POTHOFFʼS PATIENCE PAYS OFF IN ASA FEATURE

Source: BZ ZELLER
Date: 06/25/2007

Dundee driver, Mark Pothoff, is accustomed to biding his time and waiting for good things to happen. He reaped the benefits of his perseverance by winning the 50-lap ASA Late Model feature Saturday night at the Douglas County Speedway and ASA Member Track.

Pothoff started from the sixth position and had only moved up two spots after the first 20 circuits. Pole sitter Brad Stanwood, Portland, led the first 27 laps, but was tagged hard in Turn 3 by Adam Whitlock, sending both racers spinning and then to the back of the field following the yellow flag. Fortune struck Pothoff again when Dale Roth, who had assumed the lead during the caution laps, lagged heading into the front stretch as the green flag flew. Pothoff accelerated past Roth down the shoot and later opened a comfortable advantage en route to posting his first Late Model feature win.

The ASA Late Model rookie knew the restart on Lap 27 played a major role in his victory.

"When we came around for the restart, Dale (Roth) just didnʼt go," Pothoff said. "I feel bad for him, he would have been tough to get around. I am really patient and saving the car worked out tonight."

Rod McCombs, Albany, finished second and Roseburgʼs Wade Koens was third. Whitlock worked his way through the field to post a fourth place finish. Roth left the track for his pit stall during the waning laps and did not complete the race.

Roth won the time trials with a fast-lap time of 15.095 seconds. Pothoff (15.273) was second and Whitlock (15.293) was third. Koens won the fast heat and Stanwood captured the first heat.

Both the grandstand and car counts set season marks with approximately 2,000 fans in attendance and more than 70 race teams on hand from seven different divisions.

Sam Potter started on the outside of the front row, jumped to the lead heading into the first turn and led all 40 laps to pad his season points lead in the Modified class with a feature win.

Reigning points champion, Lenny Coopride of Roseburg, made a late rally and posted a second place finish. Rick Anderson, Glendale, Rod Taguchi, Salem and Dale Sexton, Eugene finished third through fifth respectively. Potter, of Independence, won the points title three seasons ago. Riddleʼs Greg Saily won the time trials with a 16.050-second lap.

In the Pepsi Mini Stock class, Rob Mueller continued his dominance this season by winning another main event. The Roseburg racer has won every main this year, but this time he didnʼt capture victory until the final feet of the final lap.

Grants Passʼ Dave Wilson started tenth and moved quickly through the field to snare the race lead on Lap 5. Mueller, who began the race in the 12 spot of the 14-car field, moved into second behind Wilson on Lap 11. Fast qualifier Jim Smith and Tyson Eaton joined Wilson and Mueller and the four-pack separated themselves far ahead of the other drivers.

Wilson managed to thwart many pass attempts by Mueller and Smith for nearly 20 laps as the lead pack drove side-by-side and bumper-to-bumper. On the final circuit, Lap 30, the pack came into slower, lapped traffic and Mueller made a decision to dive low into the final two turns as Wilson passed traffic on the outside. As the two leaders raced to the finish line, the faster Mueller prevailed keeping his main-win streak alive.

"Dave (Wilson) did a great job of holding us off," Mueller said. "I felt my car was a little faster than Jimmyʼs (Smith) and I was glad to see the slower traffic come at the end of the race." Smith, incidentally was the fast qualifier (17.952) and Mueller timed in second fastest (18.023) during time trials earlier in the day.

Dan Fouts dominated the Coors Street Stocks. The Roseburg driver won the time trials, started in the rear of the 14-car field and snatched the lead for good on Lap 5 of 30.

Albert Sally, Central Point, finished second in his first appearance at the speedway. Don Livermore posted a third-place finish.

Dave Bax traveled from Beaverton and posted a trifecta in the Old Time Racers of Oregon division. Bax was the fast qualifier, won the fast heat race and easily won the OTRO main event. Dean Cast won the first OTRO heat.

David Lyons captured another Taco Bell Hornet race win. This weekʼs Hornet race dazzled the crowd with 11 Hornet drivers racing in a makeshift ʽCʼ track. The drivers raced down the front stretch and then made a U-turn between Turns 1 and 2. The Hornets then traveled back down the shoot in the opposite direction and circled back around a barrier in Turns 3 and 4 to complete each circuit.

The BiMart Firecracker 150 takes over Saturday June 30th at the Douglas County Speedway. The local racing program will resume on Friday, July 6th with the Pizza Schimzza Graffitti Night. Sunday July 8th with the United Rentals Graffitti Drags.

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