Portland Speedway NST report 2001-05-12

Third generation driver Jayme Barnes, of Everett, WA showed the pack the quick way around. Portland Speedway’s half-mile dirt oval, taking the May 12th win with constant pressure but few challenges to his lead. After a start by Richie Peterson and Jeremy Cooper that the flagman didn’t like, second row starters Barnes and Roger Crockett of Rio Linda, CA were moved to the front. Crockett clipped Cooper’s left front wheel while moving up, suffering a right rear flat himself. Crockett went to the rear and Cooper of Creswell, OR was out.

On the restart, Barnes grabbed the lead and held the point to the checkered flag. Two yellows bunched the cars, but Barnes soon had a five car lead with his only challenge coming late in the race when slower traffic let Ft. Jones, CA driver Dan Menne pull to with in about three car lengths.

After chasing Menne for 24 laps and having dropped back as 15 car lengths at one time, dash winner Peterson, of Great Falls, MT, put an exciting last lap back straight drag race into turn three to put a pass on Menne and pull off a second place finish.

Several other races within the race gave the fans much more to watch besides the leaders. Tim Levin of Marysville, WA and Everett, WA’s Rick Fauver battled several laps for a top five position with Fauver making the pass for the spot going into the first turn on lap 10. Five laps later, Fauver saw his night finished when he caught a turn four marker tire and went to the infield with front end damage at the mid mark of the 30 lapper.

Crockett was doing the best job of passing early on as he moved from the rear to take eighth by the first yellow on lap six, and then battled Bellingham, WA’s Harkness brothers, Jay R. and Brandon, for position for several laps before getting by them and Levin to take fourth five laps from the finish.

Snohomish, WA young lion Gary Taylor and defending champion, Shawna Wilskey of Everett, WA, pulled into the Harkness battle in the closing laps with Wilskey getting past both Jay and Brandon to take 6th with Taylor settling for 9th place.

The win by Barnes gave him his first ever trip to the hy-per-lube Northern Sprint Tour winners circle, but was his third win of the season.

Three yellows slowed the B-main that had Jay R. Harkness leading wire to wire on the dry slick track and taking the win from his brother Brandon. Following at the line were Rick Smith of Mt. Vernon, WA, Jay Cole out of Shelton, WA and the young lady driver from Roseburg, OR, Melissa Yates. Snohomish, WA’s John Tharp gave Cole a good race until coming up short on fuel and dropping out with two laps to go.

Heat race action saw Taylor checking out over the competition in the first heat with a good 15 car lead over Wilskey at the finish. On lap 5 Peterson passed Cooper exiting turn two to take fourth but his back straight tries to out run Gus Cooper for third came up short.

Heat two went to the wire with the hard running Levin making a last lap pass to take the win from Tony Thomas of Mill City, OR. Rick Smith of Mt. Vernon, WA led the opening laps until he lost the right front tire on lap3.

In the final heat as Roseburg, OR hotshoe Scott Adams went to the win, Menne and Crockett’s race for the final two transfer positions was the best race for position.

In the dash, Peterson and J. Cooper pulled away from the rest with Peterson winning by about 5 car lengths.

SUMMARY Fast Time - Jay R. Harkness - 18.061

Heat 1 - Gary Taylor, Shawna Wilskey, Gus Cooper, Richie Peterson, Jeremy Cooper, John Tharp, Jay R. Harkness, Jeff Osborne.

Heat 2 - Tim Levin, Tony Thomas, Jayme Barnes, Kevin Journey, Jason Solwold, Jim Cress, Tony Menard, Rick Smith.

Heat 3 - Scott Adams, Barry Martinez, Rick Fauver, Dan Menne, Roger Crockett, Brandon Harkness, Melissa Yates, Clint Houston.

Dash - Peterson, J. Cooper, Barnes, Crockett, Menne, Journey.

B-Main - J. Harkness, B. Harkness, Smith, Menard, Tharp, Cress, Houston, Osborne. A-Main - Barnes, Peterson, Menne, Crockett, Levin, Wilskey, J. Harkness, B. Harkness, Taylor, Solwold, Cole, Adams, Thomas, Yates, Smith, Martinez, Fauver, G. Cooper, J. Cooper, Journey.

-George Hespe