JASON JEFFERSON LEADS THE WAY WITH WIN #5; ROSE AND COUETTE REPEAT

Source: Tim Anderson
Date: 08/06/2000

In recent weeks the best Late Model drivers of the Northwest have come to challenge the best Yakima Speedway racers in that division for their claim on the $55,000 Fall Classic bonus. But few imports have what it takes to come a way with a win.

The only "imports" that have been successful are Garrett Evans, John Zaretzke and John Bender. Jody Tanner, Portland Speedway 2000 champion, has raced here several times without a win. The same is true of Brandon Riehl, Rod Schultz, Duane Swanson, Troy Conrad, Donny Waterman, and others. Last night’s 75-lap main event was no different.

Jody Tanner had the pole as the result of an invert, but could only hold onto that position for three laps before he sailed off into the dirt between turns one and two. Brandon Riehl was black-flagged for his involvement in that incident. Both answered the restart without losing a lap, but had to take up positions at the rear of the field. That left a group of very familiar drivers at the front with Jason and Jeff Jefferson and Mike Longton taking the green flag for the start of lap four.

For the majority of the race the three front-runners fought it out for position as Jason Jefferson held onto a slim lead, with top-qualifier (19.346) Jeff Jefferson and Longton swapping paint as they sailed around the half-mile oval with seldom less than a car-length between them. At one point as the two were coming out of turn four, Longton came down off the turn a little too soon and almost drove both he and Jefferson (Jeff) into the front stretch wall. But quick reflexes by the rookie resulted in a smooth transition by Jefferson to go into turn one ahead of Longton.

While the leaders were doing their best to remain that way, Riehl, who was black-flagged twice during the main event, was expertly weaving his way through the pack and settled in right behind Longton by lap 28. then, in less than three laps Longton went below Jeff Jefferson between turns one and two to take over the runner-up position.

Once into second place, Longton set his sights on the lead and points-leader, Jason Jefferson. And for several laps the two fought an intense side-by-side battle until the caution flag was dropped as the result of a car spinning out of control between turns one and two of lap 46. While the track was being checked it was discovered that Longton had been losing oil and he was sent to the pits to have his car checked out.

By the time his car was fixed and the track was ready, he had lost his position as well as a very valuable lap. With the sudden turn of events, Jeff moved back up to second place, with Riehl sitting in third, and Longton sitting a rear of the pack.

Even though the color of the night was yellow because the caution flag was dropped more than 10 times, the Jeffersons were uncatchable and Jason took home win number five, with his brother, Jeff, coming across the line right behind him. Riehl, who had to go to the back of the back twice, drove a spectacular race to finish third, but that coveted win eluded him once more. Ron Bemis seemed to have Lady Luck on his side as he was constantly swerving around cars and other debris. But he pulled off another steady race to place fourth with Jarrod Crum filling out the top-five. It was to be Longton’s first time out of the top-five this year.

In the Limited Sportsman division, points-leader and top-qualifier (21.491) B.J. Tidrick seems to have lost a little bit in the last couple of weeks. In his last race as the result of a front-stretch spin, he placed no better than eighth, and in last night’s race his trip to the Winner’s Circle for the tenth time was thwarted by John Rose. Driving a car he bought from Jack Anderson (1998 Limited Sportsman champ), Rose took his pole position all the way to a win in the exciting 35-lap main event.

Enjoying leads of 12 to 15 cars, Rose jumped to a substantial early lead. And even though Tidrick drove his patented race and moved from his sixth place starting position to third in less than three laps, he never could reel in Rose who crossed the finish first to take home his second win in this division.

While much of the drama of the race was focused on Rose and Tidrick, Kriss Clark proved that once again nice guys don’t always finish last.

During the earlier A Trophy Dash, Clark was running ahead of rookie Steve Dykman when the two collided in front of the grandstand. The two racers slid the length of the front stretch before coming to rest under the light pole. After a few minutes Dykman drove his car into the pits, but Clark’s truck had to be towed. Much to the credit of his crew, and with a good deal of assistance from Tidrick’s crew, Clark was able to make the main event.

Because of the closeness of each division race, in order to not lose a place each driver must make each race, a fact of which Clark was well aware. After that trophy dash, and during the ensuing heat races, Clark and Dykman’s pit areas were swarming with a variety of helpers, fervently working to get both trucks back to the track for the evening’s main event, and make it they did.

Clark drove a steady race and seldom strayed too far from his original starting position of second. Dykman, on the other hand, never seemed to be able to get the handle on the race, which he ran mostly from the rear of the pack. While Tidrick never was able to catch Rose, he was able to pass Clark in the latter stages of the race to garner second, with Clark, Don Martin, and Jack Mondor rounding out the top five.

In the Hobby Stock 25-lap main event top qualifier (22.854) Larry Couette moved from his sixth place starting position to third within three laps. And while three caution flags served to slow the pack, Couette, once again, proved to be too much for the field as he drove to his eighth win of the season. But his win did not come without some stiff early-race competition from Bob Anderson who in fourth place, but had moved into the lead position within two laps.

The two, Anderson and Couette, raced side-by-side for six laps before Couette broke into the lead on the front stretch of lap nine. And while Couette was performing his patented "see-ya" routine, for the remainder of the race a stiff battle developed between Terry Cook and Tony Huffines.

For six laps, the two drove hard and aggressive in order to maintain their respective positions, with Huffines working even harder to pass Cook. And with less than five laps remaining in the race, Cook came down a little too hard on Huffines and was black-flagged, resulting in a move to the rear of the field, enabling Huffines to move into third place.

Bob Anderson, driving in his first race of the season, ran well to place second, with Chris Moloso and Cook, in the end, rounding out the top-five.

Results:
Late Model Main Event: 1. Jason Jefferson (Naches), 2. Jeff Jefferson (Naches), 3. Brandon Riehl (Boring, OR), 4. Ron Bemis (Yakima), 5. Jarrod Crum (Pasco), 6. Brian McCoy (Kennewick), 7. Mike Longton (Moxee), 8 Jody Tanner (Portland, OR), 9. Derek Lusk (Kennewick), 10. Greg Walden (Kennewick), 11. Bill Mills (Zillah), 12. Dennis Wurtz (Kuna, ID), 13. Rod Schultz (Woodland).
A Trophy Dash: Schultz, Longton, Jeff Jefferson, Jason Jefferson.
B Trophy Dash: Crum, Tanner, Wurtz, Lusk

Limited Sportsman Main Event: 1. John Rose (Yakima), 2. B.J. Tidrick (Yakima), 3. Kriss Clark (Yakima), 4. Don Martin (Yakima), 5. Jack Mondor (Wapato), 6. Rick Hitchcock (Yakima), 7. Steve Dykman (Portland, OR), 8. Jeff Lieber (Yakima), 9. Rod Schultz, Jr. (La Center), 10. James Heinle (Yakima).
A Trophy Dash: Tidrick, Mondor, Clark, Dykman.
B trophy Dash: Lieber, Schultz, Hitchcock, Rose
Heat Race: Rose, Tidrick, Lieber, Schultz, Martin, Hitchcock, Mondor, Heinle

Hobby Stock Main Event: 1. Larry Couette (Yakima), 2. Bob Anderson (Yakima), 3. Tony Huffines (Yakima), 4. Chris Moloso (Quincy), 5. Terry Cook (Yakima), 6. Chuck Cook, Jr. (Yakima), 7. Ron Anderson, Jr. (Yakima), 8. Harold Seekins (Yakima).
A Trophy Dash: Rick Beaman, Huffines, Couette, B. Anderson.
B Trophy Dash: C. Cook, T. Cook, Moloso
Heat Race 1: Couette, Beaman, C. Cook, Huffines, T. Cook, Moloso, B. Anderson

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