Spokane racer hopes to realize his dreams Racin’ for a Livin’

Reality TV has a new direction: traveling in circles.

A new program, “Racin’ for a Livin,’ ” will award a dream prize of a season’s ride with a NASCAR Busch Series team in 2007. Stock car’s version of “American Idol,” perhaps.

There’s one local driver who hopes he gets his chance to chase that dream. Spokane’s Tony Berry is one of 71 drivers from across the country who hopes to be the one who earns the deal of a lifetime.

Berry is like many other young drivers who dream of someday being in big-time racing. The difference is that he does not have a big checkbook.

“I concentrated on school, and Gonzaga is not cheap,” said Berry who graduated this spring.

The contest involves online voting, which ends on Aug. 15 when the field will be pared to 20. Fifteen spots will be filled from the original 50 drivers in the competition and five more will come from 21 wild-card drivers.

Berry is pushing hard to be one of those five wild-card selections who get an invite to Charlotte, N.C., to complete the competition.

Come mid-September, 20 lucky contestants will compete on the track and in other race-related areas where the field will ultimately be reduced to that lone spot in the driver’s seat.

“We heard some scuttlebutt about the program,” Berry said. “They contacted Stateline and asked them to put word out.”

Berry had to fill out a lengthy application. “They wanted to know who they were dealing with,” said the 22-year-old Berry.

In Berry, Racin’ for a Livin,’ gets a person who has grown up with the sport, starting in go-karts and graduating to sprint cars and late models.

Saturday he’ll have his Idaho National Guard Chevy in the field at Stateline Speedway for the Windermere 100.

Berry got the call two weeks ago when he was asked to take the place of another wild-card driver who was too busy for the demands the competition requires.

Starting in the back-of-the-pack, Berry has gained real ground in his run to the top five.

“We started out at zero while the leader had 25,000 votes,” Berry said. As of last Sunday, he had climbed to 13th.

A direct link to Berry’s section of the contest is found at www.racinforalivin.com/rookieswildcard.html. On which network the program is to appear is still in negotiation.

Quesinberry King of Montana 200

Ask anyone who has gone to compete in the Montana 200 and it’s likely they’ll tell you that winning that race is a mighty undertaking.

Mouths are probably wide open in amazement following what Spokane’s Brian Quesinberry accomplished at the 16th annual edition of the race held at Kalispell Raceway Park.

Quesinberry is owner and crew chief of the car that Yakima’s Jeff Jefferson drove to a 200-lap flag-to-flag victory, the first in the history of the race.

But Quesinberry did that one better by also being the crew chief for race runner-up, Shelby Thompson of Spokane, who finished just a quarter-second behind.

Jefferson earned $10,000 for winning the race, while the 21-year-old Thompson collected $5,000. With Dan Garber’s fourth-place finish, this year’s Montana 200 was the best in years for Spokane-area drivers.

“This is the biggest highlight of my career,” said Quesinberry, who learned his track-side trade from serving on the crew for Wenatchee’s Garrett Evans. “Garrett and I are best friends.”

Quesinberry’s car has the distinction of having run two 200-lap races and has won them both. In all, Jefferson, who was victorious in last year’s Idaho 200, has led 400 consecutive laps.

As for the upcoming Idaho 200 that takes place Aug. 4-6 at Stateline Speedway, Quesinberry has chosen not to enter his defending champion car but will instead focus concentration on Thompson.

“Having two cars (to take care of) was a real headache,” Quesinberry said. “I’m going to concentrate on Shelby. He’s done an awesome job this year,” referring to Thompson being second in Late Model Challenge Series points.

Pit stops

Republic’s Eagle Track will run its annual Rick Martin Memorial on Saturday with the WESCO Sprint cars headlining the show. Racing begins at 3 p.m. Info: 509-775-3508.

“It’s back-to-back weeks of racing at Northport International Raceway as the track also hosts the WESCO sprint cars Sunday. Qualifying begins at noon with racing at 1 p.m. Info: www.northportinternationalraceway.com.

“Imports and weekly bracket drag racing is on the program on Saturday at Spokane Raceway Park. Gates open at 3 p.m. with racing 7

“Stateline Speedway will host the Windermere 100 for the Inland Northwest Superstocks on Saturday night. The Street Stock class will stage its Midseason Championship with Early Stocks rounding out the program. Time trials begin at 6 p.m.

“After a week’s break, Sunset Speedway resumes racing Saturday with its seventh points race for Speedway Karts. Racing begins at 7 p.m.

Streaks and stats

Dan Noble of Kettle Falls scored his fifth career Northwest Modified main event win and his first since 1997 by claiming the 100 lap Gary Miller Memorial last Saturday at Stateline. … Brandon Riehl won the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Northwest Series event at Monroe, Wash. last Saturday. It was Riehl’s second win of the season. Rathdrum’s Darren Rupinski was 10th, while Spokane’s Michael Merry was 19th and Matt Hall 24th. … After a second-place finish last Saturday at Saluda, Va., Joe Kopp of Mica, Wash., heads Saturday to Greenville, Ohio, where he won last year’s AMA flat track event. … Derek Costella of Las Vegas, won three of four races at last weekend’s Extreme Motorsports Supercross and was 4 for 4 in the NW Mini National. Costella went home with $3,450 prize money. Local pro Nick McConahy won both the 250/450F Pro class. Sam Deatley, riding with a dislocated shoulder from the night before, still got third place.