Legend Thunder rolls at Raceway Park

By FAITH MOLDAN

Bigfork Eagle

Although they're some of the smaller cars to race at Montana Raceway Park, the Legends, Thunder Roadsters and Bandoleros drew quite a crowd at the 6th Annual Legend Thunder June 23.

The stands at Montana Raceway park filled to nearly overflowing as the night of racing progressed. Legend Thunder pulled in a large number of drivers from near and far. About 60 Legend drivers from as far away as Florida and South Carolina competed in three divisions — Semi-Pro, Pro and Masters — in quest of part of the $15,000 purse. Legend Thunder is a Northwest Legends Series points race, and qualifier for the Asphalt Nationals in Las Vegas, Nev., in October.

The evening began with qualifying times and trophy dashes.

Giles Thornton and his No. 12 Bandolero won the trophy dash for the youngest drivers. He had to settle for second place in the Bandolero heat race, as Trevor Corpron took the lead from him and finished first.

Dennis Simac of Whitefish won the Thunder Roadster trophy dash. It was Brent Keller in his No. 51 Thunder Roadster that took first place in the heat race. John Logan and his No. 07 roadster needed a push off the track as the cars lined up. Logan did not finish the heat race, but was back for the main race later.

Chance Hilliard and Kyle Oman took first in the Semi-Pro dashes, while Scott Moore and Jake Grosswiler won the Pro dashes. No. 26 Lloyd Munster of Alberta, Canada crashed into the wall at the end of the trophy dash race. Going into the first turn, his car lost the front right tire and the front bumper. There was more bumping and passing in the first Semi-Pro heat race. The cars were bunched together early, but were spread out at the end of the race as John Hillaker crossed the finish line in his No. 8 Legend. Oman won the second heat of the Semi-Pro. Kory Abbott and Bryce Hilliard took the top spots in the Pro heats.

Barry Mayer and Tim Corbett of Ronan finished the Master trophy dashes in first place. With five laps to go in the Master heat race, Corbett and his No. 12 car fought Darrell Buckingham of Calgary, Alberta, for the lead. Corbett came out on top, after taking the lead a lap later.

The main events were well worth waiting for, as caution flags flew and drivers battled for the win.

Nick Lundstrom of Snohomish, Wash., won the 20-lap Bandolero main, overtaking the early leader — Corpron.

With the track nice and sticky, the 35-lap Thunder Roadster main was won by Larry Gerek of Kalispell. He had to fend off Logan's and Keller's efforts at passing him.

"It's hard fending off those guys," Gerek said after the race.

"I just wanted to get around him," Keller said. "He's pretty tough."

Each division of the Legends competed in a 50-lap main event. The first race, Semi-Pro, was won by Oman. Oman and Matt Henderson shared the lead early on in the race before the No. 1 car caught on fire coming out of turn three on lap 36. Oman retook the lead and ended the race in first place.

Nine laps into the Pro main, the caution flag came out. Abbott led before and after the caution. Grosswiler and Nick Johnson finished second and third, respectively.

Corbett built a good lead in the Master main, but had to maintain it throughout a number of cautions. The caution flag came out on laps 39, 38, 31, and 29. Unfazed, Corbett continued to race with the lead and finished first. Brian Mario and his No. 78 car trailed Corbett in second place starting in lap 29. Mike Gardner held the third place position at that time, but lost it to Buckingham, who finished the race in third place.

Legends are five-eighths scale replicas of cars raced in early events from 1937 through the early 1940s. The Legends race car is extremely fast and tops out at speeds of 140 mph. The Thunder Roadsters are open-wheel cars, and have an open cockpit with a sprint car-type roll cage to protect the driver.

Montana Raceway Park hosts the ARCA West Late Model Series Challenge 125 June 30, starting with time trials at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. The race features the Coors Light Flathead Legends, Bombers and Bandoleros.