Yakima Speedway's 25th Annual Fall Classic Featuring Two Series Championship Finales

With 25 years of auto racing history, the Fall Classic is among the Northwest premier season finales.

In recent years the race has been the final stop on the Northwest Pro 4 Alliance's schedule with a champion crowned on Saturday evening. In 2011 the West Coast Street Stock Series added to the Fall Classic's prestige by holding its season finale on Sunday prior to the late model 200-lap shootout.

The two division's along with the best drivers in regional Hobby Stock competition and the top late model talent on the West Coast invade the famed half-mile this weekend for the final race of the 2012 season at Yakima Speedway.

Local drivers are a big part of the two division's staging championship races as Rookie of the Year winners in each hail from the Yakima Valley. Both cut their teeth in quarter-midget racing in the area then moved onto budding careers in full-size race cars.

Zach Beaman has made the most of his season on the West Coast Street Stock Series with several finishes inside the top-10 running order including a strong run at both series stops at Yakima Speedway (April and July). The consistency has paid off as Beaman will clinch the WCSSS Rookie crown by merely taking the green flag during Sunday's main event.

Cody Walker began his big track career this season on the respected Northwest Pro 4 Alliance after a successful career in local, regional and national quarter-midget competition. Walker has two wins at Yakima Speedway this season in the local Pro 4 late model class and currently leads the Northwest Pro 4 Alliance Rookie standings. Like Beaman, the youngster will need to qualify into Saturday evening's main event and he will depart Yakima Speedway as the 2012 series Rookie of the Year.

WCSSS points leader, Andy Stibal, will be one to watch this weekend as he rides into Yakima as the winner of the series most recent stop at the half-mile. Stibal will be in a tough battle throughout the Fall Classic as he holds a slim four-point margin on Moses Lake native, Ron Stewart, with Wenatchee's Kim Wennerberg a mere eight points off the top spot.

Prosser native Bud Rumsey leads the chase for the 2012 Northwest Pro 4 Alliance and similar to Stibal's upcoming weekend, nothing is certain or secured until the checkers fly to wrap-up the final series event of the year.

With a slim four-point lead over Craig Forney (who won this race one year ago) and just 66 points separating the top-5 drivers back to last season's champion Eddie Secord-the final Alliance race of the year will be a lap-to-lap challenge of nerves for drivers and teams.

Not to be outdone, defending Fall Classic late model champion Naima Lang has per-registered for the 25th Annual event and will be out to join an elite list of drivers including Pete Harding and Garrett Evans who have won the Classic more then once in their career.

Also racing will be the region's top Hobby Stock drivers including Buck Noel Jr., Lucas Valdez, Morgan Morrison and Wenatchee's Kevin Bull. The Fall Classic's Hobby class allows a rules package where most regional tracks Pure and Hobby Stock teams should fit into the program. In addition to the aforementioned drivers, top Hobby talent from Ephrata Raceway Park, the Inland Empire and parts of Oregon and Montana should be in attendance.

The 25th Annual Fall Classic closes out the Central Washington racing season this weekend with two great days of racing action. Discounted options for driver entries and other information regarding the historic season finale are available on the track's website yakimaspeedway.us or by calling (509) 248-0647. Keep up with all the latest news for the Fall Classic on the track's website, Facebook page, racingwest.com and local media.

25th Annual Fall Classic Pre-Registered Drivers-
Late Models
00 Naima Lang (defending late model Fall Classic champion)
1 Mitch Kleyn
4 David Smick
10 Owen Riddle
10 John Boyatt
12 Giles Thornton
14 Austin Hoye
15 Tayler Riddle
31 Jason Fraser
39 Pete Harding
48 Tom Hughs
52 Mike Zamora
64 Garrett Evans
96 Jake Bisset

NW Pro 4 Alliance
2 Johnny Rumsey
3 Donavan Parker
5 Wayne Dillon
7 Craig Forney
8 Matt Melby
10 John Grosvenor
11 Bud Rumsey
12 Tom Imus
16 Rick Thompson
18 Scott Raver
19 Kayla Pittman
23 Kyle Latham
32 Jeff Raver
33 Ken Chandler
37 Charles McDonald
38 Rob Taylor
45 Steve Schovaers
47 Derek Becker
48 Dawson Loehner
60 Brian Tischner
65 Eric Kaas
72 Ed Novak
77 Eddie Secord (2011 NW Pro 4 Alliance Champion)
86 Kyler Conduff
96 Cody Walker
98 Thomas Husk
99 CJ Hawley
00 Mike Miller
03 Steve Thompson
07 Toby Becker
09 Scott Graf
2ss4 Dwight Waterbury
8ss4 Mitch Slagle
27ss4 Ross Jones
71ss4 Chad Davis

WEST COAST STREET STOCK SERIES
02 TODD CONNELL
04 MEL PATNODE (2011 WCSSS CHAMPION)
05 ARNOLD NORTON
06 STEVE PATACEK
07 ANDY STIBAL
2 DARRIN GOETZ
3 ANDY BEAMAN
4 JOSH CHILDRESS
6 SHANE BRIM
8 DOUG POIRIER
9 RANDY PUGH
12 RICK VILLYARD
13 KELLY HELEWELL
14 RICH PETERS YAKIMA
14X RICHIE BALDERSON
17 CASEY MERRILL
20 RON STEWART
21 BARRY MUELLER
22 BRYON GOETZ
25 ZACK BEAMAN
33 CHAD HINKLE
41 KEVIN CARVER
43 JIM FRANKLIN
55 STEVE PRISSEL
56 RICHARD KERR
64 BILL RUTHERFORD
68 KIP ELLIOTT
69 CHRIS HART
70 KIM WENNERBERG
71 JUSTIN DUNNIGAN
97 JOSH INGRAM
99 JOE KNEELAND