By Ben Deatherage
Lebanon, Oregon- For the second time in his decorated career Jeremy Shank the driver of the Left Coast Motorsports/South Pacific Auto Center #30 Swartz won the forty-lap prestigious Strawberry Cup presented by Napa Auto Parts. The Strawberry Cup is a race that dates back to the Lebanon Meadows horse track with the Linn County Hardtop Association dating back to the 1950’s. The last three Strawberry Cups had been won by three different winners until Saturday June 2nd when Shank added to his 2010 Strawberry Cup victory.
John Campos of Keizer led the feature early in his Herbalife/Harold’s Automotive #36 X-Factor and put on a great battle with defending track champion Rob Mayea of Bend. Mayea would eventually secure the lead at lap fourteen in the J&S Farms/Cornett Racing Engines #37 Victory Circle and lead the way for a while longer. Lapped traffic was starting to come into play until a caution occurred on lap thirty-three and soon thereafter on lap thirty-four to bunch the field back up.
On the second and final restart Jeremy Shank was able to run down Rob Mayea and started to challenge for the lead which he would obtain on lap thirty-six. Shank would lead the rest of the way to earn the win and become the fourth different feature winner in as many races in the 2012 season.
Rob Mayea would finish a respectable second place while defending Strawberry Cup winner Trevor Glaser from Tangent surged into third in the Farmland Tractor Supply/Mid Valley Farms #2 TrakStar after a late three car battle for the position. Joey Tanner in the Jody’s Nothin But Fun Bar & Grill #111 X-Factor from Portland was fourth and completing the top five was John Duty of Happy Valley in the Don Frank Flooring/Elite Cabinets Plus #5 Rocket.
Quick time would be set by John Duty at 15.670 seconds and also won the trophy dash. Heat race winners were Todd Sieg of Lebanon in the Mastersbilt #151, the Metro Services/Big Sky Landscaping #29 Rocket of Brian Cronk currently residing in Corvallis, John Campos, and Casey Vitale of Lebanon in the Trademark Transmissions/Cottage Grove Yamaha Motorsports #3V X-Factor.
Two consolation races were run with the top three transferring into the feature. In the first race Tony Brakeall of Lebanon driving the Sureflow Concrete Pumping Services/Swing Construction #13 Swartz would score the win bringing with him to the feature the Art Plus Signs & Designs #55 GRT of Tory Swayngim from Sodaville and Mark Thompson of Tigard in the Thompson Quality Construction/Rob Mayea Motorsports #70X Victory Circle. In the second race Jimmy Whisler of Otis in his Esterlee Motel/Galucci’s Pizzeria #28 Rocket would finish in first and the Norton Lift Services/Lynch Racing Products #71 Mastersbilt entry of Bryan Norton native of Stayton would earn second while Brian Cronk out of the last corner of the last lap for the second race in a row came across the line in third to get into the show.
DirtCar Super Late Models will return to the Willamette Speedway next Saturday on June 9th. Also in action will be the USRA Modifieds, Sportsman, Classic Sportsman, and Mini Trucks. For more information log on to the track website at www.trophymotorsports.com or stay up to day on your mobile device by “liking” us at the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trophymotorsports.
Race Results
Saturday June 2nd, 2012
Strawberry Cup
Willamette Speedway
Lebanon, Oregon
41 Cars
Fast Time: John Duty 15.670
Trophy Dash: John Duty
Heat Race Winners: Todd Sieg (1), Brian Cronk (2), John Campos (3), Casey Vitale (4)
1st B-Main: 1. Tony Brakeall, 2. Tory Swayngim, 3. Mark Thompson, 4. Brandi Bounds, 5. Mark Gaylord, 6. Justin Duty, 7. Brett McCutcheon, 8. Larry Sharp, 9. Dan Deibele, 10. Randy Barley, 11. James Slover, 12. Curt Fry, 13. Paul Culp, 14. Chris Mott
2nd B-Main: 1. Jimmy Whisler, 2. Bryan Norton, 3. Brian Cronk, 4. Darren Coffell, 5. Randy Boyd, 6. Blaine Taylor, 7. Lynn McDonald, 8. Kevin Roberts, 9. Jordan Wright, 10. Todd Sieg, 11. Bruce Hipple, 12. Brian Smith, 13. Spencer Warlick
A-Feature: 1. Jeremy Shank, 2. Rob Mayea, 3. Trevor Glaser, 4. Joey Tanner, 5. John Duty, 6. Steve Moore, 7. Brady Sell, 8. Brian Cronk, 9. Casey Vitale, 10. Tony Brakeall, 11. John Campos, 12. Mark Thompson, 13. Rick Wyatt, 14. Terry Hall, 15. Jimmy Whisler, 16. Russ Sell, 17. Tory Swayngim, 18. Keith Marson, 19. Bryan Norton, DNS Jon Kauffman
