Locals dominate at Spud Cup
EPHRATA - It was a great night to be from Quincy if you were racing in the 2008 Spud Cup Northwest Outlaw Street Stock race at Ephrata Raceway Park Saturday. Quincy's Michael Knutson sped around Spanaway's Kevin Carver on the 52nd lap and then pulled away for his first NWOSS win and the 2008 Spud Cup trophy. Quincy driver Mitch Kleyn was second and Kevin Carver was third.
The race started off with Seattle driver Rick Villyard holding down the top spot while the field of 21 cars fell in behind. The battle up front featured Villyard, Carver, Knutson and Kleyn almost from the start.
The first caution came on the second lap for a spin in turn two which piled up a few cars and bent some sheet metal and fiberglass on many cars. The restart say Villyard pull away while others battled behind.
Spirited battles ensued all over the high banked quarter mile with the second caution flying on lap 14 when Aaron Nevers of Spokane hit the front stretch wall. Carver got by Villyard on the restart only to see Knutson, Kleyn, Wenatchee's Chad Holaday and Othello's Bart Hector freight train the #12 car for position send Villyard backward.
On the 26th lap, East Wenatchee driver Bob Greiner cut a right front tire nearly ending with him in the front stretch wall. The field bunched up again on the restart with Knutson and Kleyn dogging Carver lap after lap until they hit heavy traffic. Knutson used a slight Carver bobble to get by and take over the lead.
Two more cautions kept the win in suspense. On the 62nd lap Dustin Kagele from Ephrata and Villyard bounced off each other going down the back stretch ending each others' evening. And on the 67th lap Jared Ingram spun heading down the back straightaway for the final caution. From there on out it was Knutson, Kleyn, Carver, Hector and Holaday for the top five.
Also on the track Saturday night were the Ephrata Pioneer Muffler II Adult Hornets and the Jerry's Auto Supply Hobby Stocks.
In Adult Hornet Action, Josh Hector of Ephrata set fast time with a lap of 17.57 seconds. The trophy dashes went to Jared Ingram from East Wenatchee and Hector. Terry McGraw of East Wenatchee and Hector had heat race wins. Hector scored the clean sweep for the night by winning the 20-lap main event, taking over the lead from Chris McCart of Moses Lake on the 11th lap for the victory.
Picking up the Hobby Stock main event win was Dustin Kapalo of Ephrata. He led all 25 laps for the victory, holding off points leader Kenny Brown of Ephrata and improving rookie Tanner Halley of Ephrata. Trophy Dash winners were Moses Lake's Randy Pugh and Jason Ray of Ephrata. Kapalo and Chris Costlow from Odessa won the heat races. It was Brown setting fast time of 16.64 in his Camaro.
Saturday's schedule will change due to a cancellation from the Big Sky Late Models. The race docket will include the Youth Hornets, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, The Big Cars and the visiting Bump To Pass cars. Gates open at 5 p.m. and races start at 7. For more information, visit www.ephrataracewaypark.com.
Saturday's race results:
Northwest Outlaw StreetStocks (NWOSS)
Fast time: #75 Mike Easley 15.33 seconds
D dash: 64 Bill Rutherford, 8x Riley Sunberg, 97 Josh Ingram, 12x Rick Bretches
C dash: 8 Roger Drake, 81 Eric Hector, 22 Bryon Goetz, 17 Aaron Nevers
B dash: 15 Michael Knutson, 91 Josh Wilson, 6 Gary Homad, 41 Kevin Carver
A dash: 1 Mitch Kleyn, 75 Easley, 10 Dave Lund, 16 Dustin Kagele
B heat: 15 Knutson, 68 Bart Hector, 91 Wilson, 1 Kleyn, 12 Villyard
A heat: 81 Eric Hector, 41 Carver, 40 Jared Ogle, 25 Bob Greiner, 75 Easley
B main: 17 Nevers, 97 Ingram, 8x Sundberg, 64 Rutherford, 12x Bretches
Spud Cup Main Event: 15 Michael Knutson, 1 Kleyn, 41 Carver, 68 B. Hector, 31 Chad Holaday, 91 Wilson, 6 Homad, 22 Goetz, 8 Drake, 12x Bretches, 97 Ingram, 8x Sundberg, 40 Ogle, 16 Kagele, 12 Villyard,, 81 E. Hector, 64 Rutherford, 75 Easley, 25 Greiner, 10 Lund, 17 Nevers, 33 Mike Wallace
Jerry's Auto Supply Hobby Stocks)
Fast time: 66 Kenny Brown 16.64 seconds
B dash: 20 Randy Pugh, 42 Neil Nelson, 27 Billy Smith, 29 Tanner Halley
A dash: 18 Jason Ray, 76 Patrick Canady, 32 Chris Costlow, 66 Brown
B heat: 47 Dustin Kapalo, 43 Robert Hagadorn, 27 Smith, 20 Pugh, 8 Fred Moore, Jr.
A heat: 32 Costlow, 18 Ray, 29 Halley, 76 Canady
Main: 47 Dustin Kapalo, 66 Brown, 29 Halley, 18 Ray, 43 Hagadorn, 27 Smith, 42 Nelson, 20 Pugh, 8 Moore, 76 Canady, 32 Costlow
Ephrata Pioneer Muffler II Adult Hornets)
Fast time: 84 Josh Hector 17.57 seconds
B dash: 17 Jared Ingram, 41 Brian Hahne, 4 John Hagood, 83 Patrick Lyons
A dash: 84 Hector, 95 Chris McCart, 78 Eddie Razey, 45 Rod Julian
B heat: 32 Terry McGraw, 27 Tony Snider, 39 Evan Evans, 4 Hagood, 3 Chad Moore
A heat: 84 Hector, 45 Julian, 17 Ingram, 78 Razey, 95 McCart
Main: 84 Josh Hector, 95 McCart, 45 Julian, 41 Hahne, 78 Razey, 83 Lyons, 32 McGraw, 58 Scott Carabajal, 39 Evans, 20 George Manderville, 4 Hagood, 3 Moore