Zaretzke in hunt for national championship

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, June 6, 2007

John Zaretzke’s fourth straight super-stock victory on Saturday at Evergreen Speedway extended his lead in the state and track standings, but the win didn’t help him crack the top 100 in the nation.

Or did it?

The NASCAR Whelen All America Series media Web site listed Zaretzke as 111th in the nation as of Wednesday, with 194 points after seven races.

Evergreen Speedway’s Web site had Zaretzke with 204 points – which would be good enough to put him at 96th in the nation.

Why the difference?

“Race winners get two points for each driver in the field with a NASCAR license,” Jason Christley, NASCAR manager of communications for developmental series, said Wednesday by telephone. “Tracks can use any point system they want for their track championships … (for national and state ranking) we only count drivers that have NASCAR licenses.”

Christley said weekly track results are compared to NASCAR’s database of license holders to ensure correct point totals are awarded.

Not so fast, said Terry Buell, Evergreen Speedway track manager, who put the discrepancy on NASCAR.

“We’re following up on that with (NASCAR) … the licenses (for the two drivers in question) were submitted back in March,” Buell said. “We don’t allow drivers to compete who aren’t licensed … licenses can be submitted through us or direct to NASCAR. Once the paperwork catches up, (Zaretzke) will get those points back.”

The NASCAR Home Track program is in its 26th year, but this is the first for both the Whelen Series and the new point structure, which will result in the crowning of national and state champions as well as track titles.

Under Whelen’s system race winners get two points for each NASCAR-licensed driver in the field, second place receiving two fewer points, and so on to the last-place driver, who is awarded two points.

Drivers’ top 18 point finishes through Sept. 30 count toward national and state championships, with the national title winner earning a spot in the 2007 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway in October.

As the only Whelen Series track in Washington, Evergreen’s track champion will also earn the state title.

The current national point leader is Rodney Cook of South Boston (Va.) Speedway. Cook has started 19 races and accumulated 386 points for his top-18 finishes.

With five wins in seven starts, and top-five finishes in the two races he didn’t win, Zaretzke has a solid start to make a run at the national title.

That is, if he can continue his current hot streak and hold off Roger Habich, Naima Lang and Darin Stordahl, who finished second through fourth, respectively, on Saturday.

Lang and Stordahl are tied for second in Evergreen’s point standings, 48 points behind Zaretzke. Defending champion Shane Harding, who finished ninth on Saturday, holds the fourth spot in the track standings and Habich rounds out the top five.

Blackwood gets first bomber win of the year: Point leader Travis Blackwood emerged from a four-way battle for the lead with his first victory of the year in the bomber main Saturday at Evergreen Speedway.

Lane Sundholm finished second and jumped into a fourth-place tie in the standings with Darrel Lutovsky, who was fifth. Steve Ptacek was third and took sole possession of second place – he was tied with Jill Lang, who dropped one spot after finishing sixth.

Kenny McCoy won his first ever mini-stock main with Mindy Harriss and Kris Harriss second and third, respectively. Mike Middleton won the stinger eight main and Greg Estes earned his first super figure eight main victory.

Lights out racing at Skagit: A power failure resulted in an unexpectedly early end to racing Saturday at Skagit Speedway.

Brock Lemley, the current 410 division point leader, was awarded the victory in Jason Bloodgood’s No. 38 car after two sets of lights illuminating the track went out with four laps remaining in the 25-lap 360 sprint main. Steve Kilcup finished second and Travis Jacobson was third.

Bloodgood was recovering from a crash last Friday at Deming Speedway, and Lemley drove the car to earn points for car owner John Beard.

In the 410 main, 2005 division champion Barry Martinez passed Steve Kilcup with 16 laps remaining en route to his first victory of the year. Kilcup finished second and Travis Rutz was third.

Point leader Kevin Smith was the winner in the 20-lap sportsman sprint main, inheriting the lead when Paul Burdick wrecked. Rookie Matt Vandersys finished second and Eric Fisher was third.

The light failure cost the outlaw hornets their main event, which will be added to another race sometime in the future. Heat race wins earlier in the night went to Travis Meins and Bill McMeekin.

With the 35th annual Jim Rapier Memorial Dirt Cup scheduled for June 14-16, the 410 and 360 divisions will combine this weekend for a Dirt Cup tune-up race. The sportsman sprints and outlaw hornets will also see action.

Local point leaders

Evergreen Speedway NASCAR Whelen All American Series: Super stocks-1. John Zaretzke, 204; 2. (tie) Darin Stordahl and Naima Lang, 156; 4. Shane Harding 138; 5. Roger Habich, 134. Bombers-1. Travis Blackwood, 363; 2. Steve Ptacek, 352, 3. Jill Lang, 348; 4. (tie) Darrel Lutovsky and Lane Sundholm, 345. Mini-stocks-1. Mark Weedin, 252; 2. Chuck Richard, 232; 3. Joe Hobbs, 223; 4. Kris Hariss, 222; 5. Drew Harthorn, 202.

Skagit Speedway: 410 Sprints-1. Brock Lemley, 682; 2. Barry Martinez, 659; 3. Danny Bullock, 593; 4. John Tharp, 568; 5. Josh Edson, 564. 360 Sprints-1. Rod Perkins, 620; 2. Jason Bloodgood, 578; 3. Steve Kilcup, 561; 4. Dan Kirkpatrick, 547; 5. Dan Pierson, 541. Sportsman Sprints-1. Kevin Smith, 641; 2. Eric Fisher, 626; 3. Kelleigh Johnson, 595; 4. Steve James, 546; 5. Glen Reinstra, 535.