by Bill Poehler
Coors Light Dirt Late Model Crate Motor Series
Saturday July 5, 2008
Branden Lindberg faces a long tow every race weekend from his home in Monroe, Wash., down to his home track of Sunset Speedway in Banks, Oregon.
The crate model driver had a long way to go again Saturday night in winning the OR-Cal Open - Firecracker 150 Sponsored by Airgas.
Lindberg, driver of the No. 88 car, won his first main event in three years of late model driving Saturday, coming from the 10th starting position to win the $2,000 grand prize in the Coors Light Crate Engine Late Model Class.
Qualifying got under way for the 15 cars on hand - including visiting 19-year-old Andy Obertello from Hollister, Calif. - but after Jerry Schram took the track, a rain shower hit and the rest of qualifying was cancelled. Points determined the he lineups for the trophy dash and main event.
Obertello was added to the trophy dash to start in the fourth place and went around Schram, Greg Walters and Eric Sayre for the dash win.
For the main event, caution flag laps were counted for the first 67 laps of the race.
Outside pole sitting Jeff Biffle - older brother of NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, Greg Biffle, who will be racing at Sunset July 19 - took the initial lead from the outside pole, but Lindberg began to work his way forward and was in fifth place by the lap 16 caution for the spinning Jason Johnson.
On lap 50, Lindberg made his way by Scott Puncochar for second and Jimmy Schram followed into third. Jimmy Schram got by Lindberg on lap 51 and on lap 60 went by Biffle for the lead. Lindberg got by Biffle just past the halfway break.
At the halfway break of the main event, on lap 67, the crews were allowed a 10-minute session to do whatever they wanted to the cars. While the field was stopped, however, the lights went out on the track. It took 30 minutes for an electrician to sire around the main circuit breaker and get the lights back on the track.
During the break, a few crews made sheet metal and bodywork adjustments, but most crews changed left rear tires and added fuel. Lindberg's crew made the most of the opportunity.
He went after Jimmy Schram and went around Schram on the high side for the lead. Lindberg, who was seriously injured in a traffic accident last winter, was flagged the winner on - ironically - the 88th lap when the track's curfew of 11 p.m. was hit.
Biffle got back up to second to record his best finish in a main event and win $1,000. Jerry Schram came forward from the 12th starting position to place third for $750 and was awarded the Hard Charger. Walters came back from a lap two wreck to finish fourth for $500. Puncochar, who was involved in a nasty wreck in a race at Madras Speedway Friday, rounded out the top five and earned $400.
Obertello finished sixth with Jeremy Schram in seventh, Jimmy Schram fell off late in the race and finished eighth, Billy Workman Jr. 9th and Kevin "Porkchop" Rodgers rounded out the top 10.
The Coors Light Late Models return to Sunset on July 19 in the Jon Miller Memorial.

RACE SUMMARY:
Coors Light Dirt Late Model Crate Series

Dash: Andy Obertello
Main Event: 88-laps: Branden Lindberg, Jeff Biffle, Jerry Schram, Greg Walters, Scott Puncochar, Andy Obertello, Jeremy Schram, Jimmy Schram, Billy Workman JR, Kevin Rodgers, Jason Johnson, Eric Sayre, Malcolm Lindberg, Jeff Brookshire, Jesse Freeman.
Hard Charger Award: Jerry Schram

Top 3 drivers from Saturday nights Late Model main event: (left to right) 3rd place Jerry Schram #16, Branden Lindberg #88 and 2 place Jeff Biffle #60.
Branden Lindberg #88 and Jeff Biffle #60 racing hard for the win in the final laps of the race shortened Firecracker 150 at Sunset Speedway Park.
Drivers pit midway in the infield for the fans to watch as teams prepare the cars for the final laps during a 10 minute stop.
Andy Obertello #29 from Hollister, California dominated the four lap trophy dash.
Starting from deep within the field Jerry Schram #16 from Vancouver, Washington worked his way up to a 3rd place finish earning him the Coors Light Hard Charger Award.
Walters Racing Website