By Andrew Kunas
LEBANON, Ore. – Doug Kammerzell was the big winner on Friday night as he took the checkered flag in Friday’s hectic IXL Medal Conditioner NWWT Midget Car main event at Willamette Speedway.
The Arlington, Wash. driver, who started outside the second row for the 20-lap affair, motored his way into the lead on Lap 3 and never looked back from there, scoring his first midget car victory under the NorthWest Wingless Tour banner in the Carl Peter No. 81 Gaerte-powered Spike.
Kammerzell was challenged briefly on Lap 8 by Wilsonville, Ore.’s Rob Lindsey. Lindsey, however, spun out as tried to close in on Kammerzell going into the first turn of the 3/10-mile oval. Kammerzell eventually finished ahead of West Linn, Ore. driver Pat Bliss, who took second place in the Tom & Judy Maples No. 98 Ed Pink-powered Stealth.
Steve Dickenson of Corvallis, Ore. finished third in his own No. 99 Pontiac-powered Edmunds. Lindsey’s charge from the back of the field following his spinout eventually stalled, but he still took a respectable fourth place in his own No. 23 Pontiac-powered Ellis. McMinnville, Ore.’s Lance Hallmark took fifth in his own No. 8 Pontiac-powered Stinger, followed by Springfield, Ore. drivers Pete Bittrolf in the No. 11 Gaerte-powered Best and Allison Journey in the Journey Motorsports No. 4j Ford-powered Beast.
Kammerzell is the NWWT’s third different winner in as many midget car races this season. He also won the evening’s first heat race over Dickenson, Lindsey and Journey.
Mitch Hoffses, who won the NWWT midget car event at Sunset Speedway Park on June 19th, won the first heat race over Glenn Bittrolf, Bliss and Pete Bittrolf. He then passed Bliss on the final lap to win the trophy dash race. Hoffses was primed for a strong finish in the main event until issues with his car resulting in a crash ended his night.
Journey held onto the top qualifying position until Lindsey snatched late in qualifying with a lap of 15.566 seconds around the 3/10-mile, semi-banked clay oval.
The IXL Metal Conditioner NorthWest Wingless Tour midget cars will return to Willamette Speedway on Saturday, October 9th to close their 2010 season. The next event for the midgets is a dual show with the NWWT 360 sprint cars on Saturday, August 14th as both divisions make their debut at Southern Oregon Speedway in White City, just outside of Medford.
More information on the IXL Metal Conditioner NorthWest Wingless Tour can be found online at http://www.nwwinglesstour.com.
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IXL Metal Conditioner NWWT Midgets
Willamette Speedway
Lebanon, OR
July 30, 2010
***UNOFFICIAL RESULTS***
12 cars
Fast qualifier: 23 Rob Lindsey, 15.566 seconds
Heat 1: 1. 81 Doug Kammerzell, 2. 99 Steve Dickenson, 3. 23 Rob Lindsey, 4. 4j Allison Journey.
Heat 2: 1. 5s Mitch Hoffses, 2. 11 Glenn Bittrolf, 3. 98 Pat Bliss, 4. 15 Pete Bittrolf, 5. 8 Lance Hallmark.
Dash: 1. 5m Mitch Hoffses, 2. 98 Pat Bliss, 3. 23 Rob Lindsey, 4. 4j Allison Journey.
Feature (20 laps): 1. 81 Doug Kammerzell, 2. 98 Pat Bliss, 3. 99 Steve Dickenson, 4. 23 Rob Lindsey, 5. 8 Lance Hallmark, 6. 15 Pete Bittrolf, 7. 4j Allison Journey, 8. 6 Steve Veltman, 9. 5m Mitch Hoffses, 10. 11 Glenn Bittrolf, 11. 28 Jeff Perry, DNS – 68 Reno Marr.