Record set in Ephrata

EPHRATA - A new track record was set at Ephrata Raceway Park Saturday night in the inaugural Wingless 360 Sprint Car race.

Jeff Bird of Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia set the record for the Wingless 360 Sprints by blistering the quarter-mile, high-banked oval track with a time of 14.423 seconds. Bird also swept the evening events by winning the trophy dash, the heat race and the forty-lap main event.

The racing events also included the speedsters from the Washington Midget Racing Association, the West Coast Vintage Racers and the Golden Wheels Midgets.

The West Coast Vintage Racers (WCVR) and the Golden Wheels Midgets are touring classes which travel together and feature vintage race cars. The vehicles are replicas the likes of A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and Tom Sneva drove in the early stages of their careers.

Dave Craver, a veteran racer of 25 years, joined the WCVR circuit two years ago to drive a United States Auto Club registered dirt-track champ car. Craver drove an open cockpit car similar to the one he drives today early in his racing career.

"In the 60s that's the way we did it, with no roll bars," Craver said. "Today we just go out to have fun."

The Washington Midget Racing Association brought eleven cars to Ephrata Raceway Park and Evan Margeson was the class of the event by leading flag to flag in the thirty-five-lap main event.

Local racers fared well Saturday night with Mike Fought of Othello placing second, Bob Witte of Soap Lake finishing in third place and Whitney Nolan finishing in fourth place in the 360 Wingless Sprints event.