A huge crowd packed the stands at Grays Harbor Raceway on Saturday night for Mid-Season Championship as the 360 Sprint Cars, Shipwreck Beads Modifieds, Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stocks and Outlaw Tuners took to the 3/8 banked clay oval. Before the evening started fans were able to meet the drivers and get up close with the cars for Fan Appreciation Night.
360 Sprint Cars:
Austen Wheatley of Lake Stevens and Snohomish driver Reece Goetz set the front row of the 25 lap 360 Sprint Car feature. Wheatley took the early lead. Chase Goetz of Snohomish moved into the third spot, looking to chase down Wheatley, and Reece Goetz. Wheatley quickly pulled away from the field, as Chase Goetz made his move to the low side of the raceway to get around Reece Goetz for second. The battle for the fifth spot between Enumclaw's Henry Van Dam and Tyler Anderson of Everett became a battle to watch as Anderson worked his way by Van Dam for position. As Wheatley worked his way through traffic. The Goetz brother's continued to battle.
Lap traffic became a factor late in the race for Wheatley as both Chase and Reece Goetz looked to track him down. Reece Goetz looked like a rocket on the high side of the raceway and looked to track down Wheatley for the lead making a pass on lap 21 out of turn two. Reece Goetz would make the pass on Wheatley for the lead, maneuvering his way through lap traffic and go on to win the 360 Sprint Car feature. Wheatley, Chase Goetz, Jay Cole of Shelton, and Van Dam rounded out the top five. Wheatley picked up the Scramble earlier in the evening with Van Dam picking up fast time.
Shipwreck Beads Modifieds:
Kyler Moore of Seabeck and Shelton driver Scott Miller led the field to the green flag for the Shipwreck Beads Modifieds 25 lap feature. Moore took the early lead from Miller, and Aberdeen's Zack Simpson, but the caution flag flew for Tim Phillips of Spanaway spinning in turn four on lap 1. Moore once again led the field on the restart as Scott Miller and Simpson raced side by side for position. Shelton's Del Schnitzer and Tyson Blood of Olympia battled for the fourth position as Tom Sweatman of Cosmopolis made it a three car battle with Sweatman picking up the position setting his sights on the top three. Miller, Moore, Sweatman and Simpson found themselves in a battle for the lead on a long green flag run before a pile up in turn four brought out the caution on lap 8.
Miller looked to have tough company on the restart as Sweatman raced side by side with him into turn three, before a mechanical issue caused Sweatman to slow, bringing out the caution. Miller still had to hit his marks just right as Moore and Blood sat in the second and third position looking for any mistake. Lap 23 saw the red flag come out for Schnitzer after contact with Bremerton driver James Wolfard causing him to flip in turn four. Schnitzer exited the race car and walked away uninjured. The red flag saw a green, white, checkered restart with Miller, Moore and Aberdeen's Austin Kerrigan leading the field down. Miller jumped out front with Moore on his back bumper. Sweatman moved his way back into third getting around Kerrigan. Miller saw a last corner charge by Moore but held him off at the line picking up the feature win. Moore, Sweatman, Austin Kerrigan and Blood rounded out the top five. Earlier in the evening there were 2 heat races with Wolfard and Hoquiam driver Jason Tole picking up the heat race wins and Moore won the Scramble.
Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stocks:
Jack Parshall of Hoquiam led the field to the green flag in the Cut Rate Auto Parts 25 lap feature. Shane Kerrigan of Aberdeen wasted no time racing side by side, along with Hoquiam driver Jason Tole joining in on the battle. Tole looked to take the lead from Parshall on lap 1 in turn three but Parshall looked to take it back a lap later. Tole stayed right to the back bumper of Parshall waiting for any mistakes as both drivers hit lap traffic. The first caution saw Brenden White of Port Orchard make contact with the front stretch wall on lap 6. Parshall led the field on the restart as Spanaway's Tom Hecker joined in on the battle racing with Tole for second. Hecker ran the middle groove as Tole ran the low side, racing side by side for a handful of laps. Tole stayed in the second spot, and looked to the lead in turn two getting by Parshall on lap 11.
A late race caution for Zeb Conrad of Montesano set up a 4 lap dash to the finish between Tole, Parshall and Hecker. Tole timed his restart just right to get an advantage on the rest of the field. Tole slowly pulled away from Parshall as Hecker had tough company of Scott Fritts of Montesano and Elma's Ryen Haney. Fritts lost control of his car out of turn four and lost many positions. Tole took the white flag and went on to pick up the Street Stocks feature. Parshall, Hecker, Haney and Arlington's Brandon Babcock rounded out the top five. Parshall won the scramble, with Josh Anthony of Longview picking up fast time.
Outlaw Tuners:
Josh Wharton of Tenino and Tyler Sundstrom of Aberdeen set the front row for the 15 lap Outlaw Tuners feature. Wharton jumped out to the early lead with Sundstrom looking to chase him down. Dale Speas of Shelton sat in the third position waiting for a chance to get by Wharton and Sundstrom. Wharton saw mechanical issues early coming out of turn four giving up the lead to Sundstrom on lap 3. The battle for third between a pair of Aberdeen drivers Ryan Onasch and Cory Sweatman was the race to watch. Onasch and Sweatman raced side by side with Sweatman moving into third. Sweatman looked to track down Speas for second looking to the inside of turn three and taking over the second position.
Sundstrom continued to lead, working his way through lap traffic as Sweatman quickly closed in for the lead. Sundstrom and Sweatman split a lap car going down the backstretch allowing Sweatman to take over the lead. At the end of the 15 lap, caution free, Outlaw Tuner feature Cory Sweatman picked up the win over Sundstrom, Joseph Palmer of Shelton, Chehalis driver Andy Jacaway and Onasch rounding out the top five. Wharton picked up the scramble earlier in the evening.
Racing will resume next Saturday night at Grays Harbor Raceway as the Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stocks, Outlaw Tuners, PHRA Dwarf Cars, and the Sportsman Sprint Cars will make an appearance on the 3/8 banked clay oval. Gates will open at 5:30PM with racing at 7PM.
- Social Media on Jul 10, 2017
- Article Date: 7/9/2017 by Aaron Reed