1st-time winners night at Yakima Speedway

By Kelly Hart, Yakima Speedway (8/8/09)

YAKIMA, Wash. — For the first time in over a month race fans at ASA Sanctioned Yakima Speedway were treated to warm and not HOT temperatures on race day. When the night was over they had been treated to a six call race program featuring some first time winners and plenty of racing action.

All season long, Burger Ranch Sportsman driver Thomas Benscoter, Sr. has been chasing point leader Mel Patnode. Each week he and his team have twisted and tweaked the parts and pieces of his Camaro gaining a tenth of a second here and there to dial in the racecar and put it in position to win. On Saturday, Benscoter was second fast time behind Patnode but first in the Stripe Rite Winners Circle winning the 30-lap main event. Don Klang led the first three laps, giving way to Jason Huffines as he slid off the second turn and high-centered the car on the tire barrier that lines the edge of the racing property.

That brought out the only red flag of the event. On the restart Huffines took off with Patnode, Benscoter, Ben St. Mary in his dad’s car and Buck Noel, Jr. in tow. On the 22nd lap, Patnode was hard on the brakes underneath Huffines in an attempt to pass when contact was made sending both cars spinning. Benscoter and Noel managed to squeeze by but Patnode and Huffines brought out the yellow flag handing the lead to Benscoter. On the restart Benscoter was chased by Noel but could not catch nor pass the leader. Noel, Patnode, Huffines and Todd Connell rounded out the top five. Huffines and Klang won the Trophy Dashes, with St. Mary getting the Heat Race win. Patnode’s fast time was 23.111 just missing a new track record.

Another driver that has been digging, week after week, and leading a lot of laps with no payoff has been Ron Pepper in the H&H Furniture Pure Stock division. After Jay Younker set a new track record in qualifying with a 24.183 lap around the half mile, Terry Cook and Derek Raptcheff became first time Trophy Dash winners. The Heat Race was won by Pepper. In the Main Event Tyson Richter led the first lap, and then it was all Rockin’ Ronnie! Pepper took off with Terry Cook in tow and held the point the remainder of the 25-lap race for his first Main Event win. Cook dogged Pepper, as point leader Jeff Liebert and Younker battled to catch the duo running up front. Rounding out the Main Event top five finishers were Cook, Younker, Liebert and Raptcheff.

With numbers dwindling in the RJ’s Tire Factory Super Streets due to motor woes just five cars in the feature division faced off. Chet Beaman, Sr. almost broke his own track record with a 21.447 in qualifying. Beaman won the Trophy Dash, and Mike VanAmburg thrilled the crowd with a last lap, last corner pass to win the Heat Race. It was a battle in the 20 laps long Main Event. After Dusty John paced the first 8 laps Zach Beaman took the point and held on for the win over Chet Beaman, Sr., John, VanAmburg and Andy Beaman.

If Greg Gargett had not had to miss a race earlier in the year he would most likely be the point leader in the CWI Security / EZ Credit Auto Sales Hornet division. Gargett almost pulled off a clean sweep for the night running down race long leader Ryan Kallenberger who held on for the win. Gargett won one of the Trophy Dashes and his Heat Race. Then starting almost dead last on the field of 12 cars came from the back to finish second, Tyler Breshears was the other Trophy Dash winner with Eric Coble holding on for the B Heat Race win. Josh Parmentier, Chris Marang and Tim Breshears rounded out the top 5 Main Event finishers.

Making their only appearance of 2009 was the NW Pro 4 Trucks. There were twelve competitors in their 4-cylinder vehicles attending this event. Bobby Baker set fast time with a 22.202 clocking. Mike Wiley and Jamie Millett won the Trophy Dashes. Carl Scheffler and Wiley won the Heat Races. Jeff Hector led the first two laps from his front row starting position, before Wiley took over the top spot. When the 25-lap Main was over the top five were Wiley, Hector, Christian Roeder, Baker and Scheffler. This was the only Main Event with no stoppages as it went green to checkered.

Yakima Speedway was host to the West Coast Vintage Racers and Golden Wheels. Sprint Cars and Midgets from the 40’s to 70’s of museum and showroom quality that have been restored by their owners for the purpose of racing and showing up and down the West Coast. These aren’t play cars, they go fast as evidenced by Frankie Volz, Sr. tearing up the track with a 21.223 lap which was the fastest of the day by any driver in any class. Congratulations to Volz for his Main Event win. Brian McMurtry won the Midget Trophy Dash, and Dave Craver won the Sprint Car Trophy Dash.

Yakima Speedway Results 8/8/09

BURGER RANCH SPORTSMAN

FAST TIME: 23.111 Mel Patnode

B DASH: Don Klang, Buck Noel, Jr., Ben St. Mary, Todd Connell

A DASH: Jason Huffines, Kevin Taylor, Patnode, Thomas Benscoter, Sr.

HEAT RACE: St. Mary, Patnode, Benscoter, Sr., Noel, Jr., Taylor

MAIN: Thomas Benscoter, Sr., Noel, Jr., Patnode, Huffines, Connell, Klang, Taylor, St. Mary, Bobby Stewart, Jr.

LAP LEADERS: Klang 1-3, Huffines 4-22, Benscoter, Sr. 23-30

H&H FURNITURE PURE STOCKS

FAST TIME: 24.183 Jay Younker (new track record)

B DASH: Derek Raptcheff, Rob Allen, Daniel Coble, Tyson Richter

A DASH: Terry Cook, Ron Pepper, Jay Younker, Jeff Liebert