YAKIMA, Washington -- Ken Kaltschmidt won his first race in three years, and his first career late model event at Yakima Speedway in the 75-lap main event for the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series. Troy Trammell posted a career best second place effort with Scott Walker, Ken Olson and Amber Cope rounding out the top-5.
Buck Noel Jr. won the 35-lap mid-season championship main event for the Yakima Speedway Hobby Stock division. The victory netted Noel over $550 in bonus money for winning three straight main events. Joel Olson was second with Neal Smith, Don Klang and Thomas Benscoter completing the top-5 running order at the halfway point of the Hobby Stock season.
Erick Hargraves became the first driver to officially pick up the Speedway’s three-in-a-row bonus earlier in the evening with his win in the 35-lap main event win in the Boomer’s Roadside Bar & Grill Street Stock division. Jack Anderson was second; Jeff Sisk came home in third place with Rick Christopherson and Mike Hill closing out the top-5.
The late model main event featured talented drivers from several Northwest tracks including fast time winner, Shane Mitchell, a regular at Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval. Mitchell posted a lap of 19.000 seconds on the famed .500-mile and started sixth based on the invert.
Trammell took the early lead in the race with Kaltschmidt moving to second place by the end of lap 1. Kaltschmidt, who hails from Marion, Montana, moved past Trammell exiting turn No. 2 for the lead with Mitchell moving past Trammell for second place by lap 5.
By lap 12, Mitchell had caught Kaltschmidt and the two waged a spirited battle for the lead over the next 10 laps. Entering turn No. 3 on lap 24, Mitchell got underneath Kaltschmidt and cleared for the lead exiting turn No. 4.
Mitchell’s run up front would be short-lived. The Orondo, Wash. native dashed into the pits on lap 28 and handed the lead back to Kaltschmidt. Mitchell and the crew worked feverishly underneath the car on the rear-end assembly, but he would retire for the evening with gear troubles.
Kaltschmidt set a blistering pace over the final 45-plus laps; lapping cars up to fifth place Amber Cope.
“I won a race,” said an excited Ken Kaltschmidt upon exiting his Marion Aircraft Chevrolet. “This car was awesome. Mitchell gave us a good run and I was looking forward to seeing how things were going to go in the race after he got by me. He was really fast and I think he would have had a good run there at the end. I don’t know how Derrike Cope (Yakima Speedway’s special guest for the evening) felt after winning the (1990) Daytona 500, but this is about like winning the Daytona 500. I haven’t won a race in three years and this feels real good.”
For Buck Noel Jr., winning his third consecutive race paid big dividends when the checkers flew for the Hobby Stock mid-season championship. Not only did Noel pick-up the $300 bonus for three straight wins, he earned over $250 in bonuses from friends and family for accomplishing the feat and most importantly, moves into a tie with Don Klang for the Hobby Stock points lead.
Bobby Trujillo led the Hobby Stock field to the green flag and stayed out front for six laps before Neal Smith was able to go past for the lead exiting turn No. 2 on lap 6. Noel moved past Trujillo for second place on lap 14 and set his sights on Smith as the race neared the halfway mark.
Smith and Noel raced side-by-side for three laps before Noel was able to clear and take the lead exiting turn No. 2 on lap 26. Once in front, Noel never looked back to capture the bonus money and a third consecutive win.
“I told Erick (Hargraves) I wanted to win this bonus tonight with him. He was able to do it in the Street Stocks and now here I am. This is awesome,” Noel said. “Tying for the points lead makes it even better. I have to thank my sponsors including Brian Harris Used Cars, Mom and Dad and D&G Bodyworks.”
Hargraves earned his third consecutive Boomers Roadside Bar & Grill Street Stock victory by stalking veteran Jack Anderson in the closing laps, and then pouncing on the lead as Anderson got held up by lapped traffic.
Shannon Mitchell led the early portions of the race before Christopherson was able to grab the top spot. Anderson moved by Christopherson in the backstretch on lap 13 with Hargraves jumping up to second place by lap 14.
Anderson and Hargraves thrilled the crowd with great racing for the lead over the next 13 laps. With the leaders moving through lapped traffic, Anderson went high to clear Casey Merrill in turn No. 4 of lap 27. Hargraves ducked low on Merrill and made the pass for the lead as Merrill’s car held Anderson up exiting the corner. Hargraves moved out to a sizable advantage in the closing laps and came home with win number three.
“This win is for my car owners Tom and Fran Chapel. They are great people and they really help us out,” Hargraves said. “That was a fun race. My hats off to Jack Anderson, he got caught there by the lapped car. As we were racing I was thinking that a pick would be about the only way to get around him, I hated to see him get shuffled so far back in that, I think the end of the race would have been exciting.”
- Main
- 1) Ken Kaltschmidt 2) Troy Trammell 3) Scott Walker 4) Ken Olson 5) Amber Cope 6) Ron Bemis 7) Jeff Barkshire 8) Bryan Weiner 9) Jack Eby 10) Bill Mills 11) Christopher Kalsch 12) Shane Mitchell 13) Angela Cope 14) Mike Kenyon 15) Mike Longton 16) Bob Dexter
- Shane Mitchell, 19.000 seconds
- Longton
- Weiner
- 1) Buck Noel Jr. 2) Joel Olson 3) Neal Smith 4) Don Klang 5) Thomas Benscoter 6) Ted Wilburn Sr. 7) Jim Zorrozua 8) Dave Denton 9) Jeff Mullins 10) Bobby Trujillo 11) Mike Maddox 12) Jesse Vincent 13) Chad Pittman 14) Ron Morton 15) Don Sowder DNS- Mark Harrah
- Ted Wilburn Sr., 24.625 seconds
- Noel Jr.
- Maddox
- 1) Erick Hargraves 2) Jack Anderson 3) Jeff Sisk 4) Rick Christopherson 5) Mike Hill 6) Harold Seekins 7) Shannon Mitchell 8) Tony Huffines 9) Jason Trujillo 10) Chris Anderson 11) Chris VanAmburg 12) Casey Merrill 13) Terry Cook 14) Andy Beaman 15) Jamie Armstrong 16) Dave Eggers
- Erick Hargraves, 23.298 seconds
- Jack Anderson
- Terry Cook
