Thomas And O’Brien Feature Winners At SSP
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Jim Marshall)
In addition to the ASCS-Northwest Region being on hand at Sunset Speedway Park on Saturday August 9th the ¼-mile clay oval also would host the USAC Focus Midgets and Micro Sprints. Both classes would produce some good car counts as well as some entertaining racing.
Tristin Thomas from Burlington, Washington would seize the initial lead in the USAC Focus Midgets in the main event. Thomas would retain the lead through the entire race to keep his #9T mount in front to score his first victory in his first visit to SSP. The only thing that would slow him down would be a pair of cautions that would occur and was briefly challenged on lap thirteen but would keep everyone in check.
Dougie James of Shoreline, Washington was second in his #29 entry while the #8H of Lance Hallmark out of nearby McMinneville was third. McCleary, Washington’s Garrett Thomas was fourth in the #44 mount while Michael Vollbrecht of Shoreline, Washington was fifth.
In the Micro Sprints Dustin O’Brien of Snohomish, Washington dominated the Micro Sprints. O’Brien would put his Every Little Detail/JRS Motorsports/Accent Interiors #71 Pace in front on lap one. He would lose the lead shortly after a lap ten restart but would regain it on lap fourteen. O’Brien would blaze the trail the rest of the way to collect his second win of the year at the “Banks Bullring” to become the first repeat winner in 2014.
Jared Peterson from Stanwood, Washington, and performing double duty, was second in his Peterson Racing #9P XXX while behind him in third would be Jacob Brown of Mountlake Terrace, Washington in his #23 mount. The balance of the top five would consist of the Whatcom Windshields/RAW Motorglass #1W of Brandee Wood from Ferndale, Washington in fourth and Mount Vernon, Washington’s Rick Smith in his #28 was fifth.