THE CHAMP IS BACK.

Source: Andrew Kunas
Date: 08/12/2007

Running only a partial schedule this season, Gatrell had struggled in his handful of appearances before getting things on track Saturday in the Steve Gatrell No. 8 Gaerte-powered Hawk. Gatrell started the 35-lap main event outside the second row and found himself in second after the start behind early leader Tony Seidelman.

Gatrell followed Seidelman for six laps before overtaking Seidelman for the lead on the back stretch during the seventh circuit. Gatrell would lead the rest of the way, but had to deal with a blistered right rear tire and hold off Brea Lopez of Vader, Wash. in the closing laps.

“I noticed it a lot getting towards the last caution (lap 28),” Gatrell said about his handling difficulties.

“Just as long as I win. I don’t care,” Gatrell said frankly. “It feels good to win, especially when I’m leaving for school on Wednesday. This is my last race here for seven or eight months.”

That last caution, the second of the race, was for Portland’s Chris Petersen, the outside pole-sitter who came to a stop on the exit road off the track. While it may have put Lopez right behind Gatrell, it probably hurt Lopez more. Lopez was closing on Gatrell, but during the yellow flag laps Lopez’s tires cooled down and for the first few laps after the restart she struggled to keep pace with Gatrell.

By lap 34 Lopez caught back up to Gatrell and made a serious challenge for the lead position as the two made minor contact in turns one and two. Lopez backed off after they touched but moved up to Gatrell again, only to run out of time.

“It had a pretty good push, so we were kind of slow on the restarts. I had to muscle it,” Lopez said about the first laps following the restart. “I probably need a couple more laps. We were trying.”

Already a winner in BCRA competition, Lopez’s runner-up on Saturday was her best showing of the year with the WMRA in the Dan Press No. 25 Esslinger-powered Beast. Lopez had run fourth at the start of the event before passing Petersen for third and later Seidelman for second.

Dallas Melby of Ravensdale, Wash. finished third in the Chris Melby No. 9 Mopar-Blue Dot. Melby won the WMRA season opener at South Sound Speedway on April 28 and also has a BCRA win to his credit. Twenty-five year veteran Ken Ferris of DuPont, Wash. finished fourth in his own No. 28 Ford-powered Beast.

WMRA point leader Evan Margeson of Tacoma saw his astounding six-race win streak end on Saturday with a fifth place finish in the Harold Beald No. 50 Ford-powered Beast. Ethan “Snake” Livernash of Spanaway, Wash. finished sixth in the Scott Livernash No. 55 Esslinger-powered Beast. Troy Globe, the lone Canadian visitor from Abbotsford, Brit. Col. finished seventh in his family’s No. 19 Blue Dot that had a Ford Focus motor under the hood.

Petersen, Seidelman and Brad Curtis were eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively.

Curtis set a new track record for midget cars in qualifying with a time of 13.028 seconds around the 3/8-mile, high-banked asphalt oval. All but one car timed in the 13-second range.

Gatrell bested Seidelman and Lopez in the B Heat while Margeson beat Curtis and Ferris in the A Heat, which featured the five fastest qualifiers.

The Washington Midget Racing Association also worked with the Special Olympics tonight. Between donations made in the pit area and the passing of helmets by the drivers in the grandstands, nearly $800 was raised by the WMRA for the Special Olympics.

The WMRA continues its season this Saturday with its final appearance of the season at the Wenatchee Valley Super Oval in East Wenatchee. Margeson has won both WMRA events at that facility this season. The series will also visit Ephrata Raceway Park in eastern Washington on September 1 before closing its season September 15 at South Sound.

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