THOMPSON ENDURES LAST LAP BATTLE FOR WIN

Source: Stateline Speedway Media/ss
Date: 06/15/2008

POST FALLS, Idaho – Spokane’s Shelby Thompson picked up his third win of the season Saturday night at Stateline Speedway during the INSSA Les Schwab 100, in a race that came down to the last 125-feet to the finish line.

Thompson, who set fast time, started mid pack after the 8-car invert, moved up through the field midway in the race with Dave Garber, Rusty Webb, and Ephrata’s Christian Roeder.

Garber took the lead from Webb after a restart for spun car. Thompson followed, making a daring 4-wide pass for the lead on lap 47 using lapped cars to hold Garber out of turn 4.

A string of cautions for spinning and wrecking cars in the rear of the field allowed Garber to keep on the back bumper of Thompson with less than 10-laps to go. In the closing laps Garber made persistent dives to the bottom of track on the inside looking to regain the lead.

Coming out of turn for on the last lap to the checkers, Garber pulled even with Thompson, with both drivers’ cars pitched sideways, the advantage went to Thompson by a door length at the finish line.

Garber finished second after leading early parts of the race. Roeder, who battle for position with Corey Allard and Rusty Webb, finished third. Allard took forth followed by Andy Brown, who made engine part swaps all afternoon, starting rear in the field, finishing fifth.

Billy Belton who lead the opening portion of the race and took the win in the fast heat took sixth. Webb, who also led, finished seventh after a late race spin. Dan Yonke, Jeff Fenton, and heat winner Greg McKinley rounded out the top ten.

Jessie Taylor won a dash. Three cars failed to make the race after mechanical problems. INSSA returns to Stateline June 28.

It was wild, wrecked filled competitions in Street and Hobby Stocks that sent more cars to the pits with damage than what were left on the track.

Opening race contact in Street Stocks sent cars flying. Perennial race favorite Randy Lasswell took the brunt of the jumble, going airborne, striking the front stretch wall with heavy contact.

Lasswell was fine, his car suffered heavy damage and was unable to continue, making Lasswell miss the main event for the first time in nearly five years. Ned Pennington took the heat win and took second to main event winner Aaron Nevers in the 15-lap feature. Pat McSpadden won dash.

The Tarr family of racers took the majority of the wins in the contact filled Hobby Stock events. Ryen Tarr won the fast dash. Brycen and Brenden Tarr won heats. Treven Tarr took the win in the 25-lap main event after being involved in an opening lap pile-up on the backstretch.

Billy Swift took third. JC Ward fifth. Joel Schrader won the B dash.

Next Saturday Stateline Speedway hosts the Northwest Pro 4 Nationals featuring cars from the Northwest Pro 4 Alliance, Foreign Stock Car Auto Racers, and Late Model 4’s. Large turnouts of teams from the region are expected to attend with over 22-plus cars set to hit the track.

INSCA Winged Sprints are also on tap. Tickets are just $8.50; kids under the age of six are free. Events start at 6pm.

The wild, wacky, unpredictable action of Wednesday Night Fever continues Wednesday at 6pm with the cars and superstars of the Road Runners, Fever 4’s, plus the wild and crazy Bump to Pass division. Adults are just $5.75; kids under the age of nine accompanied by adults are free.

For more information about Stateline Stadium/Speedway including upcoming events, promotions and participant updates contact the event hotline at 208-773-5019.

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