July 3, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - Keep your fingers crossed, racing fans. Barring showers, this week promises to be one of the year's hottest for motorsports enthusiasts.

Perhaps the biggest event of the week will be July 4 at Alaska Raceway Park in the Butte, where four national-level drag racers will be laying down rubber on the quarter mile asphalt.

“That's the big show of the year out here,” said AK Raceway Park publicity director Riff Flatley.

In addition to hosting the best drag racers in the state, the track will welcome nitro funny car drivers Grant Downing and Jamie Bodenstadt, along with nitro roadster racers Ricky Ruiz and James Generalao.

Flatley said Downing and Bodenstadt will square off Wednesday at speeds approaching 300 mph, while Ruiz and Generalo will go head-to-head at 200 mph in their fuel altered roadsters, one of the most exciting cars in the sport.

“There's so much energy in that size car,” he said. “You gotta be driving in the whole time.”

Races at the park, located at Mile 10.4 of the Old Glenn highway will also take place today, with a dragsters from around Alaska squaring off beginning with time trials at 3 p.m.

Gates open at 2 p.m., with racing at 7 p.m.

Wednesday's action will also include Top Eliminator, Top Dragster and Sportsman class events. Gates open at 9 a.m. Wednesday, with qualifying runs at 11:30 a.m. and racing set to start at 2 p.m.

The track will also its SCCA Solo Cross II event Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit www.akracewaypark.com

Drag racing isn't the only way for fans to get their thrills this week. Both Capitol Speedway in Willow and North Star Speedway in Wasilla have races scheduled this weekend.

At Capitol, track owner Nancy Wallace said a small car demolition derby is planned for Sunday, in addition to a full slate of stock and sprint car racing is on tap for both Saturday and Sunday. Gates open Saturday at 4 p.m., with racing set for 6 p.m. On Sunday, gates open at noon with racing at 2 p.m.

For more information, visit www.capitolspeedway.org

At North Star, “GCI Saturday Night Thunder” stock car racing is set for Saturday, with gates opening at 3 p.m. and racing at 5 p.m. This Saturday will also feature a Valley Cruisers Car show and total smoke burnout, with racers smoking tires for fans' enjoyment.

On Sunday, North Star will host a “Sideways Sunday” fund raiser for the local Boys and Girls Club. In addition to sprint car racing, the event will feature mini bike, motorcycle and bike demos by Dane Ferguson and the “Slednecks,” as well as a performance by “Underground Drifters” drift racing team.

Gates open at noon, with races starting at 2 p.m.

For more information, call 746-6825 or visit www.northstarspeedway.com.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com

Stock and Sprint

Car Results

North Star Speedway

Wasilla

June 30

Baby Grands

Heat 1 - 1. Eddie Landes, 2. John Klayum, 3. Dana Pruhs

Heat 2 - 1. Larry Theobald, 2. Klayum, 3. Landes

Main - 1. Klayum, 2. Theobald, 3. Pruhs

Bandoleros

Heat 1 - 1. Tyler Holmes, 2. Travis Holmes, 3. Annita Braun

Heat 2 - 1. Andy Schwochert, 2. Travis Holmes, 3. Danner Pruhs

Main - 1. Pruhs, 2. Demi McDonald, 3. Andy Schwochert

Late Models

Heat 1 - 1. Damian Lamountain, 2. Tim Mutch, 3. Eric Wittner

Heat 2 - 1. Lamountain, 2. Mutch, 3. Wittner

Main - 1. Mutch, 2. Lamountain, 3. Wittner

Legends

Heat 1 - 1. Kris Swangarian, 2. Al Palma, 3. Mike Thomas

Heat 2 - 1. Palma, 2. Willie Creech, 3. Tim Mills

Main - 1. Creech, 2. Thomas, 3. Jeff Landrum

Mini Stock

Heat 1 - 1. Alex Schwochert, 2. Ray Butler, 3. Andy Schwochert

Heat 2 - 1. Andy Schwochert, 2. Ray Butler, 3. Jim Menard

Main - 1. Alex Schwochert, 2. Ray Butler, 3. Jim Menard

Thunder Stocks

Heat 1 - 1. Rich Schwab, 2. Tom Rench, 3. Sharlotte Sandstede

Heat 2 - 1. Sandstede, 2. Schwab, 3. Artie Niemi

Main - 1. Schwab, 2. Rench, 3. Sandstede

Capitol Speedway

Willow

June 30

Sportsman

Trophy Dash - 1. Robert Kirkhill, 2. Terry Bundtrock, 3. Chip Defendorf

Heat 1 - 1. Kirkhill, 2. Defendorf, 3. Bundtrock

Heat 2 - 1. Kirkhill, 2. Bundtrock, 3. Defendorf

Main - 1. Bundtrock, 2. Kirkhill, 3. Defendorf

Pick-ups

Trophy Dash - 1. Michael Gallagher, 2. Millie Wade, 3. James Ross, 4. Raquel Therman

Heat 1 - 1. Ross, 2. Gallagher, 3. Wade, 4. Robby Arlt, 5. Therman

Heat 2 - 1. Gallagher, 2. Ross, 3. Arlt, 4. Wade, 5. Therman

Main - 1. Gallagher, 2. Arlt, 3. Wade, 4. Ross, 5. Therman

300 Sprints

Trophy Dash - 1. Jeff Wallace, 2. Charles Goodenough, 3. Brad Cutway, 4. Robert Kirkhill

Heat 1 - 1. Wallace, 2. Goodenough, 3. Cutway, 4. Kirkhill

Heat 2 - 1. Wallace, 2. Kirkhill, 3. Cutway

Mini Stock

Trophy Dash - 1. Dale Brummer, 2. Greg Markee, 3. Gary Rice, 4. Fred Lloyd

Heat 1 - 1. Markee, 2. Rice, 3. Brummer, 4. Lloyd

Heat 2 - 1. Brummer, 2. Markee, 3. Rice, 4. Lloyd

Main - 1. Brummer, 2. Markee, 3. Rice, 4. Lloyd

Hobby Stock

Trophy Dash - 1. Rick Potter, 2. Tandi Fox, 3. Steven Vial, 4. David Keene

Heat 1 - 1. Collin Gardner, 2. Fox, 3. Michael Kriger, 4. Vial, 5. Potter, 6. Keene, 7. Charles Goodenough

Heat 2 - 1. Gardner, 2. Potter, 3. Vial, 4. Keene, 5. Goodenough, 6. Fox, 7. Kriger

Main - 1. Potter, 2. Kriger, 3. Keene, 4. Fox

Stock

Trophy Dash - 1. Ralph Gobert, 2. Tommy Potter, 3. Robert Potter, 4. Linden Fyfe

Heat 1 - 1. Gobert, 2. Fyfe, 3. Tom Theiner, 4. T. Potter, 5. R. Potter, 6. Dean Nelson

Heat 2 - 1. Nelson, 2. Fyfe, 3. Theiner, 4. R. Potter, 5. T. Potter, 6. Gobert

Main - 1. Gobert, 2. Nelson, 3. T. Potter, 4. Theiner, 5. Fyfe