BANKS, Ore. — Another Northwest Speed Week night, another battle between Roger Crockett and Danny Lasoski.
A night after the two star drivers collided while going for the lead three laps from the end in Lebanon, Crockett and Lasoski battled again Thursday night at the quarter-mile Sunset Speedway Park.
This time there was no contact as Crockett wrapped up the Oregon portion of the American Sprint Car Series Northwest Region Speed Week 2008 with his third straight win as the tour visited Banks for the first time. Finishing behind Crockett and Lasoski were Jay Cole, Seth Bergman and Kyle Hirst.
“It was a very entertaining race,” Crockett said. “I had a feeling the top of the track would be good, and it was. Then I moved down, and fortunately I moved down at just the right time to hold off Lasoski.”
Thanks to the pill draw, Crockett started the 30-lap feature from the pole alongside Hirst, with Lasoski starting third.
Crockett immediately jumped to the lead, while Lasoski took second on the opening lap. The two drivers were expected to battle for a third consecutive night, especially when they lined up at the front.
“It was looking that way,” said Crockett, who formerly won races and titles with the Doyle’s Harley-Davidson ride Lasoski is piloting this week. “The Doyles gave me a great opportunity, and I appreciate it. It feels great to beat them, and vice versa for them when they beat me. But I’m not trying to beat just them.”
Instead, it was everyone Crockett beat once again, something Lasoski feared could happen after the pill draw.
“When I saw that, I knew we had our work cut out,” Lasoski said. “He’s had the best car all of Speed Week. It was a good race. Roger did a good job. He deserved to be out there getting the trophy.”
Lasoski gave a challenge on a lap 8 restart, but couldn’t make the low groove work. While the leaders faced lapped traffic, the impact was lessened by a few yellows and a red.
The red was for a lap 21 accident between Jayme Barnes and Rob Held, and happened in front of Crockett. The turn 3 accident led Crockett to take a shortcut through the infield.
“I was not really that close,” Crockett said. “But I figured I’m leading, so why risk it? I decided to go through the infield and be safe.”
With yellows giving leaders a break from having to work lapped traffic, that was fine by Crockett.
“The yellows didn’t hurt my feelings any,” Crockett said.
Lasoski, on the other hand, wanted the race to stay green.
“Lapped traffic was our only shot to do anything,” Lasoski said. “I went low on that one restart, but I didn’t have enough to clear him.”
Behind the front two, Cole rumbled from his eighth starting position to claim third. On the final restart Cole was able to keep up with Lasoski, but couldn’t make a move.
“I used the top a little bit when it was good up there, then I went back to the bottom,” Cole said. “These guys on this team gave me something I could drive.”
Cole struggled at the start of Speed Week, but now has momentum heading to Friday and Saturday’s Evergreen State Sprint Challenge at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash. Cole won the event in 2006 over NASCAR star Kasey Kahne and Jason Sides, a World of Outlaw driver who was piloting the Doyle’s ride for that year’s Speed Week.
“We’re happy right now,” said Cole, who was won six Sprint car track titles in Elma.
Crockett is now tied for Brent Kaeding for second in career Northwest Speed Week wins with 10. This win came on a track that was something of an unknown for everyone.
“The track was pretty darn racy,” Crockett said. “I’d never seen the place before. It’s a lot of fun here.”
After the drivers were introduced at the start of the evening, Lasoski and Crockett engaged in a rather heated conversation along the frontstretch. Lasoski slapped Crockett on the back side of the head at one point, in a conversation that took place less than 24 hours after Crockett squeezed Lasoski into the wall.
Afterwards, Crockett declined to say what Lasoski said to him.
“I would rather not repeat it, for his sake,” Crockett said.
Lasoski flashed a quick grin when asked what he told Crockett.
“I just patted him on the back and said great job,” said the driver known as “The Dude.”
Thursday’s race was the fourth of six straight nights of racing for the annual Northwest Speed Week, and concluded the Oregon portion of the week. Crockett took home $1,500 for his win.
The three heat races were won by Chad Groves, Lasoski, and Cole. The top 16 in points after the heat races transferred to the 20-car feature. With 27 cars on hand, just one B-Main was run. The top four of Dan Dunlap, Jeffery Rivers, Shane Forte and Ryan Gomes transferred to the A-Main.
Northwest Speed Week ends in Washington with the two-day Evergreen State Sprint Challenge at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma. Hot laps on both Friday and Saturday will be at approximately 6 p.m., with racing at 7.
For more on the ASCS Northwest Region, visit www.ascsnorthwest.com.
Night #4: Thursday, July 17
at Sunset Speedway Park in Banks, Ore.
Heat 1: 1. Chad Groves; 2. Seth Bergman; 3. Kyle Hirst; 4. Jared Peterson; 5. Travis Rutz; 6. Jeffery Rivers; 7. Mike Melwicks; 8. Steve Vague; 9. Chadd Noland.
Heat 2: 1. Danny Lasoski; 2. Jayme Barnes; 3. Rob Held; 4. JJ Dishneau; 5. Marc Mackay; 6. Ted Baker; 7. Shane Forte; 8. Jason Solwold; 9. Henry Van Dam.
Heat 3: 1. Jay Cole; 2. Roger Crockett; 3. Hedge Carter; 4. Brock Lemley; 5. Casey Adams; 6. Jared Ridge; 7. Dan Dunlap; 8. Ryan Gomes; 9. Danielle Huson.
B-Main (12 laps, 4 transfer): 1. Dan Dunlap; 2. Jeffery Rivers; 3. Shane Forte; 4. Ryan Gomes; 5. Chadd Noland; 6. Steve Vague; 7. Mike Melwicks.
A-Main (30 laps): 1. Roger Crockett; 2. Danny Lasoski; 3. Jay Cole; 4. Seth Bergman; 5. Kyle Hirst; 6. Jared Peterson; 7. Travis Rutz; 8. JJ Dishneau; 9. Shane Forte; 10. Hedge Carter; 11. Marc Mackay; 12. Jared Ridge; 13. Brock Lemley; 14. Chad Groves; 15. Dan Dunlap; 16. Rob Held; 17. Jeffery Rivers; 18. Ryan Gomes; 19. Jayme Barnes; 20. Ted Baker.
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