Jeff Bailey (Pasco) capped a great Big Ten Series Super Late Model season by winning the 100 lap main event on race ten of the season locking in his first ever championship at Wenatchee Valley's Super Oval. Sherri Howard (Mead) finished second in the Big Ten Series Winged Modified 35 lap main event to wrap up the first ever season championship in the class and become the first ever woman to claim a championship in any division in 31 years at the facility.
Bailey started the evening off in fine fashion qualifying fastest at 12.632 putting the rest of the field on notice that he was loaded for bear and ready for anything they would have for him this night. Kim Wennerberg (Wenatchee) decimated the four car four lap field for the trophy dash win and looked unbeatable at the start of the main as well. Wennerberg had the #70 Pontiac flying setting the pace for the first 31 laps before lapped cars caused problems. Wennerberg got squeezed into the back end of a slower car and had to relinquish the point as he pitted to pull off the hood that had buckled and blocked his vision. That handed the lead to Shane Mitchell (Wenatchee) who was battling with Garrett Evans (Ardenvoir) for the next twelve laps before the fur started flying. Evans powered ahead of Mitchell down the backstretch. As they were heading into the third turn, the two cars made contact with Evans climbing the left side of Mitchell and both cars spinning into the turn three wall. A very wild ride for Evans. Both cars eventually got untangled after many caution laps and drove into the pit area unaided. Neither would return. New leader. Bailey. Bailey took the green flag resuming racing on the 45th lap and was never seriously challenged the rest of the way.
The next challenge for the Big Ten Series cars comes Sunday afternoon September 24th with the Wenatchee 200 presented by Pepsi Cola. Six drivers including Bailey, Wennerberg, Mitchell, Tim Crandall, Troy Conrad and Tom Sweatman will be battling for a possible $20,000.00 payday if they can win the 200 lap race. Expect a huge field of cars as 53 different cars earned points this season in this division.
In the Big Ten Series Winged Modifieds, Howard used a big mid-season winning streak to capture the title. Saturday night she wrapped up the championship when she timed in earning enough points to ensure her position at the head table come banquet night this fall. RJ Fronsman (Ephrata) was fast time at 12.104. Monte Zema, Jr. (Colville) won the trophy dash. Fronsman was the third and final leader of a wild 35 lap main for his third victory of the season in the class. Kudos to Howard for becoming the first woman to capture a driving championship at the track. Her driving skill and hard work of her pit crew kept the car competitive all season long and put her in a position to win the whole thing.
The championship was never in question once the cars timed in for the Dr. Pepper Mini Bombers. For the second time in as many years Chris Noakes (Wenatchee) and his VW Rabbit claimed the season honors. Doug Brown (Ephrata) timed in fastest at 15.949. Vawn Davis of Ephrata flew in from Texas to win the trophy dash and get his first ever win in 7 years of driving in the main event! Season champion runner up Dale Pipkin (Malaga) finished second in the main ahead of Noakes.
Another division where the championship waited until the last night was the Jerry's Auto Supply Bombers. Scott Jones (Wenatchee) late season run put him in position to win the points battle, but a fairly complicated set of scenarios could have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. The evening started with Bill Patty (Rock Island) setting fast time at 15.968. Second in points Mitch Kleyn (Ephrata) won the trophy dash. Third in points Shem Patterson (East Wenatchee) won the B heat race. Jones finished second in his heat setting up the main event showdown. Very early in the main event, Jones broke an axle while making contact with a slower car. His night done, an 18th place finish in the books. Then a few laps later Kleyn blew a motor and all that was left was to see if Patterson could win the race and get enough points to overtake either Kleyn for second or Jones for the season points championship. Patterson would finish third behind Shane Brim (West Malaga) and race winner David Patty (Rock Island). For Patty it was his third win for the rookie on the season. For Patterson who almost pulled off a championship without a single main event win all season, it was enough points to overtake Kleyn for second, but nowhere near enough as Jones hauls in the title in his rookie season.
RESULTS 9/9/00
DR. PEPPER MINI BOMBERS Fast time #81 Doug Brown 15.949 Dash #84 Vawn Davis, #26 Gary Homad, #2 Dale Pipkin B heat #27 Tom Ripley, #99 Brian Craig, #56 Jan Gall A heat #8 Chris Noakes, #84 Davis, #26 Homad Main #84 Vawn Davis, #2 Pipkin, #8 Noakes, #26 Homad, #99 Craig, #6 Ed Jones, #68 Randy England, #56 Gall, #22 Travis Sweeney, #81 Doug Brown, #27 Ripley
JERRY'S AUTO SUPPLY BOMBERS Fast time #60 Bill Patty 15.968 Dash #01 Mitch Kleyn, #9 Shannon Mitchell, #6 Shane Brim B heat #90 Shem Patterson, #28 Andy Stibal, #61 David Patty A heat #46 Terry Osborn, #4 Scott Jones, #13 Jeff Zanol Main #61 David Patty, #6 Brim, #90 Patterson, #17 Lloyd Sims, #46 Osborn, #60 B. Patty, #9 Mitchell, #13 Zanol, #55 Dennis Kennedy, #63 Mark Spies, #09 Chuck Reid, #57 Jason Wilson, #69 Dallas Massey, #11 Lacey Ledbetter, #81 Jeff Hector, #62 Nathan Schuyleman, #01 Kleyn, #4 Jones, #44 Czerniak, #28 Stibal, #2 Larry Wass
BIG TEN SERIES WINGED MODIFIEDS Fast time #82 RJ Fronsman 12.104 Dash #65 Monte Zema Jr., #82 Fronsman, #55 Donnie Kudrna B heat #71 Steve Floyd, #11 Wayne Reynolds, #50 Richard Hill A heat #24 Kevin Heer, #66 Bill Cress, #15 Sherri Howard Main #82 RJ Fronsman, #15 Howard, #71 Floyd, #50 R. Hill, #11 Reynolds, #66 Cress, #77 Todd Lolkus, #7 Brian Andruss, #24 Heer, #05 David Hill, #65 Zema Jr., #55 Kudrna
BIG TEN SERIES SUPER LATE MODELS
Fast time #27 Jeff Bailey 12.632
Dash #70 Kim Wennerberg, #99 Shane Mitchell, #27 Bailey
Main #27 Jeff Bailey, #81 Bill Lawrence, #71 Tim Crandall, #7 Chuck
Ogle, #70 Wennerberg, #85 Kevin Richards, #84 Christian Roeder, #72
Marty Pfaffle, #18 Travis Bennett, #50 Jerry Fink, #1 Mitch Evans, #5
Todd Witham, #80 Jon Fugitt, #26 Alan Spivey, #53 Murray Dyck, #21 Marty
Wason, #75 Curt Phillips, #69 Kenny Evans, #03 Matt Tarr, #99 Mitchell,
#64 Garrett Evans, #32 JP Hawley, #06 Ross Jones, #47 Bill Jones
