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Gatrell holds off Lopez to score Tenino victory
Andrew Kunas
TENINO, Wash. – The champ is back.
Reigning champion Spence Gatrell of Aurora, Ore. scored his first feature victory of the season in Saturday's Washington Midget Racing Association event at South Sound Speedway. It'll be his only win with the WMRA this season also, as he is leaving on Wednesday for school in Ohio.
Running only a partial schedule this season, Gatrell had struggled in his handful of appearances before getting things on track Saturday in the Steve Gatrell No. 8 Gaerte-powered Hawk. Gatrell started the 35-lap main event outside the second row and found himself in second after the start behind early leader Tony Seidelman.
Gatrell followed Seidelman for six laps before overtaking Seidelman for the lead on the back stretch during the seventh circuit. Gatrell would lead the rest of the way, but had to deal with a blistered right rear tire and hold off Brea Lopez of Vader, Wash. in the closing laps.
"I noticed it a lot getting towards the last caution (lap 28)," Gatrell said about his handling difficulties.
"Just as long as I win. I don't care," Gatrell said frankly. "It feels good to win, especially when I'm leaving for school on Wednesday. This is my last race here for seven or eight months."
That last caution, the second of the race, was for Portland's Chris Petersen, the outside pole-sitter who came to a stop on the exit road off the track. While it may have put Lopez right behind Gatrell, it probably hurt Lopez more. Lopez was closing on Gatrell, but during the yellow flag laps Lopez's tires cooled down and for the first few laps after the restart she struggled to keep pace with Gatrell.
By lap 34 Lopez caught back up to Gatrell and made a serious challenge for the lead position as the two made minor contact in turns one and two. Lopez backed off after they touched but moved up to Gatrell again, only to run out of time.
"It had a pretty good push, so we were kind of slow on the restarts. I had to muscle it," Lopez said about the first laps following the restart. "I probably need a couple more laps. We were trying."
Already a winner in BCRA competition, Lopez's runner-up on Saturday was her best showing of the year with the WMRA in the Dan Press No. 25 Esslinger-powered Beast. Lopez had run fourth at the start of the event before passing Petersen for third and later Seidelman for second.
Dallas Melby of Ravensdale, Wash. finished third in the Chris Melby No. 9 Mopar-Blue Dot. Melby won the WMRA season opener at South Sound Speedway on April 28 and also has a BCRA win to his credit. Twenty-five year veteran Ken Ferris of DuPont, Wash. finished fourth in his own No. 28 Ford-powered Beast.
WMRA point leader Evan Margeson of Tacoma saw his astounding six-race win streak end on Saturday with a fifth place finish in the Harold Beald No. 50 Ford-powered Beast. Ethan "Snake" Livernash of Spanaway, Wash. finished sixth in the Scott Livernash No. 55 Esslinger-powered Beast. Troy Globe, the lone Canadian visitor from Abbotsford, Brit. Col. finished seventh in his family's No. 19 Blue Dot that had a Ford Focus motor under the hood.
Petersen, Seidelman and Brad Curtis were eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively.
Curtis set a new track record for midget cars in qualifying with a time of 13.028 seconds around the 3/8-mile, high-banked asphalt oval. All but one car timed in the 13-second range.
Gatrell bested Seidelman and Lopez in the B Heat while Margeson beat Curtis and Ferris in the A Heat, which featured the five fastest qualifiers.
The Washington Midget Racing Association also worked with the Special Olympics tonight. Between donations made in the pit area and the passing of helmets by the drivers in the grandstands, nearly $800 was raised by the WMRA for the Special Olympics.
The WMRA continues its season this Saturday with its final appearance of the season at the Wenatchee Valley Super Oval in East Wenatchee. Margeson has won both WMRA events at that facility this season. The series will also visit Ephrata Raceway Park in eastern Washington on September 1 before closing its season September 15 at South Sound.
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Washington Midget Racing Association
South Sound Speedway
Tenino, WA
August 11, 2007
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Qualifying: (Car no., driver, hometown, owner, chassis/motor, time)
1. 12 Brad Curtis – Edmonds, WA; Joan Curtis, Beast/Mopar, 13.028 seconds (New Track Record)
2. 9 Dallas Melby – Ravensdale, WA; Chris Melby, Blue Dot/Mopar, 13.14
3. 50 Evan Margeson – Tacoma, WA; Harold Beald, Beast/Ford, 13.24
4. 28 Ken Ferris – DuPont, WA; same, Beast/Ford, 13.25
5. 55 Ethan "Snake" Livernash – Spanaway, WA; Scott Livernash, Beast/Esslinger, 13.30
6. 25 Brea Lopez – Vader, WA; Dan Press, Beats/Esslinger, 13.33
7. 8 Spence Gatrell – Aurora, OR; Steve Gatrell, Hawk/Gaerte, 13.34
8. 81 Doug Kammerzell – Arlington, WA; Carl Peter, Spoors/Gaerte, 13.46
9. 98 Chris Petersen – Portland, OR; Tom & Judy Maples, Beast/Ford, 13.49
10. 44 Tony Seidelman – Spanaway, WA; Randy Manners, Hawk/Sage, 13.52
11. 19 Troy Globe – Abbotsford, BC; Brian Globe, Blue Dot/Ford Focus, 14.53
B Heat (8 laps): 1. 8 Spence Gatrell, 2. 44 Tony Seidelman, 3. 25 Brea Lopez, 4. 98 Chris Petersen, 5. 19 Troy Globe, 6. 81 Doug Kammerzell.
A Heat (8 laps): 1. 50 Evan Margeson, 2. 12 Brad Curtis, 3. 28 Ken Ferris, 4. 9 Dallas Melby, 5. 55 Snake Livernash.
Feature (35 laps): 1. 8 Spence Gatrell, 2. 25 Brea Lopez, 3. 9 Dallas Melby, 4. 28 Ken Ferris, 5. 50 Evan Margeson, 6. 55 Snake Livernash, 7. 19 Troy Globe, 8. 98 Chris Petersen, 9. 44 Tony Seidelman, 10. 12 Brad Curtis, DNS – 81 Doug Kammerzell.
Lap leaders: 1-6 Tony Seidelman, 7-35 Spence Gatrell
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Washington Midget Racing Association
www.wmraracing.com
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