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NWWT sprints continue, midgets get their start Saturday at Cottage Grove by Andrew Kunas, NWWT Publicist |
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COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. - The NorthWest Wingless Tour will hold its second night of racing in its inaugural season this Saturday with another show at Cottage Grove Speedway. Along with the NWWT’s 360 sprint cars, the NWWT midgets will make their season debut as well. The NWWT media department believes they can get an internet connection at the track. If that is the case, the NWWT will be providing live updates for those who are stuck at home or for any other reason aren’t fortunate enough to be at the track this Saturday. Kyle Miller of Eugene, Ore. currently holds the lead in the point standings by a mere two points over Keary Morris or Portland, Ore. Kyler Barraza, who won the inaugural NWWT sprint car main event at Cottage Grove on April 25th, currently sits third in the point standings and only three tallies behind Miller. Gary Davis is also tied with Barraza for third. Miller had set fast time in qualifying, finished fourth in his heat race after starting tenth and twice came from the back of the field to finish third in the main event and it came with a limited motor under the hood as he had blown his 360ci motor a couple of weeks earlier. Barraza himself was dominant up front, easily winning the feature ahead of Davis. Morris finished fourth ahead of Joe Bosso Jr. Miller is expected to race again with the NorthWest Wingless Tour as he had indicated a strong interest in doing so following the April 25th race. Already behind in points elsewhere because of motor issues, the two-time Cottage Grove Speedway champion may join NWWT to run the rest of the schedule. One big name that will be racing this Saturday is Greg Taylor, the 2007 Ventura Raceway champion in southern California. Taylor will take a stab at the racy ¼-mile clay oval with help from two-time Ventura Raceway champion Gary Howard, who will be his crew chief this weekend. To the NorthWest Wingless Tour, they will be a welcome addition to Saturday’s program and the NWWT hopes they’ll bring others with them the next time they come. With the track’s local 360 sprint cars having the weekend off, it is possible some of them will come out without the wings on to take on the NWWT visitors. Gladstone, Ore.’s Mike Morris, who made his sprint car debut on April 25th, sits fifth in the NWWT sprint car standings. Fellow rookie Dylan Olsen of Kelso, Wash. sits behind him in sixth place. Jeff “Ozzie” Osburn, Joe Bosso Jr, Mark Nichols and rookie Sammy Wright round out the top ten. The midgets meanwhile will finally get to do some racing after their long off-season. It’s not known how many midgets will show up but it’s hopeful regardless of how many do it’ll be a good show for the fans at Cottage Grove Speedway. In Ron Brown’s well known No. 14 Cosworth Ford-powered machine will be longtime dwarf car standout Doug McVae of Scappoose, Ore. McVae is a former champion with the Pacific Hardtop Racing Association and the Salem Indoor winter series and is in his second year piloting Brown’s midget. McVae brought the car to Cottage Grove Speedway on April 25th to run a handful of laps around the track and let fans know what they will be seeing several times this season. Ravensdale, Wash. driver Dallas Melby is scheduled to drive the the Tom & Judy Maples No. 98 midget and will also be joined by Wilsonville, Ore.‘s Rob Lindsey, who will bring his familiar No. 23. Both have an extensive pavement backgrounds. Melby has BCRA and WMRA wins as well as Wolverine Outlaw Midget victory in Michigan to his credit and Lindsey was a longtime WMRA participant. Tyler Steenslid of St. Johns, Ore. has also registered with the NorthWest Wingless Tour’s midget division, driving a car owned by his father Keith Steenslid. Tyler won last year’s Back to the 50’s dwarf car event at Sunset Speedway Park and is a rookie in the midgets this year. Longtime sprint car and midget veteran Steve Veltman will also be piloting a midget this season. Veltman has been racing for more than 20 years. The inaugural event for the NorthWest Wingless Tour on April 25th was a great success and more is expected this Saturday at Cottage Grove Speedway. Pit gates will open at 3:00 with spectator gates opening at 4:00. Qualifying is scheduled for about 5:30 with racing starting around 6:45. Cottage Grove Speedway’s website can be found at http://www.cottagegrovespeedway.com. More information on the NorthWest Wingless Tour can be found online at http://www.nwwinglesstour.com. - - - NorthWest Wingless Tour 360 sprint car point standings 1. Kyle Miller, 69 2. Keary Morris, 67 3. Kyler Barraza, 66 4. Gary Davis, 66 5. Mike Morris, 60 6. Dylan Olsen, 55 7. Jeff “Ozzie” Osburn, 55 8. Joe Bosso Jr, 54 9. Mark Nichols, 52 10. Sammy Wright, 52 - - - Upcoming NorthWest Wingless Tour events May 23 - Cottage Grove Speedway - Cottage Grove, OR June 5 - Willamette Speedway - Lebanon, OR (NWWT Summer Shootout Series) June 6 - Cottage Grove Speedway - Cottage Grove, OR (NWWT Summer Shootout Series) |
