Banks, OR., May 6
Vince McDonnell of Newberg won the first Inter-Mountain Sprint Car feature of the year at Sunset Speedway Saturday night. In WESCO Sprint action, Branden Skeeters of Arlington, WA took a career first win, A.J. Tipton of Portland dominated in Street Stocks and Stan Asanovic won his second feature in the Bomber division.
For McDonnell, it was pay back time as he led the final wingless Feature of ’99 at Banks until tagging a lapped car. In this round once McDonnell had wrestled the lead from Idaho’s Shawn Smith, he was never headed.
Sadly, two of the thirteen car field were eliminated before the drop of the green flag. Marshall Schlenz of Olympia, WA and local favorite Jimmy (the Jokeman) Skinner made contact on the parade lap, sidelining both racers. Schlenz had been chasing gremlins all night and lost fire while lining up for the Feature. In the confusion that ensued, Skinner was pinched into the back of Schlenz and slapped the wall. (With the help of Schlenz’s crew, Skinner actually returned to the Feature several laps down.
On the start it was Dash winner Smith jumping into the lead. Mark Hinkle of Scappose, Oregon grabbed second ahead of Tim Marsh Jr., Tony Thomas and McDonnell. Down the back stretch Marsh took a run at (The Candy Man) Hinkle, spinning his purple Jenkins. Mill City, OR’s Thomas took a shot in the mess that followed and became the event’s second retiree.
Now McDonnell had a clear view of Idaho long-tow Smith and immediately began applying pressure. As the duo would pass the flag stand, McDonnell would pitch his #96, inching underneath the leader. Marsh was never beyond striking distance, Bill Winsley of San Jose, CA was up to fourth ahead of track champion Ty Mayden. McDonnell edged Smith lap after lap even looking to the outside briefly. Marsh launched an assault on both but was denied. Eventually Mayden’s vast experience at Sunet aided him in getting by Winsley but otherwise the top five positions did not change for the bulk of the event.
Whether Smith finally bobbled or McDonnell simply wore him down is unknown but at last McDonnell, brake rotor aglow, took the point. A yellow flag was thrown for a back marker setting up a dash to the finish.
On the restart McDonnell pulled away as Marsh collided with Smith. Mayden spun and stalled as somehow Marsh kept his Sprinter running. Between the incident in turn two and the finish line, Marsh drove OVER a Euclid tire allowing only Winsley to cross ahead of him. CRA veteran Kenny Cope motored to fourth ahead of Hinkle and Carl Tresser.
In WESCO’s first event of the season Branden Skeeters led flag to flag in his Jenkins.
Dash winner Shawn Hines spun on the initial start forcing a yellow. On the restart Clear View, WA racer Bert Johnson tucked in behind Skeeters and seemed content to stay there the rest of the evening. Hines came back to take a run at both Skeeters and Johnson, even pulled along side at one point but could not make it stick. Late arrival Mike Atkins Jr. took his best shot at the leaders as well, driving up over the side of Johnson and dumping on his side. At the finish it was the unflappable Skeeters, Johnson, rookie Jody Flowers in his first career Sprint Car race, Hines and (The Fisherman) Jerry Barton.
Four heats worth of Street Stocks got to watch the Camaro of A.J. Tipton win every event he entered. In the Feature Tipton led the Mopar of Gary Meyers, Tony Catalano, Jason Freeman and Jeff Gilman through the first lap. It was a track that seemed to favor the lighter Camaros as first Freeman then Brent Porter advanced to challenge Tipton. Catalano spun from his fourth position then Freeman looped and stalled forcing a yellow. On the lap sixteen restart, Porter looked to the inside of Tipton but it was not to be. Not even a final yellow in the closing laps and subsequent restart could unsettle Tipton who finished comfortably ahead of Porter. Meyers hung on for the show position after winning his heat earlier in the evening.
In the Bomber division it was a repeat of last week with Stan Asanovic pulling to an early lead. Completing the first round it was Asanovic by five lengths over Mike Mastrangelo, Doug Younkin and Dash winner Tom Finley. Defending division champion Shawn Thomson sliced through the field in his Camaro but could only advance as far as third before the event concluded. Younkin wrestled second from Mastrangelo, turned on his smoke screen and spun. At the line it was Asanovic, fellow heat winner Mastrangelo, North Plains drivers Thomson and Finley and Younkin who recovered from his spin to finish fifth.