The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

(Left-right): Eric Dolson, Dave Byrum, Kurt Kallberg, Jerry Taylor and Jim Santimaw named their group in honor of Dick Bech, who retired after 40 years of racing Corvettes.

Bech's Big Bore Bad Boys of Central Oregon made quite a noise at the Pacific Northwest Historics Race at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington Fourth of July Weekend.

Kurt Kallberg drew applause from the crowd in Saturday's warm-up as he emerged from a plume of dust, spinning his 1967 Corvette.

Not many of his fellow Oregonians were convinced that it was an accident.

"That's what the spectators come to see," said Kallberg, smiling after the race.

He finished the weekend a close second behind Bruce Leven of Seattle who turned in the fastest laps for both Saturday and Sunday.

Dave Byrum had the unfortunate experience of T-boning another car coming into a corner in Saturday's warm-ups. Ironically the car he made contact with was formerly his own. Not able to finish the weekend races, he stayed on to support his fellow Bad Boys of Central Oregon.

Eric Dolson experienced a "severe case of schizophrenia," initiating himself into the big bore class. Dolson, who has driven BMWs since 1974, stepped up from a four-cylinder BMW 2002 to his newly built 1969 Corvette, with an aluminum block 427.

"I pretty much met my goal of the weekend by turning in a time of 1:40" said Dolson, who chased down an elusive engine bug all weekend.

Dolson finished 16th in a pack of three Central Oregonians, followed by Jerry Taylor in his historic 1967 Trans-Am Camaro and James Santimaw in his 1966 Mustang.

The Bech's Big Bore Bad Boys race in Portland next weekend.