Sunset Speedway Parks Hosts Great Night Of Racing; Crowns 2014 Champions
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Ken O’Neil)
Sunset Speedway Park would wrap up the 2014 point season on Saturday September 13th as the “Banks Bullring” would hos their annual Championship Night. The ¼-mile clay oval would have the IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, Northwest Extreme Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Dwarf Cars, 4-Bee’s, Restricted Micro Sprints, Open Micro Sprints, and Womens divisions all on the card.
Chris Quinn of Vancouver, Washington was in the IMCA Modified main event. Taking care of business Quinn would put the Rauch Racing #X3 Victory for car owner Erika Rauch. Aloha’s Doug Lockwood in his Aloha Station Tavern/Perfection Automotive/Ross Electric/Curtis Trailers #66 Shaw would be declared the 2014 champion when it was all said and done.
The Street Stock main event would have a green-white-checkered scenario. Tony Catalano of Forest Grove in the Meyers Auto Body/DVC Machine #19 Monte Carlo would make the pass on Banks native John Ireland for the win. Despite not winning the feature John Ireland and the Ireland & Ireland at Law/Privateer Racing/Transaction Transmissions/Applebee Aviation #88 Monte Carlo team would be declared the 2014 Street Stock champion.
Oscar Luckman of Hillsboro would dominate the Northwest Extreme Modified action. Luckman would also win the title for him and the Privateer Racing #96 Dirt Works by Jerry Hoffman team.
Vancouver, Washington driver Travis Koch would put the Henry Racing/Stan Asanovic Racing #14 Camaro into the winner’s circle after leading the entire distance of the Pure Stock feature. Forest Grove’s Trevor LaBarge would emerge triumphant in the points table to win the championship for his Pure Addiction Diesel Performance/S&R Motorz/Courtesy Auto Body #7 Camaro entry.
Making a bonsai move on the final lap of the Dwarf Cars main event to get to the front Rainier’s Guy Tow Sr. would end up in victory lane. It would mark the second straight occasion that the Two Guys Racing/Ron Greer Trucking & Excavating/Hicks Family Racing #46 M&M has won a race at SSP. Ryan Martinez of Portland would declared the champion after a stellar year for him and the Auto Truck Wholesale/Van Raden Industries/St. John’s Tire Factory #9 M&M machine.
The same could be said in the 4-Bee’s as a last lap tangle with leaders would put Jacob Henry from North Plains to the front to score his first win of the year piloting his Henry Racing/Joe's Autobody and Paint/Social Lies Pub and Grill #77 Toyota Celica. The Gartner Racing/Ram Light Truck/ACE Car Detailing/Foot Print Designs #48 Mitsubishi Eclipse of Portland’s John Gartner would be declared the champion in the 4-Bee ranks after a very successful campaign.
Talyn Robert of Gresham, driving the Big Sky Landscaping #T3 Camaro, would be in top form in the Womens division to secure her first career main event victory. Gabrielle Hollinger of Banks would be at the top of the points table becoming the 2014 Sunset Speedway Park Womens champion in her All-In Property Investments/Duncan Automotive/Avenue Title Company/Jeremy Martin Racing #60 Firebird.
Lastly in the Micro Sprints Nick Thornhill out of Lake Tapps, Washington would be the driver to beat in the P.G.H. Excavating #12T entry to win in the Open division. And in Restricted division action the Brien Ford/Kathy's Mobile Massage/Nymo Signs/Edaleen Dairy #0 D1 of Ashleigh Johnson from Ferndale, Washington was the mount to beat in the main event. Jake Tupper of St. Helens would be the Micro Sprint Open champion in his Freight West Global/Fritts and Company/All Hazards Rescue #29T PMP.
Sunset Speedway Park will be back in action on Saturday September 20th as they will host the Sunset Team Challenge race. Also on the card will include Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, 4-Bee’s and the W.R.S. Late Model Lites. Also for this event the $25.00 Car Load Special will be offered which gets a car load, truck load, RV load, etc. of fans into the races for only $25.00!
Pit Gates will open at 2:00 PM, Front Gates open at 3:30, and racing starts at 6:00. Tickets for the event are Adults $12.00, Seniors/Military/Juniors (13-17) $10.00, Youths (Ages 12-6) $5.00, and Children under the age of 5 are FREE and a family pass will be offered for two Adults and up to four Youths for just $35.00. For more information log on to www.sunsetspeedwaypark.com.
Race Summary:
Championship Night
Saturday September 13th, 2014
Sunset Speedway Park
Banks, Oregon
IMCA Modifieds
A Feature: 1. X3-Chris Quinn; 2. 66-Doug Lockwood; 3. 57-Kenny Miller; 4. 09-Robert Duncan; 5. 4D4-Danny Daniels; 6. 63-Mike Sweere; 7. 37-Steve Suckow
NW Extreme Modifieds
A Feature: 1. 96-Oscar Luckman; 2. 00-Brandon Penney; 3. 31-Tony Hendon; 4. 38-Randy O'Connor
Street Stocks
A Feature: 1. 19-Tony Catalano; 2. 88-John Ireland; 3. 3-Earl Claypool; 4. 14-Brian Roden; 5. 18-Roger Hubbard; 6. 37-Freya Smith; 7. 26-Stan Asanovic; 8. 15-Ron Prevost; 9. 32-Robert Summerhalder; 10. 43-Mike Lockwood; 11. 00-Terry Mason; 12. 5-Marc Farrar; 13. 88X-Kevin Roberts; 14. 7-Doug Pitsch; 15. 02-Rod Lowe
Pure Stocks
A Feature: 1. 14-Travis Koch; 2. 17-Bert Pegg; 3. 66-Kendall Lee; 4. 58-Terry Houck; 5. 8-Tyler Smith; 6. 7-Trevor LaBarge; 7. 53-Scott Hoodenpyl; 8. 22-Jimmy Biggs; 9. 25-Michael Vandercoevering; 10. 24-Cori Vandercoevering
Dwarfs
A Feature: 1. 46-Guy Tow Sr.; 2. 9-Ryan Martinez; 3. 5-Danny Altom; 4. 78-Kevin Hicks; 5. 77-Brad Hicks; 6. 60-Steve McCleary; 7. 33-Bill Lamm; 8. 55-Becca Parsons; 9. 13-Jim Richmond
Women's
A Feature: 1. T3-Talyn Roberts; 2. 02-Marcie Treat; 3. 60-Gabrielle Hollinger; 4. 25-Ashley Vandercoevering; 5. 24-Cori Vandercoevering
4-Bee's
A Feature: 1. 77-Jacob Henry; 2. 10-Jeremy Hughes; 3. 48-John Gartner; 4. 21-Travis Koch; 5. 53-Lonnie Jackson; 6. 11-Tammy Watts; 7. 82-Bo Jones; 8. 7-Gary Jones; 9. 38-Chris Batalgia; 10. 22-Nick Henry; 11. 99-Ronald Sweere
Micro Sprints 600cc Restricted
A Feature: 1. 0-Ashleigh Johnson; 2. 7-Casey Smith
Micro Sprints 600cc Open
A Feature: 1. 12T-Nick Thornhill; 2. 86-Jeff Little; 3. 16-Jeff Hatcher; 4. 4B-Jeff Broadwell; 5. 29T-Jake Tupper; 6. 25-Dylan Marsh