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Brown wins in NSRA's debut at Spokane
Andrew Kunas
SPOKANE – Rick Brown became the first repeat winner of the 2007 season in ASA Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association competition when he took the checkered flags Saturday night before Spokane Raceway Park's largest crowd of the season
Saturday's event for the NSRA was its first ever at the ½-mile, high-banked asphalt oval located just west of Washington's No. 2 city, and it was the first open wheel event at Spokane Raceway Park since a USAC super modified race in 1986. Brown, the five-time former NSRA champion out of Springfield, Ore., will go into the record books as the first winner of such an event since then.
Brown started the 30-lap feature event outside the third row and needed only six laps to make his way up to second place aboard the Jim Diemert-owned No. 99 Chevy-powered Doemolt. The 14-time open wheel champion soon found himself behind leader Jake Mann of Monroe, Wash. Brown, however, had to wait until lap 24 to finally get around Mann, who had worn down his tires trying to stay ahead.
Mann, who won his first career NSRA event two weeks ago at South Sound Speedway in western Washington, had held the top spot since taking it from outside pole-sitter and initial leader Robert Beck on lap five. Mann was stronger on the south end of the track in turns one and two, but turns three and four on the north end was Brown's strong area and that was where he got around Mann with just over six laps remaining.
"That old guy was fast" Mann jokingly said about his failed efforts to hold off the 53-year-old Brown, "I think the right front tire wore down. It was brand new before the race."
"Jake was fast in (turns) one and two," Brown commented. "The only place I'd get in on him was in three and four. I was able to get under him there and pass him. I enjoyed (the racing), and he seemed to like it too."
Brown's other victory came at his home track in Roseburg, Ore. on April 28. Brown had begun driving for Jim Diemert last season after winning the NSRA championship the previous two years for Eddie Isackson. Brown these days is pleased with the car supplied to him by Diemert.
"The car was good hot lapping, and then I messed it up qualifying. (Diemert) fixed it and away we were," Brown said.
The fourth-starting Mann and Brown jumped to second and third respectively on the initial start. After the feature event's only caution on lap two, Mann passed Beck, out of Redmond, Wash., on the high side of the track exiting turn two on lap five after Beck had held the lead by the nose of his car on the prior lap. The next lap, Brown passed Beck in the exact same manner.
Mann would handle slower cars without much trouble, not allowing Brown to get any closer until Brown overtook him in the latter third of the race. Despite losing the top spot, Mann was happy with his second place finish, which was also his third podium finish in as many appearances with the NSRA in the Waller & Son Motorsports No. 51 Don Ott-powered Lejeune this season.
"It's just like two weeks ago," Mann said about his night. "None of this we knew what we were doing with. We've just rolled the dice and have gotten lucky and I'm thrilled."
The two drivers have apparent differences of opinion regarding tire wear, but both liked the track at Spokane Raceway Park.
"I think everybody liked it. Nobody had a negative thing to say," Mann said. "You can run two, three wide here."
"It's not abrasive to tires," Brown said. "For a big track, it's a safe track."
Beck would run third in the Millennium Motorsports No. 3 Shark-powered Stealth until being passed by Meridian, Idaho's Bryan Warf on the final lap. Warf's No. 91 Chevy-powered Eagle was able to appear on the front stretch for trophy presentations despite catching fire in turn four during the cool down lap. Beck finished fourth, followed by Kevin Burck in the Perkins No. 65 Cope Bros. Chevy-powered Gambler.
NSRA point leader Andy Alberding of Roseburg, who earlier set the all-time track record in qualifying, started the feature tenth and picked off three cars on the first lap. Alberding, however, contended with fellow Roseburg driver Matt Hein for much of the race before making a bonzai move for sixth late in the contest. Unable to move up further, Alberding settled for sixth aboard the Dar-Dan Racing No. 76 Chevy-powered Stealth.
Alberding, contending for his first career NSRA championship, entered the event with a 31-point advantage over Monte Zema Jr. of Colville, Wash. Zema finished eighth in his own No. 25 Montgomery-powered Lejeune, Alberding unofficially tacked on eight more points to his lead.
Hein finished seventh in the Hein Racing No. 98h Shaver-powered Beast. Third place points man Justin Mack of Benton City, Wash. finished ninth and Wes Helgeson of Otis Orchards, Wash. rounded out the top ten.
Inside pole-sitter Todd Coleman of Lynnwood, Wash. ran in the top ten until pulling off the track on lap 18 when his No. 44 J&J overheated, resulting in an 11th place finish. Brown's former car owner Isackson, who won last year's WESCO championship, finished 13th after also pulling off the track with motor problems.
The prior all-time track record at Spokane was reportedly a 15.52-second lap by a super modified in the mid 1980's. Alberding broke it on his first qualifying lap, a time of 15.472 seconds before lowering it further with a time of 15.433 seconds on his second lap. Alberding, who has the all-time track record at three other tracks, had an average speed of 150.694 miles per hour on his second trip around the track.
Alberding was to start the feature 12th originally as the result of the invert card he drew, but moved up one row while a couple of teams with ill-handling cars elected to start at the back of the field.
Hein, Burck and Zema all ran in the 15-second range as well during their qualifying runs. Brown was fifth quick, just missing the 15-second range himself. Burck won the four-lap A-Dash event, which featured the four fastest qualifiers, over Alberding, Zema and Hein. Mack and Coleman each won an eight-lap heat race.
The NSRA's next scheduled event is its second and final appearance of the year at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Ore later this month. The series will also make its only appearance at eastern Washington's Ephrata Raceway Park for the Rebel Jackson Memorial on August 4. On August 25, the series visits Western Speedway in Victoria, Brit. Col. for the historic Daffodil Cup race.
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ASA Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association
Spokane Raceway Park
Spokane, WA
July 7, 2007
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
18 cars
Qualifying (No, driver, hometown, owner, time):
1. 76 Andy Alberding – Roseburg, OR; Dar-Dan Racing: 15.433 seconds (150.694 mph average), New all-time track record at Spokane Raceway Park
2. 98h Matt Hein – Roseburg, OR; Hein Racing: 15.549
3. 65 Kevin Burck – Ephrata, WA; Red Perkins: 15.965
4. 25 Monte Zema Jr. – Colville, WA; same: 15.997
5. 99d Rick Brown – Springfield, OR; Jim Diemert: 16.065
6. 17 Justin Mack – Benton City, WA, Mel's Motorsports: 16.144
7. 51 Jake Mann – Monroe, WA; Waller & Son Motorsports: 16.194
8. 13 Mike Basher – Tacoma, WA; Sonny Basher: 16.201
9. 91 Bryan Warf – Meridian, ID; LaMoyne Warf: 16.504
10. 3 Robert Beck – Redmond, WA; Millennium Motorsports: 16.604
11. 44 Todd Coleman – Lynnwood, WA; TODCO Motorsports: 16.651
12. 1 Eddie Isackson – Gold Bar, WA; same: 17.195
13. 23 Wes Helgeson – Otis Orchards, WA; Dixon Helgeson: 17.485
14. 44t Ron Turner – Spokane, WA; same: 17.928
01 Ken Hamilton – Boise, ID; Butch Freeman: no time
25j Sierra Jackson – Middleton, ID: Mike Jackson: no time
82 R.J. Fronsman – Ephrata, WA: Fronsman Racing: no time
82j Ray Jones – Delta, BC, same: no time
Hamilton, Jackson and Fronsman all lost motors during practice sessions and scratched for the remainder of the program as did Ray Jones who had mechanical problems.
Dash (4 laps): 1. 65 Kevin Burck, 2. 76 Andy Alberding, 3. 25 Monte Zema Jr., 4. 98h Matt Hein.
Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. 17 Justin Mack, 2. 98h Matt Hein, 3. 3 Robert Beck, 4. 25 Monte Zema Jr., 5. 13 Mike Basher, 6. 1 Eddie Isackson, 7. 44t Ron Turner.
Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. 44 Todd Coleman, 2. 51 Jake Mann, 3. 65 Kevin Burck, 4. 99d Rick Brown, 5. 76 Andy Alberding, 6. 91 Bryan Warf, 7. 23 Wes Helgeson.
Feature (30 laps for 15 miles): 1. 99d Rick Brown, 2. 51 Jake Mann, 3. 91 Bryan Warf, 4. 3 Robert Beck, 5. 65 Kevin Burck, 6. 76 Andy Alberding, 7. 98h Matt Hein, 8. 25 Monte Zema Jr., 9. 17 Justin Mack, 10. 23 Wes Helgeson, 11. 44 Todd Coleman, 12. 13 Mike Basher, 13. 1 Eddie Isackson, 14. 44t Ron Turner.
Lap leaders: Robert Beck 1-4, Jake Mann 5-23, Rick Brown 24-30
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NSRA: Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association
www.nsraracing.com
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