You couldn't have had a better night for racing, the sun was out, and it was a great night at Grays Harbor Raceway for the 360 Sprint Cars, Street Stocks, Modifieds, and Outlaw Tuners.
In the Street Stocks division, Hoquiam driver Jack Parshall picked up his second win of the season. The 18 car field of Street Stocks took the green flag with a pair of Hoquiam drivers Brian Izzi and Jason Tole on the front row. Parshall started in the 8th position. Tole took the early lead, with Elma driver Ryen Haney right on his back bumper. A few laps in, Tole stretched his lead over Haney, but it didn't take long for Tole to get into lap traffic. There was plenty of side by side action, throughout the field, between Shelton driver Brenton Schnitzer, Aberdeen's Austin Kerrigan, and Hoquiam driver Matt Babcock, with Parshall right behind them. With lap traffic being a factor, this allowed Parshall to work his way through the field. The first caution of the feature came on lap 8 for Tumwater driver Shannon Redle as he came to a stop in turn 2. On the restart Haney got a good run on the bottom side of the speedway. It was a great battle between Haney and Tole, with Haney getting the lead a lap later, although the caution would come out quickly for Haney, as a hard charging Mike Knox of Tacoma got together with Haney in turn 4. On the restart, Parshall got a good jump on Tole and took the lead, Schnitzer moved into second, and started to chase down Parshall. Schnitzer made the move on Parshall in turn 4 on lap 14, giving Parshall a little bump, causing him to move up the track a little, and took the lead, this also allowed Austin Kerrigan to make his move on Parshall for second. Parshall ended up retaining the second spot, and was on the hunt for Schnitzer. Lap traffic was once again a factor, Schnitzer would manuver his way through the slower cars, to try and pull away from Parshall, with Kerrigan on Parshall's back bumper once again. Lap 19 saw another caution for Westport driver Mike Clingen, this once again bunched the field back up allowing Parshall, and Kerrigan to have another shot at Schnitzer. On the restart, Schnitzer, took the lead, but Parshall showed the nose going into turn 2, with Parshall right on his back bumper, a lap later, Parshall took the lead down the backstretch from Schnitzer, this allowed Olympia driver Eddie Blood to move into the second position as well. Lap 21 saw Schnitzer and Izzi, who was running 4th get together in turn 2, both cars kept going, losing numerous positions. At the end of the 25 lap feature, Jack Parshall picked up the win, Eddie Blood second, Austin Kerrigan, Mike Knox, and Tim Phillips rounded out the top 5. Quick time also went to Parshall, and the three heat race winners were, Parshall, Blood, and Austin Kerrigan.
The modified division saw another great 25 lap feature. With a 20 car field, the front row had Rochester driver Leroy Lawhead, and Scappoose, Oregon driver Jake VanOrtwick on the front row. On the start, Lawhead took the early lead, but soon the caution would come out for McCleary driver Josh Muller who stopped in turn 3, which would cause a complete restart. Lawhead, once again took the early lead, but the battle for second down the backstretch with VanOrtwick, Seabeck's Kyler Moore, and Shelton driver Del Schnitzer was the one to watch, as they were three wide down the backstretch. Lawhead continued to pull away, with Kyler Moore chasing him down. Lap 2 saw a caution for Raymond's Bill Rowe with a spin in turn 4, allowing the field to have a shot at Lawhead. The restart saw Lawhead take the lead once again, Kyler Moore, and Port Hardy, British Columbia driver Lawrence O'Connor right on his back bumper. Craig Moore of Seaback, took his car to the high side on that restart to see if there was anything up there, getting around Mt. Vernon driver Melvin Decker for 5th. Lawhead continued to lead, and the battle to watch was for the third position between Schnitzer and O'Connor, Schnitzer on the bottom, O'Connor up top, as they raced side by side for a lap, allowing Schnitzer to get the advantage on the bottom of the speedway. Lap 6 saw a caution for Olympia driver Steve Signal who came to a stop in turn 2. On the restart, Lawhead once again had a great start, with Kyler Moore in pursuit. On that same restart, Craig Moore uses the high side to his advantage, and took the third position, but it wasn't long before O'Connor was right there to battle with him. Kyler Moore continued to work on reeling in Lawhead, on lap 9 Kyler Moore showed his nose under Lawhead in turn 2, but Lawhead shut the door on him, it wasn't long before there was another caution for Hoquiam's Andrew Raney, as he came to a stop in turn 2. Once again, Lawhead took the lead but Kyler Moore wasn't going to let him get away as he was right on his back bumper again, this time Kyler's father Craig Moore was right there in third position, chasing down both drivers. Lap after lap Kyler Moore continued to show the nose to Lawhead in turn 4, but Lawhead would have a slight advantage, and pull away down the straightaway. On Lap 16, Kyler Moore was side by side with Lawhead going into turn 3, Moore on the bottom, Lawhead up top, this allowed Kyler Moore to take the lead, and his father Craig Moore to take over the second position from Lawhead. Craig Moore was now in pursuit of his son, showing the nose of his modified to Kyler in turn 2 a few times as they come up on lap traffic. Lap 19 saw another caution for Olympia's Alan Muenchow, this setup a father/son battle between Craig and Kyler Moore, with Lawhead, O'Connor, Shelton's Scott Miller and the rest of the field right behind them. On the restart, Kyler Moore slid up the track, giving Craig Moore a shot at the lead going out of turn 2. Craig Moore with a run on the bottom took the lead going down the front stretch, but the caution would fly for St. Helens, Oregon driver Shawn Dorie who stopped in turn 4. Kyler Moore I am sure was breathing a big sigh of relief as a lap was not completed so they go back to the last completed lap, allowing Kyler Moore to restart in the first position. On the final restart, Kyler Moore continued to lead, and at the end of the exciting 25 lap feature, Kyler Moore picked up his first career win, with Craig Moore in second, Lawrence O'Connor third, Leroy Lawhead fourth, and Jake VanOrtwick rounds out the top 5. Heat race winners were Craig Moore, Shawn Dorie, and Lawrence O'Connor.
The 360 Sprint Cars were once again on hand, with a great field of 16 cars. JJ Hickle, who is just fresh off his first career ASCS Northwest Region win, started on the pole, with Anacortes driver Rod Perkins on the outside. On the start, Hickle took the lead going into turn one, Tacoma's Evan Margeson slipped into the second position, with Everett driver Tyler Anderson right behind him. The battle for sixth position between Snohomish driver Jared Ridge, 8 time track champion Jay Cole, and Valleyview, Alberta Canada driver Steve Reeves was defenitely heating up, as they were 3 wide down the backstretch, with Ridge getting the advantage, but it wasn't long before Cole took the sixth position away from him, on the lowside of the speedway in turn 1. Hickle continued to lead, and pulling away from the field, with Margeson, and Anderson in chase. This allowed Colton Heath and Ridge to chase down Anderson for third. Hickle continued to stretch his lead on the field, as he hit lap traffic early in the 25 lap feature, and it didn't take much for him to work his way through the lap cars. While Hickle pulled away from the field, the battle for third continued as Anderson and Ridge raced side by side with Ridge getting the advantage on Anderson. Hickle's lead shrunk a bit as Margeson started to slowly reel him in, with more lap cars ahead of Hickle. Margeson continued to run the low side of the speedway, had trouble getting around the lapped car of Bud Ashe allowing HIckle to pull away. This allowed Ridge to chase down Margeson for second, with Ridge running the high side of the speedway, he would make numerous attempts at making the pass on Margeson. Colton Heath would also chase down both drivers to make it a three car battle for second. The lapped cars in front of Margeson continued to make it difficult, this allowed Ridge to keep making attempts at second, and allowed Cole, Victoria, British Columbia driver Chris Schmelze and Heath to close in on the back bumpers of Margeson and Ridge. Lap 22 seen the first, and only caution of the feature, as Monroe driver Leroy Hudson spun to a stop in turn 4, this allowed Margeson, Ridge, Cole, Schmelze, and Heath one last shot at Hickle for the lead. Hickle got a great restart, pulling away immediately, going on to win the 25 lap feature. Evan Margeson was second, Jared Ridge third, Jay Cole, and Colton Heath rounded out the top 5. Quick time in the 360 sprint car division went to Rod Perkins, and heat race winners were Cole and Heath.
The Outlaw Tuners 15 lap feature was wild and crazy right down to the finish. Matlock driver Brittany Diggle started on the pole with Ocean Shores driver Dale Vacknitz Jr right next to her. As they took the green flag, it was almost four wide down the front stretch, with Diggle, Vacknitz Jr, Dale Vacknitz, and 2 time feature winner this year Jeff Daniel of Ocean Shores. Going into turn one contact was made between Shane Turner and Aberdeen's Willie Wright, which also caught Diggle in the crash as well. The second complete restart saw Vacknitz and Turner on the front row, as they took the green flag, the field raced their way down the front stretch, as Turner took the lead, Aberdeen driver Ryan O'Nasch moved into the second spot, Vacknitz, and Daniel battle for third and fourth, although going into turn 3, Vacknitz, and Daniel made contact, spinning Daniel, and bringing out the caution. This setup a third complete restart with Turner and Vacknitz Jr on the front row. As they took the green flag, Vacknitz Jr spun going into turn 1 bringing out the fourth caution. Another complete restart saw Shane Turner take the lead once again, with Wright, Tenino's Chad Norton, and Vacknitz Jr chasing him down. Contact was made between Daniel and Vacknitz Jr coming off of turn 4, spinning Vacknitz Jr to the bottom fo the front stretch, he keep the car going, and the feature continued to stay green. The battle for the lead was heating up between Turner and Wright, with Norton right behind both of them and Daniel chasing them down. Wright took the lead, as Norton and Daniel raced for second position. Going into turn 1 and 2, Daniel took the lead from Wright, and this allowed Norton to sneak into the second position. The caution flag flew once again for Shane Turner as he went up in smoke down the backstretch. This allowed the field to bunch back up to battle for the lead. On the restart, Chad Norton led them down the front stretch, with Daniel, Wright, Vacknitz Jr in chase. Daniel continued to reel Norton in, taking the lead from him in turn 1, Norton did not give up, as he went to the bottom down the backstretch to try and take the lead back. With the laps winding down, Norton and Daniel got together in turn 4, bringing out the final caution of the feature. This allowed Wille Wright to regain the lead. Wright had a comfortable lead over Vacknitz, but at the end of the feature, Wright stopped just short of the flag stand, thinking the race was over, when he had taken the white flag. This made for a very confusing ending. At the end of the 15 lap Outlaw Tuner feature, Dale Vacknitz picked up his first career feature. Chad Norton was second, Jeff Daniel third, Brittany Diggle and Willie Wright rounded out the top 5. Heat Race winner was Chad Norton.
There will be no racing at Grays Harbor Raceway next Saturday night as Skagit Speedway is having the 43rd Annual Jim Raper Memorial DIrt Cup, presented by Jack In The Box. Grays Harbor Raceway's next race is July 5th, for Mid-Season Championships, and Fireworks. The 360 Sprint Cars, Modifieds, USAC Northwest HPD Midget Series, Street Stocks and Outlaw Tuners will be on hand. Gates open at 5:30PM, and racing starts at 7PM.
- Steve Beitler on Jun 23, 2014
- Article Date: 6/23/2014