Inside Line Promotions – EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada (July 24, 2017) – J.J. Hickle emerged victorious last Saturday night during the 62nd annual Jim Albert Memorial Gold Cup at Castrol Raceway, where a handful of drivers put on a stout battle at the front of the pack during Canada’s oldest oval racing event.
Hickle entered the $4,000-to-win Northwest Challenge Series event with a two-race winning streak after sweeping a doubleheader with the NCS – a series created under the banners of the NSA Series, which is based in Montana and has roots in Western Canada, and the Washington-state based Summer Thunder Sprint Series – the previous weekend.
While Hickle took the early lead after drawing the pole position for the main event, it was Travis Rilat – the only driver besides Hickle to score a Northwest Challenge Series triumph this season – who led the majority of the race.
Traffic created new opportunities for competitors as Hickle, current NSA Series points leader Casey Adams and defending NSA Series champion Kelly Miller challenged Rilat for the top spot.
A blanket could have covered the top competitors in the closing laps as positions were exchanged lap by lap. Adams passed Hickle for the top spot. However, Rilat collided with the wall to create a caution with three laps remaining. It negated Adams’ pass since a full lap hadn’t been completed and Hickle took advantage to lead the remainder of the race following the restart.
Miller passed Adams for the runner-up position before the checkered flag was waved as Skylar Gee placed fourth and Marc Dupperon rounded out the top five.
Miller opened the night by setting quick time during qualifying. Chris Schmelzle, Adams and Rilat each won a heat race and Kyle VanAlden claimed the B Main.
The Northwest Challenge Series would like to recognize the following event partners: event sponsors Dewar Western Inc., and Joan Albert and family; quick time sponsor AMS Engines LTD; heat race sponsors North American Diesel Performance, Xtreme Oilfield Technologies, B&R Recovery Inc., and North American Powertrain Components; B Main sponsors Cimmaron Ventures and King Racing Products; A Main sponsors Carlan Services and Ron Hodgson Chevrolet Buick GMC; Winner’s Circle sponsors DC Signs and ProWest Motorsports; and associate sponsors Allwest Auto Parts, Custom Automotive Specialties, Alberta Spring & Trailer, Diversified Machine Inc., Blackjacks Roadhouse and Airways Country Inn.
Friday night’s opening round of the event rained out.
The Northwest Challenge Series ventures to Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., this Friday and Saturday.
NORTHWEST CHALLENGE SERIES RACE REPORT: Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on July 22, 2017 –
A Feature: 1. 8r-J.J. Hickle (1); 2. 2jr-Kelly Miller (5); 3. 12-Casey Adams (4); 4. 8jr-Skylar Gee (8); 5. 11-Marc Dupperon (3); 6. 57c-Chris Schmelzle (7); 7. 2-Kyle Evans (6); 8. 16-David Miller (16); 9. 9-Sean MacDonell (9); 10. 34-Johnny Wiersma (15); 11. 97-Matthew Dusseault (13); 12. 66-Joey Dupperon (10); 13. 57-Ed Wiersma (18); 14. 36-Chevy Goodhope (12); 15. 3-Jordan Milne (11); 16. 14v-Kyle VanAlden (17); 17. 6-Tom Watts (19); 18. 72-Quentin Walker (14); 19. 39c-Travis Rilat (2); 20. 35m-Cody Masse (DNS).
Qualifying: 1. 2jr-Kelly Miller; 2. 8r-J.J. Hickle; 3. 2-Kyle Evans; 4. 11-Marc Dupperon; 5. 12-Casey Adams; 6. 39c-Travis Rilat; 7. 36-Chevy Goodhope; 8. 8jr-Skylar Gee; 9. 7-Jesse Dakus; 10. 57c-Chris Schmelzle; 11. 56-Ross Mathison; 12. 14v-Kyle VanAlden; 13. 16-David Miller; 14. 35m-Cody Masse; 15. 9-Sean MacDonell; 16. 57-Ed Wiersma; 17. 3-Jordan Milne; 18. 97-Matthew Dusseault; 19. 66-Joey Dupperon; 20. 72-Quentin Walker; 21. 34-Johnny Wiersma; 22. 0-Cal Hawkes; 23. 1k-Gord Kynoch; 24. 140-Rob Orgar; 25. 25-Jason Cote; 26. 6-Tom Watts.
Heat 1: 1. 57c-Chris Schmelzle (1); 2. 2jr-Kelly Miller (4); 3. 11-Marc Dupperon (3); 4. 36-Chevy Goodhope (2); 5. 66-Joey Dupperon (7); 6. 16-David Miller (5); 7. 57-Ed Wiersma (6); 8. 0-Cal Hawkes (8); 9. 25-Jason Cote (DNS).
Heat 2: 1. 12-Casey Adams (3); 2. 8jr-Skylar Gee (2); 3. 8r-J.J. Hickle (4); 4. 56-Ross Mathison (1); 5. 3-Jordan Milne (6); 6. 72-Quentin Walker (7); 7. 35m-Cody Masse (5); 8. 1k-Gord Kynoch (DNS); 9. 6-Tom Watts (DNS).
Heat 3: 1. 39c-Travis Rilat (2); 2. 2-Kyle Evans (3); 3. 9-Sean MacDonell (4); 4. 14v-Kyle VanAlden (1); 5. 97-Matthew Dusseault (5); 6. 34-Johnny Wiersma (6); 7. 140-Rob Orgar (7); 8. 7-Jesse Dakus (DNS).
B Main: 1. 14v-Kyle VanAlden (1); 2. 57-Ed Wiersma (4); 3. 6-Tom Watts (9); 4. 35m-Cody Masse (6); 5. 140-Rob Orgar (3); 6. 25-Jason Cote (7); 7. 0-Cal Hawkes (5); 8. 56-Ross Mathison (2); 9. 7-Jesse Dakus (DNS); 10. 1k-Gord Kynoch (DNS).
2017 FEATURE WINNERS –
J.J. Hickle – 3 (Electric City Speedway in Great Falls, Mont., on July 14; BMP Speedway in Billings, Mont., on July 15 and Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on July 22); Travis Rilat – 2 (Electric City Speedway in Great Falls, Mont., on May 20 and BMP Speedway in Billings, Mont., on June 17); and Casey Adams – 1 (Electric City Speedway in Great Falls, Mont., on May 19)
UP NEXT –
Friday and Saturday at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., with the Northwest Challenge Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.BMPSpeedway.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NSASeries
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NSASeries
NORTH-AMERICAN SPEED ASSOCIATION –
The North-American Speed Association is a 360ci winged sprint car series that dates back to the mid-1990s. NSA Founder Mike Quigley, who is a former sprint car driver and the current owner at BMP Speedway in Billings, Mont., established the series to hold marquee events throughout the West Coast, Western Canada and Montana.
TRACKS –
BMP SPEEDWAY (Billings, Mont.) – It is a semi-banked, 3/8-mile oval. The track hosts weekly racing from the middle of May through late September. For more information, visit http://www.BMPSpeedway.com.
CASTROL RACEWAY (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) – It is a semi-banked, 3/8-mile track. It showcases weekly racing and special events from May through October. For more information, visit http://www.CastrolRaceway.com.
CENTRAL WASHINGTON STATE FAIR RACEWAY (Yakima, Wash.) – It is a semi-banked, 3/8-mile clay oval located at the Central Washington State Fairgrounds. The track only hosts special events each year.
DRAYTON VALLEY SPEEDWAY (Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada) – It is a semi-banked, 3/8-mile track that was re-opened in 2016. For more information, visit http://www.DVSpeedway.com.
ELECTRIC CITY SPEEDWAY (Great Falls, Mont.) – It is a semi-banked, 3/10-mile oval that was built in the early 1950s. The facility showcases weekly events from late April until early September. For more information, visit http://www.ElectricCitySpeedway.com.
SKAGIT SPEEDWAY (Alger, Wash.) – It is a semi-banked, 3/10-mile track that was established in 1954. The oval puts on weekly events from April through September every season. For more information, visit http://www.SkagitSpeedway.com.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
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- Shawn Miller on Jul 24, 2017
- Article Date: 7/24/2017 by Inside Line Promotions