Classic delayed a week

YAKIMA -- With a weekend weather forecast that looks like trouble, the 21st annual Fall Classic will swerve around the whole mess like a driver dodging a multi-car spinout.

Yakima Speedway officials decided late Friday morning to postpone the three-day auto-racing event in its entirety to Oct. 10-12.

"With the weather information we had, we knew we wouldn't be able to get it all in," said track manager Ron Bennett. "Every forecast we saw said the rain is coming."

The best hope for dry weather appears to be Sunday, the scheduled day for the 200-lap Late Model final, but today's qualifying and other main events were in serious jeopardy.

"It's better to cancel it now to save some people some travel," Speedway owner Ted Pollock said. "We're getting millions of calls ... We may as well do it today."

Last year weather disrupted the Northwest's season-ending event with the final day of racing being delayed a week. Bennett and Pollock wanted to avoid the possibility of stretching over two weekends again.

Next week's Fall Classic schedule will be the same as planned. Qualifying and the Race of Champions will run Friday, Hobby Stocks and Limited Late Model mains on Saturday and Street Stocks and Late Model finals on Sunday.