September 4, 1985 (Sports) (jpeg)
September 4, 1985 (Sports) (tiff)
Spokane club races to a 31-year-old finish
By Peter Chapin
Seventy-seven amateur auto-racing enthusiasts from the Northwest competed over the Labor Day weekend at Deer Park in the Northwest Motorsport Grand Prix finale.
The emphasis was on finale.
The 31-year bittersweet affair between the Spokane club and Deer Park apparently is history. The Airport Board gave Northwest Motorsport of Spokane permission to stage its last race this year if the group would clean up the facilities.
Disenchantment with the club stemmed from complaints about noise and incompatibility with aviation.
Nevertheless, the turnout for the final fling was considered better than average by race chairman Mel Nordhagen of Spokane.
"We had no problems beyond the normal mechanical breakdowns that always occur," he said.
The weekend competition actually counted as two races in the 10-race series held by the ICSCC, whose members include clubs from Portland and Seattle, Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, as well as Spokane.
Five-lap qualifying heats on the 1.3 mile course led to 20-minute championship showdowns in each of the 22 racing groups.
Top winners were Ken Deckman of Auburn, who won the Group 1 GT and Class A Sports divisions both days; and Mac Russell of Redmond, Ore., a double-winner in the Group 3 GT and in Sunday's Class C Sports.
Area winners include Dave and Mark Jaremko of Nine-Mile Falls, two-time winners in the closed-wheel novice and D Production classes respectively. They are third- and second-generation racers from the Jaremko family who have competed at Deer Park.
Erik Youngston of Loon Lake won the open-wheel novice competition on Saturday.
The only woman driver, Jerrilyn Sturge of Woodenville, won the Formula V event both days. Paraplegic Charley Hexom of Portland drove his specially equipped H Production machine to victory Saturday.
Winners received trophies and points in the conference standings.
Nordhagen described the Deer Park course as a driver's track--fairly short straightaways with six turns of 90 degrees or more to test the drivers' abilities.
Beginners are required to compete in at least three novice races before they earn their area license. After three more races, they can move up to a senior license.
Northwest Motorsports offers a novice driving school at least once a year.
The 35-member group currently is negotiating with two tracks in Spokane for next year's competition, Nordhagen said.
NORTHWEST MOTORSPORT RESULTS
(Drivers won both Saturday's and Sunday's events, unless two names are listed. The first name is Saturday's winner).
Novice, closed wheel -- Dave Jaremko, Nine-Mile Falls.
Novice, open wheel -- Erik Youngston, Loon Lake. Charles Petty, Seattle.
D Production -- Mark Jaremko, Nine-Mile Falls.
E Production -- Don Smethers, Westlin, Ore. Jack Banton, Portland.
F Production -- Win Casey, Portland.
G Production -- Dave Battin, Portland.
H Production -- Charley Hexon, Portland (Saturday only).
I Production -- Jon Wilson, Portland. Paul Truess, Kirkland.
F Sports Racing -- Rudy Pabst, Spokane (Saturday only).
Formula 440 -- Todd Cornish, Kent.
Formula V -- Jerrilyn Sturge, Woodenville.
GT1 -- Ken Deckman, Auburn.
GT2 -- Frank McCabe, Redmond, Ore.
GT3 -- Mac Russell, Redmond, Ore.
GT4 -- Al Beebe, Lynnwood.
GT5 -- Ken Reviea, Salem, Ore.
GT Improved -- Keith Heinaman, Portland.
Formula Ford -- Bill Johnston, Vancouver, B.C.
Club Ford -- Mel Nordhagen, Spokane. Darren Joy, Seattle.
A Sports Racing -- Ken Deckman, Auburn.
B Sports Racing -- Brad Gehring, Bremerton. Gary Heath, Bremerton.
C Sports Racing -- Jeff Ducken, Seattle. Mac Russell, Redmond, Ore.
D Sports Racing -- Woody Woodburn, Selah.
F Sports Racing -- Rudy Pabst, Spokane (Sunday only).