Pace: Spokane drivers on roll going into Montana 200

Late model racing’s big-purse events in the region kick off this weekend with the Montana 200 set for Raceway Park in Kalispell. Always one of the top draws for late model teams, the race has always been a one-two punch of excitement for race fans when coupled with the Aug. 1 running of the Idaho 200 at Stateline Speedway. Montana’s event is celebrating its silver anniversary while the Idaho 200 will be held for the 16th consecutive summer.

Area drivers expected to compete this weekend include Shelby Thompson, Joey Bird, David Garber, Braeden Havens and Blake Williams, with all having strong seasons in 2015.

Marc Groskreutz is the only Spokane driver to win the prestigious 200-lap Montana race, with this year’s local contingent looking to add their names next to the past NASCAR great.

Havens picked a win his last time out in his team’s Western Rail Chevrolet late model. The 21-year old scored a late model win on the half-mile Spokane County Raceway surface in last month’s Rocky Mountain Challenge Series and returns to Montana Raceway Park’s quarter-mile one year after scoring a top-3 finish in the Montana 200.

Garber’s most recent super late model start on a quarter-mile, Hermiston’s Super Oval, resulted in a victory while Williams also recorded a victory in his most recent start. This will be Williams first Montana 200 since 2013 due to injuries from an automobile accident last summer while Garber looks to continue a streak of qualifying for the event in each year since 2004.

Williams has been on a terror this season behind the wheel of his McClintock and Turk Ford Fusion late model, scoring a win, two top-3 finishes and three top-10 runs in his last three starts.

Thompson has a win (Yakima’s Apple Cup) to go along with three top-3 finishes in four starts this season while Bird is coming off a top-3 finish at Montana Raceway Park in June.

Little back at K&N victory site

One year after breaking through for his first NASCAR career victory on the K&N Pro Series, Jesse Little returns to New Hampshire International Speedway looking to make it two years in a row while furthering his opportunities in the sport’s upper echelon. The New Hampshire victory paved the way to a top-5 finish in the 2014 championship standings for Little, while also leading to a start on the Camping World Truck Series.

Little – whose father Chad oversees on track and pit road aspects of NASCAR events in the Sprint Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series – drives for his uncle, Jason on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series as well as the Truck Series.

A member of the 2015 NASCAR Next class, the recent high school graduate is hopeful for his team’s chances this weekend, with an aim to use the race to again springboard to additional starts in the Truck Series.

Since 2013, Little has scored a pole award, one victory and four top-5 in six K&N starts on one-mile tracks similar to New Hampshire.

“The victory at New Hampshire last year opened doors for us which led to my first career start on the Camping World Truck Series back in May and we’re working to reach even higher goals with good runs the next few weeks,” Little said.Little will move to another K&N event at Iowa Speedway then plan on his return to one of NASCAR’s top-3 divisions shortly.

“We’re going to be at (Iowa Speedway) next then put the focus back on our NASCAR Camping World Truck Series efforts with some exciting news coming shortly,” Little said.