Pace: Stateline Speedway, Spokane Speedway offer weekend thrills

This week’s motorsports excitement can be found at Stateline Speedway, which will host four divisions of racing on Saturday night followed by the River City Rod Run on Sunday.

Leading Saturday’s action will be the Late Model division in which points leader David Garber looks to continue his streak of main-event finishes on the podium. The Spokane native scored a victory in the season opener followed by a second- and third-place effort. Garber’s consistency has allowed him to build a 23-point lead over Rob Vining in the divisional championship.

Rookie driver Tyler Brown has shown his knack for handling the challenges of late model racing after moving up from the Legends class. The Tri-Cities teenager has finished no lower than seventh in three main events and sits in third in the points race. Larry Todd and reigning late model champion Justin Popple round out the top-five championship contenders.

Hobby Stock racers continue to chase Aaron Nevers, who has a hold on the class that few have figured out.

The championship battle started with newcomer John Vallone winning the season opener and Nevers finishing 11th. But Nevers won the next two races to build a 14-point lead on Mark Loudin. Loudin has kept pace with Nevers with three top-five finishes, including two runner-up finishes in June. Aaron Clanton is in third, two points behind Loudin.

Stateline will also offer racing in the Legend and Bandolero divisions. Kalispell native Tristan Corpron scored the Legends main event victory in May while Mead’s Haiden Plybon captured the Bandolero feature.

Sunday’s River City Rod Run offers a variety of family fun, including motorcycle stunts, burnout contests, live music and a vendor’s display. Admission is free for spectators. All forms of motorcycles, race cars and automobiles are invited to participate in the event.

Flat-track fun

Flat-track motorcycle racing returns to Spokane Speedway on Saturday with more than a dozen classes in action. Built from the ideas of famed AMA champion Joe Kopp, the facility has evolved into a gem in the last few years. Offering affordable admission pricing for fans and racers, flat-track racing has gained a foothold on the local motorsports scene.

More than 60 riders have competed this season with more expected before the finale on Sept. 18.

Todd Gillhoover, Will Norris and Paul Morgan continue to battle for top payouts and the season’s championship in the professional ranks. Gillhoover has earned maximum points in the season’s first three events en route to a 20-point lead over Norris with Morgan 24 points off of Gillhoover’s pace.

Spokane Valley youngster Brandon Garber is the points leader in the 85cc advanced class. He has three max-point efforts in his first three stars of the year. Garber leads Jayden Kennedy by 15 with third-place Dave Staley only 18 points behind Garber.

Visit www.spokanespeedway.com for pricing, racing photos, rules and more on flat-track motorcycle racing.