COTTAGE GROVE, Oregon — After more than a month off, the NorthWest Wingless Tour will resume its inaugural season this Saturday with a complete program at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon.
Portland's Keary Morris, driving his own No. 11x Chevy-powered Eagle, currently holds the points lead in the NWWT 360 sprint car division, having a small five-point advantage over Eugene's Kyle Miller, pilot of the Scott Miller No. 10 Springer-powered XXX. Neither driver has won a main event this season, but consistency and strong runs have helped both drivers get to where they are.
The driver who has won twice is Kyler Barraza of Roseburg. Driving his family's No. 87 Eagle to the victory in the inaugural NWWT main event on April 25th, Barraza was in a hard crash that destroyed the car in a winged sprint car event a couple of weeks later. Barraza's team purchased a XXX chassis and just got it ready in time for the second NWWT event, which Barraza would go on to win as well. Despite a rough outing on June 6th, Barraza sits third in the NWWT point standings.
Finishes of second, third and 12th have Albany, Ore.'s Gary Davis sittiing fourth in points and only two back of Barraza for third in the Bob Farwell No. 30 Chevy-powered XXX. Mark Nichols of Eagle Creek, Ore. is quietly having a fine season also as a pair of Top 10 finishes, including a fourth place effort, has the driver of the No. 64 TMac-powered Rocket in fifth place, currently 34 back of Morris. Theo McCarty of Hillsboro, Ore. has used a pair of Top 10 finishes to push himself up to sixth place in the Roy Crouch No. 24 Maxim.
Sammy Wright of Vancouver, Wash. is leading a very tight rookie battle at the moment, holding a four-point edge over Kelso, Wash.'s Dylan Olsen. Wright, driving his family's No. 1w Chevy-powered Zeitler, sits seventh in points ahead of Olsen and his family's No. 7 Chevy-powered TCR. Just one point behind Olsen is Newberg, Ore.'s Nick Tomlinson in the Mafia Motorsports No. 16 Herz-powered XXX.
Reigning Salem Indoor midget car champion Mike Morris saw his car catch fire at the last race on June 6th, but despite that Morris holds down the tenth position in the points standings, driving the Ron Brown No. 14 Chevy-powered RonBoy.
Tacoma, Wash.'s Evan Margeson, winner of both NWWT midget car main events this season, holds a strong 36-point lead over Ravensdale, Wash.'s Dallas Melby. Margeson, driving the No. 50 Esslinger-powered Beast, won on both May 23rd and June 6th, both events being clean sweeps for the former Washington Midget Racing Association champion.
Melby, out of Ravensdale, Wash. and driving the Tom & Judy Maples No. 98 Fontana-powered Stealth, has run well both nights the NWWT midgets have races. Melby did take part in a number of other races during the NWWT's recent off-time, scoring two main event victories in as many nights earlier this month in his first visit to Coos Bay Speedway.
Doug McVae of Scappoose, Ore. currently sits third in points in the Ron Brown No. 14 Cosworth Ford, 42 tallies behind Margeson. Mitch Hoffses in the No. 5m Gaerte-powered Hawk sits only one point behind McVae. Mike Gehringer of California sits fifth in points in his own No. 27 Fontana-powered Edmonds. One point behind him in sixth place is Steve Dickenson in his No. 99 Pontiac-powered Edmonds. Midget racing rookie Tyler Steenslid is seventh in the points aboard the No. 37 ChevyII-powered Stanton and longtime open wheel veteran Steve Veltman sits eighth in the No. 6 Pontiac-powered Gambler.
Using the double-points system that was in effect on June 6th at Cottage Grove, John Sarale and Justin Grant, visitors from the Bay Cities Racing Association, round out the Top 10 in the NWWT midget car points standings.
A full program of qualifying, heat races, dashes and main events for each class is scheduled this Saturday at Cottage Grove Speedway. The local winged limited sprints, modifieds, late models and street stocks are also on the card. Pit gates officially open at 3:00 with spectator gates opening at 4:00. Qualifying is scheduled for about 5:30 with racing starting around 6:45 p.m.
More information on the NorthWest Wingless Tour can be found online at http://www.nwwinglesstour.com.
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NWWT 360 sprint cars, Top 15 in points
1. Keary Morris, 269
2. Kyle Miller, 264
3. Kyler Barraza, 248
4. Gary Davis, 246
5. Mark Nichols, 235
6. Theo McCarty, 222
7. Sammy Wright, 212
8. Dylan Olsen, 208
9. Nick Tomlinson, 207
10. Mike Morris, 199
11. Dale Smith, 188
12. Sterling Kane, 180
13. Jeff Rivers, 170
(tie) Mike Romig, 170
15. Joe Bosso Jr., 164
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NWWT midget cars, Top 10 points
1. Evan Margeson, 204
2. Dallas Melby, 168
3. Doug McVae, 162
4. Mitch Hoffses, 161
5. Mike Gehringer, 155
6. Steve Dickenson, 154
7. Tyler Steenslid, 150
8. Steve Veltman, 140
9. John Sarale, 130
10. Justin Grant, 128
