Millwood, Wash. (Aug. 21, 2023) — Gravity, not motors, will do the propulsion at the second annual Valve Cover Races sponsored by Bottles at Millwood Daze, Aug. 26.
The event features a track with two lanes, similar to a drag strip, and will offer a variety of classes and races. The competition is very similar to the Cub Scouts “Pinewood Derby” where cars race down an angled track.
Only difference is the vehicles are all built from engine valve covers and use skate wheels.
Preregistration is suggested and can be done in advance at Bottles in Millwood during regular hours. Day of the race registration will begin Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. and close just before racing begins at 3 p.m. Cost: $15 per entry.
Categories for Contestants:
Junior League, ages 16 and below
Adult League, ages 17 – 99
Basic Rules of the Track
• Cars shall be made of an actual automotive valve cover
• No engines or propulsive additions allowed
• Car may not contain any moving weights
• Wheels may be attached to the valve cover in any way, but may not exceed beyond the front of the valve cover
• Wheels may be made of any material
• Car may be no longer than 36 inches
• Car may be no wider that 10.5 inches
• The front of the car may be no taller than 3 inches
• Cars should weigh 10 pounds or less — Cars found to be overweight may still race, but will not qualify for the overall winner’s title
Millwood Daze is family friendly and racer designs should be appropriate for all audiences
Visit: millwooddaze.millwoodnow.org for more information.
Guy Gregory prepares his entry for a time trial run at the 2022 Millwood Daze Valve Cover Races sponsored by Bottles.
-Photo by Paul Delaney
Bakersfield, Calif. (Aug. 19, 2023) — Spokane’s Terry Armstrong Jr. made his first visit to Madera Speedway in 2021 and the “Olga’s California Dream 100” very memorable when he took home the victory and $2,000 first -place money.
Since then, however, luck has not been on Armstrong’s side as he has had a series of problems in both 2022 and 2023 events.
“We had our clutch break and practice on Thursday; Friday morning thought we fixed the problem. Went out and the clutch broke again,” Armstrong wrote in a Facebook message.
“We pulled the motor out built another motor in the pits threw it in after 9 hours and it would not start,” Armstrong said.
“So again, for the second year I spectated and crewed for my friends and competitors,” adding “Sometimes you’re the bug and sometimes you are the windshield.”
The race is the brainchild of Bob Coply, who along with his late wife, Olga, with the spotlight shining on racers who are generally the backup shows.
Meridian, Idaho (Aug. 19, 2023) — Murphy’s Law was in full force for Haeden Plybon at Meridian Speedway during the running of the Idaho 208 Northwest Super Late Model race Aug. 19.
For reference, Murphy’s law is the adage that goes “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”
And despite Murphy riding along on the 375-mile drive and spending Friday with the team, Plybon was first across the line when the checkered flag flew and the 19-year-old Spokane driver was there for the win — his third in a row and fourth in the last five outings.
Plybon finished ahead of a pair of local drivers, Middleton’s Zach Telford and Jonathan Gomez from Kimberley, Idaho. Aubree Cristiani from Boise and Spokane’s David Garber rounded out the top-5.
“This was the toughest weekend we had ever had for sure,” Haeden’s father, Tom Plybon wrote in a text message.
They showed up on Friday for practice and promptly blew the engine with no spare in the trailer
“Seriously with those crate motors it is kind of hit or miss,” Haeden Plybon said in an Aug. 21 interview. “One year we went through two or three of them,” he added.
The team of Zach Riehl just so happened to have a spare motor, so the Plybon crew did an “all-nighter” swapping engines, and they were good to go for Saturday qualifying, right?
Not so fast as next came a broken axle in practice.
That repair completed, Plybon went out and qualified No. 4 with a lap of 13.149 seconds behind Cristiani who clocked a 13.045.
Plybon actually drew the second-row fourth slot in the inverted start and began a slow run to the lead that once included starting from the back of the pack following a wreck.
He pried the lead away from Cristiani who hit the wall at lap 138 of 208 on the tight quarter-mile oval and then had the field in his rearview mirror the remainder of the race.
Plybon, a Mead High School graduate, attributes the team’s success to a familiar name in racing, crew chief Kevin Richards who is a longtime driver at high levels like NASCAR’s Winston West. Richards calls on decades of experience, as well as the DNA of his father, Roger, a wizard from a bygone era.
“He’s a smart guy,” who has, “Been around for a day or two,” Plybon says. “I mean after work like every single day he is working on that car.”
Going into Meridian, Plybon had a 42-point edge on his closest pursuer, Max Schroeder in the chase for the championship. Schroeder finished 12th. He was 46 ahead of Zach Riehl who finished eighth so when new standings come out Plybon will have edged a bit closer to his first series title.
Three events remain with the next outing Sept. 3 at Hermiston.
Spokane’s Haeden Plybon shows off the “Idaho 208” trophy following winning his third consecutive series race on Aug. 19 in Meridian, Idaho near Boise. - Photo by NWSLM
Kent, Wash. (Aug. 18, 2023) — Please excuse the mess the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum wrote in an email to report a smash-and-grad burglary at the Kent, Wash. facility.
“Last night someone decided to use a stolen car to “remodel” the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum gift shop in a smash and grab break-in. No historical artifacts were damaged or stolen, but it’s going to take a while to get cleaned up and back to normal. We will be open as usual but just ask that you have a little patience as we work through this,” was the message.
To help defer the costs of this incident the museum is asking to please consider making a tax-deductible donation by visiting https://thunderboats.ning.com.
The scene at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum following thieves using a car to break into the facility Aug. 18.
Paul Delaney has been writing about Motorsports in the Pacific Northwest since 1976. He welcomes learning about your racing accomplishments.
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