Lockwood, J. Potter, Hopkes, And D. Owen Budweiser Night Victors At SSP
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Christine O'Neal/Kenny's Photography)
Sunset Speedway Park would have a packed house on Saturday May 30th for Budweiser Night. The Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, Pure Stocks, and 4-Bee's would all be on tap at the “Banks Bullring”. The whole night would produce some great racing including a few crazy last lap finishes.
Danny O'Neil, from Vancouver, Washington, was running a great race in his Ernest Racing/Xtreme Auto Repair/Liberty Welding Supply #96 Dirt Works. But just past the halfway mark he would be passed by Aloha's Doug Lockwood. The Jackson Industries/Walters Racing/Frickentool.com/Warpaint Motorsports Graphix #66 Shaw , of Lockwood, would blaze the rest of the trail to win his first race of the 2015 season.
Danny O'Neil was second while Vancouver, Washington's Kenny Miller was third in his Triple E Ranch/VP Braille Services/GRV Mobile RV Repair/Vancouver Go Karts #57 TRE. The Dancin' Bare Gentlemans Club/Tom's Performance Racing Engines/Extreme Auto Repair #6M GRT of Matt Jenner, also from Vancouver, Washington, was fourth and behind him in position five was Albany's Craig Cassell driving the Esterlee Motel of Lincoln City/Corvallis Seed and Feed/Debra Herndon Family Nurse Practitioner #25 Rocket by Ruhlman .
The IMCA Sport Mod feature would be a thriller as two drivers battled hard in the final laps. Vancouver, Washington's Pamela Graham, in her Perfection Automotive/21st Century Towing/Meyers Auto Body/Freeman Tile #12X FR1 , and the Prime-X Contracting/Beaverton Labor Ready #38 Hot, of Aloha driver Randy O'Connor, were side by side. Unfortunately the two would get together on the last lap allowing the Ri-Ky Roofing/Hope House #11 Pro of Jim Potter to take the lead. Potter would win the race to become the third different winner in as many races in the IMCA Sport Mods.
Pamela Graham was second followed by Randy O'Connor in third. The Dan Jones Conveyor Trucks/Deanna Melton Reality/Hollywood's Custom Design/M&M Racing #04 Pro of Vancouver, Washington's Michael Melton completed the finishing order in fourth.
In Pure Stocks it would be a crazy finish on the last lap. The DVC Machine/Pure Addiction Diesel Performance/S&R Motorz #7 Camaro, of Trevor LaBarge from Forest Grove, would avoid a spun car on the last corner of the last lap sending him spinning on the front shoot. But it was a chance for Adam Hopkes, of Tillamook, to pass LaBarge. Hopkes would score the victory in the AB Repair/Burden Muffler And Towing/PAPE John Deere/Peterson Cat #30 Camaro for car owner Aaron Blanchard.
Hillsboro's John Henry was second in his Ernest Racing/Henry Racing/TK's Auto Repair/Joe's Auto Body and Paint #68 Camaro and the Trask Mountain Outpost/H&H Racing #8 Camaro of Tyler Smith, from Yamhill, was third. Bert Pegg, now residing in Bayview, Idaho, finished fourth in the Cole's Auto Recycling/Victory Auto Parts/Pegg Boys Racing #17 Camaro and the Lee Racing #66 of Forest Grove's Kendall Lee was fifth.
Last but not least the 4-Bee's would see a dominating performance from Damion Owen of Vernonia. Owen, in his TK Auto Repair #23 entry, would lead pretty much the whole distance of the feature. It would be his second victory of the season.
The runner-up was Forest Grove's Chris Batalgia, in the Sweere's Trucking/Auto-Inter Automotive/O'Reilly's Auto Parts #38 Dodge Neon, followed by the Mudd Monkey Mobile Mix Concrete/Korner Street Bar & Grill/Eagle Creek Saloon #24 Acura Integra of Rob Ferree from Vancouver, Washington. Nathan Owen, also of Vernonia, was fourth in his TK Auto Repair #1 Dodge Neon while the Wolfe Racing #8 of William Wolfe got fifth.
Sunset Speedway Park returns to action on Saturday June 6th for the Iron Man 100. This race is $300.00 to win for the Pure Stocks and should be a fantastic show. Other classes on the card include IMCA Sport Mods, Street Stocks, and Dwarf Cars.
Pit Gates will open at 2:00 PM, Front Gates open at 4:00, and racing starts at 6:30. Tickets for this event are Adults $13.00, Seniors/Military/Juniors (13-18) $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 tohttp://www.sunsetspeedwaypark.com.
Race Summary:
Budweiser Night
Saturday May 30th, 2015
Sunset Speedway Park
Banks, Oregon
Budweiser IMCA Modifieds
A Feature: 1. 66-Doug Lockwood; 2. 96-Danny O'Neil; 3. 57-Kenny Miller; 4. 6M-Matt Jenner; 5. 25-Craig Cassell; 6. 6X-Don Jenner; 7. 11-Brandon Potter; 8. 10-Mike Gummus; 9. 13V-Grey Ferrando; 10. 30-Jeremy Shank
IMCA Sport Mods
A Feature: 1. 11-Jim Potter; 2. 12X-Pamela Graham; 3. 38-Randy O'Connor; 4. 04-Michael Melton
Pure Stocks
A Feature: 1. 30-Adam Hopkes; 2. 68-John Henry; 3. 8-Tyler Smith; 4. 17-Bert Pegg; 5. 66-Kendall Lee; 6. 58-Terry Houck; 7. 7-Trevor LaBarge; 8. 33-Jim Peterson; 9. 05-Ken Schave
4-Bee's
A Feature: 1. 23-Damion Owens; 2. 38-Chris Batalgia; 3. 24-Rob Ferree; 4. 1-Nathan Owens; 5. 8-William Wolfe; 6. 19-Jason Gilman; 7. 7-Gary Jones; 8. 18-Ronald Sweere; 9. 36-Greg Davidson