PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRIP: Willamette Speedway, May 25

 

Trevor Glaser tunes up at Willamette Speedway on May 25.

My long-awaited "working vacation" finally came as I flew out of Dayton, Ohio and into Portland, Oregon (via Denver, Colorado) on Friday, May 24.  The weather forecast that once looked promising was now looking "not as good" with a 40% chance of rain Saturday and increasing as the night went on.

After an ill-fated attempted to get a quality jet-lagged sleep, I grabbed my Avis rental car first thing in the morning and took in the sights and sounds of the gorgeous Oregon coast. The absolutely beautiful drive wiped out my entire day and, before I knew it, it was time to start heading to Willamette Speedway.

A look at turns 3 and 4 of the well-maintained Willamette Speedway.

Having done a little research, I knew this track had recently been transformed into quite possibly the nicest facility in the northwest.  Even so, my expectations were surpassed with this 1/3-mile, semi-banked oval.  Not only was everything darned near brand new, but the entire establishment was neat, clean, and very well kept.  I could tell this was a track the owners and drivers were proud to call their own.

From new catchfencing to a backstretch scoreboard to the infield go-kart track, Willamette was a first-class operation.  The speaker system was very good, the track lighting was excellent, and the concessions was a tad high but the food was excellent.  As a matter of fact, the $6 "philly steak and cheese" has already earned a spot in my all-time top five Best Race Track Food standings.

Looking down the frontstretch and into turns 1 and 2 of Willamette.

After setting up shop in the infield and snapping a few pics during Hot Laps and Qualifying, I moved to my 50-yard line seat just before the scheduled starting time of 6:00pm.  The event on tap was the "Clair Cup", a tribute to the late track promoter.  6:00pm came and went and, at 6:10pm, the announcer read a short, touching piece about Clair.  Finally, at 6:18pm, the first race of the evening was on the track. 

A quick check of the radar showed the dreaded "green blob" was slowly working its way towards Lebanon, Oregon and, with that in mind, I couldn't help but wonder why racing started late when the track was ready to go.

The Willamette pit area provides ample parking and an asphalt staging lane.

Nevertheless, we were racing with a few support classes going ahead of the two premier divisions of Late Models and IMCA Modifieds.  The track was heavy and, in places, a bit rough.  But the hammer-down surface made for some exciting, wheel-hiking heats which were run in a timely fashion following by B-Mains and Trophy Dashes.  Obviously, the consies are a needed part of the program with nearly 30 cars in both of the top two classes.

The Trophy Dashes, however, were meaningless in my opinion, and with inclement weather on the horizon, should have been bypassed in favor of getting the main events in before the rain hit.  Not only that, but interviewing all five Trophy Dash winners on the frontstretch only extended things unnecessarily.  Now bring on a 20-minute intermission and we've got ourselves a problem.

Regional standout Rob Mayea gets some airtime during Hot Laps.

The first feature of the night finally hits the track and, surprisingly, it's not the Late Models and it's not the IMCA Modifieds.  Instead, the Super Sport A-Main comes out and, sure enough, after a handful of laps were completed, a steady shower of rain fell upon the speedway and washed out the rest of the evening's festivities.  

 

As fans, employees, and drivers, we're always upset when something out of our control wipes out an evening of racing.  But in this case, the things that WERE in the track's control weren't handled the way I might have handled them with inclement weather approaching.  Starting on time, eliminating the Trophy Dashes (and on-track interviews), and not taking an intermission would have been a great way to ensure everyone got the most bang for their buck.  In addition, this is a picture perfect example as to why I like to see the headlining divisions competing first on the nightly agenda. Those of you who know me know that I love the support classes as much as anyone.  But, in a situation like this, get the A-Mains for your headliners run as quickly as possible.

While I left disappointed that I didn't get to see an entire feature, I was certainly grateful for the opportunity and the hospitality.  Willamette Speedway became Track #166 and Oregon became State #34 in my personal trackchasing list.