 24 laps to win the Holiday Inn Express 125, a NASCAR Northwest Series at Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval Saturday night. Matt Hall of Spokane scored his first top-10 finish in several years, finishing ninth after starting 22nd. Darren Rupinski of Rathdrum was 12th and Spokane’s Michael Merry 21st. … Colville’s Greg Ochs was awarded the Northwest Modified main event win on Monday, after Ephrata driver Josh Roberts was disqualified for an unspecified rules infraction in a race at Ephrata Raceway Park.