4/22/2015
Western Sprint Tour
Vern Wheeler Jr. Enters WST Spring Showdown With Momentum
Vern Wheeler Jr. Enters WST Spring Showdown With Momentum
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Byron Rayburn)
Cottage Grove, Oregon- This Friday, April 24th, and Saturday, the 25th, Cottage Grove Speedway will be hosting the first two races in the history of the Western Sprint Tour. The Spring Showdown, as it's being called, will feature some of the best drivers in the Pacific Northwest region. A driver that has showed up on the radar as a threat to win in the last few years is Central Point's Vern Wheeler Jr.
Wheeler started the year in California at the annual Silver Cup in Chico. But where he really has been making a splash is in his home state of Oregon with two consecutive top five finishes. In fact he would finish second last Saturday at Southern Oregon Speedway.
“We were definitely gassed up and we had a good vibe going,” Wheeler would say, “we're really knocking on the door at Cottage Grove and we've gotten close in the last five races we've been there.”
The last visit to CGS for Vern was a third place finish on Saturday April 4th. With this hot start he very well could be a contender for the inaugural Western Sprint Tour title. In a series two day show at CGS back in 2014 Wheeler worked the hardest when it came to passing cars by coming from eleventh to second on Friday June 13th and the next night finished third after starting deep on Saturday the 14th.
“We started off in 2015 with more speed then we have in the past and even though we haven't found the win yet with speed like we have the wins are sure to come.”
Over the course of the offseason Vern acquired some new sponsors to help fund the team. He pilots the Alliance Trucking/In & Out Gardens/Richie Rich & Tin Pimps Customs/Augie's Fiberglass & Boat Repair/Rodgers Racing Engines/Wheeler Racing/Matt Moberly Motorsports/Hi Tech Transmissions/Kanopy Kountry/Greg Lyles Logging #21W Maxim. Wheeler is very appreciative of his sponsors and realizes that without them there is no way he could race.
“It enables us to go to the race tracks and get stuff for the team so we're very happy for every single one of them to be on board.”
Look out for Vern Wheeler Jr. in 2015 as they are on the fast track to the winner's circle. They plan to run the entire season with the WST so with Vern's great runs already mentioned above it will be a treat to watch him and all of the other drivers battle one another.
Admission prices for the WST events on Friday and Saturday are Adults $15.00, Juniors/Seniors/Military $13.00, Youths (Ages 6-12) $8.00, and Children 5 & Under FREE. Both nights the Pit Gates will open at 2:00 PM, Front Gates 4:00, Qualifying 5:30, and Racing begins right around 6:45.
Support classes for the Friday night program will be Late Models and Street Stocks while Saturday will feature IMCA Modifieds and the Quality RV Repair Hornets. For the latest news and information regarding the Western Sprint Tour log on to sprints.nwextremeseries.com.
Submitted By: Ben Deatherage