RAU GETS FIRST FEATURE WIN AT ELMA

ELMA, Washington — Lady Luck was on Shane Rau’s side Saturday night when he picked up his first Ship Wreck Beads “Modifieds” feature win in the 25-lap feature.

Zack Simpson, Hoquiam regained the lead with 2-laps left in the Cut Rate Auto Parts “Hobby Stocks” 20-lap feature race.

Jared Peterson, Stanwood and Jonathan Jorgenson, Auburn both stopped winning streaks. Peterson ended Glenn Borden Jr’s two race win streak in the Whitney’s Auto Group “360 Sprints” 25-lap feature and Jorgenson did the same to Brandon Daniel’s two win streak in the Triple X Racing “Ford Focus Midgets” 20-lap feature.

James and Jeremiah Hinkley won when race officials declared the race over in the shortened “Cruisers” feature.

Modifieds

Rau survived five caution flag restarts in the first 6-laps and two more on a caution flag restart with just four laps left in the race to secure his first “Modifieds” feature win.

The first caution flag came because of debris on the track on before a lap was completed. The debris came from Randy Ward’s car when a panel came off of his car.

The caution flag came out again when a number of cars all got sideways and turned around in front of the grandstand on lap-3, and another when Jeff Foster, McCleary, spun out on the restart.

The fourth flag came out when a car went dead on the track and the fifth when Steve Signal, Olympia, spun out in turn-4.

The race then settled down, with Rau out in front, followed by Scott Miller, Shelton, Leroy Lawhead, Rochester, Greg Dineen, Aberdeen and Shawn Dorie, St Helens, OR. Dorie had moved from the back of the pack to fifth place in just 6-laps.

Miller took over the top spot on lap-10 and looked like he was going to cruise to another win, but it was not to be.

The caution flag came out on lap-21 when Signal spun out in turn-4.

During the caution, Miller had to go to the pits for repairs and Rau had the lead again.

Rau withstood a challenge from Scott Dorie, St Helens at the end for the win. Scott Dorie finished second, Lawhead third, Shawn Dorie fourth and Dineen fifth.

“Hobby Stocks”

It took Simpson 8-laps before he finally managed to wrest the top spot from Paul Short, Puyallup. Short took over the top spot from early race leader Keith Knowlton.

Simpson got by Knowlton for second place on lap-4 and it settled into a five car race, Short, Simpson, Knowlton, Jeremy Blood, Hoquiam and Eddie Blood Olympia.

When Simpson assumed his accustomed place at the front, normally everything is over, but this was not the case tonight.

Short would not go away and dogged the two time champion and points leader.

Short got by Simpson after a caution flag restart on lap-17 but could hold onto the lead for a lap before Simpson got it back.

Simpson held off Short at the finish by just .213 seconds, Blood finished third, Derek Junell, Key Center made a late charge for fourth and Knowlton fell all the way to fifth.

Sprints

Peterson returned to victory lane for the first time since winning on opening night on April 25th and like Rau earlier in the evening, luck was on his side.

Steve Vague, Kirkland was the early race leader from the pole with Shawn Rice, Tacoma, Peterson, and Logan Forler, Orting and JJ Dishneau, Maple Valley.

Vague maintained the lead after a caution flag on lap-9 when two-time winner this year, JJ Hickle, Quilcene spun out in turn-2. Forler left the track under the caution and was done for the night.

On the restart it was Vague, Rice, Peterson, Dishneau and Jay Cole, Shelton at the front.

Vague had things well in hand before he got up high in turn-4 on lap-18 and spun out, bringing out the caution flag, which gave the lead to Peterson.

After the restart, Peterson run away from the rest of the pack, taking the checkered flag a full straight-away in front of Cole who moved up to second late in the race, Rice finished third, Borden Jr. fourth and Randy VanAagten, Shelton fifth.

Midgets

Aerial Biggs, Hoquiam and Todd Hartman, Bothell were on the front row at the start and both held position as it took two tries to get the first lap in. Kelly Douglas, Poulsbo, spun out on the firs try, and Allison Journey, Springfield, OR. on the second try. Journey was starting on the outside of the second row next to Jorgenson, but had to go to the back of the pack.

Jorgenson took over the lead from Biggs on Lpa-3 and was off to the races.

Brandon Daniel, McCleary put Biggs back another position on lap-6, but was unable to get by Jorgenson by the end of the race.

Daniel followed Jorgenson across the finish line, Journey came all the way back for third, Biggs held onto fourth and Hartman rounded out the top five.

Cruisers

It was a very abbreviated Cruisers feature race, with only five cars in attendance. Mike Clingen/Patrick Glennon, Westport had the early lead, followed by Terry Bennett, Raymond/Jon Jacob, Cosmopolis, Todd Ramsfield/Doug Richert, Shelton, Louis Zoren/Chris Gowdy, Shelton and Hinkley/Hinkley.

Ramsfield/Richert were black flagged after spinning out Clingen/Glennon, Zoren/Gowdy rolled their car in turn-4 on lap- 5 and race officials said this race is over, with only two cars left.

Next Saturday night will feature the “360 Sprints”, “Hobby Stocks” “Modifieds”, and “Hornets”. Gates open at 4:30 with racing around 7:00.