RHODES RALLIES AT THE END TO WIN AT SOUTH SOUND SPEEDWAY

Source: Kristy Runyon
Date: 07/10/2005

As of lap 35 Tom Sweatman still lead with Dustin Wilkinson in second and Brad Tanner in third. Bob Presley was fourth and Dan Rhodes was fifth. Nick Behn, who had been running fourth, left the track on lap 35 with a low tire. Problems plagued Dustin Wilkinson just five laps later when he pulled into the center of the track with a broken rear-end. The caution was thrown and his car was towed off. Wilkinson was done for the night but Behn returned to the track on lap 46. Laps 55 brought out the next caution when Tommy Rasmussen spun in turn two. Rasmussen left the track as well as Nick Behn who broke a brake caliper. Brad Tanner began to fall back on lap 58 when the green came out again. He lost many positions and eventually left the track on lap 60. A caution was thrown a lap later when Jimmy Clair spun.

Tom Sweatman was still out front with Dan Rhodes in second and Willy Thom in third. Lap 74 brought out the next caution when Ben Brubaker and Jimmy Clair got together. Troy Eaton left the track on that lap. Amber Cope, who had been running extremely well, left the track on lap 80 with a mechanical problem. Cope had earlier in the night won the trophy dash. The final caution of the race came on lap 86. Dan Rhodes was going for the lead from Tom Sweatman. Sweatman went high and Rhodes was low and Jim Clair was in the middle. The pair squeezed Clair and he spun. Willy Thom, who was running third, had nowhere to go and slammed into Clair. Thom went airborne for a few feet and landed in turn one near the wall. Thom was ok but the car was completely trashed. Things got back to green and Sweatman was out front until lap 92 when Dan Rhodes, Joe Constance and Dan Obrist all got around him. Rhodes took the win with Constance in second and Obrist in third. Sweatman ended up finishing fourth. Al Carver took his best finish of the season in fifth. Brad Stanwood, Bob Presley, Tim Gosch, Bob Coffey, and Brian Balmelli were the rest of the top ten.

Bradley Shaw qualified fast for the North Star Yachts and Commercial Drivers Services Sportsman and the dash went to Paul “Pappy” Welch. Mark Jones took the lead on lap one of the main event. Shane Sawin was running second and Tom Smitham was third. Both Sawin and Smitham got by Jones on lap nine, moving him to third. Jones dropped back two more spots when Devin Eierman and Brandon Finch got around him. The only caution of the race came on lap 35 when Tom Smitham lost a lot of fluid and had to exit the track. Sawin was still out front with Brandon Finch now in second. Devin Eierman was third until lap 39 when Paul Welch took the spot. Shane Sawin drove his car to his second main event win of the season. Paul “Pappy” Welch finished up second with Brandon Finch in third. Craig Pfander was fourth in his best finish this season. Devin Eierman finished up fifth.

It was mid-season Championship night for the Vintage Modifieds. Mid-season Champion Bobby Wheeler Jr. qualified fast for the club. Ray Wagner took the B heat race over Robert Rux and Jeff Peterson. Mike Clother took the A heat race with Wheeler in second and Eric McClain in third. Kiel Hobbs won the dash. Robert Rux took the early lead in the main event. The first caution was thrown on lap seven when Mel Smith spun in turn two and then went off the track. Kiel Hobbs took the lead of the main event on lap nine. He stayed out front until lap 16 when Leonard Schmidt spun in turn one. Hobbs and McClain came around and McClain got into Hobbs causing him to hit Schmidt. Both Schmidt and Hobbs were done for the night. Mike Clother was now out front with Wheeler in second and Peterson in third. That’s how the race ended. Ray Wagner was fourth and John Mustered was fifth.

The Old Time Racers brought many drivers from Canada and Oregon to the 3/8ths mile oval. Dan Morneau clocked in fastest for the group with a 16.002. Mike Batman won the trophy dash. Dennis Minter won the B heat race with Gene Gamble in second and Ted DeRamas in third. Don Morneau won the A heat race with Jim Rankin second and Al Tourond in third. The main event got off to a slow start with three cautions right off the bat. The first two were before the race even began. The third came when Dano Ryan went into the wall. He was done for the race. When racing final got going Dean Gill was out front with Greg Ray in second. Al Tourond moved into second on lap seven and Warren Johnstone moved into third. The racing was very close and the club put on a great show. The rest of the race was caution free. Jim Rankin won the event with Dean Gill in second and Warren Johnstone in third. Don Morneau finished up fourth with Dan Curtis in fifth. The rest of the top ten were Al Tourond, Dennis Minter, Al Prendergast, Greg Ray, and Hugh Glover.

Coming this Saturday night at South Sound Speedway will be the Annual visit of the NABR Big Rigs. Racing along with them will be the Hinkle Homes Pure Stocks, Delta Camshaft Mini Stocks and the Yelm National Auto Parts Bumblebees. Qualifying is set to start at 5:00 pm with racing at 6:30 pm. Check out www.southsoundspeedway.com for ticket information.

Late Model Super Stock Results
Fast Time: Nick Behn 13.440 Track Record
Dash: Amber Cope
Main: Dan Rhodes, Joe Constance, Dan Obrist, Tom Sweatman, Al Carver, Brad Stanwood, Bob Presley, Tim Gosch, Bob Coffey, Brian Balmelli, Ben Brubaker, Willy Thom, Jimmy Clair, Amber Cope, Troy Eaton, Brad Tanner, Tommy Rasmussen, Nick Behn, Dustin Wilkinson, Ken Sleveland, Jerry Clark

North Star Yachts and Commercial Drivers Service Sportsman Results Fast Time: Bradley Shaw 14.037
Dash: Paul 'Pappy' Welch
Main: Shane Sawin, Paul Welch, Brandon Finch, Craig Pfander, Devin Eierman, Jeremy Richardson, Mark Jones, Tom Smitham, John Boyatt, Bradley Shaw

Vintage Modified Results
Fast Time: Bob Wheeler Jr. 15.040
Dash: Kiel Hobbs
B Heat: Ray Wagner, Robert Rux, Jeff Peterson, Leonard Schmidt, Mel Smith A Heat : Mike Clother, Bob Wheeler Jr., Eric McClain, Kiel Hobbs, John Mustered
Main: Clother, Wheeler, Peterson, Wagner, Mustered, Rux, McClain, Hobbs, Schmidt, Smith

Old Timers Results
Fast Time: Don Morneau 16.002
Dash: Mike Batman
B Heat: Dennis Minter, Gene Gamble, Ted DeRamas, Greg Ray, Al Prendergast, Larry Wannamaker, Dano Ryan, Dave Gill A Heat : Don Morneau, Jim Rankin, Al Tourond, Dan Curtis, Warren Johnstone, Dean Gill, Mike Batman, Hugh Glover
Main: Rankin, Dean Gill, Johnstone, Morneau, Curtis, Tourond, Minter, Prendergast, Ray, Glover, Wannamaker, Dave Gill, Batman, Ryan, Gamble, DeRamas

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