Mother Nature decided to play fair with Grays Harbor Raceway on Saturday night, with a few rain showers early in the day, the evening was dry, and the dirt was flying around the 3/8 banked clay oval as the 360 Sprint Cars, Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stocks, Shipwreck Beads Modifieds and the Outlaw Tuners hit the track to entertain race fans.
Shipwreck Beads Modifieds
Shelton's Scott Miller was looking for redemption in the Modified feature after last weekend's violent flip in turn one. Miller set the pace with Cosmopolis driver Tom Sweatman on the outside. Miller took the early lead, but Sweatman was right there to capitalize on any mistakes. Sweatman looked to the high side and took the lead from Miller on lap 2. Miller wouldn't let Sweatman run away with it, staying right with Sweatman. Miller looked to the inside multiple times, trying to take the lead from Sweatman, both drivers running the same smooth line on the raceway. First caution of the feature came out on lap 11 for Olympia's Steve Signal, and Tyler Walker of Elma, both spinning in turn two.
Sweatman led the field to the green, leading Miller, and Zack Simpson of Aberdeen. Simpson moved into the second spot taking it from Miller, with Kyler Moore of Seabeck looking to the third spot from Miller. You could throw a blanket over the top four many times throughout the feature, as one mistake by Sweatman could cost him the lead. Moore looked to the outside of Simpson late into the race for second, looking to hunt down Sweatman for the lead. A late race restart allowed Moore to make his move on Sweatman, but couldn't make the pass. Sweatman held on to pick up his first win of 2016. Moore, Miller, Simpson and Del Schnitzer of Shelton rounded out the top five. Heat race winners earlier in the evening went to Miller and Sweatman.
Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stocks
Hoquiam's Jack Parshall took the early lead in the feature, Shane and Austin Kerrigan, the father and son team from Aberdeen slipped into the second and third spot, while Rochester's Scott Fritts battle with Brenton Schnitzer of Shelton for the fourth spot. Parshall pulled away early from the rest of the field, as the cars behind him battled for position. Schnitzer and Austin Kerrigan battled for third, as contact was made between both drivers, Kerrigan retained the third spot, as Fritts also joined in on the battle. The first caution of the feature came on lap 5 for Aberdeen's Cory Sweatman, who would stop in turn two.
Parshall led the field to the green on the restart and wasted no time pulling away from the field. The battle for second, third and fourth between Schnitzer, and both Kerrigan's was the race to watch. Schnitzer moved into the third spot, getting around Austin Kerrigan. The caution came out again for Austin Kerrigan as he spun in turn four. Parshall once again led the field to the green flag, this time with Schnitzer and Shane Kerrigan looking to chase him down. Hoquiam's Jason Tole and Jeff Daniel of Ocean Shores put on a great battle for the fourth spot, and didn't take long to get to the back bumper of Shane Kerrigan for the third spot.
Parshall looked to be the class of the field in the Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stocks feature going on to pick up his second win in a row, Tole, Daniel, Shane Kerrigan and Spanway's Tom Hecker rounded out the top five. Heat race winners earlier in the evening were Parshall, Shane Kerrigan, and Fritts, with Parshall picking up quick time.
360 Sprint Cars
Colton Heath of Marysville and Renton's Jeff Dunlap set the front row of the Sprint Car feature. Heath jumped to the early lead on Dunlap, running the bottom of the raceway. Dunlap ran the top side looking to make a move, but the caution flag would fly on lap 2 for Enumclaw's Henry Van Dam as he spun in turn four. On the restart Heath brought the field to the green with Dunlap looking to chase him down. Puyallup's Trey Starks moved into the second position by Dunlap, and set his sights on Heath. Dunlap maintained the third position, as Starks raced side by side with Heath for the lead, taking the top spot after battling for a handful of laps. The caution once again flew on lap 5 for Devin Madonia of Lake Stevens as he slowed to a stop on the front stretch.
Starks led the field to the green with Heath, Dunlap, and Seattle's Tayler Malsam looking to chase him down. A great restart by Starks saw him pull away from Heath while the battle for third between Dunlap and Malsam was one of the many races to watch throughout the field. Lap 21 saw the red flag come out for Monroe driver Jake Helsel having a fire down the backstretch after a mechanical issue. Helsel quickly escaped the car, and was uninjured.
Heath took the lead from Starks on the restart as Starks had a right rear tire going down, Starks brought out the caution a lap later as the tire exploded down the front stretch, ending his evening. The caution set up a 3 lap shootout between Heath, Snohomish driver Reece Goetz, and Malsam. Heath, with a great restart pulled away from the rest of the field, picking up the win, and breaking a five year streak since his last win on August 13, 2011. Goetz, Malsam, Dunlap and Van Dam. Earlier in the evening Van Dam, and Shelton's Jay Cole were heat race winners with Justin Youngquist of Burlington picking up quick time.
Outlaw Tuners
Don Briggs Sr of Wishkah was looking to make it two in a row as he set the pace for the Outlaw Tuners feature. Tenino driver Chad Norton raced side by side with Briggs Sr. Brittany Diggle of Montesano worked her way up to the third spot getting by Josh Whorton of Tenino. Briggs Sr. slowly pulled away from Norton but disaster struck for Briggs Sr, as he slowed in turn one on lap 12 with fluid leaking from the car. This allowed Norton to take over the lead. Norton lead Diggle, and Don Briggs Jr. of Wishkah as they set their sights on Norton. Wishkah's George Lovell moved into the third spot getting by Briggs Jr. At the end of the feature Chad Norton picked up his first win of 2016. Diggle, Briggs Jr, Lovell, and Whorton rounded out the top five. Norton also picked up the heat race win earlier in the evening.
Racing will resume next Saturday night with the 360 Sprint Cars, Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stocks, Northwest Focus Midget Series, and the Outlaw Tuners.
Gates open at 5:30pm with racing starting at 7:00pm
May 14, 2016
Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stocks
Fast Time:
9 Jack Parshall
Heat 1:
- 9 Jack Parshall, 2. AK47 Austin Kerrigan, 3. 14 Jeff Daniel, 4. 22X Kelly Fugate, 5. 99 Matt Babcock, 6. 01 Zeb Conrad, 7. 78 Josh Anthony
Heat 2:
- 43 Shane Kerrigan, 2. 87 Brenton Schnitzer, 3. 5 Tom Hecker, 4. 00 Kirk McGinnis, 5. 19 Taylor Miller, 6. 22 Cory Sweatman, 7. 91 Alan Clingen
Heat 3:
- 42 Scott Fritts, 2. 97 Tyson Blood, 3. 34 Jason Tole, 4. 67 Ryen Haney, 5. 12 Doug Brewster, 6. 27 Nick Bramer
A-Main:
- Parshall, 2. Tole, 3. Daniel, 4. Shane Kerrigan, 5. Hecker, 6. Blood, 7. Fritts, 8. McGinnis, 9. Schnitzer, 10. Bramer, 11. Brewster, 12. Austin Kerrigan, 13. Fugate, 14. Haney, 15. Miller, 16. Sweatman
Shipwreck Beads Modifieds
Heat 1:
- 26 Scott Miller, 2. 17 Brian Izzi, 3. AK47 Austin Kerrigan, 4. 43K Shane Kerrigan, 5. 28 Brian Harding, 6. 87 Tyler Walker, 7. 8 Steve Bulpitt
Heat 2:
- 11 Tom Sweatman, 2. 12s Zack Simpson, 3. 14K Kyler Moore, 4. 44 Del Schnitzer, 5. 31 Don Martin, 6. 47 Steve Signal
A-Main:
- Sweatman, 2. Moore, 3. Miller, 4. Simpson, 5. Schnitzer, 6. Izzi, 7. Austin Kerrigan, 8. Harding, 9. Walker, 10. Bulpitt, 11. Signal, 12. Martin, 13. Shane Kerrigan
360 Sprint Cars
Fast Time:
56 Justin Youngquist
Heat 1:
- 33V Henry Van Dam, 2. 33C Colton Heath, 3. 26 Tayler Malsam, 4. 56 Justin Youngquist, 5. 11M Evan Margeson, 6. 33s Lance Sargent, 7. 66 Brett McGhie
Heat 2:
- 0J Jay Cole, 2. 15 Jeff Dunlap, 3. 55 Trey Starks, 4. 44 Jake Helsel, 5. 9R Reece Goetz, 6. 22C Trevor Cook, 7. 22D Devin Barnes
A-Main:
- Heath, 2. Goetz, 3. Malsam, 4. Dunlap, 5. Van Dam, 6. Cole, 7. Sargent, 8. Youngquist, 9. Cook, 10. Barnes, 11. Starks, 12. Helsel, 13. McGhie, 14. Margeson, 15. Madonia
Outlaw Tuners
Heat Race:
13XXX Don Briggs Sr.
A-Main:
- 75 Chad Norton, 2. 50 Brittany Diggle, 3. 69XXX Don Briggs Jr, 4. 96 George Lovell, 5. 59 Josh Whorton, 6. 13XXX Don Briggs Sr.
- Steve Beitler on May 16, 2016
- Article Date: 5/16/2016 by Aaron Reed