6/3/2013
Willamette Speedway
Strawberry Cup Night Two A Great One
Strawberry Cup Night Two A Great One
By Ben Deatherage
After a thriller of a night of action the night before on Friday May 31st the Willamette Speedway had another great evening of competition to close out the Strawberry Cup weekend on Saturday June 1st. When it was all said and done two drivers would visit victory lane for the first time while three returned for another win this season. Classifications that were on hand were the DIRTcar Super Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Super Sports, Street Stocks, and Mini Trucks.
After taking part in action the night before main events was the only thing on tap for the DIRTcar Super Late Models in night two of the historic Strawberry Cup. Russ Sell of Brownsville, driving the 99.9 KRKT Cricket Country #50 Swartz, was the early race leader but had fast company behind him. That fast company was defending track champion Trevor Glaser of Tangent.
Glaser in his Bayer Crop Science/Farmland Tractor Supply/Ground and Water #2 Trak-Star closed in on Sell and would eventually would pass him around lap ten. Glaser would set sail and take care of business for the rest of the way to earn his third feature win of 2013. It also marked his fifth Strawberry Cup triumph of his career and first since 2011.
“We had a good car, a good track, and a great crew tonight,” is what Glaser would say in victory lane.
A great race took place in the IMCA Modified division between some of the two best drivers in the Pacific Northwest. Dustin Dittman of Albany took the lead early in his Susan River Reality/Gray’s Automotive/Mid-Valley Farms #7 Shaw and seemed to be on his way to his fourth straight Strawberry Cup triumph. Later in the race a showdown would occur between Dittman and the Furniture Options #W5 Hughes of Jesse Williamson.
Williamson and Dittman would exchange several sliders in the corners for several laps. Williamson would hold on to lead and would win his first race at Willamette Speedway this year. Williamson became the fifth different winner in as many races for the division.
“It was a good finish for us,” said Jesse Williamson, “it came down to the last few laps there. That was one of the most enjoyable races I’ve had in a long time. Just good hard racing.”
The Super Sport feature was a race full of cautions. Setting the pace in the early goings was Toledo driver Jordan Wright in the Newport Candy Shoppe/Cub’s Cave #32 Swartz. Wright would lead the first laps before losing the lead to Gil Pickett of Salem.
Pickett would pace the field for the rest of the way in the Picket Custom Cabinets/Jeffrey Masonry #98 Swartz. It was his second win of the season and the third time the car had visited victory lane. Earlier in the season Bob Jeffrey managed to earn a win in the second race of the year in the Supers.
“The car was good,” is what Pickett would say in victory lane getting straight to the point of how he won the race.
In the Street Stocks Lebanon driver Justin Evans was the car to beat. Leading every lap the Albie’s Medical Transport/Monty’s Racing Repair/X-Factor Race Cars #99 Cougar stayed out in front despite a hard charge by Bricen James of Albany. James could not get around the leader in his James Gang Pizza/Rainbow Rentals/Lebanon Auto Body #13 Monte Carlo. For Evans it was a big victory for him as well as car owner Al Flora becoming the third different winner in the 2013 Street Stock season.
“For once I got a lucky pill draw,” stated Justin Evans, “I knew Bricen was coming because it was his kind of track. I really had to focus on not giving up the bottom.”
In the Mini Trucks main event Don Croy was able to win his second race of the year. The Prineville driver, in the Carson Oil/Guy’s Automotive and Lube/Prineville Sign and Banner #24 Toyota, checked out with the lead and dominated the field. So far all three races in the class have been won by drivers from Crook County.
“It feels pretty good to win again,” said Croy, “we changed a bunch of stuff on the truck and it ran the best it has all year long.”
The Willamette Speedway will back in action this weekend first with the Karts on Friday June 7th and then Saturday the 8th for Fan Appreciation Night courtesy of Knecht’s Auto Parts. On Saturday classes on the card will be all six divisions including the DIRTcar Super Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Super Sports, Sportsman, Street Stocks, and Mini Trucks. For more information on the latest news and stories regarding the Willamette Speedway log on to www.trophymotorsports.com.
Race Summary
Strawberry Cup Night #2
Saturday June 1st, 2013
Willamette Speedway
Lebanon, Oregon
DIRTcar Super Late Models
22 Entries
B-Feature: 1. Trent Elliott, 2. Kevin Roberts, 3. Thomas Hunziker, 4. Trent Croy, 5. Terry Hall, 6. Larry Sharp
A-Feature: 1. Trevor Glaser, 2. John Duty, 3. Joey Tanner, 4. Jeremy Shank, 5. Rob Mayea, 6. Russ Sell, 7. John Campos, 8. Brady Sell, 9. Justin Duty, 10. Todd Shandy, 11. Brian Cronk, 12. Tony Brakeall, 13. Kevin Roberts, 14. Trent Croy, 15. Jimmy Schram, 65. Kye Frick, 17. Thomas Hunziker, 18. Trent Elliott, 19. Cody Sell, 20. Rick Wyatt
IMCA Modifieds
19 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Jesse Williamson, 2. Dustin Dittman, 3. Jeffrey Rivers, 4. Mark Carrell, 5. Kyle Yeack, 6. Brett James, 7. Bubba Foster, 8. Jeremy Shank, 9. Doug Davenport, 10. Craig Cassell, 11. Tom Yeack, 12. Monte Bischoff, 13. Les Williamson, 14. Brody Pompe, 15. Matt Mitchell, 16. Sandy Sanders, 17. Jonathan Lewis, 18. Robert Hoefs, 19. Craig Hanson
Super Sports
18 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Gil Pickett, 2. Tim Archer, 3. Steve Moore, 4. Jordan Wright, 5. Randy Barley, 6. Tim Archer, 7. Shawn Benton, 8. Tanner Wines, 9. Chris Mott, 10. Vahn Stone, 11. Steve Fuller, 12. Clay Debban, 13. Larry Rametes, 14. Sonny Wallace, 15. Danny Altom, 16. Sean Cronk, 17. Chad Slover, 18. Brian Gary
Street Stocks
15 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Justin Evans, 2. Bricen James, 3. Randy Jackson, 4. Jody Tanner, 5. Steve Jorgenson, 6. David Cronk, 7. Michael Byram, 8. J.J. Irvine, 9. Christina Foster, 10. Dave Kingsberry, 11. Doug Scott, 12. Mark Gaylord, 13. Austin Bottcher, 14. Tom Whiting, 15. Justin Bottcher
Mini Trucks
6 Entries
A-Feature: 1. Don Croy, 2. Kenny Keefer, 3. Jeremy Stinnett, 4. Mark Vonsild, 5. Shane Stull, 6. Peter Haag
Submitted By: Ben Deatherage
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