PHOTO: Seen here in the Alton Race Team garage are the #9 car driven by Cole Alton and the #42 car driven by Pyper Alton. A collision between the two at Wenatchee Speedway may have ignited a heated sibling rivalry.
BY OLY ARCHIBALD
WENATCHEE — In the world of sports car racing, rivalries are nothing new — think Petty Enterprises vs. the Wood Brothers, Jack Roush vs. Toyota, or Carl Edwards vs. Brad Keselowski. Now, Port Angeles may have its own budding rivalry, and it’s happening in the Alton family garage — where the sparks aren’t just coming from the welder.
Friday night at Wenatchee Speedway, during the Legends Sports Car main event, Pyper Alton in her #42 car was coming into Turn 3 on lap two when contact was made with the #9 car, sending both vehicles into the wall. The twist? The #9 car was driven by her older brother, Cole Alton.
When asked who was at fault, Pyper didn’t hesitate. A fiery and confident Pyper said it was her brother’s fault, claiming he cut her off and caused the crash. Cole, however, had a different take. In a written statement, he explained that he had pulled into second place with Pyper close behind in third. As he approached a tight corner, he went for an inside move, but says Pyper cut down aggressively to defend her position. The result: contact, a spin, and chaos on the track.
So, who was to blame? Watch the video below:
Cole went on to finish fourth, while Pyper placed sixth in the 14-car, 30-lap main event. On Saturday, Pyper qualified second-fastest and finished fourth in the main.
The Alton Racing Team is tentatively scheduled to return to action on May 10 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe. NASCAR officials are still reviewing video footage of the incident to determine whether any penalties are warranted.
Will this incident divide the formidable Alton team, or will family ties win out? We’ll find out the next time the #9 and #42 hit the track.
Elsewhere in sports:
The Port Angeles and North Kitsap tennis teams faced off in cold, windy “Viking weather,” and the Vikings prevailed 6-1. The lone winner for the Roughriders was — fittingly — Pyper Alton, who rebounded from her racing mishap to dominate her singles match 6-1, 6-2.
In doubles, Lizzy Clark and Ivy Powless lost 2-6, 4-6, but played a competitive match and represented well. Port Angeles will host Sequim on Thursday.
Roughrider sophomore Audrey Rudd battled through stiff winds and a tough North Kitsap squad in tennis action yesterday.
In baseball:
North Kitsap routed Sequim 14-0. The Wolves travel to North Kitsap today with first pitch at 4:15.
Port Angeles is heating up, shutting out Bremerton 9-0 last night. The Roughriders are back on the road to Bremerton today, and you can hear that broadcast here on KONP Newsradio with the pregame show beginning at 4:00.
In soccer:
Olympic edged Sequim 1-0, while North Kitsap overwhelmed Port Angeles 10-1.