press releases

PRESS RELEASES

Click here to add text.Kyle Oman Motorsports

2007 NW LEGENDS CHAMPION

Stateline Speedway

Post Falls, Idaho

August 25, 2007

The NW Legends Touring series made their third trip of the 2007 series tour to the 1/4-mile track at Stateline Speedway in Post Falls, Idaho on Saturday, August 25th. This was the final appearance of 2007 at the Stateline facility. Rowan and Nick Carey were welcomed back to the NW Legends Touring Series as they successfully completed the 10-race Summer Shootout at Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Fast time of the day belonged to the #35 of Kyle Oman, the series semi-pro points leader. Kyle’s quickest lap of 15.181 was .012 of a second off the track record.

Top qualifiers:

Pro: Nick Johnson #97

Masters: Kirk Hall #64

Semi-Pro: Kyle Oman #35 (fast time)

Trophy Dash winners:

Semi-Pro dash: Doug Anderson #92

Master dash: Ty Hunter #141

Two heat races were held with a complete field invert. In the semi-pro heat, Matt Henderson in the #6 and Kyle Oman in the #35 battled for the lead up to the final lap, with Matt able to hold off Kyle and take the checkered flag. Nick Johnson in the #97 won the combined Master and Pro heat, passing Nick Carey in the #33 on the 4th lap and easily took the checkered flag on lap 8. A scheduled 50 lap main event was held, with no invert. Kyle Oman and Alex Kerslake started on row 1. Oman led until lap 8 when Johnson in the #97 passed him on the bottom in turn 2. They ran one and two for the remainder of the 50-lap green flag main, well ahead of the rest of the field. Nick Johnson took the checkered flag, winning his third race this season at Stateline. Kyle Oman finished 1st in the semi-pro class, 2nd overall. Ty Hunter won the master class, finishing 10th overall.

Top 10 finishers - Main

Nick Johnson #97 (P)

Kyle Oman #35 (SP)

Alex Kerslake #28 (SP)

Nick Carey #33 (P)

Matt Henderson #6 (SP)

Rowan Carey #42 (P)

Natalie Sinner #50 (SP)

Doug Anderson #92 (SP)

Austin Hoye #20 (SP)

Ty Hunter #141 (M)

Current points leaders for the 2007 season:

Pro: Nick Johnson #97

Master: Mike Gardner #44

Semi-Pro: Kyle Oman #9K

Rookie of the Year: Matt Henderson #6

The next scheduled race will be the second appearance of the 2007 season at the Port Angeles track on Saturday, September 1st. Three races remain in the season, including appearances at Port Angeles, Ephrata and championship night on Saturday, September 22nd at Wenatchee, Wa.

See you at the track.

Speed Week 2007

By Barb Robinson

The much-anticipated 2007 Speed week and Legends Thunder arrived as the Northwest Legends Touring Series made their way to the high-banked ¼ mile oval at Ephrata Speedway on June 16th. Warm sunshine greeted drivers and crews as they made their cars race ready in the 3-scheduled practice sessions.

Top qualifiers: Doug Anderson #92 (SP)

Nick Johnson #97 (P)

Mike Gardner #44 (M)

Trophy Dash winners: Kyle Oman #9K (SP)

Randy Schaaf #23 (P)

Mike Gardner #44 (M)

Heat Race B winner: Jimmy Gross #17 (SP)

Heat Race A winner: Doug Anderson #92 (SP)

Pro heat race winner: Alex Lessor #5 (P)

Master heat winner: Ty Hunter #8c (M)

The Semi Pro division 50-lap race was the first main event of the evening. The invert for the field was a six, with Garrett Sisk in the #1 and Matt Henderson in the #6 on the front row. Prior to the completion of the first lap, several cars got caught up in an accident, and the race was stopped, as officials worked to put the field back to the original starting order. The #92 of Doug Anderson suffered some damage and eventually had to leave the track to replace his bumper. The restart saw Sisk take the lead from the pole position, leading the first three laps, with the #28 of Alex Kerslake in second. Kerslake was able to get around Sisk in the fourth lap, taking over the lead. Kyle Oman in the #9K passed Sisk and then Kerslake, as Henderson made his way up through the field after getting pushed to the outside. He tucked in behind Oman, pressuring the 9K as the two raced nose to tail for the remainder of the 50-lap race. Oman took the checkered, with Henderson in the #6 close behind, taking second. Matt is 4th in NW Legends points overall, and is leading the 2007 Rookie of the Year points race. AJ Butler in the #24 drove a consistent, fast race and crossed the finish line in third. This was the fourth win of the 2007 season for Kyle Oman, the point’s leader in the Semi Pro division.

The Pro Division and the Masters Division classes were combined for their 50 lap main event. The #22 Scott Dalla started on the pole, with the #97 of Nick Johnson on the outside of row one. Nick took the green and jumped out front, but the #22 of Dalla got under Johnson; the next lap saw Johnson retake the lead. The #97 and the #22 battled, racing side by side, but with 11 laps remaining, Johnson took the lead as the #5 of Lessor worked on Dalla for 2nd. With a couple of laps remaining, the #5 passed the #22 and claimed the second spot behind the winner of the 50 lap main, Nick Johnson. This was the 6th win of the 2007 season for Johnson, the point’s leader for the Pro division. Mike Gardner in the #44 took the win in the Masters division, finishing 5th overall. The overall point’s leader in his class, this was Gardner’s 5th win of 2007.

Top Finishers in Mains

Semi-Pro Division Pro Division Masters

1) Kyle Oman #9k Nick Johnson #97 Mike Gardner # 44

2) Matt Henderson #6 Alex Lessor #5 Keith Van Dyne#72

3) AJ Butler #24 Scott Dalla #22 Ty Hunter #8c

4) Alex Kerslake #28 Scott Moore #15

5) Austin Hoye #20 Randy Schaaf #23

As an added bonus, a win in this regional race guaranteed drivers a spot in the A main at the Legends Asphalt Nationals held at

The Bull Ring in Las Vegas, Nevada October 11-13.

Speedweek continued as the Legends traveled to Montana Raceway Park in Kalispell for the 6th annual Legends Thunder. A premier facility, Montana Raceway Park is a favorite of the drivers and crews alike, with a professionally run program.

The track opened at 10 am on Friday as cars were provided unlimited practice time until 5 pm. Forty five Legends cars were in attendance, including Legends drivers from Montana, Washington, Idaho, California, South Carolina, Florida and Canada. Crews spent the day getting their cars just right for the anticipated 50 lap mains to be held the next day. The weather was sunny and hot, topping 83 degrees but it did not deter the drivers. The snack bar did a brisk business in bottled water sales!

After the close of practice, the Legends drivers, crews, friends, families and fans were invited to a Legend Thunder party at the Finish Line Bar and Casino in downtown Kalispell. Drivers were provided an opportunity to mingle with the fans and other drivers, and relax as they enjoyed the barbeque after a hot day at the track.

The gates opened on Saturday, June 23rd at 11 am, another beautiful, sunny Montana day. All cars were required to go through a prerace tech and safety inspection prior to taking to the track in the three hour open practice session. Qualifying at 5:45 followed a pit meeting at 5:15.

Top qualifies were: Matt Henderson #6 (Washington) Semi-Pro – fast time 14.967

Kory Abbott #5 (Florida) Pro – fast time 14.711

Tim Corbett #12 (Montana) Master – fast time 14.789

Fast times in each class were awarded $50.00 and a trophy.

The top four qualifiers in each class made up trophy dash A and the bottom four qualifiers in each class made up the B trophy dash, with each dash consisting of four laps.

Trophy Dash A winners: Kyle Oman #9K (Washington) Semi Pro

Jake Grosswiler #48 (Montana) Pro

Tommy Jordan #1sc (South Carolina) Masters

Trophy Dash B winners: Chance Hillard #69 (Montana) Semi Pro

Scott Moore #15 (Montana) Pro

Barry Mayer #31 (Canada) Master

The 16 lap heat races ran with the field in a complete invert. Cars were placed in even and odd heats, depending in their qualifying times. A combination of heat race finish and qualifying time determined the startling order for the mains.

Heat race winners: Semi Pro even heat: John Hilliker #8 (Montana)

Semi Pro odd heat: Kyle Oman #9K (Washington)

Pro heat: Kory Abbot #5 (Florida)

Masters even heat: Bob Kronenberg #29 (Washington)

Masters odd heat: Tim Corbett #12 (Montana)

Prior to the mains, several of the drivers took advantage of the opportunity to take their cars to the front stretch, meet the fans, pose for pictures and sign autographs. The stands were filled close to capacity with the fans looking forward to a great evening of racing.

The three main events of Legends Thunder 2007 consisted of 50 laps. Total payout for the evening was $15,000, and all drivers were looking forward to the chance to take home the check for the win in their class.

The Semi Pro class was up first, with Matt Henderson in the #6 starting on the pole, and Kyle Oman in the #9K on the front row outside. Oman got the lead in turn one, but Henderson was able to get underneath him in turn two and he took the lead on the fourth lap. The only caution of the 50-lap race came on lap 15 when Garrett Sisk in the #1 car, running in 9th place, lost his motor. The car caught on fire, but Garrett was able to unbuckle and get out of the car quickly, shaken but unhurt. The #6 led for the next several laps with lots of pressure from the #9K. Oman was able to pass Henderson in turn one for the lead on lap 21. They continued to race one and two for the remainder of the race, with the #9K taking the checkered, followed by the #6 car. This was the fifth win of the 2007 season for Kyle Oman, and his second main event win of Speedweek. AJ Butler, minus a wayward muffler, crossed the finish line in third, another solid finish for the rookie driver. Alex Kerslake in the #28 rounded out the top four. The Semi Pro top four finishing order was a carbon copy of the finishing order the previous Saturday at Ephrata.

Finishing order Semi Pro main

1) Kyle Oman #9K (Washington)

2) Matt Henderson #6 (Washington)

3) AJ Butler #24 (Washington)

4) Alex Kerslake #28 (Washington)

5) Jimmy Gross #17 (Idaho)

6) John Hilliker #8 (Montana)

7) Adam Bishop #52 (Montana)

8) Tyfini West #83 (Montana)

9) Brandon Sickler #23 (Montana)

10) Brad Sentel # 4 (Montana)

11) Joey Bissett #44j (Washington)

12) Chance Hilliard #69 (Montana)

13) Jed Shue #07 (Montana)

14) Garret Sisk #1 (Washington)

15) Doug Anderson #92 (Washington)

The second Legends main event consisted of the Pro Division, which included Kory Abbot in the #5, who had flown in from Florida, Nick Johnson from Bonney Lake, Washington, in the #97, winner of six races in 2007 in the Northwest Legends touring series and Jake Grosswiler in the #48, racing at his home track in Kalispell. Abbot in the #5 jumped out to the lead on the first lap and never looked back. The #48 of Grosswiler, running 2nd for all 50 laps, worked on the #5 but was unable to get by the Florida driver. Nick Johnson, the Pro Division NW Legends point’s leader, started in the 8th position, but patiently worked his way to the front, finishing in third.

Finishing order of the Pro Division

1) Kory Abott #5 (Florida)

2) Jake Grosswiler (Montana)

3) Nick Johnson #97 (Washington)

4) Scott Dalla #22 (Montana)

5) Wrango West #36 (Montana)

6) Scott Moore #15 (Montana)

7) Tyler Corpron #56 (Montana)

8) Duane Swanson #16 (Washington)

9) Randy Schaaf #23 (Montana)

10) Alex Lessor #53 (Montana)

11) Joe Martin #35 (Washington)

12) Bryce Hilliard #29 (Montana)

The Masters Division 50 lap main was the final event of the night. Seventeen cars lined up, with the #12 of Tim Corbett and the #29 of Bob Kronenburg on the front row. Tommy Jordan, a well known icon in the Legends racing community, having traveled from South Carolina, started inside second row, with the #44 of Mike Gardner on the outside of row 2. Corbett took the green flag in first and never looked back, crossing the finish line completing the caution filled 50 lap main event.

Finishing Order of the Masters Division

1) Tim Corbett #12 (Montana)

2) Brian Mario #78

3) Darrel Buckingham #H20 (Canada)

4) George Hill #49 (Washington)

5) Jim Hilliard #2 (Montana)

6) David Fisher #13 (California)

7) Kirk Hall #64 (Washington)

8) Mike Gardner #44 (Washington)

9) Spike Schultze #5+ (Montana)

10) Al Brown #6c (Canada)

11) Barry Mayer #31 ((Canada)

12) Cliff Nelson #11

13) Bob Kronenburg #29 (Washington)

14) Don Sanderson #6 (Canada)

15) Tommy Jordan #1sc (South Carolina)

16) Mark Gallager #65 (Montana)

17) Mark Donner #K2 (Washington)

At the end of the three mains and the trophy presentations, the Speed Week Champions were named, with the top driver in each class receiving a Speed Week Championship coat. The top three drivers in each class also received a trophy.

2007 Speedweek top winners:

1st Semi-Pro Kyle Oman #9K (Washington)

1st Pro Nick Johnson #97 (Washington)

1st Masters Mike Gardner #44 (Washington)

2nd Semi-Pro Matt Henderson #6 (Washington)

2nd Pro Alex Lessor #53 (Montana)

2nd Master Bob Kronenburg #29 (Washington)

3rd Semi-Pro Alex Kerslake #28 (Washington)

3rd Pro Scott Dalla #22 (Montana)

3rd Master

The next round of Northwest Legends racing will take place at the ¼ mile oval in Port Angeles, Washington. Known by the veteran drivers as a tough track, this will be the first opportunity for many of the Semi Pros to race on the semi-banked track. After a great weekend of fun in Montana at a “non-points” race, it’s back to business for the drivers and crews.

The following Saturday, July 7th, the NW Legends return to Wenatchee speedway for their second appearance of the 2007 season. See you at the track.

Legends at Evergreen Speedway

By Barb Robinson

Rain, rain and more rain welcomed the Legends to Evergreen Speedway on Saturday, June 9th. Pop-ups, tarps and umbrellas dotted the pit area as everyone tried to keep themselves and their cars dry.

The cars were on the track for practice laps prior to qualifying. Top qualifying times:

Mike Gardner (M)#44 – 25.753

Doug Anderson (SP)#92 – 26.222

Winner of the 4-lap trophy dash in the rain was Keith Van Dyne in the #72.

Winner of the 10-lap heat race was Mike Gardner in the #44. The 30 lap main was caution free, with Mike Gardner in the #44 leading the entire race. Mike had his car totally hooked-up and took the checkered flag 10+ car lengths ahead of the second place finisher, Doug Anderson, the semi-pro winner.

Finishing order of the main:

Mike Gardner (M) #44

Doug Anderson (SP) #92

Keith Van Dyne (M) #72

Matt Henderson (SP) #6

Kyle Oman (SP) #9k

Ty Hunter (M) #8c

Natalie Sinner (SP) #50

Garrett Sisk (SP) #1

Chuck Carter

June 2nd 2007

Kyle wins at Wenatchee Valley Super Oval

Legends at Wenatchee Speedway

By Barb Robinson

The 7th scheduled race of the 2007 Northwest Legends Touring Series took place at Wenatchee’s banked ¼ mile oval on Saturday June 2nd. Bright sunshine and 90 degree temperatures greeted the racers as they unloaded the haulers in the designated pit area. This was the first appearance at the speedway for the series this year; with three additional race dates scheduled, including the 2007 championship event on September 22nd. Several cars from Montana made the trek to Wenatchee to compete with the regulars of the Northwest Legends, a welcome addition to the field.

Practice time for the Legends began at 2:40 and the drivers were given three practice sessions an hour apart. Qualifying began at 5:30, with each driver being given one warm up lap and two qualifying laps. The #15 car of Scott Moore posted the fastest lap time of 14.880. Only one other car broke into 14 seconds; the #22 of Scott Dalla with a qualifying lap of 14.889.

Top qualifiers in each class:

Matt Henderson (SP) #6 15.215

Scott Moore (P) #15 14.880

Mike Gardner (M) 15.392

The top four semi-pro qualifiers made up trophy dash A: Matt Henderson #6, Kyle Oman #9K, Doug Anderson #92 and Brandon Sickler #23, with a complete car invert. After making it three wide in turn 3, Matt Henderson in the #6 took the checkered for the win. An additional trophy dash was held for the semi-pro class, and included Garrett Sisk #1, Austin Hoye #20, Natalie Sinner #1sc and AJ Butler #24. The #24 started on the pole due to the invert, and kept the lead for the entire 4 laps, taking the checkered, his first win in the Legends series. The combined top qualifying Pros and Masters trophy dash was made up of Scott Moore #15, Scott Dalla #22, Nick Johnson #97 and Alex Lessor #5. The field was lined up with a total invert, with the #5 starting on the pole. Lessor stayed out front and took the checkered flag to win the 4-lap race.

The field was split for the heat races, with the top ten cars making up heat race A and cars qualifying 11 through 21 making up heat race B. As always, the field was completely inverted for both heat races. Heat race A was won by Kyle Oman in the #9K, his 3rd heat race A win of the year. The #24 of AJ Butler won heat race B. It was an exciting night for AJ, as he won the B trophy dash and the B heat race. His consistent, mistake-free driving kept him out front for all eight laps of the heat, as he took the checkered flag several car lengths in front of the 2nd place #1sc of Natalie Sinner.

The cars lined up for the main in qualifying order, with a six-car pill-pick invert. The #6 of Matt Henderson and the #16 of Duane Swanson started on the front row. The pace car pulled off and the green flag waved for a scheduled 40 lap main event. On lap 1, due to a spin in turn four, several cars checked up. The #92 of Anderson sustained significant rear-end body damage, but Doug was able to continue with no handling problems. The field was reset for a complete restart. On lap three the #6,while leading the field, hit the wall hard in the front straightaway, with the car suffering extensive damage. Both front tires bounced though the field of cars, as the car slid along the wall in a spectacular display of sparks and debris. After a long red flag stop the track was cleaned of debris, the car was removed on the hook, and Matt was checked over and released by the EMTs without any serious injuries. The cars lined up for the remaining laps of the race, but a couple of debris cautions and a couple of minor spinouts made for several yellow flag laps, as track officials tried to sort out the lineup and identify lap cars. Due to time constraints and track curfew, the cars were shown the checkered flag at lap 31, short of the 40 laps scheduled.

Lap 31 was the most exciting lap of the race as the #97 and the #22 battled for the lead to the finish, with Nick Johnson in the #97 beating the #22 of Scott Dalla by mere inches. Both drivers had to check out the scoreboard to see which car had finished in front. It was Nick’s fifth Pro win of the year, winning five of the six races in the 2007 season. Kyle Oman in the #9K won the semi-pro class, his third win of the year, as he finished 3rd overall. Mike Gardner in the #44 won the masters division, his fourth win of 2007. Mike overcame some mechanical issues, and took the checkered flag in 5th place overall. All three winning drivers are the 2007 season point’s leaders in their class. Nick Johnson and Kyle Oman pleased the crowd with their burnouts after accepting their trophies and signing autographs. The #44, due to clutch problems, needed a push from the #9K to get back to the pits. Mike’s son, Chase, is certain that the next time his Dad wins, he too will do a burnout for the crowd.

Main Top ten finishers:

Nick Johnson #97 (P)

Scott Dalla #22 (P)

Kyle Oman #9K (SP)

Doug Anderson #92 (SP)

Mike Gardner #44 (M)

Austin Hoye #20 (SP)

Ty Hunter #8c (M)

Natalie Sinner #1sc (SP)

Garrett Sisk #1 (SP)

10)

Brandon Sickler #23 (SP)

On June 9th, the Northwest Legends Touring Series will make its last appearance for the season at Monroe’s Evergreen Speedway. Hope to see lots of Legends cars and fans there for the last race at that track for 2007. We look forward to returning to the 3/8th mile oval in Monroe for several races in 2008.

Speedweek excitement starts at Ephrata, Washington on June 16th with a $5000 purse, and continues at Kalispell, Montana on June 23rd. Speedweek at Kalispell is always an exciting time as drivers compete with Legends cars from all over to US and Canada for the $10,000 purse. In 2006, Legends cars traveled to the track from as far away as South Carolina. The track is a great place to race and a great place to watch racing. Bring sunscreen and a fast car. See you there.

May 26th 2007

Legends at Evergreen Speedway

By Barb Robinson

The Legends Touring Series made its third appearance of the 2007 season at Evergreen Speedway’s 3/8-mile track on May 26th. The Legends shared the evening’s schedule with the Hornets, the always crowd pleasing Gauntlet, and the Monster Trucks. Back gates opened at 4 pm, and the Legends had two practice sessions prior to qualifying. Two seven minute green flag runs with 9 cars in each session provided qualifying times, as the transponders recorded the fastest lap for each car.

Top qualifying times were:

Mike Gardner #44 (M) -- 19.438

Nick Carey #1SC (P) -- 19.508

Matt Henderson #6 (SP) --19.575

Prior to the heat race, all cars and drivers were invited to the front stretch for an autograph session. The fans, young and old, enjoyed the opportunity to get a close-up look at the cars, including the Monster Trucks. Autographs were signed, photos were snapped and drivers answered all kinds of questions concerning their cars and racing in general.

The field was split into classes for the heat races, with the first heat race consisting of the semi-pro class. All rookies have satisfied the three-race requirement and kept their qualifying spot, with a complete field invert. The #0X of Chuck Carter started on pole, with the #78 of Joey Ziegler lined up on the outside of row 1. Semi-Pro points leader Kyle Oman in the #9K was the winner of the heat, coming from the middle of the pack to take the checkered on lap 8.

The second heat race consisted of the Pro class and the Master class, with a full field invert. The #23 of Randy Schaaf had the pole and the #97 of Nick Johnson lined up on the outside of row 1. The #97, points leader in the Pro Division, took the lead on the first lap and never looked back, winning the 8-lap heat.

The pill pick for the main was an eight, inverting the first four rows of cars for the 30-lap race. The #8C of Ty Hunter started on the pole, with the #92 of Doug Anderson on the outside of row one. The majority of the main was under green, with the exception of a couple of minor spinouts. The points leader in the Masters Division, Mike Gardner in the #44, suffered mechanical problems and retired to the pits early. Nick Johnson, in the #97, took the lead early, followed closely by Nick Carey in the #1SC and Jeff Mueller in the #2. Johnson never surrendered the lead and took the checkered flag on lap 30; his fourth win of the year. The #72 of Keith Van Dyne took the win for the Master division, his first win of 2007, finishing 5th overall. Doug Anderson in the #92 took the Semi-Pro class, finishing fourth overall, and his second win of the year.

Top ten finishers in the main

1) Nick Johnson #97 (P) – 19.439

2) Nick Carey #1SC (P) – 19.439

3) Jeff Muller #2 (P) – 19.458

4) Doug Anderson #97 (SP) – 19.553 (1st place semi pro)

5) Keith Van Dyne #72 (M) – 19.434 (1st place master)

6) Kyle Oman #9K (SP) – 19.560 (2nd place semi pro)

7) Ty Hunter #8C (M) – 19.593

8) Alex Kerslake #28 (SP) – 19.732

9) Natalie Sinner #50 (SP) – 19.850

10) Austin Hoye #20 (SP) – 19.723

This week’s winner of the VR Sales $25.00 gift certificate is Austin Hoye, also last week’s winner. Special thanks go to Chuck Sherwood for lining up this sponsor. Hope to see Chuck’s #8 car back on the track, new motor and all, soon!

The driver of the #0X car made his first appearance of the 2007 season at Evergreen Speedway on Saturday. Chuck Carter, a Petty Officer First Class with 14 years of active duty in the US Navy, is stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey. Chuck has five years experience driving Legends cars, having raced at several tracks in California, including Cajon Speedway in San Diego, and the Bull Ring in Las Vegas, Nevada. His favorite track is the dirt oval at Barona, California, and counts winning the California Dirt Legends race as his most memorable racing experience. Chuck is the father of 11-year-old Zach. We look forward to seeing Chuck, with his signature #0X paint job honoring POW/MIAs, at the next race at Evergreen on June 9th.

Nick and Rowan Carey, interviewed on May 24th on KRKO radio, will be leaving on June 6th for the long haul with the #42 and #33 to Charlotte, North Carolina’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Both drivers will be racing in the 14th annual Summer Shootout Series, run under the lights. The ¼ mile oval, on the speedway’s front straightaway, occupies land that was the site of a working plantation during the Civil War. The Legends will share the event with the Thunder Roadsters and the Bandoleros, beginning on June 12th. The 10 race series concludes its 2007 season with the final race scheduled for August 7th. Check the Northwest Legends website for a weekly update of the Carey brothers from Lowe’s Motor Speedway Summer Shootout Series of 2007.

Next Saturday, June 2nd, the Northwest Legends travel to the ¼ mile track at Wenatchee, WA. This will be the first time at this track for many of the drivers, including this year’s rookie class. This banked oval track is a favorite of many of the veteran Legends racers. See you there!

June 9th brings the Legends back to the 3/8th oval at Evergreen Speedway, the final appearance at this track for the 2007 season.

5/19/07

Kyle sweeps Stateline Speedway

Semi Pro fast time, over all heat race win and Semi Pro main event win.

Legends Race at Stateline Speedway

By Barb Robinson

After a disappointing rainout at Yakima Speedway last Saturday, the Legends Touring Series traveled to the ¼ mile oval at Stateline Speedway in Post Falls, Idaho on May 19th. This was the first of three scheduled race dates for the Legends here in 2007, and many of the rookie drivers were seeing this track for the first time.

Overcast skies and gusty winds greeted the drivers as they unloaded the trailers in the pit area. One of the advantages of this track is the large pit area, allowing ample parking space for cars and haulers. Back gates opened at 1 PM, with practice starting at 2. Several practice sessions were held for the Legends, with some cars running over 75 hot laps. The track and weather conditions kept many of the crews and drivers searching for the perfect setup.

Qualifying began at 6 pm, with each car given two qualifying laps. Nick Johnson seemed to have the perfect set up (that so many were searching for) as he set a new track record, with a qualifying time of 15.131.

Top qualifiers each class

Nick Johnson #97(P) – 15.131

Mike Gardner #44(M) – 15.437

Kyle Oman #9K (SP) – 15.469

Qualifying times determined the line up for heat races, with the seven fastest cars making up the A heat race and qualifying times eight through eighteen making up the B heat race. The top 4 cars from each heat race lined up for an A and B four-lap trophy dash. The B dash consisted of the Doyle Hartman (SP), Austin Hoye (SP), David Peppel (SP) and Keith Van Dyne (M). The #72 of Van Dyne quickly made his way to the front and held off the #53 of Peppel to take the win. The A trophy dash was made up of Nick Johnson (P), Mike Gardner (M), Randy Schaaf (P) and Kyle Oman (SP). The #9K of Oman led until the #97 of Johnson got around him in lap 4. Oman did not give up, fighting all the way to the finish line, as Johnson went on to take the checkered flag by less than ½ of a car length.

All cars were inverted for the 10-lap heat races A and B, with rookies starting at the back. Winning Heat B was the #92 of Doug Anderson, with Keith Van Dyne in the #72 finishing second. Winner of Heat A was Kyle Oman in the #9K car, holding off Randy Schaaf in the #23, who finished 2nd.

Cars lined up for a 30-lap main, with the #9K of Oman on the pole and the #44 of Gardner on the outside. Throughout the race, several spinouts occurred and much of the race was under yellow. The #20 car of Austin Hoye and the #8c car of Ty Hunter were caught up in separate accidents and were removed from the track on the hook. Nick Johnson in the #97 continued to be fast, passing the #9K of Kyle Oman on lap six. Nick never looked back, taking the checkered flag for his 3rd win of the year. The #9K of Oman held off Randy Schaaf in the #23, running 2nd overall and taking the semi-pro win, his 2nd win of 2007. Mike Gardner, in the #44, finished 7th overall and took the win in the master class, his 3rd of the year.

Top 5 -- Main:

1) Nick Johnson #97(P)

2) Kyle Oman #9K(SP)

3) Randy Schaaf #23(P)

4) Doug Anderson #92(SP)

5) Alex Kerslake #28(SP)

Nick Johnson in the #97, the points leader in the Pro division, put on a great show at Stateline, setting a track record in qualifying, winning the A trophy dash and taking his third overall win of the year. He celebrated with a crowd pleasing smoky burnout. The #9K of Kyle Oman, points leader in the semi-pro division, posted fastest qualifying lap in his class, won the A heat race and was the Semi-Pro winner in the main, finishing right behind Nick Johnson. Mike Gardner in the #44, points leader in the Master division, posted the fastest qualifying lap in that class, and won his third race of 2007 in the Masters division.

The Legends will travel to Monroe, WA this Saturday, May 26th, for their 3rd appearance of the season at Evergreen Speedway, sharing the venue with the Monster trucks. Saturday, June 2nd will see the Legends at Wenatchee’s ¼ mile track, a favorite of many of the veteran drivers.

Congratulations to this week’s winner of the VR Sales $25.00 gift certificate, Austin Hoye, driver of the #20 car. An 8th grader at Frontier High in Graham, WA, Austin is 13 years old. He began racing quarter midgets on pavement at the age of seven. Winner of the Grand Nationals in his first year, Austin raced quarter midgets until moving into the Legends #20 car this season. He likes watching Nextel Cup racing, and looking at his great paint job and #20 on his Legends car, it is easy to guess that Tony Stewart is his favorite driver. The constant smile on Austin’s face shows his enthusiasm and enjoyment at being on the track. Keep an eye on Austin, as he is one of the very talented rookies in this year’s semi-pro division.

Legend Racing at Yakima Speedway

5/12/07

By Barb Robinson

The Legends Touring Series returned to Yakima Speedway’s 1/2 mile track on Saturday, May 12th. Gates opened at 12:30, the haulers were unloaded and removed from the track center pit area. Drivers, crews and fans were greeted by overcast skies and plenty of warm, humid air as the cars were preparing for hot laps.

At 2:30, cars took to the track for a twenty-minute hot lap session, providing the opportunity for drivers and crews to check their setup for the existing weather and track conditions, with an additional twenty-minute hot lap session at 3:30. The #8 car of Chuck Sherwood and the #43 of Joey Bisset suffered mechanical problems and were done for the day.

All cars lined up at 5 PM for qualifying. Each car was given one warm up lap and two qualifying laps. Five cars qualified under 23 seconds. Qualifying times for top 10 cars:

Nick Carey #33(P) – 22.703

Duane Swanson #16(P) – 22.792

Nick Johnson #97(P) – 22.808

Kyle Oman #9K(SP) – 22.876

Bob Kronenburg #29(M) – 22.889

Randy Schaaf #23(P) – 23.162

Mike Gardner #44(M) – 23.165

Alex Kerslake #28(SP) – 23.172

Jeff Mueller #2(P) – 23.172

10) Rowan Carey #42(P) – 23.200

The top four cars of Nick Carey, Duane Swanson, Nick Johnson and Kyle Oman were scheduled to run a trophy dash, but Mother Nature seemed to have other ideas. Drivers were informed that a weather front was moving in with excessive winds and rain, about one hour out. The race was called, and disappointed drivers and crews packed their haulers and headed for home.

The next scheduled race is at Stateline Speedway in Post Falls, Idaho on May 19th.

The 2007 Legends Car Touring Series welcomes a new sponsor, VR Sales, Inc, The Trailer Superstore at 21802 Mountain Hwy E in Spanaway, WA. VR Sales donates a $25.00 gift certificate, awarded by a random draw, every week after the pit meeting. The first week’s winner was Alex Kerslake.

5/5/07

Legends at Evergreen Speedway

By Barb Robinson

The third race of the 2007 Legends Touring Series was held at Evergreen Speedway’s 3/8-mile oval on Saturday, May 5th. This was the second of four scheduled races at the track in Monroe, Washington. Remaining 2007 race dates for the Legends at Evergreen are Saturday, May 26th and Saturday, June 9th.

Although cooler than last Saturday, it was again perfect racing weather with no rain and a dry track. The back gates at the speedway have been opening at 12:30 this year, allowing more time to unload the cars and get them ready for practice. Two hot lap sessions allowed the drivers lots of time to get their cars set up for Saturday’s track conditions. Fastest lap time in practice was turned in by Nick Johnson #97 @ 19.627.

Qualifying order was determined by each car’s fastest lap during one of two 7-minute green flag runs.

Top qualifiers in each class were:

Nick Johnson #97 (P) – 19.432

Kyle Oman #9K(SP) – 19.728

Mike Gardner #44 (M) – 19.651

The field was divided into two heat races, with Heat Race 1 consisting of qualifiers 9 through 15. The one exception was Matt Henderson in the #6 car. Matt posted the fifth fastest qualifying time, but due to the “rookie rule”, he ran in the first heat race. (All rookies must start at the back of the field until they have competed in a minimum of three mains events in the season.) During the heat race, the #6 of Henderson came from the back row to the lead in less than three laps for the win.

Heat Race 2 consisted of qualifiers 1 through 8, with the field completely inverted. The fast heat was a crowd pleaser as Kyle Oman #9k and Nick Johnson #97 came from the back of the pack, pressuring Doug Anderson in the #92 right to the finish line. The race ended three wide, with Anderson #92 in the lead, Oman #9K second and pro driver Nick Johnson #97, wishing for a 9-lap heat race, finishing 3rd.

Top finisher – Heat 1

Matt Henderson#6

Top finisher – Heat 2

Doug Anderson #92

All 16 cars took to the track for the third race of the 2007 season. Nick Johnson drew a 0 in the invert, and the field started in qualifying order. Nick Johnson in the #97 and Jeff Mueller in the #2 car started on the front row, with Mike Gardner #44 and Kyle Oman #9K in row two. During the first lap of racing, contact occurred between the #78 of Joey Ziegler, and the #35 of Bill Harvey, collecting the #17 car of Dooley. The #35 and the #17 sustained considerable damage and were unable to return to the track. Other than a few minor spin outs, the race ran green with the #97 of Nick Johnson running away from the field, unchallenged for the win, his second of the year. The #2 of Mueller maintained the second spot while the #44 car and #9K raced each other hard for 28 laps, often running bumper to bumper. As the field came to the white flag, the #9K of Oman and the #44 of Gardner, while racing side by side through turn 3, made contact and both cars spun. Neither car suffered significant damage and both continued racing, although multiple cars were able to pass the two drivers. The #44 of Mike Gardner hung on to win the Masters class, but Kyle Oman in the #9K went from 1st to 4th in the Semi-pro class. Doug Anderson #92, running a consistent second in the semi-pro class, went on to take the semi-pro win. It was a successful night for Doug, as he finished 4th overall, giving the #92 a sweep in the semi-pro class.

Top 5 finishers in Main – Semi Pro Class

1) Doug Anderson #92– fast lap 19.589

2) Natalie Sinner #50 – fast lap 19.878

3) Matt Henderson #6 – fast lap 19.712

4) Kyle Oman #9K – fast lap 19.482

5) AJ Butler #24 – fast lap 20.739

Top 2 finishers in Main – Pro Class

1) Nick Johnson #97 – fast lap 19.350

2) Jeff Mueller #2 – fast lap 19.553

Top 2 finishers in Main – Master Class

1) Mike Gardner #44 – fast lap 19.544

2) Chuck Sherwood #8 – fast lap 20.580

The next race, Round 4, will be on Saturday, May 12th at Yakima Speedway in Yakima, Washington. Bring your sunscreen and a fast racecar. See you there!

Kyle wins in Monroe

4/28/07 at

Evergreen Speedway

The second race of the 2007 Legends Touring Series took place at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington on Saturday, April 28th. Perfect racing weather greeted drivers and crews as they unloaded their cars for the first time this season at Evergreen’s 3/8 oval track. The back gate opened at 12:30, allowing drivers an extended practice schedule, including the opportunity for rookie drivers to get the feel of the track. Many of this year’s drivers are new to the Legends racing series. The semi-pro class grew from nine cars at the opening race at Yakima Speedway to fourteen cars this week with the addition of several young rookie drivers. These talented drivers come to the Legends series with a variety of racing backgrounds, including go-karts and quarter-midgets.

Prior to race start, all fans were invited on to the track as drivers took their cars to the front stretch for an autograph session. Several of the Legends drivers took advantage of the opportunity to talk about their cars and racing with the interested fans, both young and old. Lots of autographs were signed and lots of pictures were taken.

Qualifying times for the Legends cars at Evergreen Speedway are determined by the fastest lap ran by each car during a 15 lap green flag run.

Top qualifiers in each class were:

Nick Johnson #97 (P) – 19.480

Joey Bissett #43 (SP) – 19.709

Mike Gardner #44 (M) - 19.773

The 24 car field was separated into two heat races – Heat Race 1 was for the

Semi-Pro class and Heat Race 2 consisted of the Pro class and the Master class combined.

Top finisher - Heat 1

Doug Anderson (SP) #92

Top finisher - Heat 2

Nick Johnson (P) #97

23 cars took the field for the scheduled 30-lap main. An invert of 4 set the main with the #43 car of rookie driver Joey Bissett and the #15 car of Scott Moore on the front row. A multiple car pileup in turn three during the first lap ended the night early for Rowan Carey #42, Scott Moore #15 and Natilie Sinner #50. Several other cars sustained minor damage and were able to return to the track. Throughout the race, several laps were ran under caution due to single car spinouts. A spectacular rollover collision on lap 20 involving the #64 car of Kirk Hall and the #92 car of Doug Anderson brought out the red flag. Although Kirk’s #64 car sustained extensive damage, both drivers were unhurt. As green flag racing resumed, Nick Carey and Jeff Mueller continued to battle each other for the lead. Nick passed Jeff on lap 17 and stayed out in front to take the win. Kyle Oman ran a consistent third during the race, which ended under a yellow-checkered at lap 23.

Top 3 finishers in Main – Semi Pro Class

Kyle Oman #9k– fast lap 19.586

Matt Henderson - #6 – fast lap 19.781

Joey Zigler #78 – fast lap 20.676

Top 3 finishers in Main – Pro Class

Nick Carey #33 – fast lap 19.502

Jeff Mueller #2 – fast lap 19.364

Nick Johnson #97 – fast lap 19.424

Top 3 finishers in Main – Master Class

Dennis Fromm #81 – fast lap 19.938

Mike Gardner #44 – fast lap 19.773

Chuck Sherwood #8 – fast lap 20.887

The next race, Round 3, will be on Saturday, May 5th at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington. See you there!

4/14/07 at

Yakima Speedway

After much anticipation, the 2007 NW Legends Touring Series of racing got underway in Yakima, Washington on Friday, April 13th. Several cars spent much of the day Friday running practice laps and fine-tuning their cars.

On Saturday, April 14th the 41st annual Apple Cup was held at Yakima Speedway. Due to rain, the heat races and trophy dashes for the Legend cars were eliminated from the schedule and a 40-lap main was ran with all 24 cars on the track.

Fastest time in qualifying was posted by Nick Carey in the #33 car, earning him the pole position for the main.

The top three qualifiers, Nick Carey, Rowan Carey and Nick Johnson provided non-stop excitement through 40 laps of side-by-side racing with multiple lead changes. Nick Johnson’s last lap pass into turn 1 brought him to victory circle and provided hundreds of racing spectators with a finish to remember.

Top three finishers in each class were:

Semi-pro: 1st - Scott Moore #15

2nd - Kyle Oman #9K

3rd - Doug Anderson #92

Pro: 1st - Nick Johnson #97

2nd - Rowan Carey #42

3rd - Nick Carey #33

Masters: 1st - Bob Kroneburg #29

2nd - Mike Gardner #44

3rd - Keith Van Dyne #72

The next race for the series is on Saturday, April 28th at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA. See you there!

12/16/06

Karting at

Monroe Arena

It was a cold early morning at the track with the kart count light in all classes except the 2-cycle light class. Kyle was again running 3 classes one of them being the pro-open 2 cycle class. The day started off a little rough as local Skagit Sprint Car driver Evan Funk spun going into turn 1 during practice and Kyle was unable to avoid Evan. The kart got the worst of the contact, both drivers were unhurt. After some lite fab work on the left front spindle and replacment of the a stearing hyme we were ready for the heat races. Finishing 2nd in all 3 class in the heat races Kyle went into the main's with a good handling kart hoping for a great finsh to the day. The main events ended with a win in the heavy class, 2nd in the pro open and 3rd the light class.

11/18/06

KARTING AT

OAKWOOD ARENA

Deciding 2 weeks till the next race was to long to wait, and after borrowing some parts from Mike at KartTracks Indoor Raceway we packed up and drove to Spanaway to race in the 2-cycle light class at Oakwood Arena. Having cut our teeth racing at Oakwood in the Jr. 1 class we looked forward to coming back to this small 1/10th mile indoor dirt track. The surface was slick and Kyle was fast out of the box but grip was a big problem for our set-up and a spin while in 3rd cost Kyle a good finish. Having enjoyed our trip to Oakwood and feeling good about our first run there in the adult class we headed home looking forward to the next trip to Oakwood Arena..

11/11/06

Karting at

Monroe, Wa.

The first of 7 kart races at the Monroe arena went well for Kyle in his 7th year at the track and his second year racing in the adult classes. This year we decided to try our hand at the Pro Open class and the $150 purse split between the top two finishers.

After the first practice session it was clear we needed to make big changes to get the car to turn into the corners, after the 3rd and final practice and a multiple adjustments we had a kart that could run up front.

The heats kicked off the mornings racing with a track that looked more like a motorcross set of whoops down the back stretch then a oval track. With Kyle racing 3 classes, light, heavy, and pro open, we hoped Kyle could finish the first two classes w/out damage because there would be no time to fix a damaged kart between races. Heat #7 was the pro open class and Kyle finished 2nd against open motors with twice the horse power with a stock legal kt Yamaha by not spinning and taking car of his kart. Heat #9 the light class did out go as smooth with an opening lap maylay putting Kyle in 4th after starting on poll, but Kyle was able to make it up to 3rd in the 9 laps left of the 10 lap heat.

For heat #10 Kyle stayed on the track after the light heat due to the heats being back to back. Kyle started 4th and finished a strong 3rd.

The heat finishes set the start of the main events. We were worried about being in heats being so close together #7, #9, #10 and then we got the news we we're in mains #7, #8, #9 back to back to back races. The first was the light class with Kyle running 3rd most of the race where he started the 15 lap event, the second place racer came on a lap kart with Kyle pressuring from the rear, he caught the berm on the inside of turns 1 and 2 resulting in a spin putting Kyle in second where he finished the 1st of the mains. Deciding not to make a quick adjustment Kyle stayed on the track for the next main event, Yamaha heavy. After a clean race where the Kart was getting a little loose in the center Kyle finished 3rd. After stoping on the edge of the track so a quick air pressure adjustment at the right rear could be made Kyle lined up 2nd for the Pro Open class is the last of the days races and a possible payout. Starting second Kyle ran third till on lap 10 the second place kart spun racing onto turn 1 placing Kyle in a payout finishing position. With 3 to go a caution came out due to the 4th place kart having engine damage and was stopped on the track. After the start the kart that had passed Kyle but soon he also had engine problems, leaving Ron in first and Kyle in 2nd to collect his payout.

Considering the weekends racing a success with two 2nds and a 3rd we thought about what changes are needed for the next race and how long 2 weeks takes to go by when you are waiting for the next race. The next race is on 11/25 and proves to be just as exciting!

Press Releases

by Barb Robinson