Seidelman Garners WMRA Opener!

 

April 12

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. 

 

On an unseasonally warm day, 2007 WMRA Champion Evan Margeson in the familiar Harold and Verda Beal Beast/Pink Ford bested the field in qualifying with a 13.159 time.  Due to time constraints, the A and B dashes were scrapped.  

 

In the first heat race, Seidelman jumped to the lead over pole sitter Darren Linder and led every lap for the win.  Linder, in the family TCR/Fontana was second followed by sprint car ace Quick Rick Brown.  Brown was in the Tom Maples #98 Beast/Pink Ford, substituting for Chris Petersen who is recovering from a shoulder injury.  Rookie Kerstin Smutney was fourth.

 

The second heat saw Brea Lopez in the Dan Press Beast/Esslinger jump to the lead from the pole.  She was pressured by Margeson until lap six of the eight lap event when Margeson attempted an outside pass, only to have 2006 WMRA Champ, Spence Gatrell slip underneath for second place.  Margeson was third followed by one of four WMRA rookies present, Mark Atkinson.

 

On lap one of the feature, Gatrell, driving the family Hawk/Esslinger, and Lopez got together, resulting in both stopping and Gatrell unable to rejoin the field.  On the restart, pole sitter Seidelman jumped to the lead followed closely by Lopez and Margeson.  Darren Linder was fourth followed by Atkinson in the Atkinson Lighting Beast/Esslinger and Rick Brown.  Lopez remained in striking distance of Seidelman while Margeson was putting constant pressure on Lopez.  About mid race Margeson faded a bit, due to a blistered tire. A little further back, Linder, Atkinson and Brown were having a great battle for fourth.  Atkinson tried everything to get by Linder with Brown sticking his nose in to the battle every couple of laps.  Brown dropped out on the 24^th lap and Atkinson finally got under Linder two laps later.  At the finish, Seidelman won his second ever WMRA feature, followed by Lopez, Margeson, Atkinson and Linder.  Kerstin Smutney, in the other Atkinson entry finished sixth.

WMRA will return to South Sound on May 3.

1.         Evan Margeson, 50,         13.159
2.         Spence Gatrell, 8             13.207
3.         Mark Atkinson, 23           13.312

4.         Brea Lopez, 25                 13.324
5.         Tony Seidelman, 44         13.434
6.         Rick Brown, 98                13.484
7.         Darren Linder, 6              13.924

8.         Kerstin Smutny, 23          14.316
9.         Mitch Hoffses, 5               16.894
10.       Dave Hoene, 24                NT

 

Heat #1

 

1. Seidelman, 2. Linder, 3. Brown, 4. Smutny

 

Heat #2

 

1. Lopez, 2. Gatrell, 3. Margeson, 4. Atkinson

 

Main Event

 

1. Seidelman, 2. Lopez, 3. Margeson, 4. Atkinson, 5. Linder, 6. Smutny, 7. Brown, 8. Gatrell

 

 

Atkinson Wins in Second Start

 

May 3

 

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.

 

Earlier, a fast time of 13.155 was set by Evan Margeson in the Harold and Verda Beal #50.  The trophy dashes were cancelled and there was only one heat race due to the constant threat of rain throughout the evening. 

 

On the first lap of the ten lap heat race, there was a skirmish in turn one.  Spence Gatrell in The Gatrell family Hawk/Esslinger, Mitch Hoffses in Karl Hoffses’ Hawk Gaerte and Atkinson all ended up halted.  All were able to restart.  On the restart, Darren Linder took the lead in the Linder TCR/Fontana.  Atkinson moved to second place by the end of the first lap followed by Brea Lopez in the familiar Dan Press #25, and points leader Tony Seidelman in the Randy Manners Gaerte/Hawk in fourth.  The top five remained the same until a lap six yellow when Lopez and Seidelman got together in turn two, spinning Lopez and sending the injured Seidelman car hard into the turn three wall, ending his night.  On the restart Linder led over Atkinson and Gatrell.  On lap seven Atkinson got by by Linder for the lead.  At the finish it was Atkinson, Gatrell, Hoffses and Margeson.

 

With a few rain drops falling, the feature event was shortened to 25 laps.  An invert of four put Atkinson on the pole, starting inside Gatrell.  Atkinson got the jump to lead lap one over Gatrell, Lopez, Margeson and Rick Brown, making his second start in the beautiful Tom Maples Beast/Pink #98.  They were followed by Hoffses, Linder, and Kerstin Smutny in the other Atkinson Racing entry.  Evan Margeson, who started  outside row two, battled third starter Brea Lopez for several laps, the two running side by side until Margeson was able to pull off the pass going into turn one.  Atkinson gradually built a slight lead over Gatrell, who was then experiencing constant pressure from Margeson.  By the 22^nd  lap Atkinson’s lead was about six car lengths but things changed on the next lap.  While Atkinson was slowed slightly by a lapped car, Margeson’s pressure on Gattrell finally paid off as he took over second and rapidly narrowed the gap between him and Atkinson.  Atkinson was able to get by one more lapped car on the last lap and he took the checkered with Margeson right behind him.    They were followed by Gatrell, Lopez, Brown, Hoffses in his first ever midget start, Linder and Smutny.  The race was uninterrupted by yellow flags and all the starters were able to finish.

 

Qualifying:  1. Evan Margeson, Beal #50 – 13:15, 2. Brea Lopez, Press #25 - 13:20, 3. Spence Gatrell,  Gatrell #8- 13:37, 4. Mark Atkinson, Atkinson #23 – 13:51, 5. Rick Brown, Maples #98 – 13:55, 6.  Tony Seidelman, Manners #44 – 13:62, 7. Mitch Hoffses, Hoffses #5 – 13:64, 8. Darren Linder, Linder #6 – 13:78, 9. Kerstin Smutny, Atkinson #9 – 14:35.

 

Heat: 1. Atkinson, Gatrell, Hoffses, Margeson, Lopez, Linder, Brown, Smutny, Seidelman. 

 

Main Event:  1. Atkinson, 2. Margeson, 3. Gatrell, 4. Lopez, 5. Brown, 6. Hoffses, 7. Linder, 8. Smutny.