Shawn Miller, MEDFORD, Ore. (May 9, 2009) - A smile engulfed Dan Menne's face once he realized what he had just accomplished.
After claiming the American Sprint Car Series Northwest Region feature event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway in White City, Ore., Menne has now won a race in the past three sprint car tours in the Northwest.
"Sweet," said Menne, who lives in Fort Jones, Calif. "It's awesome."
Menne won a Northern Sprint Tour race in 2000 at the now-defunct Portland Speedway in Portland, Ore. He then claimed a victory at Southern Oregon Speedway in 2007 as part of the Northwest Sprint Challenge Series.
On Saturday, at the race track where he has won four track championships, Menne ended up with his first-ever ASCS win.
What made Menne's victory more spectacular was the motor he raced with -- borrowed from Gaerte Engines in Rochester, Ind. The company lended Menne a motor to race several ASCS events this season.
"They let me run this to promote their motor out here because there really isn't any Gaerte motors in the ASCS out this way," said Menne, who started second.
Steven Tiner of Valencia, Calif., who was the hard charger in Friday night's race by passing 10 cars, drove from eighth to second -- his best-ever ASCS finish.
"This is every racer's dream to race on a track like this," Tiner said. "We went through lapped traffic three wide."
The hard charger on Saturday was Jared Ridge of Snohomish, Wash. Ridge, who raced to second in the B main, placed fourth after starting the feature in 16th.
"For me I think the key was just to tighten my car up," Ridge said. "A lot of guys were running the top in the sticky stuff. If I could get my car tight enough to run below it and open up a free lane, I could get by a lot of guys. And just kinda run where everybody wasn't."
The big winner of the Northwest Region's season-opening weekend was Mitch Olson of Tacoma, Wash. Olson placed third on Saturday, his second-consecutive podium finish.
"It was a fun race," Olson said. "It gives us good momentum and some confidence. And confidence is huge in this sport."
Chadd Noland of Central Point, Ore., rounded out the top five.
Menne, who started second, led the first 10 laps before lapped traffic wreaked havoc. Rapidly approaching a car at the tail of the lead lap, Menne dove low and second-place Roger Crockett of Medford, Ore., took the high groove.
Crockett utilized the high line to his benefit and led the final 20 laps before he was disqualified for an illegal nose wing.
"I didn't want to win one this way, but I'll take it," Menne said.
Southern Oregon Speedway, Medford, Ore. (May 9, 2009):
Heat race #1 (start): 1. 12p-Randy Pierce (2), 2. 75-Dan Menne (5), 3. 6m-Phillip Del Rosa (1), 4. 25c-Chad Groves (7), 5. 22-Garen Linder (6), 6. 110-Randy Rodgers (8), 7. 5h-Justyn Cox (4), 8. 87-Kyler Barraza (3).
Heat race #2 (start): 1. 53-Andy Gregg (1), 2. 11-Roger Crockett (3), 3. 98m-Mitch Olson (5), 4. 3-Dave Hibbard (2), 5. 21w-Vern Wheeler (6), 6. 7n-Chadd Noland (7), 7. 33v-Henry Van Dam (8), 8. 68-Rob Held (4).
Heat race #3 (start): 1. 94-Steven Tiner (2), 2. 911-Ron Crume (1), 3. 10-Kyle Miller (4), 4. 2z-Todd Zeitler (6), 5. 12-Jared Ridge (3), 6. 101-Charlie Thompson (5), 7. 4c-Billy Nutter (7).
B Main (start): 1. 7n-Chadd Noland (2), 2. 12-Jared Ridge (3), 3. 33v-Henry Van Dam (5), 4. 68-Rob Held (8), 5. 4c-Billy Nutter (6), 6. 5h-Justyn Cox (7), 7. 101-Charlie Thompson (4), 8. 110-Randy Rodgers (1), 9. 87-Kyler Barraza (DNS).
A Main (start): 1. 75-Dan Menne (2), 2. 94-Steven Tiner (8), 3. 98m-Mitch Olson (3), 4. 12-Jared Ridge (16), 5. 7n-Chadd Noland (15), 6. 53-Andy Gregg (7), 7. 25c-Chad Groves (6), 8. 33v-Henry Van Dam (17), 9. 22-Garen Linder (12), 10. 10-Kyle Miller (9), 11. 4c-Billy Nutter (19), 12. 21w-Vern Wheeler (13), 13. 5h-Justyn Cox (20), 14. 3-Dave Hibbard (14), 15. 12p-Randy Pierce (5), 16. 911-Ron Crume (1), 17. 2z-Todd Zeitler (10), 18. 6m-Phillip Del Rosa (11), 19. 68-Rob Held (18), 20. 11-Roger Crockett (4) – Disqualifed (Illegal nose wing).
*Heat races = 10 laps
*B Mains = 12 laps
*A Main = 30 laps
ASCS Northwest Region Points (Top Ten): 1. (tie) Steven Tiner and Mitch Olson 288, 3. Andy Gregg 284, 4. Jared Ridge 280, 5. Henry Van Dam 274, 6. Chadd Noland 272, 7. Dan Menne 270, 8. Roger Crockett 260, 9. Randy Pierce 256, 10. Garren Linder 250.
After claiming the American Sprint Car Series Northwest Region feature event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway in White City, Ore., Menne has now won a race in the past three sprint car tours in the Northwest.
"Sweet," said Menne, who lives in Fort Jones, Calif. "It's awesome."
Menne won a Northern Sprint Tour race in 2000 at the now-defunct Portland Speedway in Portland, Ore. He then claimed a victory at Southern Oregon Speedway in 2007 as part of the Northwest Sprint Challenge Series.
On Saturday, at the race track where he has won four track championships, Menne ended up with his first-ever ASCS win.
What made Menne's victory more spectacular was the motor he raced with -- borrowed from Gaerte Engines in Rochester, Ind. The company lended Menne a motor to race several ASCS events this season.
"They let me run this to promote their motor out here because there really isn't any Gaerte motors in the ASCS out this way," said Menne, who started second.
Steven Tiner of Valencia, Calif., who was the hard charger in Friday night's race by passing 10 cars, drove from eighth to second -- his best-ever ASCS finish.
"This is every racer's dream to race on a track like this," Tiner said. "We went through lapped traffic three wide."
The hard charger on Saturday was Jared Ridge of Snohomish, Wash. Ridge, who raced to second in the B main, placed fourth after starting the feature in 16th.
"For me I think the key was just to tighten my car up," Ridge said. "A lot of guys were running the top in the sticky stuff. If I could get my car tight enough to run below it and open up a free lane, I could get by a lot of guys. And just kinda run where everybody wasn't."
The big winner of the Northwest Region's season-opening weekend was Mitch Olson of Tacoma, Wash. Olson placed third on Saturday, his second-consecutive podium finish.
"It was a fun race," Olson said. "It gives us good momentum and some confidence. And confidence is huge in this sport."
Chadd Noland of Central Point, Ore., rounded out the top five.
Menne, who started second, led the first 10 laps before lapped traffic wreaked havoc. Rapidly approaching a car at the tail of the lead lap, Menne dove low and second-place Roger Crockett of Medford, Ore., took the high groove.
Crockett utilized the high line to his benefit and led the final 20 laps before he was disqualified for an illegal nose wing.
"I didn't want to win one this way, but I'll take it," Menne said.
Southern Oregon Speedway, Medford, Ore. (May 9, 2009):
Heat race #1 (start): 1. 12p-Randy Pierce (2), 2. 75-Dan Menne (5), 3. 6m-Phillip Del Rosa (1), 4. 25c-Chad Groves (7), 5. 22-Garen Linder (6), 6. 110-Randy Rodgers (8), 7. 5h-Justyn Cox (4), 8. 87-Kyler Barraza (3).
Heat race #2 (start): 1. 53-Andy Gregg (1), 2. 11-Roger Crockett (3), 3. 98m-Mitch Olson (5), 4. 3-Dave Hibbard (2), 5. 21w-Vern Wheeler (6), 6. 7n-Chadd Noland (7), 7. 33v-Henry Van Dam (8), 8. 68-Rob Held (4).
Heat race #3 (start): 1. 94-Steven Tiner (2), 2. 911-Ron Crume (1), 3. 10-Kyle Miller (4), 4. 2z-Todd Zeitler (6), 5. 12-Jared Ridge (3), 6. 101-Charlie Thompson (5), 7. 4c-Billy Nutter (7).
B Main (start): 1. 7n-Chadd Noland (2), 2. 12-Jared Ridge (3), 3. 33v-Henry Van Dam (5), 4. 68-Rob Held (8), 5. 4c-Billy Nutter (6), 6. 5h-Justyn Cox (7), 7. 101-Charlie Thompson (4), 8. 110-Randy Rodgers (1), 9. 87-Kyler Barraza (DNS).
A Main (start): 1. 75-Dan Menne (2), 2. 94-Steven Tiner (8), 3. 98m-Mitch Olson (3), 4. 12-Jared Ridge (16), 5. 7n-Chadd Noland (15), 6. 53-Andy Gregg (7), 7. 25c-Chad Groves (6), 8. 33v-Henry Van Dam (17), 9. 22-Garen Linder (12), 10. 10-Kyle Miller (9), 11. 4c-Billy Nutter (19), 12. 21w-Vern Wheeler (13), 13. 5h-Justyn Cox (20), 14. 3-Dave Hibbard (14), 15. 12p-Randy Pierce (5), 16. 911-Ron Crume (1), 17. 2z-Todd Zeitler (10), 18. 6m-Phillip Del Rosa (11), 19. 68-Rob Held (18), 20. 11-Roger Crockett (4) – Disqualifed (Illegal nose wing).
*Heat races = 10 laps
*B Mains = 12 laps
*A Main = 30 laps
ASCS Northwest Region Points (Top Ten): 1. (tie) Steven Tiner and Mitch Olson 288, 3. Andy Gregg 284, 4. Jared Ridge 280, 5. Henry Van Dam 274, 6. Chadd Noland 272, 7. Dan Menne 270, 8. Roger Crockett 260, 9. Randy Pierce 256, 10. Garren Linder 250.
