5/28/2024
Sunset Speedway Park
9 winners in 10 main events over 2 days at Sunset Speedway for spring challenge
Carnation, Washington’s Clayton Jalakas would make the long tow down as would many from King County as well as the Skagit Valley to the north. The 21c machine would be fast out the gates both nights as the young racer would sweep fast time honors on the weekend.
Heat race wins would go to Jalakas, and Arlington, Washington’s Hudson Little making his debut at Sunset Speedway for Saturday night.
Jalakas would claim a Heat Race on Sunday, this time with defending track champion Sawyer Baxter taking the other.
Both nights Trophy Dashes were won by a racer making her Sunset Speedway debut, McKenna Morgan. Morgan had the #68 Machine out of Bellingham looking right at home on the Red Clay.
Saturday evenings Main for 600R was controlled by Jalakas for most of the duration until while working lap traffic with just under 5 to go he’d lose the handle coming to a stop in turn 2. This set up our defending champion and Burlington native Sawyer Baxter in a spot he’s very much comfortable in, up front and controlling the pace in Banks. Baxter would hold on to win, with Hudson Little ending his debut night with a 2nd place finish. McKenna Morgan would also podium in her debut in 3rd, with Hard Charger Lexi Myers going +6 spots to 4th, and Avery Askvig in 5th place.
Sundays Main Event, same story, Jalakas controlled the early pace. This time he was determined to finish the event in victory lane. That he would do. He held off all challengers capping a great weekend for the team, 2nd on night 2 would go to our hard charger of the weekend Avery Askvig would would go +7 from her starting spot. Morgan would once again finish out the podium in 3rd, with Little and Baxter rounding out the top 5.
Tony Catalano and Joey Tardio would be in a battle all weekend in the SRC Motorsports American Classics with a split for main event wins at the Spring Challenge.
Current points leader, Catalano, would take the win night #1 over Tardio, and defending track champion Rod Lowe in 3rd. Ron Prevost and 2022 champion Robert Summerhalder would round out top 5. Tardio would get fast time on the first night, with him and Catalano splitting the heat races. Lowe would win the dash.
Joey Tardio would finally break thru to victory lane in 2024 on night 2 in style with a clean sweep of the event. Same top 5 in the main event when said and done, but we would see a different order in those spots. Catalano 2nd, Summerhalder with a podium in 3rd, Prevost and Lowe would round out the top 5. Catalano would also get a Heat victory on Sunday.
Steven Swaja would breakthrough for his first Main Event win on Saturday night in the pure stocks, he’d be followed to the line in a exciting feature by Jeff Anderson in 2nd, Kendall Lee in 3rd, Mike Fitzpatrick 4th, and Cory Joe LoCicero in 5th. Anderson would also win the dash giving a lil dance in victory lane we could tell the crowd was into. Swaja and Lee would also take heat wins with Brad Hamer getting fast time.
Sunday would have Jeff Anderson in victory lane twice as we’d see him once again take the dash, but he’d back it up in the main event. Kendall Lee would be hard charger going +4 to a 2nd place finish. Hamer would get 3rd, with Mike Fitzpatrick 4th and Aaron Heinzman 5th. Marcie Lowe would pick up a big heat race victory, and Fitzpatrick would get fast time honors.
Ryan Conroy would be set on dominate Saturday night at the Bullring as he’d claimed a clean sweep of all events on Saturday in Open 4 Cylinders. John Gartner would come home 2nd night 1, with Chico Brinster rounding out the podium. Jason Parmelee would make the haul out of Aberdeen, Washington finishing 4th, and Belfair, Washington’s Max Sanford 5th.
Chico Brinster came with a new game plan on night 2 and it succeeded. As first he’d take quick time, before later taking the feature over Conroy who’d finish 2nd. Gartner would finish out the podium in 3rd. Olympia’s Zach Dalrymple would bring the little #0 we’ve seen a handful of times on the Bullring night #2 finishing 4th, and Parmelee this time rounding out the top 5.
Night 1 for the Spring Challenge in the micro Opens saw a lot of Reese Wickard and David Greene up front. They’d actually swap all night long. First with Wickard quick time, then Greene won the heart race. Wickard would go on to take the dash. Then to cap off their night. Greene would be victorious in the main event, with Wickard 2nd. Cole Curry would run strong up high to a podium 3rd place. Jeff Little and Jessie Henry would round out top 5.
Night 2 would see a blistering lap time of 12.597 lead to quick time for Greene. He’d also get the heat race victory again. This night Deming Washington’s Jeff Little would take the Dash. The feature would finish with Greene sweeping the weekend Main events. Wickard and Little would round out the podium. Cole Curry and Barry Lambert in 4th and 5th.
Next event up is 98.7 the bull Fan Appreciation Night with the Imca Modifieds, SRC Motorsports American Classics, Pure Stocks, Micro Opens, Micro 600R, and Imca Sport Compacts on Saturday June 1st. Pit gates open at 2pm, front gates open at 4pm, racing at 6:30pm
Submitted By: Jeremy Means