Sunset Speedway Park Has A Busy Stretch Ahead Starting With Saturday's Fan Appreciaiton Night Presented By Knecht's
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Ken O'Neil)
Banks, Oregon- Sunset Speedway Park will be having a busy stretch in the coming days including three straight events starting with this Saturday June 15th. Sunday the 16th will be the debut of the 300-Lap Iron Man Enduro Series while Monday the 17th will have the Wild Wild West Modified Shootout in action.
Classes that will be in action on Saturday night include the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series, Northwest Extreme Sprints, Northwest Extreme Modifieds, 4-Bees, and Womens divisions. It will be a great night for race fans to come out due to it being Fan Appreciation Night presented Knecht's Auto Parts. Time will be taken to put all the cars on the race track for fans to visit with drivers, take pictures, and get autographs.
The Northwest Extreme Late Model Series has had all but one of their 2013 races take place at SSP. In three visits Greg Walters has won two of them while Collen Winebarger won the most recent event. Will Walters return back to victory lane or will “Superman” Winebarger have another super night?
The Northwest Extreme Sprint division has been owned by Mitch Hoffses in 2013. Hoffses has won every main event in the class and is the guy to beat right now. Rick Graham is in the same boat in the newly created Northwest Extreme Modifieds except Rob Ireland managed to score just one win while Graham has three.
In the 4-Bee division there have been three different winners in five events. Mike Mastrangelo has racked up a total of three visits to victory lane while Jason Blythe and John Oyler have managed to visit one time each. Freya Smith has yet to be defeated in the Womens division and is seeking her sixth win of the season Saturday.
For Saturday’s action the front gates open up at 3:30 PM with racing scheduled to start at 6:00 PM. Admission is Adults $13.00, Seniors/Military $10.00, Children (6-12) $5.00, Children (5 and Under) FREE, and Family Pack (Two Adults and Two Children) $30.00.
Sunday June 16th will be the first race of the 300-Lap Iron Man Enduro Series. Weather forced the cancellation of the first round back in May but fans and teams alike are excited for the debut event to get completed. General admission to the race is FREE while Pit Passes are $25.00. Pit gates open up at 10:00 am, pit meeting at Noon, and racing will begin around 1:00 PM. Parties that are interested in participating can find a current set of rules on the track’s website under the “Driver Info” tab or may contact Series Director Doug Lockwood at (971)-235-7974.
On Monday June 17th the Wild Wild West Modified Shootout will make their annual visit. The local IMCA Modified competition will have to defend their turf against the top teams on the Pacific Coast. Tickets for the Monday race are Adults/Seniors/Military are $8.00, Youths (6-12) $5.00, Children 5 and Under FREE, and a whole CAR LOAD will get you into the races for $25.00.
So far this year there have been three different winners in as many races at SSP in 2013. Kenny Miller, Jeremy Martin, and Doug Lockwood have walked away from the Banks bullring with a victory and will look to score another one come Monday. In the past two years when the Wild Wild West Modified Shootout has visited Sunset Speedway Park there have been two different winners. Brian Poppa was the victor in 2011 while Ken Schrader dominated the 2012 edition.
Knecht’s Auto Part since 1955 has been family owned and operated and has become one of the most well know auto parts stores in the Pacific Northwest. Knecht’s offers a wide range of free helpful services to make your commuting safer such as free engine check light diagnostic test, alternator and battery tests, loaner tool program, and wiper blade installation. Also ask about their price match program and with twenty-five locations in Oregon they are all ready to help you wherever you are.
The Sunset Speedway Park is located just west of the Portland metro area in Banks on the Sunset Highway. From April until October you can get your racing fix at this facility which competes weekly primarily on Saturday nights. Regular classes in action include the NW Extreme Winged Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, 4-Bee’s, NW Extreme Modifieds, and the Womens division. To stay up to date with the latest information regarding this wonderful facility log to http://www.sunsetspeedwaypark.com.
Additional Information
Track: Sunset Speedway Park
Location: 485 S Main Street, Banks, OR, 97106
Track Contact:
Northwest Tracks Hotline- (360)-699-RACE
Ben Deatherage (Publicist)- (541)-598-6643
Website: www.sunsetspeedwaypark.com
Sponsors: Pepsi, Coors Light Racing, Lucas Oil Products, Hoosier Racing Tires, Driving Force Graphics, Jim’s Thriftway, T&G Trucking, Greg Biffle Foundation, Schram Brothers Excavating, Knecht’s Auto Parts, Les Schwab Tires