8/10/2015
Sunset Speedway Park
SSP Appreciation Night Once Again A Major Success
SSP Appreciation Night Once Again A Major Success
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of John Tarr)
For the second time in the history of Sunset Speedway Park the 1/4-mile clay oval would host Driver Appreciation Night presented by 98.7 The Bull. The race would be jammed packed with fans to watch some awesome racing all night long. There would also be a meet and greet session with all of the drivers on the track which was a big hit. In addition to the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series in the house so was the Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Pure Stocks, Northwest Dwarf Cars, 4-Bees, and both classifications of Micro Sprints.
Over one-hundred cars signed in for the night so a huge shout out to all of the racers that made this event another success and we look forward to making this bigger and better each year. Drivers were given a little over 2,000 tickets and around 1,700 folks turned out with those tickets. An additional 500 people showed up at the gate setting an all-time record attendance of 2,235 spectators at Sunset Speedway Park.
Leading all but one lap Oregon City's Jeff Lovell managed to win in the Budweiser IMCA Modified division. It would mark the second occasion that he has done so in his Lovell Truck Sales/Lovell & Hall Real Estate #40 Shaw. Getting the lead on lap nine Arnie Case of Vancouver, Washington would take care of business in the Street Stock feature. Case, driving his Coast Aluminum/Big Sky Landscaping/Challenge Fitness by Mike Case/About Town Locksmith #18C Camaro, stayed up front to win his third race of 2015.
In the IMCA Sport Mods Michael Melton got the job done. Melton, of Vancouver, Washington, would park his Dan Jones Conveyor Trucks/Deanna Melton Reality/Hollywood's Custom Design/M&M Racing #04 Pro in victory lane for the second occasion of the year. Bob Smith would win his first Pure Stock race of the season for car owner Aaron Blanchard and the AB Repair/Burden Muffler And Towing/PAPE John Deere/Peterson Cat #30 Camaro team.
Kevin Hicks of Creswell would pick up his first triumph with the Northwest Dwarf Cars. Getting the lead on lap four the Hicks Family Racing/The Wright Shop/Cindy Sew It/B-Rad Motorsports #78 Philpott , of Hicks, would remain there till the end. The TK's Auto Repair #23 machine of Damion Owen from Vernonia made his way back to victory lane for the third occasion in 2015 in the 4-Bees.
The Micro Sprints were back in action yet again. Ravensdale, Washington pilot Dallas Melby was in front the entire time of the Open main to be victorious in the Chris Thornhill owned PGH Excavating/Vahlco Racing Wheels/Factory Kahne Shocks #12 PMP. Last but not least the Guardian Coating Solutions/Windermere Real Estate/CSI Shocks/ProMod Racing #3 PMP of Kenmoore, Washington's Peyton Reed was the point man the whole race in the Restricted ranks to win for the first time.
Sunset Speedway Park will have the Tractor Pull and Combo Demolition Derby this weekend. Racing resumes at Sunset Speedway Park for the annual Doug Walters Classic in honor of the late Doug Walters. Classes include the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series, Budweiser IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, and 4-Bees. For more information log on to www.susnetspeedwaypark.com.
Race Summary:
Driver Appreciation Night presented by 98.7 The Bull
Saturday August 8th, 2015
Sunset Speedway Park
Banks, Oregon
Budweiser IMCA Modifieds
A Feature 1: 1. 40-Jeff Lovell; 2. 6M-Matt Jenner; 3. 6X-Don Jenner; 4. 57-Kenny Miller; 5. 09-Greg Walters; 6. 96-Danny O'Neil; 7. 66-Doug Lockwood; 8. 37-Steve Suckow; 9. 53V-Jake Vanortwick; 10. 4X-Rick Graham; 11. 11-Brandon Potter; 12. 11X-Donald Schott; 13. 63-Mike Swere; 14. 50-Sonny Sayre; 15. 34-T.J. Richman; 16. 13V-Grey Ferrando; 17. 25-Craig Cassell; 18. 44-Kristi Somers; 19. 8-Rob Ireland; 20. 68-Bubba Foster; 21. 36-John Campos
IMCA Sport Mods
A Feature 1: 1. 04-Michael Melton; 2. 38-Randy O'Connor; 3. 12X-Pamela Graham; 4. 15-George Daniels Jr.; 5. 11-Brandon Potter; 6. 31-Tony Hendon; 7. 99-Ken Frisbie
Street Stocks
A Feature 1: 1. 18C-Arnie Case; 2. 3-Earl Claypool; 3. 11X-Donald Schott; 4. 14-Brian Roden; 5. 21-Travis Koch; 6. 32-Robert Summerhalder; 7. 02-Rod Lowe; 8. 31-Mark O'Grady; 9. 07-Charlie Culpepper; 10. 7-Doug Pitsch; 11. 88-John Ireland; 12. 10-James Baker; 13. 23-Bobby Morley
Pure Stocks
A Feature 1: 1. 30-Bob Smith; 2. 04-Joey Tardio; 3. 68-John Henry; 4. 7-Trevor Labarge; 5. 02-Marcie Treat; 6. 66-Kendall Lee; 7. 74-Robert Glass; 8. 33-Jim Peterson; 9. 11-Travis Pitsch
Northwest Dwarf Cars
A Feature 1: 1. 78-Kevin Hicks; 2. 33-Bill Lamm; 3. 5-Ted Rees; 4. 51-Dan Coutts; 5. 3X-Alex Rees; 6. 08-Jake Grabow; 7. 76-Brian Hicks
4-Bees
A Feature 1: 1. 23-Damion Owen; 2. 7-Gary Jones; 3. 8-William Wolfe; 4. 10-Jeremy Hughes; 5. 36-Greg Davidson; 6. 19-Jason Gilman; 7. 1-Nathan Owen; 8. 38-Chris Batalgia; 9. 18-Barry Lambert; 10. 73-Ronald Sweere; 11. 24-Rob Ferree
Micro Sprints 600cc Restricted
A Feature 1: 1. 3-Peyton Reed; 2. 21-Jesse Schlotfeldt; 3. 19-Colby Thornhill; 4. 0-Ashleigh Johnson; 5. 113-Kyle Cormican; 6. 75C-Casey Smith; 7. 24-Benjamin Silliker; 8. 41-Ashley Thompson; 9. 4-Allison Johnson; 10. 18-Peyton Hagen; 11. 84-Rob Amtzen; 12. 13*-Casey Starr; 13. 41X-Mike Thompson
Micro Sprints 600cc Open
A Feature 1: 1. 12-Dallas Melby; 2. 21M-Derek Torkelson; 3. 1-Austin Sheridan; 4. 51-Jon Farrell; 5. 86-Jeff Little; 6. 151-Duke Johnson; 7. 199-Scott Fox; 8. 29T-Jake Tupper
Submitted By: Ben Deatherage