Spokane County Raceway’s late-model racing big success

While Spokane County Raceway’s oval track does have one week left in the 2011 season, its venture into big-time late-model racing this year has been met with applause throughout the year.

Saturday night the facility held the inaugural Spokane 200 that paid $8,000 to the winner and offered a unique trophy that captured images of all things Spokane including HoopFest, Gonzaga’s campus, an image of the downtown core and of course the SCR tracks themselves.

Drivers who came, some of whom were here for the first time, drove away impressed with the efforts the track has put forward to offer purses that offset the high cost of the sport and creating ticket options that make watching the races affordable.

The weekend started with 28 cars and despite some attrition that only had 20 starting Saturday’s main event, the racing was some of the best in the region all year. Jeff Jefferson, Gary Lewis and Shelby Thompson had strong cars all night and each took their turn at the front of the pack with Thompson coming out on top at the end.

Inland Empire race fans are becoming accustomed to seeing high-speed racing on the half-mile. With average lap speeds of 100 mph that translate to over 130 mph in the straightaways, that gives the SCR track one of the two fastest speedways in the region. Only Evergreen Speedway’s .675-mile oval has higher speeds.

That adrenaline rush will keep drivers coming back.

“They brought the best drivers in the region here and that’s what was exciting for us along with the high speeds of the track,” Lewis said.

Lewis wasn’t the only driver impressed with the Spokane 200 and where it can go in the future.

“They treat us very well here,” said Cranbrook, B.C., native Clint Habart. “For our team it’s a long trip here, but (track officials) called us to be sure we’re coming to race and to see the fans supporting what is happening is great.”

Clearing the next hurdle, gaining stronger business and community support will be the next objective SCR’s leadership will tackle in the offseason. Based on the 2011 season odds are their work will continue to bring positive returns in 2012.

Thompson wins

Shelby Thompson has had flashes of brilliance in late-model racing and despite his relatively young age (23) is known as one of the up-and-coming drivers in the Northwest. His march to the top of the pecking order was derailed last year as economics forced his family-owned race team to sideline their equipment or sell off most items.

Enter Don Williams, owner of the McClintock & Turk Racing Team.

Williams has given Thompson opportunities to drive one of the team’s late models in selected events.

The Spokane 200 proved to be a break-through race for the Mead native as Thompson recovered from a blown engine in the Friday portion of the weekend and motored from his 11th-place starting position in the 200 to make a late-race pass for the victory.

Passing Jeff Jefferson in turn No. 3 for the win was not without emotion as the two got together entering the corner with Jefferson going end over end before coming to rest just inside the corner as Thompson drove around to collect the checkered flag.

Champions crowned

Friday’s 100-lap main event set the table for Erick Hargraves, Braeden Havens and Blake Williams to battle it out for the track’s late-model championship while Havens would have a shot at winning the Inland Northwest Super Stock Association title when the dust settled after two days of racing.

INSSA awarded points to its registered drivers that also took part in SCR’s division. Havens used a top-15 finish en route to becoming the series’ youngest champion. Hargraves stayed near the front all night and nabbed a third-place finish to claim SCR’s first late-model championship handed out in several years.

Williams made the night interesting as he recovered from being a lap down and then wheeled his car to a top-5 finish. With the ICAR Late Model Series championship race set for Saturday at Stateline Speedway, Williams brings momentum to the weekend and may end Havens’ one-week reign.