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Kammerzell wins Salem midget finale marred by tragedy
Andrew Kunas, with special thanks to Bill Poehler (Salem Statesman-Journal

SALEM, Ore. – Saturday was a another night of good racing at the Oregon State Fairgrounds, but to those in attendance the third night of February 2007 will forever be remembered as one of mixed feelings, mostly shock and sadness.

Earl Veeder of Molalla, Ore. lost his life after a crash during the first midget car heat race on the small dirt oval under the cover of the Livestock Pavilion. During a caution for the tangled vehicles of Dave Pugsley and Mike McCann, Veeder's car suddenly accelerated on the front stretch and crashed violently into the turn one wall.

Veeder, whose bright yellow #25 car stood out from the others, reportedly was pronounced dead at Salem Hospital. Veeder was 70.

There is currently no official word on what specific injury from the crash or other ailment caused Veeder's death, but there was rather strong speculation that Veeder suffered a heart attack while driving the car, setting off a chain of events that resulted in the crash.

Making what was likely a difficult decision as Veeder was taken away in an ambulance, the midget drivers still on the track during the red flag period elected to continue racing.

Seattle's Doug Kammerzell would win the main event later in the evening and became the first driver to win two midget main events in Salem since indoor midget racing began at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in January 2006. It took until the fifth and final event of the 2006-07 indoor midget season and seventh event overall to see a repeat winner in this class.

Kammerzell held off Pugsley's last corner attempt at a pass to win the race, but it was Pugsley who unofficially won the Salem Indoor midget title. Pugsley's lone victory of the indoor season came in the season opener on November 4.

McCann would finish third, followed by Tony Seidelman in fourth. Randy Bauer, driving for Seidelman's brother, Nick, finished fifth.

The dwarf cars also finished their indoor season on Saturday. After missing the first handful of races, former Pacific Hardtop Racing Association champion Richard Petty of Saint Helens, Ore. picked up his first win of the indoor season after making a last lap pass around Henry Corbin III.

Petty led earlier in the race, only to end up at the back of the field as the result of stopping after tangling with Bryan Baxter in turn four. Baxter was sent to the back of the field as well for aggressive driving. Petty quickly worked his way back through the field and found himself in third on a restart with only two laps remaining. On the restart Petty flew by Dean Prather for second before making the pass for the win around Corbin III in turns three and four on the final lap.

Prather finished third, followed by Henry Corbin II, Dave Lewis, Doug McVae, Bryan Baxter, Lee Gifford, Gary Sauce, and Jim Fisher.

Logan Forler and Mitch Hoffses entered the evening tied atop the point standings in the 600cc stock micro-sprints. It was Forler who came out top in the 25-lap main event with Hoffses coming in second and Deming Speedway champion Garrett Archer finishing third.

Forler and Hoffses are expected to renew their point battle in the season finale for the micro-sprints on February 24 and 25.

Sammy Wright won the 25-lap 600cc restricted micro-sprint main event after taking the lead on lap two from Cody Ridge. Cody Ridge, the son of many-time Skagit Speedway champion Randy Ridge, maintained second place the remainder of the race and finished ahead of Jeremy Weatherbee, Dylan Westrick, Angie Magnuson, and Brandon Benson.

Winning another main event also was Stanley Steves as he took the season finale for the pro-4 modifieds.

From the Salem Statesman-Journal...

Motor sports: Veteran driver Earl Veeder dies of heart attack at fairgrounds race

BILL POEHLER

February 4, 2007

Earl Veeder of Molalla, a race car driver whose career spanned back to the 1950s, died after a racing accident at the Oregon State Fairgrounds Saturday. He was 70.

Veeder was slowly driving around the 1/6-mile dirt oval inside the Livestock Pavilion under caution during the first midget heat race of the night when suddenly his midget accelerated on the front stretch and hit the concrete wall between turns one and two almost head on.

The race was red flagged and emergency personnel administered CPR on Veeder for 20 minutes before he was taken to Salem Hospital by ambulance, where he later died.

“It was kind or hard to get back in the heat race knowing that we thought he wasn’t going to make it,” said fellow racer David Pugsley. “You kind of wonder is there anything wrong with race car drivers because we all strapped back in and did it.

“As somebody said that’s what he would have wanted us to do.”

Veeder was known almost as much for his storytelling ability as his canary yellow No. 25 race cars.

Veeder started his racing career mostly in open wheel racers — sprint cars, midgets and supermodifieds — at tracks in Oregon and Washington, such as Salem Speedway, Jantzen Beach Speedway and Portland Speedway.

Veeder, a long-time resident of Hubbard before moving to Molalla a year ago, made a living racing in those days.

Veeder retired from racing in 1978, but returned to race sprint cars in 2000 and raced mostly at Sunset Speedway in Banks.

Veeder is survived by wife Janet, four children, Jack, Jeff, David and Nicole, and two grandchildren, Marissa and Drake.