Weekend rains don’t stop all of the racing action

MAT-SU — Despite persistent rain showers that seem to have settled in for the summer, all three area auto racing venues were able to get races in over the weekend, with stock cars, sprint cars and drag racers all enjoying some time in the sun Saturday.

“We had some really good races,” North Star Speedway track manager Loni Mrozik said Monday.

Anita Braun and Rob Tirpak each won all three races of the day in their respective classes, with Braun sweeping the Bandoleros and Tirpak posting a 3-for-3 day in the late models.

In the thunder stocks, Keith Jones won twice and finished second to Rich Schwab in the second heat.

Other drivers to have a good day at the track included Al Palma, who had a first and two seconds in the legends class; and Alex Schwochert, who nabbed a first and two seconds in the mini stocks.

North Star had been rained out the two previous Saturdays, and Mrozik said it was nice to finally have dry enough conditions to race at the oval track in Wasilla.

“It’s been frustrating, but it’s just one of those things,” she said. “You can’t control the weather.”

Now that the speedway is up and running, Mrozik said excitement is starting to build at the track. On Monday, North Star announced that Lud Larson with North Star Racing Inc. has decided to kick in $5,000 for cash races planned for July 5.

“Someone to put up that kind of money is pretty cool,” Mrozik said.

Mrozik said she’s hopeful that the cash races will help generate even more interest in racing at the track.

“That’s what it’s supposed to do,” she said.

This weekend, North Star will host its regular GCI Saturday Thunder races, with spectator gates at the track set to open at 4 p.m.

Capitol Speedway

WILLOW — Stock and sprint cars got in half a weekend’s worth of races, with Saturday going off without a hitch and Sunday getting rained out.

Track owner Nancy Wallace said heavy rain storms passed over Willow most of the day Saturday, with the rain not letting up until after racing had been called off at the dirt track.

“At 2 o’clock it was coming down pretty good,” she said.

The rain-out will be made up next Sunday.

Rain didn’t keep racers from getting out on the track Saturday afternoon, as a full schedule of stocks and sprints were contested.

In the stocks class, Linden Fyfe had a big day, picking up wins in two of four heats to help cut into Dean Nelson’s overall lead in the season points standings. Nelson still leads the stocks class with 534, with Ralph Gobert in second at 399 and Fyfe in third with 329. John Clemons is in fourth with 320 points. Both Gobert and Clemons also won heats Saturday, as Nelson was shut out.

Every class leader from last week managed to hold onto his spot at the top, although Kory Madsen’s spot leading in the mini-stocks got much more perilous. In the tightest points race so far this season, Madsen now leads Dale Brummer by nine points after Brummer won three of four heats Saturday. Madsen led the class by more than 30 points going into the day.

Other points leaders include Brian Vaughan in the hobby stocks, Jeff Wallace in the 300 sprints, John McDonald in the 360 sprints, James Ross in the pick-ups and George Park in modified lite.

Vaughan was a three-time winner Saturday, while Ross and Wallace each won twice. McDonald sat out the weekend.

This coming weekend, Nancy Wallace said the track will host a 100-lap stock car race in addition to a full slate of stock and sprint class racing. Gates open at 4 p.m., with racing at 4 p.m. On Sunday, stocks only (no sprints) will race at 2 p.m. Sunday’s rain-out was the second of the season at

Capitol.

“The weather’s been our main problem here,” she said.

Alaska Raceway Park

BUTTE — Sunday’s points races at Alaska Raceway Park were canceled, but that didn’t stop anyone from having fun Saturday, as the strip played host to a day-long extravaganza of racing, music and entertainment.

“It was absolutely wonderful,” track manager Laurie Smith said.

The day’s festivities included a full slate of drag racing, as well as the Summer Solstice X-treme 3 car show and audio competition, with bumping stereos rocking the strip all day long.

“It went great,” Smith said.

Like Capitol Speedway, the strip had its scheduled points races canceled due to rain on Sunday.

The dragsters will take this weekend off to set up shop at the Arctic Thunder Air Show at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Smith said between 30 and 40 drag racing cars will attend the air show.

Racing returns to the Butte strip over the Independence Day weekend, when races will be held July 4- 6.

For complete race results from all three speedways, see www.frontiersman.com.

Capitol Speedway

Stocks and Sprints

Saturday, June 22

Willow

360 Sprints

Trophy dash — 1. Bob Eerdman, 2. Earnie Segar, 3. Pete Ischi; 4. Doug Fisher

Heat 1 — 1. Dave Hughes; 2. Ischi; 3. isher; 4. Tyler McDonald; 5. Segar; 6. Erdman

Heat 2 — Ischi; 2. Segar; 3. Erdman; 4. McDonald; 5. Hughes; 6. Fisher

Main event — 1. McDonald; 2. Fisher; 3. Erdman; 4. Segar; 5. Hughes

300 Sprints

Trophy dash — 1. Jeff Wallace; 2. J.R. Aman; 3. Jake Baker; 4. Royal Cutway

Heat 1 — 1. Aman; 2. Wallace; 3. Baker; 4. Cutway

Heat 2 — 1. Wallace; 2. Baker; 3. Aman; 4. Cutway

Main event — 1. Baker; 2. Wallace; 3. Aman

Stocks

Trophy dash — 1. Linden Fyfe; 2. Dean Nelson; 3. John Clemmons; 4. Ralph Gobert

Heat 1 — 1. Fyfe; 2. Gobert; 3. Clemmons; 4. Nelson; 5. Steven Vial; 6. Gene Pool; 7. Howie Fox

Heat 2 — 1. Gobert; 2. Nelson; 3. Clemmons; 4. Fyfe; 5. Vial; 6. Pool; 7. Fox

Main event — 1. Clemmons; 2. Gobert; 3. Fyfe; 4. Nelson; 5. Fox; 6. Pool

Pick-ups

Trophy dash — 1. James Ross; 2. Corbin McManus; 3. Paul Townsend; 4. Collin Gardner

Heat 1 — 1. Gardner; 2. Ross; 3. Townsend; 4. McManus

Heat 2 — 1. Ross; 2. McManus; 3. Gardner; 4. Townsend

Main event — 1. McManus; 2. Townsend; 3. Ross; 4. Gardner

Hobby stocks

Trophy dash — 1. Brian Vaughan; 2. Nicholas Herdina; 3. Gary Spain; 4. Regina Spain

Heat 1 — 1. Vaughan; 2. Herdina; 3. David Keene; 4. R. Spain; 5. G. Spain

Heat 2 — 1. Vaughan; 2. Herdina; 3. Keene; 4. R. Spain

Main event — 1. Keene; 2. Vaughan; 3. Herdina; 4. R. Spain

Mini stocks

Trophy dash — 1. Greg Markee; 2. Dale Brummer; 3. Kory Madsen; 4. Pat Chipman

Heat 1 — 1. Brummer; 2. Madsen; 3. Chipman; 4. Markee

Heat 2 — 1. Brummer; 2. Madsen; 3. Chipman

Main event — 1. Brummer; 2. Madsen; 3. Chipman

Season points

Stocks — 1. Dean Nelson, 534; 2. Ralph Gobert, 399; 3. Linden Fyfe; 329; 4. John Clemmons, 320; 5. Howie Fox, 251; 6. Steven Vial, 157; 7. Michael Kriger, 134; 8. Gene Pool, 78; 9. Robert Potter, 18

Mini-stocks — 1. Kory Madsen, 246; 2. Dale Brummer, 237; 3. Steve Courier, 94; 4. Greg Markee, 83; 5. Fred Lloyd, 71; 6. Dave Burke, 44; 7. (tie) Seth Siver and Pat Weissert, 32; 9. Pat Chipman, 26

Hobby stocks — 1. Brian Vaughan, 373; 2. Nicholas Herdina, 312; 3. Regina Spain, 171; 4. David Keene, 85; 5. Gary Spain, 19

Pick-ups — 1. James Ross, 565; 2. Paul Townsend, 303; 3. Corbin McManus, 302; 4. Cheryl Lucier, 107; 5. Collin Gardner, 78; 6. Seth Siver, 38; 7. John Butcher, 32; 8. Brian Madson, 31; 9. Dozer, 7

300 sprints — 1. Jeff Wallace, 381; 2. Jake Baker, 230; 3. J.R. Aman, 115; 4. Roayl Cutway, 90; 5. Charles Goodenough, 80; 6. Perry Breeding, 31

360 sprints — 1. John McDonald, 123; 2. Doug Fisher, 109; 3. Bob Erdman, 108; 4. Pete Ischi, 98; 5. Dave Hughes, 85; 6. Tyler McDonald, 77; 7. Clifford Barney, 70; 8. Earnie Segar, 69

Modified lite — 1. George Park, 115; 2. B.R. Smith, 55; 3. Doug Dechaiso, 47; 4. Craig Stachs, 28; 5. Steven Vial, 23

North Star Speedway

GCI Saturday Night Thunder

June 22

Wasilla

Bandoleros

Heat 1 — 1. Anita Braun; 2. Demi McDonald; 3. Hannah Lewis; 4. Steve Young; 5. Carly Meacham

Heat 2 — 1. Braun; 2. Meacham; 3. McDonald; 4. Young; 5. Lewis

Feature — 1. Braun; 2. Meacham; 3. Young; 4. Lewis

Points — 1. Braun, 320; 2. Meacham, 308; 3. Young, 304; 4. Lewis, 302; 5. McDonald, 114

Legends

Heat 1 — 1. Kelly Sawyer; 2. Al Palma; 3. Willie Creech; 4. Mike Thomas; 5. Rod Pucak

Heat 2 — Winner: Creech

Heat 3 — Winner: Al Palma

Points — 1. Al Palma, 316; 2. (tie) Pucak and Creech, 304; 4. Sawyer, 302; 5. Thomas, 294

Mini-stocks

Heat 1 — 1. Alex Schwochert; 2. Mike Schwochert; 3. Andy Schwochert; 4. Ray Butler; 5. Brian Barber

Heat 2 — 1. Butler; 2. Al. Schwochert; 3. M. Schwochert; 4. An. Swochert; 5. Barber

Feature — 1. M. Schwochert; 2. Al. Schwochert; 3. Butler; 4. An. Schwochert; 5. Barber

Points — 1. Al. Schwochert, 316; 2. M. Schwochert, 314; 3. Butler, 310; 4. An. Schwochert, 304; 5. Barber, 296

Thunder stocks

Heat 1 — 1. Keith Jones; 2. Arti Niemi; 3. Rich Schwab; 4. Jim Langland

Heat 2 — 1. Schwab; 2. Jones; 3. Erik Wittner; 4. Niemi; 5. Langland

Feature — 1. Jones; 2. Niemi; 3. Wittner; 4. Schwab; 5. Langland

Points — 1. Jones, 318; 2. Niemi, 310; 3. Schwab, 308; 4. (tie) Wittner and Langland, 302

Late models

Heat 1 — 1. Rob Tirpak; 2. Erik Wittner; 3. Ray Butler

Heat 2 — 1. Tirpak; 2. Wittner; 3. Butler; 4. Jimbo Nelson; 5. Dean Thompson

Feature — 1. Tirpak; 2. Wittner; 3. Butler; 4. Nelson; 5. Thompson

Points — 1. Tirpak, 320; 2. Wittner, 314; 3. Butler, 308; 4. Nelson, 298; 5. Thompson, 296