WALKER NETS FIRST NASCAR DODGE WEEKLY SERIES VICTORY OF 2003 AT YAKIMA SPEEDWAY

Source: Pace/Yakima Speedway
Date: 05/04/2003

Longton earned a $100 bonus for setting fast time in Eve’s Garden late model qualifying. The Moxee native posted an 18.886 second lap to best Walker who had run an f18.991. Both cars proved to be equal to their speeds in the 75-lap main event.

Ken Olson and Ron Dexter brought the 16-car field to the green flag with Olson holding the point after the first lap. Roeder moved into the lead by the completion of lap 2 with Longton jumping up one position to fifth. Walker, who started the event in fifth place, settled in behind Longton as the front five cars set a quick pace early in the race.

By lap 21, Walker had moved up to third place and continued his march to the front with an outside pass of Roeder down the backstretch as lap 32 came to a close.

Bennett, Longton and Roeder battled nose-to-tail the rest of the way for the runner-up position. Longton slipped underneath Bennett late for third place.

With the victory, Walker climbed from third to first in the NASCAR Dodge Racing Series points standings. “I think we can run consistently in the top-3 as long as we don’t have any mechanical failures,” he said.

“Our first two runs of the season I was real happy with the car, but we had the brakes go out in the last race and in the Apple Cup we had a fender torn off. We’ve been there, we just haven’t been able to show it by the results until tonight.”

With the competition heating up for the late model championship, Walker said earning a win over some of the best talent in the Northwest made his first 2003 victory even more special. “This is the best competition around which makes me a better driver. Racing against Mike Longton, Travis Bennett and the rest of these guys means you really have to have your stuff together to compete.”

In the Boomers Roadside Grill Street Stock division, the finishing order was not as it appeared after post-racer inspections.

Jason Huffines led the first lap of the 35-lap main event. Erick Hargraves had earned fast time in the division, setting a new track record along the way. Starting in 14th place based on an inverted field, he moved into the top-5 by lap 10 and set his sights on the front as Huffines had built a sizable lead.

An incident in turn No. 4 involving Chris VanAmberg and Casey Merrill sent VanAmberg’s car hard into the fourth corner’s water barrier safety system. The result was a red flag situation, which put Hargraves and Ashley Beaman on the rear bumper of Huffines.

The pair applied pressure on the re-start and Hargraves moved into the lead by lap 16. Hargraves left Huffines and Beaman behind to battle for runner-up honors, as he appeared to claim his second victory of the season. During initial post-race inspections, Hargraves engine was examined and found to be unconforming to the classes rules package.

Speedway officials will make a final determination on Monday morning, but Hargraves victory was held up and the winner’s trophy went to Huffines with Beaman moved to second place and Harold Seekins earning third place.

In the Yakima Speedway Hobby Stock division, Don Klang moved from the back of the pack to the front by lap 5 and never looked back in earning his second consecutive main event win. Klang is in a position to earn a $300 bonus for capturing three straight main events when this division returns to action on May 24. Neal Smith had a great run to grab second place with Jeff Mullins earning his second straight top-3 finish. Don Sowder and Buck Noel Jr. rounded out the top-5 in the 25-lap main event.

Main

1) Scott Walker 2) Christian Roeder 3) Mike Longton 4) Travis Bennett 5) Jeff Jefferson 6) Ken Olson 7) Ron Dexter 8) Mel Shenyer 9) Jeff Ford 10) Troy Trammell 11) Christopher Kaltsch 12) Ron Bemis 13) Jack Eby 14) Ted Wilburn 15) Bob Dexter 15) Brian Weiner

Fast Time- Mike Longton, 18.886 seconds

A-Dash Winner

Travis Bennett

B-Dash Winner

Ron Bemis

Boomers Roadside Grill Street Stock

Main

1) Jason Huffines 2) Ashley Beaman 3) Harold Seekins 4) Andy Beaman 5) Richard Cagle 6) Tony Huffines 7) Casey Merrill 8) EJ Trujillo 9) James Heinle 10) Chris VanAmberg 11) Terry Cook 12) Rick Christopherson 13) Jack Anderson 14) Jaime Armstrong 15) Erick Hargraves

A-Dash Winner

Hargraves

B-Dash Winner

James Heinle

Yakima Speedway Hobby Stocks

Main

1) Don Klang 2) Neal Smith 3) Jeff Mullins 4) Don Sowder 5) Buck Noel Jr. 6) Ross Ogan 7) Mike Mattox 8) Thomas Benscoter 9) Ron Morton 10) Jeff Daughtrey 11) Ted Wilburn Jr. 12) Joel Olson 13) Chad Pittman 14) Mark Harrah 15) Bobby Trujillo

Fast Time Winner- Joel Olson, 24.586 seconds

A-Dash Winner

Neal Smith B-Dash Winner: Mike Mattox

See Also .:

• Yakima Speedway Track Page

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Article posted by RacingWest.com staff on 05/04/2003. http://www.racingwest.com