The new web site is ready to go in, but there has been a
slight technical problem, so we will have a short delay.
Thank you for your patience.
June 30: Congratulations to Evan Margeson for
winning the BCRA feature Saturday at Placerville, CA. This
is the third win for Margeson in three starts in a dirt midget.
NOTICE
NOTICE
NOTICE
The promoter at Vernon and
our business agent have reluctantly agreed to cancel the July
4th show at Sun Valley Speedway, the July 4th race is
CANCELLED! WMRA is unable to
produce enough cars to make a good showing. It is
regretable that a club with well over two dozen cars cannot
field enough racers to put on a good show at this superior 1/2
mile Speedway. This would have been our best purse, by
far, for the 2009 season. WMRA extends its thanks to Sun
Valley Speedway for the consideration it has shown in the past
and hopes that in the future we may be able to produce enough
midgets to appear at this fine facility again. To the
drivers and owners who have appeared at our venues this year a
GREAT BIG THANK YOU,
to those who have not been able to compete, we say, come on in,
the racing is fine and we need you.
June 22:
Margeson
Spins and Wins at Agassiz
By Dolan LannanIn
2008, at Agassiz Speedway,
Mark Atkinson spun out and came back to win the WMRA
feature. Evan
Margeson, in the potent Steve Forler Trucking Beast/Pink
Ford #2, did the same thing Saturday, spinning out on
lap nine and grabbing the lead ten laps later. (More)
June 15:
Margeson
Takes Ephrata Win
By Dolan Lannan
Evan Margeson, aboard
the Forler Trucking Beast/Pink Ford easily took the win
Saturday night, his second this season and his fourth win in
a row at the quarter mile track.
Johnny Blair was second and Kenny Burns earned the third
spot. “This Forler car is great” stated Margeson,
“and the start didn’t hurt us any either.”
(More)
June 15: AGASSIZ: There
will be a min pay off of $150 USD to each car that shows up for
the midget race. To be eligible, the car must fire up.
The pit gate opens at 11:00 A.M.. Practice for midgets
only from 12:00 noon until 1:00 P.M. Open practice for all
starts at 3:00 P.M.
June 10:
The Vedder River Inn still has
ten rooms available for the June 20 race at Agassiz. They
will hold these rooms until this weekend.
June 8:
The
Best Western Rama Inn has
agreed to hold rooms for this Saturday's race in Ephrata until
Wednesday. They are giving the WMRA a special rate of $81
plus taxes. Call 509 754-7111 and mention the WMRA to get this rate.
June 6:
CROSSTOWN MEDIA has set July 5th as their goal to have this web
site completely updated and renovated. WMRA feels that it will be one of
the premier midget web sites in the Nation, there will be many
changes, new information, easier access, and larger fan and
member participation will be possible.
Thanks to Crosstown media for all they've done for WMRA! Keep watching - you're gonna like what's coming!
June 4:
Petter Nabs First Ever WMRA Win
By Dolan Lannan
The first WMRA race
at Spokane County Raceway since 1980 proved to be a successful
one for Ben Petter. Aboard his own Beast/Esslinger, Petter
easily won the 25 lap feature Saturday, over 2008 WMRA Champ
Mark Atkinson and Pat Bliss.
(More)
May 28: The next
WMRA race is Saturday, May 30 at the half mile
Spokane
County Raceway. The gates will open at noon, with
practice beginning at 2:00pm. Time trials are at 6:00 with racing
at 7:00. Pit passes will be $30.
May 18:
Margeson Takes WMRA Opener
By Dolan Lannan
The 2009 WMRA season began
Saturday, almost the same way the 2008 season ended, with Evan Margeson
dominating the competition at South Sound Speedway. After setting fast
time, Margeson went on to easily win the feature, piloting the family
Beast/Esslinger for the first time in WMRA competition since his usual
ride, the Harold Beal entry was not quite ready for competition. “I
wasn’t sure what to expect” said the soft spoken Margeson, “since we
never raced this car at this track before, but we are certainly thrilled
with the results.”
(More)
May 18:
Follow WMRA on Twitter!
Twitter is a social networking
site where people from all over are answering the question, "What are
you doing?". With Twitter you can "follow" your friends, family,
celebrities, and now your favorite racing organization!
Here's how to make your own
Twitter account:
1)
Go to
www.twitter.com
2)
Click on the Get Started Now button
3)
Follow the steps to create your account
4)
Once you have created your account click on the FIND
PEOPLE button at the top of the screen
5)
Type in WMRA.
6)
Click the follow button. A green check mark will
appear when the process is complete.
Now that you are following WMRA
you will be able to see all the updates that are posted. I will be
"tweeting" live from every race!
If you have any questions please
e-mail me at
maryjo@evanmargeson.net
and I will help you get your Twitter up and running properly!
Mary Jo Hinkle
April 10: There is a
general meeting scheduled for 11:00 A. M. Saturday 2 May at Porter's Place
in Tacoma. If you wish to eat, cost is $11.00 per person, pocket
schedule cards and 5" x 7" schedule cards will be available.
April 7: Per
President Anthony Seidelman; tire prices for 2009 are as follows. R/R
$125, L/R/ $113, Front $105. Pit gate at South Sound will remain the
same as last year.
March 31: There are 31 cars
on the 2009 roster as of this date. All owners, or a spokesmen have
been contacted for each of these midgets. If you have not been
contacted please let me know at
dolan@olypen.com
so you can be included. To date we have one
rookie driver listed.
March 18:
Tomorrow evening Thursday 19 March President Tony Seidelman, drivers Mark
Atkinson, and Dallas Melby along with car owner Chris Melby will be on the
radio at 9:00 P.M. This will be on AM
1380 (not AM 1440), all interested
members should tune in and hear what WMRA is doing. Thanks to our
members for doing this spot on the air.
WMRA receives a
good percentage of the proceeds from merchandise sold on our web site.
Crosstown Media is designing new shirts for the 2009 racing
season. All interested parties please check this out. We thank
Daniel for this, and all the work he has done for us.
March 16:
The WMRA has three races scheduled in British Columbia this season.
The requirements for getting into Canada and back into
the US will be different this season than they were last year.
With few exceptions, beginning on June 1st of this year, people entering
Canada will need a
passport, a
passport card
or (for Washington residents) an
enhanced driver's licence.
Passports and
passport cards can take up to ten weeks to get.
Click here for current wait times.
Passports and passport cards can be applied for in person or by mail.
Click
here for a list of local places to apply. Enhanced drivers
license usually take about three weeks to get after you are approved.
All of these wait times are likely to increase as it gets closer to the time
when the new requirements go into effect.
Passport and passport card fees vary with
passports costing &75 or more and passport cards beginning at only $20.
Enhanced drivers licenses fees are
$15 or more.
March 6:
Hotel information for the 2009 season is now available.
Click here
or the 'Hotels' link on the left to view the information.
February 28: All
car owners who wish to have their sponsors announced at the races please
send sponsor information before May 1st to:
dolan@olypen.com. This should
insure their mention at all of our events.
February 21:
The WMRA schedule has now been updated for 2009. To view it,
click here
or on the 'Schedule' link on the left. Contact Tony Seidelman at 253
226-8003 or
blindside108@hotmail.com.
February 17:
Applications for 2009 WMRA memberships are now available on line. WMRA
members voted to make the dues for car owners and drivers $100 and pit crew
and associate members $55 and to include a ticket to the annual WMRA Awards
Banquet with each paid membership.
Click here for a printable WMRA membership
application.
February 16: I am
starting to work on the car/owner/driver roster for the 2009 season.
My intent is to be able to talk to all owners to have the correct listing
for track announcers, and publicity releases. I am making telephone
contact with those who's numbers I have in my files. If I do not
contact you it means I do not have your phone number and if you do not
hear from me please send info to
dolan@olypen.com. It is early, but this information is important to
our promoters. Thanks to all for any assistance you can offer.
January 10: Don Brashear, WMRA sponsor and fan, has suffered a stroke and would appreciate cards from
racers and friends. he will be confined to a care center for some time
to come, per Bob Witte: Cards will reach him at the following
address: Don Brashear, P. O. Box 1152,
Soap Lake, WA 98851.
December 28:
Photos of the 2008 Awards Banquet have been posted in the photo gallery.
Thanks to Lynne Bennett for providing them.
December 11:
The annual WMRA rules meeting will be this Saturday, December 13 at
Porter's Place
Restaurant in Tacoma. The meeting will begin at 10:15am.
Any rule already proposed on the message board will be considered first
followed by other rule proposals. At about 11:30 there will be a lunch
break. Porter's Place is in the LaQuinta Inn, just off of I-5 , at the
Portland Avenue exit. The address is 2615 E. "N" St.
November 30:
Although the WMRA season has been over for two months, many
WMRA drivers have been busy. On September 27, Evan Margeson set fast
time and won a USAC West race event at Altamont, California.
Three WMRA drivers had some good runs in November. Mark Atkinson set
fast time and a new track record and Evan Margeson finished second at a USAC
West race in Las Vegas on November 1. Five days later Margeson went
onto finish 16th at the mile track in Phoenix. Last Thursday, November
27, with 64 midgets present, both Margeson and Atkinson made the feature at
the Turkey Night Grand Prix in Irwindale, CA., with Margeson ending up 20th
and Atkinson 25th. Then the next night Tony Seidelman won the dash and
went on to win the feature at the indoor dirt race in Salem, Or.
Congratulations to all three of these drivers.
Rules Meeting. WMRA has a meeting scheduled for Saturday 13 December at Porter's Place,
2615 E. "N" St., Tacoma, WA. at 10:15 A. M.. If ten or more people eat
there, the room is free, and a buffet will be served. The cost is
$12.95 per person, so come hungry!
President
Tony Seidelman will outline the nine races which have been tentatively
booked for 2009 and discuss options for the remainder of the schedule. Rules
changes may be proposed at this meeting. Please plan to attend, let
your voice be heard!
November 3:
The WMRA is pleased to announce that
Rick Kraft will be the emcee at the annual
awards banquet on November 15 and
Mel Anthony will be the guest speaker.
Rick was the 2001
WMRA Owners Champion, after missing the drivers title by only four points.
Rick is one of the all time characters in WMRA's history. His knowledge and
wit will assure the banquet will be an entertaining evening.
Mel Anthony
ran midgets in the WMRA for ten years in the
heyday of midget racing, in the '40s and '50s for a variety of owners
including WMRA Gold Card member Homer Norman. Mel has written a book
about his racing experiences called
'Smoke, Sand and Rubber' . The book
features lots of stories from Mel's racing days written in Mel's informative
and often humorous way. The book will be available for sale at the
banquet.
The banquet will
begin at 6:00pm on November 15, at the
King Oscar Hotel at 8726 So. Hosmer Street in Tacoma. A
social hour will be followed by dinner, our feature speaker Mel Anthony and
then the awards presentation. Tickets are only $29.50 each. They
are available from Dee Crews at 253 752-0971 or from Ken Ferris at
racerken@aol.com.
Please order your tickets before November 10 to allow enough time for
the hotel to order the food.be
October 31:
RULES MEETING, Saturday, December 13th, time and
location to be announced. It is requested that you post your
suggestions for new rules, or comments on proposed rules on the website
message board. We'd like YOUR input, please participate, give us your
thoughts.! A lot of work and thought are going into making 2009 a much
better season, and you can help make it that way by participating!
October 29:
King Oscars 8726 Hosmer St, Tacoma, where our banquet will be held on
November 15, needs to know how many will be present. Dee Crews, 824
Huson, Tacoma, WA 98405 must have your reservations, and the money in her
hands not later than 10 November for this to be accomplished. Please
send your checks, made out to WMRA, to Dee at the above address as soon as
possible so she can relay this information to our host restaurant. Dee
says - Thank you.
October 22:
It
is requested that all who have volunteered to purchase trophies try to get
their checks in to Dee Crews if it is possible to do it at this time.
Dee wishes to thank all who have contributed to this fund, your help
is appreciated and vital to WMRA.
October 22: All are
encouraged to go to the message board, under "chat", read the proposed new
rules which will be presented to the Board and Membership at the upcoming
meeting. This was posted so you could give your input, pro or
anti views, it is one of the ideas to assist with better car count for 2009.
We need to hear from YOU!
October 14:
Trophy Sponsors needed for WMRA Banquet. Prices are as follows, $85.00
For a trophy and two tickets, $5.00 for just a trophy, tickets are $29.50
per person. If you can help with a trophy contact Mary Jo Hinkle at
(503) 261-3998, or email
mjohinkle@gmail.com . Alternately you may contact Glen Seidelman at
glenrace@hotmail.com
. All checks made out to WMRA.
We need 22 trophy sponsors, contact Glen or Jo as soon as possible on this if you
desire to help. We thank you.
October
11: WMRA is looking for
officials for the 2009 season: The
following positions are open, Referee, Pit Boss, and Starter.
Applicants must agree to make all scheduled races throughout the season.
Interested parties should contact Dolan Lannan at;
dolan@olypen.com. or (360)
681-2313.
October 8:
The next WMRA meeting will be Tuesday, October 28. It
will once again be at the Round Table Pizza in South Tacoma. The board
meeting will be at 6:00 and the general meeting will begin at 7:00.
Ballots for the 2009 Board of Directors as well best appearing car and crew,
most improved driver and sportsman of the year, which will be sent out soon,
must be either mailed back or returned by this meeting.
October 2:
Check out our own Dallas Melby, in an interview with the
Detroit News talking about midget racing.
Click here to see the story.
September 28:
Congratulations to Evan Margeson on his USAC West win
Saturday at Altamont. Evan won by a large margin after starting in the
back row.
September 25:
Midget driver Dallen McKenney was severely injured in an
accident during a BCRA race at Madera last Saturday. Among his
injuries are a broken vertebra, two broken shoulder blades, some bleeding in
the brain and a collapsed lung. He is in an induced coma in an ICU
unit. Cards can reach him at BCRA, PO Box 398,
Tracy, CA 95378-0398.
September 23:
The next meeting for the WMRA will be next Tuesday,
September 30. It will be held at the Round Table Pizza in Tacoma.
The address there is 7921 So. Hosmer Street. This is near the new
Lowe's, next to I-5. The Board meeting will be at 6:00 with a general
meeting will follow at 7:00. Among the items on the agenda will be
nominations for the 2009 Board of Directors. If you have any
questions, call Glen Seidelman at 253 535-5849.
September 22:
Margeson Notches Sixth Win in Clean Sweep at South Sound
By Dolan Lannan
Evan Margeson, driving the Harold and Verda Beal Beast/Pink
Ford got his sixth WMRA victory of the season Saturday evening at South
Sound Speedway. Margeson won easily over Brea Lopez and Tony Seidelman.
Mark Atkinson came in fourth and earned the WMRA Championship in his first
year in a midget.
(more)
September 21:
Evan Margeson
had a clean sweep at South Sound on Saturday, setting fast time and winning
the heat race and feature in the WMRA 2008 championship race. He was
followed in the feature by Brea Lopez and Tony Seidelman. Mark
Atkinson was fourth place and became the first ever WMRA rookie to be WMRA
champion. More to follow.
September 18:
Grewohl Great at Shasta
By Robert Haugh
Picking up where North Carolina’s Shane Hmiel left
off earlier in the season, Bobby Grewohl triumphed over a stellar 21-car
field at the “West Coast Midget Clash” on Saturday, September 13 at the 5th
Annual Pop Porter Memorial at Shasta Raceway Park in Anderson, CA.
Piloting the DMS Race Products #21 Beast/Esslinger, Grewohl rocketed ahead
of the field from his pole position, leading every lap of the Bay Cities
Racing Association/Washington Midget Racing Association co-sanctioned event
at the gorgeous 3/8-mile Shasta Raceway, giving the DMS team their third
BCRA win of the year.
(more)
September 14:
Bobby Gerwohl won the WMRA/BCRA co-sanctioned event Saturday
in Anderson, CA. Second place was Mark Atkinson ,the only WMRA car to
finish the race and third went to Viktor Sinzig. Evan Margeson set a
new track record of 14.654 and the dashes were won by Logan Forler and
Grewohl. Nick Chivello, Forler and Sinzig won the heat races.
Twenty-one cars were present. More to follow.
September 8:
Below are some of the details for the WMRA/BCRA race at
Shasta Speedway. There will be a practice Friday from noon to six (or
maybe later) with a free barbeque to follow. The cost is $100 per car
and that includes all the crew members. The track will open at noon on
Saturday and with practice to begin at 3:00. The purse will be $7000
with $1200 to win. Thanks to the promoter, Rick Faeth, the transponder
and the overnight camping fees will be waived. There will be a minimum
of $250 for each WMRA car. If you have a USAC/BCRA style radio, please
bring it or get it to someone who is going to assure there are enough for
each car.
Click here for more information.
August 31:
Margeson Again in Ephrata
By Dolan Lannan
Evan Margeson, in the Harold and
Verda Beal Beast/Pink Ford won his fifth race of the season and his third in
a row at the tricky quarter mile Ephrata Raceway Park Saturday. Margeson
accomplished the feat after inheriting a front row starting spot on a
restart after a lap one altercation that left four midgets stopped in turn
two.
(more)
August 31:
We are sorry to report that forty-four year old WMRA driver, Dan Fisher,
died Friday in a boating accident near his home on Shawnigan Lake, on
Vancouver Island. Fisher drove Dick Voss' #45 car as recently as
August 23 in Port Angeles.
Click here for more details.
August 31:
Evan Margeson chalked up another WMRA win Saturday, besting Brea Lopez and
Tony Seidelman in WMRA action at Ephrata Raceway Park. Tony Berry and
Steve Forler were heat race winners while Evan Margeson and Mitch Hoffses
were dash winners and Mark Atkinson set fast time. More to follow.
August 27:
There will be a test session on Friday, August 29, at Ephrata Raceway Park
from 5:00 until dark. The old time racers will be there most of the
day so it will be possible to get in early and be ready to go at 5:00.
The track will be open early on Saturday and pit passes will go on sale at
1:00.
August 25: Margeson on Top as WMRA Returns to
Port Angeles
By Dolan Lannan
After Tony Seidelman won the
season opener, Evan Margeson and rookie Mark Atkinson have been swapping
wins in the WMRA, with each having three victories before the Saturday event
at Port Angeles Speedway. Margeson got his fourth win Saturday in the
Harold and Verda Beal Beast/Pink Ford, dominating the feature and coming in
about a half lap ahead of runner up Mitch Hoffses in the green to checkered
event.
(more)
August 23:
Evan Margeson won the feature by a wide margin tonight at
Port Angeles Speedway. Mitch Hoffses set a new track record, Skeeter
Flake took home the A dash trophy and Logan Forler and Hoffses won the two
heats. More to follow.
August 20:
The back gate at Port Angeles Speedway will open at 1:30 this Saturday.
The midgets will have the track between 3:00 and 4:00 before the gate is
opened to the other classes of cars.
August 14:
Bob Newcombe, the manager at Sun Valley Speedway in Vernon, BC VOLUNTARILY
gave the WMRA $2500 to help offset the traveling expenses last weekend, even
though the race rained out before qualifying. The WMRA would like to
thank Mr. Newcombe for his generosity and thank everyone at Sun Valley
Speedway for their hospitality. The track personnel were impressed
with the speed of thee midgets and they are looking forward to WMRA
returning in 2009. You can contact Bob Newcombe at bob@sunvalleyspeedway.com.
August 10:
After a rainy morning twelve midgets hot lapped at Sun Valley Speedway
Saturday. Right before time trials there was a downpour and the rest
of the evenings activities were cancelled.
August 6:
The back gate will open at 10:00am on Saturday at Sun Valley Speedway.
Remember, every car will receive $250 to attend the race there.
July 31:
The next WMRA race will be at Sun Valley Speedway in Vernon, BC on August 9.
The promoter there is looking forward to race. If fifteen midgets
attend, he will add $3000 to the purse for a race there in 2009. With
the cost of travel higher than past years, the WMRA has decided to guarantee
a minimum $250 to every midget that attends the race there. Call Glen
Seidelman with any questions at 253 535-5849.
July 21: Atkinson Wins in Surprising Race at
Agassiz
By Dolan Lannan
Mark Atkinson winning a feature
race is becoming a little less surprising as the WMRA season progresses.
The seventeen year old WMRA rookie has now won three features in seven
starts with the club. The way he won last Saturday was surprising though,
spinning out near the midpoint of the race and coming back through the field
for the victory in the black Atkinson Racing #23 car.
(more)
July 20:
Mark Atkinson won his third race this season at Agassiz Speedway Saturday.
He was followed by Tony Seidelman, Troy Globe, Kerstin Smutny and Jeremiah
Franklin. Atkinson also established a new track record. Dallas
Melby won the dash, Globe won the first heat and Seidelman picked up heat
two. More details soon.
July 15:
Agassiz update. The promoter at
Agassiz Speedway will open the back gate
Saturday at 10:00am just for the midgets. There will be a midget only
test session for midgets only from noon to 2:00pm. At that point the
gate will open for the other three classes of cars. There will also be
testing later in the day, in rotation with the other classes. Pit
passes will be $30 if you are a WMRA member and $35 for others. Due to
limited space in the pits, the trailers will need to be unloaded. The
track has a noise rule of 95db @ 75 feet.
At the border each person will need either picture ID and a birth
certificate or a passport, or an enhanced drivers license. Click
here and
here for more information. Getting
the racecars, tools, parts, etc. across the border is not a hassle like it
has been in the past. Inventories are no longer required.
There are still a few rooms available at the
Abbotsford Best Western Bakerview Hotel
at the WMRA rate of $99 plus tax for Friday and Saturday. You
can call them at 604 858-1341. This is about 30 miles from the Speedway.
Click here for a map to the track and
directions.
July 13: Margeson Wins Again!
By Dolan Lannan
Halfway through the 2008 season,
Evan Margeson has won half the WMRA feature events run so far this year.
Saturday, Margeson, in the Beal Beast/Pink Ford, passed pole sitter Tony
Seidelman on lap six and never looked back enroute to his third WMRA win of
the season, at South Sound Speedway.
(more)
July 12:
Evan Margeson In Harold Beal's Beast/Pink Ford won the feature tonight at
South Sound Speedway over a closing Mark Atkinson. Fast time setter
Brea Lopez was third over Tony Seidelman, and Mitch Hoffses. Margeson
also won the dash and the A heat while Hoffses topped the B heat.
July 9:
We are sorry to report that Glorene Stone, Matt Stone's grandmother passed
away recently. Grandma Stone was often seen at the races along with
her son John and her daughters Eileen and Gayle. The WMRA wishes to
express their condolences to the family.
June 30: Atkinson Wins Again at South Sound
By Dolan Lannan
After battling with Brea Lopez for
over half the race, seventeen year old rookie, Mark Atkinson came home with
his second WMRA victory of the season Saturday at South Sound Speedway.
(more)
June 29:
We are sorry to report that former WMRA car owner, Al Olson passed away
Thursday. Al was active in the WMRA in the 80's, campaigning two cars
for many years. A funeral will be held Monday, at 1:30 at the
Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Bellevue.
June 28:
Mark Atkinson set fast time and won the feature event tonight over Tony
Seidelman and Darren Linder. Kerstin Smutny was fourth over Logan Forler.
More details will be available soon.
June 22:
Congratulations to Dallas Melby and the whole Melby crew for their Wolverine
Outlaw Midget race in at Berlin Speedway in Michigan. Dallas also won
his heat race.
Click here for a story and some pictures.
June 20: Margeson Repeats at Ephrata
by Dolan Lannan
Evan Margeson drove the Harold and
Verda Beal to his second consecutive victory Saturday in WMRA action at
Ephrata Raceway Park. Margeson passed leader Kerstin Smutny on lap four and
dominated the rest of the event.
(more)
June 14:
Evan Margeson set fast time and won the feature last night at Ephrata
Raceway Park. Mark Atkinson was second in the feature followed by Brea
Lopez, Tony Seidelman and Logan Forler, in his first ever midget start.
M ore details will be available soon.
June 8:
Here is an update regarding next at week's race at
Ephrata
Raceway Park. There will be testing there on Friday the
13th. The Golden Wheel cars will be running in the afternoon.
They will try and accommodate any midgets that want to test then. The
track will be open specifically for midgets at about 6:30pm. They will
remain open until about 8:00, or later if there are cars that still want to
test. There will be no charge for the test (Thanks guys!), however
donations are encouraged toward the paramedics and safety crew that are
volunteering their time for us.
The minimum age to be in
the pits there is fourteen. Anyone under eighteen MUST have an
Ephrata Raceway Park Waiver for Minors Form to enter the
pits. This must be signed by both parents if at all possible and
absolutely must be signed by one parent. There will be no exceptions
to this. This form is in addition to the WMRA Minor Release Form that
WMRA members have signed.
This is the annual Sage
and Sun Festival race. Midgets are encouraged to be in the Sage and
Sun Parade at 9:00am on Saturday. The cars can either be towed on an
open trailer or by a quad. Please bring paperwork to show that yours
quads have insurance if possible.
June 6:
The 'Links' section of the website has been updated. Among the
updates are links for rookie WMRA drivers
Mark Atkinson,
Logan Forler,
Mitch Hoffses
and Kerstin
Smutny.
June 4: Margeson Gets Win at South
Sound
By Dolan Lannan
Fast qualifier Evan Margeson in the familiar Beal #50
passed Tony Seidelman on lap eight of the WMRA feature on Saturday and never
looked back to gain his first win of the 2008 season.
(more)
June 3:
The two day BCRA
event scheduled for June 27 and 28 at Redwood Acres in Eureka, CA. has been
cancelled. The promoter and the club agreed to the cancellation amid
concerns of low car counts.
June 2:
Evan Margeson won the WMRA feature Saturday at South Sound Speedway.
Spence Gatrell was second and Rick Brown was third. More details will
follow soon.
May 19:
Washington midget racers made their presence known last
weekend at
National USAC events in Wisconsin and Illinois.
Congratulations to Brian Olson for winning the 50 lap USAC National race in
Rockford, IL yesterday. Brian led all 50 laps and beat Bobby East, Dakoda
Armstrong and Kody Swanson to the finish. This was the third USAC National
race in three days. WMRA Champion, Evan Margeson made the A feature at all
three races with his best finish a ninth place in West Salem, WI. Dallas
Melby got thirteenth at West Salem, while Mark Atkinson and Ben Petter both
made the A feature in Slinger, WI.
May 8:
After suffering a relapse, Jim Crews was back in the
hospital. He now has been moved to
Tacoma Lutheran Home,
room 702, where he will be for at least a couple of weeks. You can call him
there at 253 752-7112 or call Dee at 253 752-0971. He is anxious to see any of his
racing friends.
May 6:
Atkinson Wins in Second Start
By Dolan Lannan
It has been more than twenty years
since a rookie won a feature event in the Washington Midget Racing
Association. Mark Atkinson, in the Atkinson Racing Beast/Esslinger took
full advantage of his pole position to do just that Saturday at South Sound
Speedway in only his second ever WMRA start and fourth ever full midget
feature. “My arms are tired, I was really holding on.” stated Atkinson
after the race.
(more)
May 3:
Rookie Mark Atkinson won the South Sound feature from the
pole position followed closely by Evan Margeson and Spence Gatrell.
More details soon.
April 28:
The WMRA now has a new online store up and running! Now
available are a variety of 2008 WMRA shirts and sweaters as well as coffee
mugs, clocks, mousepads and more!
Click here
or on the new 'Merchandise' link on the left. Thanks to Daniel Shields
at Crosstown
Media for all the great artwork.
April 28:
Dolan Lannan has a few pictures up from the first WMRA race
of the season.
Click here or on the 'Photo Gallery' link
on the left to view them. Thanks Dolan!
April 28:
Brea Lopez got some great publicity as she was quoted in a
Seattle PI story recently.
Click here to read the story.
April 15:
Seidelman Garners WMRA Opener!
By
Dolan Lannan
Tony
Seidelman, in the Manners Hawk/Sage Gaerte took the lead from the pole
position and was never headed in the 30 lap WMRA opener Saturday at
South Sound Speedway. Brea Lopez took second place over Evan Margeson.
(More)
April 12:
Tony Seidelman won his second ever WMRA feature with Brea Lopez second.
Evan Margeson was third, rookie Mark Atkinson fourth and Darren Linder
fifth. A story will follow soon.
April 10:
Jim Crews is resting after a nearly ten hour quadruple bypass
surgery on April 9. He is at Tacoma General Hospital but will not be
able to receive visitors for a couple of days.
April 9:
There will be a practice this Friday, April 11, from 3:00pm
to dark at
South Sound Speedway. The cost is $20
for drivers and $15 for everyone else. The pit gate opens at 1:30pm on
race day, April 12.
April 7:
We are sorry to report that WMRA Gold Card member, Jim Crews
is in Tacoma General Hospital awaiting a quadruple bypass. You can
call Dee Crews at 253 752-0971 or send cards to 824 So. Huson, Tacoma, WA
98405. Get well soon, Jim.
March 25:
The WMRA racing season is now only about two weeks away.
If you are a car owner or driver, make sure to supply Dolan Lannan with the
information on your car. Dolan supplies this information to the
announcers so be sure to include information on your sponsors. You can
call Dolan at 360 681-2313 or email him at
dolan@olypen.com. And be sure to get
your membership applications in. No one will be allowed to race or
practice at any WMRA race without a signed, paid for membership.
Click
here for an application form and send it to: WMRA, 18524
190th St SW, DuPont, Wa 98327.
March 9:
The new and improved WMRA Message board is (finally) up and
running.
Click here or go to the link on the left to
check it out. As in the past, you will not be required to register to use
the board. Unlike before, each message will be reviewed by a moderator
before being posted to the board. Posts that are
knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful,
harassing, obscene, profane or threatening will not be posted. Post
will be allowed or denied solely on the WMRA monitor's discretion. The
new board currently has three 'Classified' forums and
three other forums. Forums may be added or deleted in
the future. For comments or questions regarding the new Message Board,
email Ken Ferris at
racerken@aol.com.
February
26: In an effort to encourage more participation, the
WMRA membership has voted to reinstate a Division II for the 2008 season.
Click here to read the rules for Division II.
February
18: Here is a new idea. What if the WMRA earned a penny
every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every
purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can!
GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered
search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per
search, to the organization its users designate. Use it just as you would
any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the
donations add up!
GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall
which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause!
Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay,
Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you
place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.
Just go to
www.goodsearch.com or click on the logo
above and be sure to enter 'Washington Midget Racing Association' as the
organization you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word!
February 14: Everyone who
received over $600 from WMRA in 2007 will receive a 1099 form for their
taxes. These forms will arrive in the mail on or before February 20.
February 12: As some of you
may have noticed, the 'Classifieds' section of the WMRA website is not
working. We are aware of this and will get it up and working as soon
as we can. Thank you for your patience.
February 5:
WMRA Gold
Card member, Jim Crews will be inducted into the
Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame on June fifth of this
year, for his involvement with midget racing. Jim began his
involvement with midget racing and the WMRA as a sponsor in 1958. Jim
and his wife Dee (also a WMRA Gold Card member) have owned midgets and been
involved with the WMRA for half a century. Congratulations to Jim for
this well deserved recognition! Jim will be among some elite company.
Other motor racers already inducted include Don McCloud, Tom Carstens, Leo
Dobry, Dick and Wanda Boness, Bob Malley, Pat Austin and Pete Lovely.
Click here for a complete list of inductees.
January 31: The next meeting
for the Washington Midget Racing Association will hold a general meeting on
Tuesday, February 12 at the Fife City Bar and Grill The address there is
3025 Pacific Highway South in Fife, (duh!). It is about one block off
the freeway at exit 136.
Click here for a map. The Board will
meet at 6:00 with the general meeting to follow at 7:00.
January 20: The 2008 WMRA racing schedule
is below. Although these dates are considered firm, there may be
changes in the future which will be announced on this web site.
April 12
South Sound Speedway, Rochester, WA
May 3
South Sound Speedway, Rochester, WA
May 31
South Sound Speedway, Rochester, WA
June 14
Ephrata Raceway Park, Ephrata, WA
June 28
South Sound Speedway, Rochester, WA
July 12
South Sound Speedway, Rochester, WA
July 19
Agassiz Speedway, Agassiz, BC
August 9
Sun Valley Speedway, Vernon, BC
August 23
Port Angeles Speedway, Port Angeles, WA
August 30
Ephrata Raceway Park, Ephrata, WA
September 13 Shasta Speedway,
Anderson, CA (with BCRA)
September 20 South Sound
Speedway, Rochester, WA
January 7: The WMRA
membership application on the website has now been updated for 2008.
The fee to be an associate member has been lowered to $30 from $50 to
encourage more members.
Click here to print an application or a
minor release form.
December 5:
Congratulations to Tony Seidelman for winning the dirt race in Salem, Oregon last saturday
and to Doug Kammerzell for his third place finish!
November 22: Congratulations
to WMRA Champion, Evan Margeson for his great drive to an eighth place
finish at the Turkey Night Grand Prix! Spence Gatrell, Brea Lopez,
Dallas Melby and Ben Petter also competed but were unable to transfer out of
the last chance races. Snake Livernash ended up fourteenth in his
first ever sprint car race.
November 4: The annual WMRA
rules meeting will be on Tuesday, November 13 at the Fife City Bar and
Grill. The board meeting will begin at 6:00pm with the general meeting
to follow at 7:00. This is an hour earlier than usual to allow plenty
of time to discuss and vote on any rule proposals. Please submit any
rules proposals in writing to president Glen before the meeting. You
can email them to:
glenrace@hotmail.com or send them to 17320
Park Avenue, Spanaway, WA 98387. Rules that have been
submitted in advance will be considered first. Rules proposed the
night of the meeting will be considered afterwards if time allows.
WMRA has added a message board to
propose and discuss rules for 2008.
Click here to read, submit, or discuss rules proposals for the
2008 season.
October 31: The annual WMRA
Awards Banquet was held on October 27. It took many volunteers and many
hours to make it a success. Thanks to Jo Hinkle, Kathy Poffenberger,
Sandy Ferris and Vicki Margeson for their help with the decorations.
Thanks to Dolan Lannan for the great photos. You can check some of
them out in the
Photo Gallery. Board members Chris Melby and Randy Manners and
Dick Voss each spent many hours helping. And thanks to all who helped at the
event, speaker Chip Hanuer, Jo Hinkle, trophy girl Juli Gidlund, and
especially to Tom Glithero who did a great job as the emcee. Many special
awards were presented. Congratulations to all the winners! They were:
KennyMcLoughlin Award (race
closest to Memorial Day) Evan Margeson
Dave Smelser Award
(by vote, Sportsman of the Year) Chris Melby
Hard Charger Award
(most passing points) Evan Margeson
Most Improved Driver Award (by
vote) Brea
Lopez
Chuck Sparks Award
(by vote, Best Appearing Car and Crew) Randy Manners
Gordon Reelie Award
(race closest to Labor Day) Kenny Ferris
October 24: The WMRA is
pleased to announce their officers for the 2008 season. They are:
President: Glen Seidelman
Vice President: Skeeter Flake
Secretary: Jim Crews
Treasurer: Ken Ferris
Trustee: Steve Gatrell
Trustee: Dolan Lannan
Trustee: Ken Muth
Trustee: Dick Voss
The new Board of Directors is looking forward to the upcoming season.
If you have any comments or questions, you can call Glen Seidelman at 253
535-5849 or email him at
glenrace@hotmail.com.
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