Willamette Speedway
Glaser tops Sell, claims Workman Memorial win
By Ben Deatherage
Willamette SpeedwayLEBANON, Ore. (Sept. 2) — The Tangent Mafia went wild when the checkered flag flew Sunday at Willamette Speedway as the team’s driver Trevor Glaser earned an exciting, hard-fought victory over Russ Sell at the track’s Bill Workman Memorial.
The finish was the climax of an epic battle between the two veteran drivers that lasted nearly the entire race for the DirtCar Super Late Models and DAA Northwest Extreme Late Model Series presented by Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes.
Glaser of Tangent, Ore., earned $1,000 in the event, which ran a 64-lap distance in honor of Bill Workman’s old number that he ran for several years and the number his son Billy continues to run. Sell of Brownsville, Ore., settled for second ahead of Brian Cronk of Corvallis, Ore., while Greg Walters of of Banks, Org., and Jimmy Schram of Vancouver, Wash., rounded out the race’s top five finishers.
After the first attempt to start the race was waved off, Sell took control on the second start and cruised for the races opening laps until Glaser came into the picture around the lap-15 mark.
Both Sell and Glaser battled for the lead for a good three laps and Sell seemed to have the position secured as he developed some breathing room.
Traffic later came into play as the race remained green for a long period, allowing Glaser to once again make a bid for the lead. Glaser caught Sell by lap 38 and by lap 40, moved by for the lead, only to lose the spot two laps later when Sell went back out front.
Sell’s reestablishment as the leader didn’t last long as Glaser got back around him on lap 45. Back-to-back cautions on lap 48 and 49 would bring a pause to the action and set things up for the final laps.
Sell managed to keep in stride with Glaser through the race’s closing stages and attempted to overtake him one last time. But it would Glaser edging him out at the finish line to capture his fourth win of the season at Willamette and his fifth in DirtCar Super Late Model action.
The battle for the lead overshadowed a great run Cronk. At one point, he looked to battle with the leaders when they were briefly being held up in lapped traffic. The solid effort continues Cronk’s recent turnaround after he struggled considerably in the first half of the year.
Bill Workman Memorial: (1) Trevor Glaser, (2) Russ Sell, (3) Brian Cronk, (4) Greg Walters, (5) Jimmy Schram, (6) Casey Vitale, (7) Cody Sell, (8) Tim Goodwin, (9) Jerry Schram, (10) Bruce Hipple, (11) John Duty, (12) Justin Duty, (13) Tony Brakeall, (14) Jason Wines, (15) Billy Workman Jr., (16) Tory Swayngim, (17) Joey Tanner, (18) Bryan Norton, (19) Randy Boyd, (20) Rob Mayea. Fast qualifier (among 46 cars): 15.689 seconds. Heat race winners: Boyd, Sell, Glaser, Mayea. Dash winner: Sell. Consolation race winners: Wines, Duty.
