NATIONAL OPEN PHOTOS
And once again I explain that I shoot for fun more than profit, so if you're
not here please check with Rich Carlson as he'll have photos of you for sure.
Our main job at this event was to shoot video for NHRA, and note I don't currently
do videos for individual racers - sorry.
The MRP report is coming this week...fer shur. Tonight however, we do Eagle.
After a late Friday night at the MRP Mopacs (which, like always was cool), we got up kinda early and arrived at Eagle about 1:00 p.m. Saturday for race number two of the NHRA National Open Series. Little did we know we'd get to bed oh...bout midnight.
This being HH's first 'ERA' event we come home happy to announce that, despite a few glitches, Eagle is alive and well. Very well. Thanks to a lot of people we were on hand to shoot for ESPN2's NHRA Raceday...though I do admit that there may be some camera and format 'issues' once I send off the clips, but hopefully everything will go well and the 'Eagle show' will air sometime later this month. We'll let all you pirate satellite Canucks, and legal Americans know exactly when.
Actually, between the fabulous MRP Lucas, the Eagle Open, and some little NHRA sales thing that happened the middle of last week, the 'N' word has been totally ga ga...freekin EVERYWHERE. Though I shared a room with D6D Jonathan Adams last night, my lips are sealed as to all the 'scoop'...well almost. I managed to wrangle a bit out of him as he was trying to go to sleep. Bottom line is, details of the sale are not out there. Anything you hear at this time must be taken with a lot of doubt. Nothing negative however. From a strictly HH seat-of-the-pants feeling on this deal...nothing...I repeat, NOTHING will surprise me, as I've had way too many 'insider' conversations the past couple of years that include everything from...nope can't go there...yet.
Getting back to Ashcroft. It was hot. How hot? Try 138 track temp this afternoon...before the rains came. Ya, we got kinda rained an blown out, but all-in-all it was a good thing. Why? Read on, class-by-class. Though, be aware we don't have anything more than final round sheets to go by, so no dial-ins, no qualifying, no who-lost-in-the-semis info.
Top Comp
What the heck is that you ask? Top what? Ok, no problem, it's still kinda cool
to watch diggers n doors goin at it. Saturday we saw the defending Open champ
Dustin Hentges win over Greg Carlslile. Today we saw a WILD wind and rains storm
blow in about 4ish just as finalists Carslile and Jon Riedle were pulling into
the lanes. Look for that final to be run at the Seattle Lucas in a couple of
weeks.
Super Pro
Another reason why they rain-delayed this final as well was cause Riedel was
in it too! "Ya it was quite a day" he told us as we were leaving the
track. His opponent will be Mike Shannon at Seattle. On Saturday we got to see
Demon Chick Vicki Strell take home Wally number five in a win over 'Drinks'
Champ Jason Gibson. Husband David celebrated, and yes, proved that winning a
Wally can somehow produce a head ache the next day.
Pro
There were so many people running two classes here, it was hard to keep up,
but if nothing else is fer shur, the Combo guys kicked Pro butt. Brad Plourd
brought the Bob Lambeck-owned A/SA Yenko clone to Eagle and not only pleased
all the shooters in the stands with giant wheelies on every hit, but the Maple
Valley WA hitter won Saturday over Dave Rastad (who is looking real good already
in the Kvaas Firebird). On Sunday it was...who else?? Cory Thompson taking the
family Firebird to a win over Marty 'the human party' Parsons who manages to
have as much fun if he looses in round one or the final. No further comment.
So wut the hell is next...lemme go thru all this paperwork...
Sportsman...ya Sportsman.
Saturday saw the smilin guy in the C-cab pickup, Marvin Dykstra, win over Nathan
Wieler in his 'two tons o fun' Chrysler. Sunday found Gerald Patzer, in his
front drive '03 Poncho Grand Am defeat Federal Way's Brian Thompson. The Platzenator
also won Sports Compact over Geno Reda's Kamloops-based '95 Civic. Not sure
on the S/C thing, but I believe it's only run on the Open schedule here.
Can I go sleep now? oooookay.
BIKE
James Sibley wins Saturday over Al Omond, then Sunday Omond claims the Wallace
defeating Kevin Brennan. Not many bikes here, but we did have over 200 entries
on hand. And ya they did run Quads, but we got no info on them...sorry. Got
some cool quad wheelie photos that we'll post later though.
Ok, I'm dun...whew...deep breath. No I'm not.
JUNIORRRRRRRR
One word...well two. Forest Schiffman of Vancouver WA. Won Lightening BOTH days,
and considering this was easily the biggest class here, that was some kind of
accomplishment!!! He took out Britini Lane on Saturday and Tanner Ellingsen
today. Thunder had Daiton Ward win Saturday over Natasha Parkinson and Michale
Karr the Sunday champ over Parkinson again. Tough break, but a great performance
from the Merrit BC driver.
Super Comp
Looking like the 'Money Man' of old, Mike Seekins wins Saturday over Glen Kerunski
crew dude, Mike Pople, then The Burien WA shoe runners' up to Zack Craig Sunday.
Seekins was runner-up last weekend at the MRP Lucas and, like I say, is looking
AWESOME right now.
Super Gas
...or should I say 'Senior' Gas?? as 71 year young Rod Horsley wins on Sunday
over Daryl Baker from Dewington Alberta. For me personally this was a great
weekend of SG. A really, really good friend, Glen Iggulden won Saturday to claim
his first 'race' Wally ever defeating Dean Peterson from the Island.. The 'kid'
in the Vette has been so close so many times, I was truly thrilled to be there
to see it happen. Especially coming over a 'hitter' like Dean, who is one of
the best out there. Later that night over a Barclay family steak I got to see
Glen sit there with a huge smile you could not have hammered off his face. Moments
like that are what's it's all about. Then Horsley wins Sunday. He too was at
the 'Corvette' gathering Saturday night, as cool a dude as there ever was.Thanks
to the Barclays for a great time.
Super Street
After a HEATED deal on a previous round 'error' Steve Lowe won not only the
re-run but the whole damn race Saturday getting by Ray Carlson in the final..
I know so many of these guys, and ya, Steve has won a bunch....but not lately.
A good win for a neat guy. Then Sunday, the former mayor and current Re-Max
dude Carlson (another 71 year old) runnered up yet again, this time to first
time Walliest Beck Lindsey of Puyallup. It's always wonderful to see a first
time winner. Lindsey could hardly hold back the tears. Pretty neat stuff.
So wuts left?
COMBO...how could I forget?
Saturday saw Ploud wheelie his way to victory over Joe Graves of Edmonton in
his wicked fast Camaro, then Sunday it was....ready? Brad Potter runner up to...Worm.
That's right, Don Elgin shook off his early season blues to win over Potter
who will get a win one day soon in the former Brad Plourd Chevy. Hey, I like
Don, he's...well he's...uh...a winner. Wut can ya say? Everybody knows the one
they call Worm, and here's one writer who is not afraid to say he loves watchin
everything he does...zany or not.
High School
Again not a big field, but Emily MacDonald won Saturday over Amelia Mackay-Smith
then on Sunday it was Mackay-Smith victorious over MacDonald.
So I do believe that covers it folks. Other than to give a MASSIVE thank you to the pit-hosts-with-the-mosts Ellingsens, Howes ' n Pecks..wut a super, super time at Eagle. Thanks too to da ERA...all uv em, and too many more.
Not to mention all the track staff who hung in there through very, very hot conditions - WELL DONE you guys...and girls!!
About an hour before the wind and rains came today it was 138 degrees on the line. Hot don't begin to describe it! It was like Vegas in July at Ashcroft in early June