by Bill Poehler -
Sunset Speedway Park - Banks, Oregon
Saturday June 7, 2008
Scott Puncochar showed the visitors how to race at Sunset Speedway Park.
The late model driver from Hillsboro took the lead with nine laps to go and held off several determined charges to win the main event labeled "The Prelude to the Shoot Out."
When the Warriors of Dirt late model race scheduled for this past weekend at Coos Bay Speedway was cancelled due to rain on Thursday, Jerry Schram reached out with an olive branch, welcoming the cars of the competing crate model series to race at Sunset Speedway Park.
The Warriors of Dirt decided to run a non-points race at the 1/4-mile clay oval in Banks with the Coors Light Late Models as an addition to the regular Sunset show.
The two groups have decided to run a challenge race following their regular seasons at a track to be determined with the losing drivers having to barbeque for the winners.
This race, however, was for a great cause as all of the late model drivers donated their winnings to 7-year-old Lesly Foster, who has a rare form of cancer.
Warriors of Dirt series director Robby Ireland set fast time of the 16 cars in qualifying with a lap of 13.636 seconds with WOD driver Jason Wines second fast, and Sunset drivers Billy Workman and Greg Walters third and fourth fastest.
Heat races were scrapped so all of the regular classes would be assured their entire racing.
Workman, of Canby, won the trophy dash from the outside pole with Walters, Wines and Ireland close behind.
Bob Trout started the main event on the pole, but spun in the middle of 1 and 2, causing the rest of the field to avoid him. John Ireland took the lead on the restart with seventh-starting Jeff Biffle of Brush Prairie, Wash., close behind.
Puncochar worked his way up from sixth starting position to take the lead, but Walters, starting 13th, went past Puncochar for the lead on the sixth lap.
Walters started ticking off laps and looked like his usual dominant self until he came together with the car of John Ireland on the 20th lap while attempting to lap him and they both came to a halt on the backstretch. Walters was able to continue, but Ireland would retire after completing one more lap.
The lead was passed to Biffle with Wines and Puncochar close behind. The three fought hard for the lead with Puncochar taking over on the 31st lap.
A pair of cautions on the 34th and 36th laps bunched the field up, and Walters had worked his way back into the fray.
On the lap 36 restart, Biffle went high on Puncochar for the lead coming out of turn four, but Walters went higher. Biffle and Walters got together and Walters' race was done for the night.
Puncochar went on to his first win of the year, with WoD point leader Wines in second, Steve Suckow in third, Jerry Schram in fourth, and Workman in fifth.
Biffle finished sixth with WoD tech man "Cap'n" Jack Marontate in seventh, Jason Johnson in eighth, Doug Trout in ninth and Mike Keely rounding out the top ten.
The series go their separate ways as the Coors Light cars return to Sunset for the Rose Festival Dirt Cup June 14 and the Warriors of Dirt heading to Cottage Grove Speedway for a points race that same night.

RACE SUMMARY:
Crate Dirt Late Models at Sunset Speedway Park - June 7, 2008
Fast Time: Robby Ireland 13.636
Dash: Billy "The Kid" Workman jr, Walters, Wines, Ireland.
40 lap Main Event: 1. Scott Puncochar, Jason Wines, Steve Sukcow, Jerry Schram, Billy Workman jr, Jeff Biffle, Jack Marontate, Jason Johnson, Doug Trout, Mike Keely, Bob Trout, Greg Walters DNF Crash, John Ireland DNF Crash, Robby Ireland DNF Mechanical, Kevin Rogers DNF Crash, Kent Dollarhyde DNF Mechanical.