Ever had one of those weeks where you feel like a lab rat, running on the wheel and getting nowhere fast? Such has been the case in this little corner this past week, when I went to the Bay area for a brief memorial service for my grandmother, who died earlier this month.

(A sports angle? Of course ... I learned a lot of baseball from her, especially with my winnings on those 10-cent wagers I put on my Giants vs. her Dodgers in the '60s, big money then for what's now called a tween. Yet, in the '80s, she had what can only be called an amazing religious experience, rejected the Great Dodger in the Sky and started following the Giants and the Athletics instead!)

There's never a good time for a funeral, but it's my understanding that Thursday was the first date available when someone from the cemetery and a priest could all be there at the same time. My normal days off are Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday I spent in transit, not to return to Hanford until Thursday evening, shortly after Hanford and Yosemite kicked things off at the Neighbor Bowl.

While the paper was in fine hands with tag-team partner Jeremy Luchau, the same couldn't be said for all the things that had been gathering cyberdust in my e-mail box.

So, with an apology and the hope everyone will understand, here's some of what went on last week:

* First of all, last weekend's auto racing. Ace correspondent Chuck Hamblin reports at Lemoore last weekend, it was Luis Ramos III from Clovis in the 600 Multi Class; Cody Smothermon of Porterville in the 600 restrictor class and Heath Duinkernin in the 600 Stock Class. It was also a big night for Griffith Jones as well in the Junior Sprint, taking a 20-lap feature main and two heat races.

Not to forget Frank Dias and the rest of the crew out at Kings Speedway, of course, who faxed over the following items from the program on Sept. 13.

It was Steven Tiner in the National Wing 360s, Steve Smothermon in the IMCA Modifieds, Jimmie Reeves in the IMCA Stocks and Peter Murphy in the Kings 360 Bandits.

While in the neighborhood of the fairgrounds, as they say on hip-hop radio (or so I'm told), a shoutout to some of the track's regular season champions: Jimmy Reeves in IMCA Modifieds, over Claudine Contente and Smothermon; J.T. Contente in IMCA Stocks over Loren DeArmand and Mchael Anderson; and Peter Murphy in Kings 360s over Rusty Carile and the up-and-coming Justine Hamblin.

Still plenty of racing at both tracks, though. This Friday and Saturday at Kings Speedway, it's the Tachi Open Wheel Invitational and the Cotton Classic, while Lemoore will be holding the annual Grand Prix championship races.

* They've been keeping really busy over at West Hills College-Lemoore as well.

In last week's Central Valley Conference tournament at Fig Garden Golf Course, West Hills' Christina Thissen shot an 83, just one stroke away from medalist. The Eagles finished third, and Thissen was followed in the scoring by Beth Moton (88), Lia Valdez (125), Chyna Sisson (135) and Erica Montoya-Robles (135).

West Hills-Lemoore also had a big win in men's soccer, picking up its first win of the year over Hartnell (Salinas) 2-1. Former Avenal High standout Jorge Hernandez had an assist in that game. Friday, against Chabot (Hayward), both Hernandez and Hanford's Juan Galindo had assists in a 2-1 win, lifting the Golden Eagles to 2-6-1 on the season.

* But just to give you something to smile about on this Sunday morning as we prepare for a day of monitoring football, the pennant races and the Ryder Cup, our spies have informed us of the events following golfer Michelle Wie's successful rounds at the LPGA's Q-School.

On her plane trip home, she was recognized by a group of French tourists, who decided to drink several toasts to her success.

That's right ... it was "Oui, Wie! Oui, Wie!" all the way home.

Richard de Give is The Sentinel's sports editor. Reach him at 583-2430 or at rdegive@HanfordSentinel.com. Richard's Fearful Football Forecast appears weekly at www.hanfordsentinel.com/blogs

(Sept. 21, 2008)