EPHRATA, Washington --After capturing the 2008 Cast Iron Winged Sprint Nationals at Ephrata Raceway Park Saturday night, the first thing Andy Alberding did was go exchange high-fives with fellow Sprint car pilot Jeff Bird. Alberding and Bird put on a clinic on how to drive traffic and how to entertain the crowd while driving your race car.
Bird picked off early race leader Whitney Nolan on a lap 4 restart after a brief stop for a passing rain shower. Alberding was quick to follow Bird through the opening and the two set off on their journey. Bird led laps 5 through 8 before Alberding passed and led a lap. Bird got it back on lap 10 and held off the furious charges until the 26th lap which Alberding led at the stripe only to lose once they entered turn one. Bird again would lead laps 27 through 34 until Alberding finally caught the big break in traffic that neither driver had been able to take advantage of and sailed off for a sizeable lead. Alberding was driving it in hard on the outside entering each corner, and Bird was getting the great bite coming off in the low grove as they swapped the lead 6 different times in 30 laps.
The battle that Alberding and Bird waged, with Bird hugging the bottom of the track and Alberding a groove above was the stuff you tell your grandkids about at a racetrack years from now.
There were three yellow flags the entire length of the race, the first one on lap 2 for a spun out Bob Witte, and the second on lap four for a spinning Tom Beierman that was quickly followed by the red for the rain, The third came on lap 15 when , and the third for a lap 15 Bob Hill spin in turn two.
Local Ephrata Raceway Park driver John Fought finished third, with locals Donnie Kudrna fourth and Whitney Nolan fifth. There were 17 cars that started the main event. Alberding scored $1,000.00 for the win and becomes the second Cast Iron Winged Nationals champion. Craig Deaver has two wins in the open race.
Alberding set fast time to start the evening at 12.84. Three trophy dashes were won by Doug Peter, Jason Thomas, and Kudrna. The three heats were claimed by Kurt Myers, Thomas and Alberding.
The Limited Late Model Racing Series held their Desert Dust 50 race in conjunction with the Cast Iron Winged Natinals. John Boyatt the defending LLMRS champion lapped the field to win the event. Fast time was set by Boyatt at 14.68. The two dashes were won by Chuck Swope and Tim McDougald. Heat race wins went to John Pokorny and Boyatt. Eleven cars started the main event.
A full field of Mini Stocks ran their first point race of 2008. David Macken set fast time at 16.65. The dashes were won by Josh Hector and Doug Brown. Heat race wins went to Pat Brown and Joe Smith.
| Sprints |
|---|
| Fast time: 76 Andy Alberding 12.84 Trophy Dash 1: 42 Doug Peter, 50 Rich Hill, 25 Whitney Nolan, 11 Rich Leighty Trophy Dash 2: 12 Jason Thomas, 28 Tom Beierman, 32 Kurt Myers, 7 Bob Witte Trophy Dash 3: 96 Donnie Kudrna, 76 Alberding, 55 Jeff Bird, 01 Rally Root Heat 1: 32 Myers, 96 Kudrna, 11 Leighty, 71 Kirk Eklund, XX Russell Root Heat 2: 12 Thomas, 78 Mike Fought, 25 Nolan, 55 Bird, 7 Witte Heat 3: 76 Alberding, 42 Peter, 28 Beierman, 3d Doug McLees, 50 Hill Main: 76 Alberding, 55 Bird, 78 Fought, 96 Kudrna, 25 Nolan, 50 Hill, 3d McLees, 7 Witte, 11 Leighty, 32 Myers, 28 Beierman, 01 Rally Root, XX Russell Root, 42 Peter, 71 Eklund, 10 Branden Skeeter, 12 Thomas Lap Leaders: 25 Whitney Nolan 1-4, 55 Jeff Bird 5-8, 76 Andy Alberding 9, 55 Jeff Bird 10-25, 76 Andy Alberding 26, 55 Jeff Bird 27-34, 76 Alberding 35-50 |
| Limited Late Model Racing Series |
| Fast time: 10 John Boyatt 14.68 Dash 1: 00 Chuck Swope, 3 John Pokorny, 27 Josh Burland, 7 Tracy Burland Dash 2: 68 Tim McDougald, 10 Boyatt, 40 Dylan Caldwell, 30 Bob Hays Heat 1: 3 Pokorny, 00 Swope, 7 Berland, 77 Vic Beard, 27 Josh Burland Heat 2: 10 Boyatt, 40 Caldwell, 71 Chris Schlat, 30 Hays, 21 Rick Gerard Main: 10 Boyatt, 30 Hays, 77 Beard, 3 Pokorny, 1 Mitch Kleyn, 08 Jeff Mullins, 27 Burland, 71 Schlat, 00 Swope, 21 Gerard, 40 Caldwell, 7 Burland Lap Leaders: 71 Chris Schlat 1-4, Boyatt 5-50 |
| Mini Stocks |
| Fast time: 52 David Macken 16.65 Dash 1: 6 Josh Hector, 5 Robby Jackson, 7 Joe Smith, 44 Charles Larr Dash 2: 84 Doug Brown, 8 Fred Moore, 78 Jeff Hector, 52 Macken Heat 1: 81 Pat Brown, 19 Eddie Razey, 95 Chris McCart, 99 Gary Jackson, 18 Jeremy Razey Heat 2: 7 Smith, 52 Macken, 6 Hector, 8 Moore, 44 Larr Main: 52 Macken, 6 Hector, 8 Moore, 18 Razey, 95 McCart, 41 Brian Hahne, 1 Nick Gardner, 99 Jackson, 65 Robert Martin, 44 Larr, 84 Brown, 19 Razey, 38 Andrew Sonnenburg, 81 Brown, 71 Justin Dunagan, 5 Jackson, 78 Hector Lap Leaders: 81 Pat Brown 1-3, 44 Charles Larr 4-24, 7 Joe Smith 25-26, 52 Dave Macken 27-30 |
