Willamette and Grays Harbor host NSCS this weekend

by Andrew Kunas, NSCS Publicist

LEBANON, Ore. - The Northwest Sprint Challenge Series returns to action tonight with its second appearance of the 2007 season at Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore. It will be the first of two nights of racing for the NSCS, as it also races Saturday at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash.

Roger Crockett of Medford currently holds a commanding 67-point lead over Tacoma’s Mitch Olson and has already won NSCS main events earlier this season at both tracks he will be racing on this weekend. Crockett won the inaugural NSCS main event at Grays Harbor on April 28 and later took the checkered flag at the Memorial Friday event at Willamette on May 25.

Crockett, who finished third in the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway two weeks ago, has done consistently done very well in NSCS competition, resulting in the lead he has after just six events. Crockett was the quick qualifier four times, made the dash five times and along with his three main event victories he has two runner-ups and a fifth place finish aboard the Henderson Motorsports No. 7N Bailey Bros.-powered Eagle.

On Memorial weekend both of Crockett’s victories (the other coming May 27 at Cottage Grove Speedway) came with Olson right behind him. Olson, who has one NSCS victory aboard the Mike Olson No. 98m Shark-powered Rocket, has run just as strongly but has fallen just behind Crockett frequently.

“It’s getting harder to be happy for him,” Olson quipped after his runner-up finish behind Crockett at Cottage Grove.

Olson, however, will be returning to his home track, Grays Harbor Raceway, on Saturday. Olson won three times in weekly competition at that facility last year and hopes to chip away at Crockett’s point lead with a victory.

Travis Rutz of Langley, Brit. Col. and former Northern Sprint Tour champion Bill Nutter of Central Point, Ore. are currently locked in a battle for third place in the point standings. Rutz, who is 19 years of age, leads the 45-year-old Nutter by a single tally for the position. Rutz, driving the Rutz Racing No. 8r Richmond-powered Triple X finished third in the NSCS season opener at Elma last month while Nutter finished second. Nutter, who drives his own No. 3n Zeitler with his own motor on board, also won a NST main event at Elma last year.

Robbie Vaughn of Monroe, Wash. is currently fifth in points, leading all rookies. Vaughn, who has a pair of top five finishes, is looking for his first victory of the season. Last year’s NST Rookie of the Year, Seth Bergman of Snohomish, Wash. missed an NSCS main event for just first time this season at Cottage Grove, but remains sixth in the points.

Derek Ingalls of Sultan, Wash. may only be seventh in points, but he is the only other driver besides the top four in the point standings to make every single main event in the very competitive NSCS this season. Only a single point behind Ingalls is La Conner, Wash.’s Evan Funk, the second highest rookie in the standings.

Dale Smith, the six-time former Cottage Grove champion out of Oregon is ninth. Tied for tenth are rookie Tyler Spath of Chico, Calif. and Idaho veteran Randy Pierce. Spath finished third last month at Willamette behind Crockett and Olson.

Willamette Speedway, located a short drive south of Oregon’s capital, Salem, is a 3/10-mile, high-banked clay oval owned and operated by Bill, Clair and Evelyn Arnold. Grays Harbor Raceway, a wide 3/8-mile, high-banked clay oval located at the county fairgrounds in Elma, is operated by George Wade of Great Northwest Promotions. After this weekend, Willamette is on the NSCS schedule twice more and Grays Harbor three times, including next month’s inaugural Fred Brownfield Memorial Sprint Challenge, paying $10,092 to win.

More information on the Northwest Sprint Challenge Series and its drivers can be found online at www.racenscs.com. Willamette Speedway’s website can be seen at www.trophymotorsports.com and Grays Harbor Raceway’s website is at www.graysharborraceway.net.

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Northwest Sprint Challenge Series
Top 20 points after May 27 at Cottage Grove, OR

* - Rookie

1. Roger Crockett, 663
2. Mitch Olson, 596
3. Travis Rutz, 522
4. Bill Nutter, 521
5. Robbie Vaughn*, 481
6. Seth Bergman, 471
7. Derek Ingalls, 467
8. Evan Funk*, 466
9. Dale Smith, 454
10. Tyler Spath*, 389
Tie Randy Pierce, 389
12. Rob Held, 371
13. John Farrell*, 355
14. Josh DeWitt, 348
15. Shane Forte’, 339
16. Danielle Huson*, 337
17. Brendan Boyce, 317
18. J.J. Dishneau*, 291
19. Jay Cole, 278
20. Henry Van Dam, 274

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NSCS: The Northwest Sprint Challenge Series
www.racenscs.com