Speedway season winds up with championships

PABLO - Last Saturday was the final race night of the season at the three-eighths-mile Mission Valley Speedway. Championships were on the line as all regular classes were racing. On championship night, each class ran two trophy dashes, the first dash was the top four in points, the second dash was the top four fast times of the year. Then it was main event time to settle the points battle.

It didn't get much stranger than the Kruiser main event. John Blixt and Jeremy Rice #131 didn't have enough fuel in the car for the start of the race and coasted into the pits and came back out on the track a few laps down, but still ended up winning. Josh Larson and Dave Bigart broke a right front wheel. Jerry Tabor and Shawn Blixt #101 had mechanical problems. Rick Sanders and Tim Denson #113 got into a tangle with Ron Peterson and George Teague #147 that sent Petersen and Teague for a wild ride up on the dirt bank.

All this chaos left Blixt and Rice #131 as the only car left and they picked up the victory and ran out of gas again doing burnouts. Rick Sanders and Tim Denson #113 are the unofficial point champions of the Kruiser class by the largest margin of any class.

Amanda Watt #69 and Joe Pierce #77 both picked up trophy dash wins in Bomber 4s. But it was Howard Lilly #4 in the winner's circle for the main event. Joe Pierce #77 is the unofficial points champion in the Bomber 4s.

It was a neck and neck points battle in the Budweiser Compacts with Dennis Schneider #15 leading Trisha White #22 by only 7 points. On the last corner of the last lap, Trisha White got into Tim White #44 and the two had a very scary wreck. Trisha's car ended up on its side, pinned against the wall and on top of the driver's door of Tim's car. Thankfully, both drivers were fine, but their cars were torn up. Dennis Schneider #15 won the race and unofficially the points championship.

Ryan Troutwine #13 and Justin Drake #66 had 13 points separating them in the Stuart's NAPA Autocare Bombers points chase. The two were three and even four wide battling through the field. Justin Drake made his way past Robert Watt Jr. #38 for the lead and picked up the another main event win. Troutwine's third place finish was good enough for the unofficial championship.

The top five ran bumper to bumper the whole race in the MGD/Lite Hobby Stock main event. Russ Burland #73 lead a good chunk of the race, but Casey Brandt #31 worked him over lap after lap and eventually got around. Brandt picked up another victory and is the unofficial champion.

Shawn Dumont #18 held a nice line out in front in the Pepsi/Pizza Hut Super Stock main event. Behind him Alvin Brester #44 and Nate Dumont battled for second on the track and second in the points. Dumont held on for the win. Kirk Hennefer #25 is unofficially the points champion.

Flanagan's Jeep Mazda out of Missoula was the evening's sponsor. Stephanie Brester was the trophy girl. The previous trophy girls and trophy cars of this season paraded around the track. The members of Mission Valley Auto Racers voted for their favorites for trophy girl and trophy car of the year. An autographed die cast Robby Gordon car was given away to a lucky spectator.

The Mission Valley Auto Racers' annual awards banquet is Oct. 16 at the VFW Club in Polson. Drivers, family, sponsors, crew and fans are all welcome. There will be live music by Southern Comfort.

To learn more about Mission Valley Speedway visit www.missionvalleyspeedway.com

or call the 24-hour information hotline at (406) 675-RACE.