Doug Pace: SCR’s drag strip site of action on Saturday
Spokane County Raceway’s NHRA-sanctioned drag strip returns to action on Saturday for its second round of the 2016 Summit Racing Series featuring local and regional racers. Also on tap will be elimination rounds from April 16 that were postponed to this weekend due to weather.
Competing will be Super Pro, Sportsman, Pro, Junior Dragsters, Street Legals, motorcycles and the first appearance of the season for the Powder Puff class.
Super Pro competitors running at near 7-second passes on the quarter-mile will be among the highlights of the afternoon’s action. Drivers to watch include Mike Cofini, Chris Berend and Scott Wear.
Top Pro division drivers looking to keep their momentum going in the early season include James Hornby, Brandon Rieken (SCR’s 2015 King of the Track winner) and Dave Oien.
SCR’s road course will be operating Sunday with a test-and-tune program for drivers set to get underway at 10 a.m. The month of May sees two test sessions on the road course heading into the season-opener on May 30.
For more information on this weekend’s racing action at SCR, log onto spokanecountyraceway.com
Racers lend hands
When racers are put into tough positions from a life event, fellow racers step forward to help in a time of need. Such is the case for reigning Northwest Super Late Model Series rookie of the year Glenn Knutson and Olympia’s Larry Lasmanis.
Both had come to Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval to compete in last weekend’s late-model show that drew cars from across the Northwest. The event’s first night featured qualifying and heat racing with a two-race finale set for the following afternoon. Knutson and Lasmanis had decent runs and went to bed with high hopes for the next day’s action-packed main events.
But, early Sunday morning track officials and local fire department personnel received phone calls about a fire in the track’s pit area. When they arrived Lasmanis’ car was fully engulfed in flames that had quickly spread to the adjacent pit stall of Knutson’s. Once the flames were extinguished all that was left was the melted hulk and burnt steel of Lasmanis’ Chevrolet and the charred remains of Knutson’s tire cart, pit cart with scorched tools and other items also lost to the fire.
Knutson’s car did not receive any damage and he was able to compete in the twin main event format with the help of fellow racers who lent tools and set-up equipment to get his car ready for Sunday’s racing.
The popular driver’s loss of equipment appeared to stymy his long-term racing schedule including this weekend for the NWSLMS Leonard Evans 150 being held at WVSO. With the help of WVSO media director, Jeremy Anders, racers and fans from across the nation have stepped up to help get Knutson get back on track.
“Glenn has a big group supporting him and is pretty hopeful to make this weekend’s Leonard Evans 150 for the Northwest Super Late Model Series,” Anders said. “Both drivers are receiving help from a Go Fund Me account that was set-up last week to try and help them overcome some of their losses.”
Lasmanis has said that he’s not to worried about getting his car back on track and is more interested in seeing Knutson out there running again.
“It’s a terrible situation that happened and the two drivers who really didn’t know each other all that well a week ago have rallied together to support one another. It shows how strong the racing family and driver bonds are in this sport..”
While nationally the story has been picked up on social media and various racing news sites, the local support including from race teams based in the Spokane area should help get the rising star to the track this weekend, Anders added.
Knutson, Inland Empire drivers such as Braeden Havens, Shelby Thompson, Nicole Behar, Dirk Bennett and fellow superstars of the NWSLMS invade Wenatchee this weekend for the Leonard Evans 150 aiming to take home a $5,000 paycheck to the race winner. To learn more log onto wvso.com