NW motorsports: Kart racers will cap season
Spokane Kart Racing Association racers find themselves in the thick of a battle for a number of titles as the International Karting Federation (IKF) wraps up the season this weekend at the Spokane Gold Cup.
The event takes place today through Sunday when some 150 racers will descend on the Spokane Motorsports Complex in Airway Heights. The Spokane race is the sixth and final event of the season, with titles on the line in more than a dozen classes.
Today’s schedule calls for practice sessions, with racing running from early in the morning to late afternoon the rest of the holiday weekend.
Burt Gasaway takes a seven-point lead into the Briggs World Formula class. Shane Quinn leads by nearly 500 points in Junior 2 Briggs. Coulton Schultz, the son of long-time local racer Rick Schultz, is well ahead in Junior 2 Stock Heavy. Alex Odenthal has a 32-point lead in Rotax Mini Max.
Info: Bob or Diane Thompson, 924-6755, or spokanekarting.org.
Riehl rolls again
Brandon Riehl of Boring, Ore., will not win the 2007 ASA Northwest Tour points championship, but it appears he will have a deciding vote in who does.
Riehl won for the second time in 2007 last Saturday at Stateline Speedway, finishing easily ahead of points leader B.J. Tidrick of Yakima in the 150-lap race. Reihl swept the Stateline races this year and kept Tidrick from adding to his points lead. The series concludes Sunday at Yakima Speedway.
Tidrick takes a 32-point lead over Jay Sauls (sixth at Stateline) into the finale and is 37 up on Kelly Tanner.
Northport racing returns
After a month off to let the fire danger subside and the heat die down, Northport International Raceway returns to racing Sunday. Four dates remain on the schedule that concludes Oct. 14.
Time trials begin at 1 p.m. with racing in three classes including Modifieds, Streetstocks and Compacts. Info: www.northportinternationalraceway.com or Don “Butch” Hegel, 509-258-7007.
Mud bogs canceled
The mud bog races scheduled for Sunday at the Double D track in Elk, Wash., have been canceled, reports promoter Cheryl Dodd. Info: 509-292-2730 or carstrains1506@ wmconnect.com
Hoerner will run pro stock
Longtime Spokane drag racer Todd Hoerner will get a chance to live his dream when he makes his professional debut in the Pro Stock class Sept. 14-16 at Memphis, Tenn.
Hoerner, a regular Top Comp competitor in NHRA’s Division Six, will race in Dallas the following week.
Pit stops
Spokane Raceway Park will be the home of the 180 mph Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association (WMRRA) road racing bikes Saturday and Sunday. Both drags and stock cars resume racing next weekend. … Stateline Speedway hosts the Inland Northwest Winged Sprints on Saturday. Hobby Cars and Street Stocks are also scheduled. Time trials start at 6 p.m. … Blaine Sneva will dust off the race car that had been banned by the Northwest Modifieds and sidelined since May to tow to Roseburg, Ore., and compete in the West Coast Ultimate Modified Smackdown on Saturday.
Streaks ‘n’ stats
Former Inland Northwest Superstock Series (INSSA) champion Kevin Richards had to work his way from the rear of the field last Saturday to best an 18-car field to win the 100-lap feature race at Stateline. Richards bested teammate Brandon Riehl for the win. Andy Brown of Spokane was third, with Dave Garber and Jack Morse rounding out the top five. … Joe Kopp had another fifth-place finish at last Saturday’s AMA Ford Quality Racing Series event at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich. Ken Coolbeth won the race.