April 12, 2024

QLISPE RACEWAY CHASSIS INSPECTION IS APRIL 2

SPOKANE — In an effort to make drag racing as safe as it can be, area race tracks schedule years chassis inspections.

Walla Walla Drag Strip has already had theirs last week but Qlispe Raceway — formerly Spokane County Raceway — has a session scheduled for Saturday, April 20. It comes in advance of Qlispe’s season opener, April 26.

“The process is we set the date for the national certified inspector to come and inspect roll cages,” Operations Manager Ben Zimmerman wrote in an email.

They check welds thickness of the tubing, correct tie down points, correct placement of secure points, etc. “I honestly don’t know exactly how he checks them,” Zimmerman added.

There are different levels of certification also for different classes and speed of the car. Each roll cage needs to be re-certified every few years.

“Depending on the class you run in if you don’t have an up-to-date certification we cannot let you run your car,” Zimmerman cautioned. “Insurance regulations and since we are an NHRA track their rules dictate that we follow their rules for certification,” he said.

Zimmerman also said, “I should add that the car owner pays the inspector directly. We are just a place for them to do it.”

“Chassis cert is $170 and is good for 3 years,” according to NHRA Division 6 director Mike Eames.

ALL THE “APPLES” GO TO GARRETT EVANS — AGAIN!

WEST RICHLAND, Wash. — The 55th edition of the Apple Cup, the Northwest’s oldest late model stock car race, had a most appropriate winner April 7 at Tri City Raceway at the RMEC.

Garrett Evans, the 68-year-old icon of regional late model racing, captured the lead in the “Ted Pollock 125” on the half-mile tri-oval on lap 80 of 125 in the feature race named for the former owner of Yakima Speedway where the race began.

Evans finished ahead 3.2 seconds ahead of youngster Kasey Kleyn to score the win with Kole Raz, Kyle Tellstrom and Bj Tidrick in the top-five in the 31-car field. All were the only ones to finish all 125 laps.

Evans collected $10,000 first-place money and his sixth Apple Cup win which kicked off the 2024 Northwest Super Late Model season. The East Wenatchee resident is a four-time NWSLM champion and now has 10 series victories.

Running his 31st Apple Cup — the first coming in 1977 — Evans led the race at three different junctures, laps 1-17, 43-77 and then at the end. He found himself up near the top of the leaderboard and out of a mele when a 10-car accident took place on lap 78.

All drivers were OK following the wreck, the same could not be said for their cars of course.

Tellstrom, the defending Apple Cup champ was fastest qualifier with a lap of 17.811 seconds. He was the only other driver to the lead the race, doing so from laps 18-42 and 78-79.

Finishes for other previous Apple Cup winners included (2005/2008) BJ Tidrick (5th) and (2022) Preston Peltier (10th).

Garrett Evans and crew celebrate the team’s sixth Apple Cup win April 7 at Tri City Raceway in the 55th edition of the race. TCR Photo

FORCE SCORES FIRST WIN IN TWO YEARS

PHOENIX, Arizona — Funny Car legend, 73-year-old John Force, picked up his first victory in two years, powering past Matt Hagan of Tony Stewart Racing to win the postponed Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, which was completed on April 6 in front of a sellout crowd at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix. Justin Ashley (Top Fuel) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also won the postponed Pomona race.

NHRA Photo

HENDRICK’S HISTORIC TOP 3 SWEEP

MARTINSVILLE, Virginia — Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron won the Daytona 500 back in February but on April 7 helped engineer success of a different nature for his car owner who is now in his 40th NASCAR Cup season.

With victory in the “Cook Out 400” — his third win of the season — Byron completed the first-ever top-three sweep in the NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville to win the coveted clock trophy.

Teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott finished behind Byron in NASCAR Overtime on the half-mile.

NASCAR Photo