From Ben Deatherage
Ephrata, WA — (May 14, 2016) — While mother nature reigned supreme at several race tracks in the Pacific Northwest the Royal Purple NSRA Sprints Cars managed to get their season started on Saturday May 14th at Ephrata Raceway Park. The central Washington ¼-mile paved oval would host the Rebel Jackson Memorial honoring Northwest racing icon Rebel Jackson and it was the first time the NSRA had visited Ephrata since 2011. Fourteen teams made the trip representing the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia.
The opening laps of the feature would see pole sitter Andy Alberding blaze the trail in the early goings. Alberding, in his Rockmount Nassau Welding Solutions/Davis Auto Parts/WSK Machine #76 entry, won the first edition of the Rebel Jackson Memorial in 2003 as well as in 2005. The Roseburg, Oregon native would set a rapid pace and the only thing that seemed to try and slow him down was the lapped traffic.
As the race continued to stay under green flag conditions it allowed some drivers to make some big moves towards the front. One driver was Canadian teenager Robbie Price from Cobble Hill, British Columbia. Price, who started seventh, began to put pressure on Alberding for the top spot. The two drivers would do battle in traffic with a lapped car making it interesting. Price made a bonsai maneuver on the top side, while three wide, to snatch the lead from Alberding around lap thirty.
Price would stay out in front the rest of the distance to win the feature. It would be a huge victory for the third-generation Sprint Car star and the Shark Racing Engines/Taylor Metal Craft/Millstone Heating and Sheetmetal #14 team owned by Ron Rendle.
“It’s always a great way to start off and win the first show,” said Price afterwards, “I won the first two shows at Skagit (Speedway) last year and that was a real confidence boost and it really helps out a lot. We haven’t been doing too well on the dirt this year so this really helps the morale and hopefully we can get a couple more.”
“We weren’t very good at the beginning but I moved the wing back and we started picking off cars. I got a lot of good momentum going and got up to (Matt) Hein and (Andy) Alberding. I knew Andy was going to be tough because he’s a consistent racer so I knew if I wanted to get around him I had to do it in traffic. I just want to thank the Rendles, my dad, and everyone that makes this all happen.”
Andy Alberding would be a respectable second followed by the Coastline West Insulation/Cam Cat Tractor/Independent Motor Rebuilders/Long’s Building Supply #98H entry of Matt Hein, who also happens to be from Roseburg, Oregon. Redmond’s Robert Beck would place fourth, in his Westlake Commercial Properties/Signature Texture/Millennium Motors #3 car, while Randy DuBois, from Poulsbo, was fifth in the Geico Insurance/DuBois Construction/First Line Systems #7D machine.
Two heat races were ran and the winners were Wenatchee, Washington’s Tim Halliday, in the Alverez Auto Sales/Central Coast Airbrush/KATS FM 94.5 #2H, and Randy DuBois. DuBois was victorious in the B Dash while getting the job done in the A Dash would be Robert Beck.
The Royal Purple NSRA Sprint Cars will take the rest of the month off before they return to action on June 3rd and 4th for the Diamond Cup at Idaho’s Meridian Speedway. Be sure and stay up to date with the NSRA by visiting the series website at www.nsraracing.com. Also check out the official Facebook page and click “Like” to follow the tour via your favorite electronic devices.
Royal Purple is the proud title sponsor of the NSRA Pavement Sprint Car Series. Royal Purple manufactures high performance lubricants for most automotive, industrial, marine, motorcycle and racing applications. It is considered the best synthetic motor oil by many end users. For more information or to find a store that carries these wonderful products log on to www.royalpurpleconsumer.com.
Race Summary:
Royal Purple NSRA Sprint Car Race #1
Saturday May 14th, 2016
Ephrata Raceway Park
Ephrata, Washington
A Feature: 1. 14-Robbie Price; 2. 76-Andy Alberding; 3. 98H-Matt Hein; 4. 3-Robert Beck; 5. 7D-Randy Dubois; 6. 7-Joe Smith; 7. 2H-Tim Halliday; 8. 41-Aaron Willison; 9. 33-Kyle Alberding; 10. 65-Levi Rose; 11. 7M-Richard Miranda; 12. 66-Kyle Vantreight; 13. 84-Don Williams; (DNS) 77-Matt Elliott
A Dash: 1. 3-Robert Beck; 2. 14-Robbie Price; 3. 98H-Matt Hein; 4. 7-Joe Smith
B Dash: 1. 7D-Randy Dubois; 2. 2H-Tim Halliday; 3. 66-Kyle Vantreight; 4. 41-Aaron Willison
Heat 1: 1. 2H-Tim Halliday; 2. 98H-Matt Hein; 3. 41-Aaron Willison; 4. 65-Levi Rose; 5. 3-Robert Beck; 6. 84-Don Williams
Heat 2: 1. 7D-Randy Dubois; 2. 66-Kyle Vantreight; 3. 76-Andy Alberding; 4. 7-Joe Smith; 5. 14-Robbie Price; 6. 33-Kyle Alberding; 7. 7M-Richard Miranda