RIDDLE WINS AKLAND 100, VALDEZ CAPTURES FIRST SPORTSMAN MAIN EVENT WIN

YAKIMA, Wa — Yakima Speedway hosted the Labor Day Spectacular presented by Akland Pump & Irrigation Sunday afternoon. Owen Riddle won the Akland 100 in the Yakima Speedway Super Late Model Challenge Series. Lucas Valdez captured his first main event win in the Burger Ranch Sportsman Series.

Fourteen of the best Super late Model drivers made an appearance Sunday for the Yakima Speedway Super Late Model Challenge Series. Jeff Knight and Garrett Archer led the field down to take the green flag for the Akland Pump & Irrigation 100. Garrett Archer made it exciting on the first lap when he went high on the back stretch and had to slow down to keep from wrecking. This allowed Travis Bennett, Tayler Riddle, Randy Marshall Jr and Erick Hargraves to pick a groove and battle for second place. With 5 laps down Travis broke away from the group and started to reel in Jeff Knight who had been able to stretch his lead out 15 car lengths from the rest of the field.

On lap 10 the first caution came out when Shane Mitchell and Erick Hargraves got together between turns three and four. Shane Mitchell spun and would have to restart the race in the back of the pack.

While under caution, Pete Harding pulled into the pits but was able to come back out without losing a lap. Erick Hargraves also pulled in to be checked for a possible oil leak and then the track was red flagged for clean up.

On the restart Travis Bennett, Tayler Riddle. JC Wofford, Owen Riddle and Christopher Kalsch all raced hard and passed race leader Jeff Knight that fell back to seventh. Tayler Riddle was racing Travis Bennett hard for the lead but got a little loose and this gave Randy Marshall Jr and Owen Riddle the chance to get underneath him with Owen Riddle claiming the second position right behind Travis Bennett.

Travis and Owen started to race for the lead. Owen was making the pass on the outside coming out of turn two. It appeared that Travis Bennett who was in the inside groove, got a little loose and had to gather the car back up. This stacked up the field behind him collecting Garrett Archer, JC Wofford, Jeff Knight and Pete Harding and brought out the red flag. Although Owen had made the pass for the lead, the caution came out and the field would have to be reset to the last scored lap putting Travis Bennett back in the lead.

Travis Bennett led the field down for the green flag restart followed by Owen Riddle, Randy Marshall Jr, Shane Mitchell, Tayler Riddle and Christopher Kalsch. Travis and Owen broke away from the rest of the pack and a battle for the lead, nose to tail and side by side they would go on for the next 10 laps. Owen finally took the lead and pulled away until another caution came out when JC Wofford, Jeff Knight and Christopher Kalsch would get together.

Owen Riddle had no problem on the restart but the battle for the top five heated up between Travis Bennett, Shane Mitchell, Randy Marshall JR, Tayler Riddle and Mike Holden.

At the half way point Owen Riddle came upon lap traffic, Shane Mitchell had secured 2nd, Travis Bennett was in third, and the race on the track was between Randy Marshall JR, Tayler Riddle, and Mike Holden who had been steadily racing his way to the front.