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SSP Gets May 25th Event Completed

SSP Gets May 25th Event Completed
By Ben Deatherage
Despite wet weather in the Pacific Northwest the Sunset Speedway Park was able to get all events completed on Saturday May 25th. The Banks bullring wasn’t even threatened with rain or sprinkles and was able to put on a good show on for the fans. Classes in action were the Northwest Wingless Tour, Northwest Extreme Modifieds, Street Stocks, 4-Bees, and the Womens division.

Mitch Hoffses took full advantage of his front row starting position to take the lead early in the Northwest Wingless Tour feature. Hoffses, of Beaverton, would simply cruise out in front with the only thing slowing him down being a few cautions here and there including a flip on lap seven. He would put the Schram Brothers Excavating #5 Rocket in victory lane to become the fourth different winner in as many races for the NWWT.

Finishing in the runner-up position was defending champion Bill Winsley from Molalla in the Wilson’s Napa Auto Parts/Molalla Auto Works #10 XXX followed by the Western Aircraft Propeller Service/Bud’s Autowrecking #69 Maxim of Gresham’s Joe Bosso Jr. Recovering from an early race tangle Rob Lindsey of Wilsonville would place fourth in the Maxline Cases/Competition Suspension Inc. #23 XXX while completing the top five finishers was the Maverick Welding Supply #11X Maxim of Jake Gilman from Forest Grove in fifth. Hoffses was quickest in qualifying while earning the victory in the heat race was Bosso and Lindsey in the trophy dash.

The third race of the inaugural season for the newly created Northwest Extreme Modifieds division produced its second different winner. Rob Ireland would cruise to victory to earn his first win of the season in his Ireland and Ireland at Law #1 entry. Starting on the pole he would have full control of the lead and had no troubles in the feature.

Winner of the last two main events in the classification, Rick Graham of Portland in the #18X entry, would finish in second place while Banks native Joey Tardio crossed the line in third in the Transaction Transmissions #04. The Advocare/The Sign Shop #00 of Portland’s Brandon Penney was fourth while completing the finishing order was Chris Ray from Battle Ground, Washington in the #6 machine in fifth. Rob Ireland would win the heat race while Graham was the trophy dash winner.

It was another late race thriller in the Street Stocks. Banks driver John Ireland was having a perfect night on his hands. The #88 machine had won the trophy dash and heat race and starting up front was setting a wicked pace. A caution on lap three would bunch the field up for one last time.

On the restart Ireland would retain his lead but a quick Brian Roden was closing in. Roden, of West Linn in the Club Sport Oregon #14 Camaro, reeled in Ireland and started to make his move in the last few laps. Roden would find an opening on the inside and make the pass on Ireland for the lead and the win. Brian Roden became the third different winner in four races.

John Ireland would place second followed by the Buz’s Equipment Trailers/Old Iron Classics/Ernest Racing #01 Camaro of Craig Loomis from Vancouver, Washington. Crossing the line in fourth was Sherwood’s Marc Farrar in his AFT Racing/Aftermarket Entersprises #5 Camaro and completing the top five would be the #3 Camaro of Hillsboro driver Earl Claypool. Craig Loomis and Ireland were heat race winners while earning the trophy dash triumph was Ireland.

An exciting 4-Bee feature would take place with several different race leaders. Buxton driver Jason Blythe in the #12 machine was out in front early until right around the halfway mark when he would lose a wheel. This would give the lead to Mike Mastrangelo of Banks in the #00.

Mastrangelo would pace the field until Vancouver, Washington driver Chris Gaboury moved into the top spot. The #5 of Gaboury would lead until a flat tire would force him to give it up. Mastrangelo would go back into the top spot and would lead the rest of the way earning his third straight victory of 2013.

Scappoose’s John Oyler in the #41 machine would score a second place finish followed by the Ram Light Truck Salvage/Napa Auto Parts #48 of Portland driver John Gartner. Coming home in fourth was Nick Henry in his #22 from North Plains and in fifth Jason Blythe recovering from an early race incident. Jason Blythe and Chris Gaboury would earn heat race wins and the victor of the trophy dash was Mike Mastrangelo.

The Womens division would see another night of domination from the likes of Freya Smith. The McMinnville pilot in the Sweere’s Auto Body/Sweere’s Trucking/Tire Factory of McMinnville #37 Camaro would start on the pole and put on a clinic. Smith would earn the win in the caution free event to mark her fourth victory of the season.

The Transaction Transmissions/Privateer Racing #04 Monte Carlo of Amanda Clarke from Portland was second while the All In Property Investments/Avenue Settlement Corportation #60 Firebird of Gabrielle Hollinger from Timber was third. Cornelius driver Marcie Treat would finish in fourth in the #02 Camaro followed by Portland’s Theresa Gartner in her Ram Light Truck Salvage/Napa Auto Parts #33 Camaro in fifth. It would be a clean sweep for Freya Smith as she won the heat race and trophy dash.

Up next for the Sunset Speedway Park will be the annual Rose Festival Dirt Cup on Saturday June 1st. Classes in action include the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series, Northwest Extreme Modifieds, Street Stocks, and the Womens division. For more information log on to www.sunsetspeedwaypark.com or call the new Northwest Tracks Hotline at (360)-699-RACE.

Race Summary
Saturday May 25th, 2013
Sunset Speedway Park
Banks, Oregon

Northwest Wingless Tour
9 Entries
Fast Time: Mitch Hoffses
Heat Race Winner: Joe Bosso Jr.
Trophy Dash Winner: Rob Lindsey
A-Feature: 1. Mitch Hoffses, 2. Bill Winsley, 3. Joe Bosso Jr., 4. Rob Lindsey, 5. Jake Gilman, 6. Theo McCarty, 7. Dave Walters, 8. Sterling Kane, 9. Garret Johnson

Northwest Extreme Modifieds
5 Entries
Heat Race Winner: Rob Ireland
Trophy Dash Winner: Rick Graham
A-Feature: 1. Rob Ireland, 2. Rick Graham, 3. Joey Tardio, 4. Brandon Penney, 5. Chris Ray

Street Stocks
16 Entries
Heat Race Winners: Craig Loomis (1), John Ireland (2)
Trophy Dash Winner: Brian Roden
A-Feature: 1. Brian Roden, 2. John Ireland, 3. Craig Loomis, 4. Marc Farrar, 5. Earl Claypool, 6. Rick Fors, 7. Steve Nusom, 8. Danny O’Neil, 9. Tom Lauzon, 10. Robert Summerhalder, 11. Bert Pegg, 12. Johnny Adams, 13. Roger Hubbard, 14. Arnie Case, 15. Ben Sauter, 16. Dan Sheller

4-Bees
11 Entries
Heat Race Winner: Jason Blythe (1), Chris Gaboury (2)
Trophy Dash Winner: Mike Mastrangelo
A-Feature: 1. Mike Mastrangelo, 2. John Oyler, 3. John Gartner, 4. Nick Henry, 5. Jason Blythe, 6. Chris Gaboury, 7. Gary Jones, 8. Chris Cannon, 9. Jacob Henry, 10. Lisa Oyler, DNS Travis Koch

Womens
6 Entries
Heat Race Winner: Freya Smith
Trophy Dash Winner: Freya Smith
A-Feature: 1. Freya Smith, 2. Amanda Clarke, 3. Gabrielle Hollinger, 4. Marcie Treat, 5. Theresa Gartner, 6. Cori Vandercoevering

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