This week the Northwest Pro 4 Trucks raced on the east side of the mountains at the Wenatchee Valley Super Oval. Nine trucks turned out for the night’s racing, all nine going on to start the main event. The competition began with the B dash, and “Redemption” was the word Auburn’s Ken Milligan used to describe the win in his #2 truck, after having been plagued by a frustrating run of mechanical failures. Ephrata’s Jeff Hector racing the #88, would both set a fast time of 14.676, and take home the hardware for the A dash, hoping it was an indication of things to come later that evening.
The 10 lap heat race held some moments of close quarter racing, as #02 Jim Milligan, and #78 Bobby Baker battled for the same piece of racing real estate. Mike Wiley in the #17, and Hector’s 88 also charged through the pack from the back, with Hector taking the win and setting himself in position for a clean sweep of the evening.
The 30 lap main event ended almost as soon as it began for racer Rob Tipps in the #9 truck. Coming off turn 2 in the first lap, the pin holding his steering wheel to the column sheared off, leaving him along for a short, quick ride into the back stretch wall. The remaining 8 trucks would take the green for the 2nd time, again with Milligan and Baker jostling for position. Baker took the lead spot, with the pressure coming from Mike Wiley’s #17. Hector passed Milligan’s #02 truck for 3rd, and quickly gained ground on the #78 and #17. The #88 overtook both trucks for the lead, with Wiley again applying the pressure after passing Baker for 2nd. The trucks raced through lapped traffic, leaving only Hector, Wiley, Baker and Jim Milligan on the lead lap. With the red #17 on his heels, Hector was not to be denied, and took the checkered flag for the win, breaking a longstanding streak of 2nd place finishes jokingly dubbed ‘the bridesmaid curse’. His quote for the night? “Finally!”
