Willamette Speedway Completes Doubleheader

The Willamette Speedway had terrific weather for Father’s Day weekend as they got back to action after a disappointing rain out occurred on June 9th. Two dates of events were completed with DirtCar Super Late Models, Sportsman, Classic Sportsman, and Mini Trucks on Saturday June 16th and Sunday June 17th played host to the annual Tuff Truck and Trash Car competition. Unfortunately the Friday June 15th Kart event was cancelled but they do expect to be racing on Friday June 29th.

John Duty of Happy Valley earned his first DirtCar Super Late Models win of 2012 by passing Lebanon’s Tony Brakeall on lap fifteen to lead the rest of the race. As the laps continued to click away Trevor Glaser of Tangent began reeling Duty in once they reached lapped traffic but a key caution with eight laps to go put traffic out of the question. Duty would hold on to become the fifth different winner in as many races with the Late Models.

Trevor Glaser would finish in second place and Casey Vitale of Albany came across the line in third. Fourth place would be credited to Joey Tanner of Portland and Bend driver Rob Mayea finished in fifth. Fast time of the night would go to Glaser at a time of 15.854 seconds, Mayea won the trophy dash, and the heat race winners were Todd Sieg of Lebanon, Paul Culp from Springfield, Scio’s Steve Moore, and Bryan Norton of Stayton.

Two consolation events were run with the top three in each one transferring to the feature. Brian Cronk of Corvallis won the first consolation race and finishing behind him was Steve Moore, and Cody Sell from Shedd. In the second consolation race Justin Duty of Happy Valley was the winner and the other transferees included Mark Thompson of Tigard and Lebanon’s Todd Shandy.

Despite spinning out in the early stages of the Sportsman feature Tangent driver Justin Dittman recovered so well he ran down the rest of the field, took the lead, and won the race. The early stages of the race were lead by both Chris Bishop of Lebanon and Albany’s Todd Miller. Miller was looking for his second consecutive feature victory of 2012 when Dittman took the lead on lap sixteen and led the rest of the distance.

Danny Altom of Lebanon ran a respectable second place and was right there with Justin Dittman until the end. The rest of the top five consisted of Lebanon’s Glen Hackney, Chris Bishop, and Brian Brown of Portland. Quick time in the Sportsman was Jeff Marson of Molalla at 17.085 seconds, Altom was the trophy dash winner, and the victors in heat race action were Zach Maurice from Lebanon, Brown, and Justin Dittman. A consolation race was run with the top two finishers transferring which were Jeff Rash of Lebanon and Jamie Gayler from Albany.

A thriller occurred in the Classic Sportsman feature which saw Kyle Yeack of Crawfordsville win on the last corner of the last lap. Yeack managed to run down Portland driver David Cronk over the course of a handful of laps and win his third straight Classic feature and his fourth consecutive main event won overall.

David Cronk would finish in the runner-up position and Justin Evans of Lebanon would finish in third. The rest of the top five finishers consisted of Tom Yeack of Crawfordsville and Molalla driver Shannon Horn finishing fourth and fifth. Quick time of the night was Bricen James of Albany at 18.306 seconds, Cronk would win the Crocker Cars Classic Sportsman trophy dash, and heat race winners included Christina Foster of Dayton, Evans, and Horn. A consolation feature for the Classic Sportsman also occurred with Justin Evans the winner to transfer along with Andrew Olson of Forest Grove.

Scott Lehman of Redmond dominated the Mini Truck feature after he took the lead from Mark Vonsil of Scio on lap four. Prior to that Mike Robbins of Jefferson and Vonsil went back and forth contesting for the lead. Once Lehman grabbed the lead he took off with it for the rest of the distance to win his first Mini Truck feature of the season and the second different winner in as many races for the division.

Mark Vonsil would finish in second place and following him would be Dwayne Sanvig and Mike Robbins. Quick time of the night was Scott Lehman with a time of 19.722 seconds while Robbins was the trophy dash winner and Lehman won the heat race.

In Sunday afternoon’s program Tuff Trucks and Trash Cars were on hand in front of a very packed grandstand for Father’s Day. The Tuff Trucks ran two one lap runs and the top ten trucks with their times would transfer to a two lap finale. The Trash Cars had two classifications which consisted of Stock and Modified and they would compete for two heat races and conclude with a main event.

Darren Williamson of Merlin was fastest in preliminary action for the tough trucks but after two runs had damaged his car enough to where that he was unable to continue to the finals. “Pastor” Mike Van Atta of Lebanon would end up the quickest truck in the final round after several competitors broke. Second place would go to Jeremy Blay of Lebanon while the rest of the top five consisted of Turner drivers William Howard in third and Dennis Hoppin in fourth and fifth place finisher Justin Barrett of Stayton.

In Stock Trash Car competition hometown driver Christopher Hays ran the mill by sweeping the heats in his group and dominating the feature. Rick Guscette of Oregon City was the runner-up and Tim Whitney of Longview, Washington finished third. Tony Brown of Eugene and Chris Boschee of McMinnville completed the top five finishing fourth and fifth. Hays and Whitney swept their group’s heat races earlier in the program.

The Modified Trash Car feature had McMinnville’s Aaron Bolden capture the victory. Tim Whitney would finish in second place with Preston Barclay of Albany in third. Fourth place finisher would be Jeff Guscette of The Dalles and the top five would be rounded up with Mike Stumph of Eugene in fifth. The heat one winner was Barclay and Whitney won heat two.

Action gets back under was at Willamette Speedway this Tuesday with the Wild Wild West Modified Shootout which will feature Kenny Schrader in competition. Saturday the 23rd will see the return of the DirtCar Super Late Models along with the Sportsman, Classic Sportsman, and Mini Trucks. For more information log on to www.trophymotorsports.com.