MONROE — The winged sprint cars of the ASA Northwest Sprint Car Racing Association were able to complete qualifying at Evergreen Speedway last Saturday before rain put an end to racing.
The NSRA was scheduled to open its 13-race 2008 season at the speedway with the Doug James Memorial.
Just two of the 11 car to qualify cracked the 19-second mark, with 2006 series champion Jeff Montgomery recording the quick time of 19.617 on the five-eighths mile oval. Randy Bauer had the second-fastest time at 19.848.
Just 2.344 seconds separated Montgomery’s quick time from the 11th-place qualifier’s time of 21.961.
Thirteen cars were at Evergreen for the season opener, but Randy Dubois had mechanical problems during the first practice and Jake Mann encountered mechanical problems during both practice sessions.
The next scheduled race for the NSRA, which is sanctioned by the American Speed Association, is the Don Hein Memorial on April 26 at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Ore.
The NSRA’s 2008 schedule includes 13 races at six venues, with back-to-back days of racing on May 30-31 and Sept. 26-27 in Meridian, Idaho. The series returns to Evergreen Speedway for the Rory Price Memorial on Sept. 13.
Skagit Speedway updates: Sprint car drivers at Skagit Speedway in Alger will find the track is bigger and better than ever.
Skagit owner Steve Beitler has widened the tracks, with the straights now 55 feet across and the turns 65 feet. Along with the new widths, drivers will find higher banking in the top grove and the straights have been flattened. Final grooming and preparation of the surface is taking place.
In another change this season, Skagit will use a one-lap qualifying format to maintain track conditions throughout racing nights.
“The World of Outlaws have been using this format and it seems to really help the track’s condition” Beitler said in a press release. “We want to give our racers a better track surface early but still have a nice track later. Qualifying is very hard on the surface, but I think it is an important part of the show.”
Racing will begin at 7 p.m. this season, half hour earlier than previously.
NASCAR drivers help Nationwide launch campaign: Nationwide Insurance officially launched its 2008 DWD — Driving While Distracted — national campaign this week in conjunction with its sponsorship of the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Nationwide will bring NASCAR drivers to local high schools throughout the country to drive home the message that multitasking behind the wheel puts drivers and their fellow motorists at risk. Students and community members will receive a firsthand look at the impact driving while distracted has on their driving abilities while racing in a NASCAR simulator.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says distracted drivers account for nearly four out of five crashes in the U.S. The problem is especially bad for young drivers. In 2007, Nationwide’s DWD survey of more than one thousand drivers, found younger drivers are especially at risk. In fact, one in three drivers 18- to 27-years old admit to always multitasking while driving and 37 percent send text messages while driving.
The first event in Nationwide’s national campaign kicks off Wednesday with NASCAR drivers Kenny Wallace and Brad Coleman in the Dallas/Fort Worth area at Southlake Carroll Senior High School.
In addition to spreading the message of dangers of driving while distracted, the local events will provide race fans an opportunity to get driver autographs, clock the fastest time in a NASCAR racing simulator, meet local Nationwide agents and win prizes.
Nationwide and the National Safety Council developed www.NationwideSmartRide.com, a Website to provide parents and teens free tools and resources to help develop safe drivers and reinforce smart behavior. It is available free to anyone regardless of whether they are a Nationwide customer.
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