ELMA, Washington — Eugene, OR’s, Jesse Williamson took the lead back with four laps left in the Ship Wreck Beads Northwest Modified Nationals and held off Scott Lenz of Shady Grove, OR. at the end for the checkered flag in the 40-lap feature race Saturday night.
Cory Estaban of Cornelius, OR. traded places with Rick Adams of Hillsboro, or on the final lap for the win in the Dwarf Car Association 30-lap feature.
The win for Williamson was his first in ten attempts at the NW Modified Nationals. “I love this track and I will be back.” Williamson said.
Over fifty of the high powered “Modifieds” were on hand this week-end for a shot at getting into the 2-car field for the feature race.
Sixteen cars were locked into feature race after 12 heat races on Friday night, with the remaining eight having to earn their way into the feature via the D, C and B mains, and two last chance mains.
Montesano’s Josh Muller, the current points leader at Grays Harbor Raceway in the Modified division, was the only Raceway regular to finish in the top-ten.
Regular Grays Harbor Raceway Modified division drivers, Craig Moore of Seabeck, Scott Miller of Shelton, Leroy Lawhead of Rochester, all former track champions all made it into the feature race, along with Shawn Dorie of St Helens, OR. Moore finished12th, Dorie 16th, Miller 19th and Lawhead 21st.
Modifieds
Williamson took over the lead on the first lap when passed both Dorie and Moore who were on the front row at the start of the race.
By lap-8 it had turned into a five-car race, with Williamson out in front, followed by Jon DeBenedetti, a three time winner in the event from Rogue River, OR, Medford’s Brian Poppa, another former winner, Lenz and Redmond’s Casey Vitale.
DeBenedetti was done when he got up close and personal with the wall in turn-2 on lap 13.
Poppa took over the lead after restart on lap-15 and looked like he was going to pick up his second NW Modified Nationals title, but it was not to be when both Williamson and Lenz got by him when he got into slower traffic with just four laps left.
Poppa finished third, Vitale fourth and Braedon Hand of cottage Grove finished fifth.
Mark Wauge of Medford, Curtin Towns of Cottage Grove, OR. Doug Davenport of Veronia, CA. and Braedon Hand, the winner of the race of champions on Friday night all earned their into the feature after surviving no less than 9 caution flags in the 25-lap B Main.
Aaron Sheeler of Springfield, OR and Sean Fox of St Helens came out on top in the 20-lap C Main and got to advance to the B Main.
Mike DeSilva of Medford and Frank Hazen, Bend, OR. took the two transfer spots from the D Main to the C Main when they finished 1-2 in the 12-lap race.
After a long tough two days, Muller finally earned his way into the feature when he won Last Chance Main No. 1, followed by Don Jenner of Vancouver. Muller got to start on the inside of the next to last row of the feature, with Jenner right behind him.
Brad Purdy of Port McNeil, B.C. and Mike Long of Gresham earned the final two spots into the feature coming out of Last Chance Main No. 2.
Dwarf Cars
Estaban started seven-rows back, but it only took him 11-laps to work his way into the top-five.
Henry Corbin III was the early race leader, followed by Mitch Meeuwsen of Forest Grove, OR. Dave Cantu, Mike Chadwick and Mike Shoen, all of Hillsboro, OR.
The race was halted on the fourth lap when Kevin Dykstra of Castle Rock flipped his car in turn-4. Track safety crews checked him out and he was all right.
Estaban and Rick Adams of Hillsboro, OR. both got by Corbin III on lap-17 and it was a two car race after that.
Adams took the lead for a lap before Estaban took it back on lap-21.
Adams grabbed the top spot on the final lap on the back stretch, but Estaban recovered coming out of turn-4 for the win.
Meeuwsen took third, Corbin II fell to fourth and Cantu fifth.
Mike Shoen took only one lap
To go to the front from three rows back at the start and then ran away from the rest of the field in the 20-lap B Main. Clay Goben finished second, Shane Youngrew third and Andy LaPlante fourth.
The Cut Rate Auto Parts Hobby Stock/Sportsman Challenge is on tap for next Saturday night during the Grays Harbor County Fair along with the Hornets and Cruisers.
| Ship Wreck Beads NW Modified Nationals |
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| A Main. 1. Jesse Williamson, Eugene, OR. 2. Scott Lenz, Shady Grove, OR. 3. Brian Poppa, Medford, OR. 4. Casey Vitale, Redmond, OR. 5. Braedon Hand, cottage Grove, OR. 6. Jason Beaulieu, Campbell River, B.C. 7. Mark Wauge, Medford, OR. 8. Josh Muller, Montesano, WA. 9. Blair Shoemaker, Yakima, WA. 10. Travis Peery, Fort Jones, CA. B Main. 1. Wauge. 2. Curtis Towns, Cottage Grove. 3. Doug Davenport, Veronia, CA. 4. Hand. 5. Don Jenner, Vancouver, WA. 6. Robert Jenner, Vancouver. 7. Sean fox, St Helens, OR. *. Brad Purdy, Port McNeil, B.C. 9. Aaron Sheeler, Springfield, OR. 10. Lenny Toolan, Yreka, CA. C Main. 1. Sheeler. 2. Fox. 3. Purdy. 4. David Wolfard, Seabeck, WA. 5. Jim Oien Jr. McCleary. D Main. 1. Mike DeSilva, Medford. 2. Frank Hazen, Bend, OR. 3. David Day, Portland. 4. Jesse O’Hara, Damascus, OR. 5. David Burns, Bremerton. Last Chance Main No. 1. 1. Muller. 2. Jenner. 3. DeSilva. 4. Kenny Miller, Vancouver. 5. Bo Shields, Central Point, OR. Last Chance Main No. 2. 1. Purdy. 2. Mike Long, Gresham, OR. 3. R. Jenner. 4. Steve Signal, Olympia. 5. Bob Cordis, Bend, OR. A Dash. Beaulieu. B Dash Wauge. C Dash Sheeler. D Dash Dan Fox. |
| Dwarf Cars |
| A Main. 1. Cory Estaban, Cornelius, OR. 2. Rick Adams, Hillsboro, OR. 3. Mitch Meeuwsen, Forest Grove, OR. 4. Henry Corbin III, Molalla, OR. 5. Dave Cantu, Hillsboro. 6. Mike Chadwick, Hillsboro. 7. Kyle Thompson, Hillsboro. 8. Henry Corbin II, Molalla. 9. Charles Millar, Gresham, OR. 10. Andy LaPlante, Molalla. B Main. 1. Mike Shoen, Hillsboro. 2. Clay Goben, Oregon city, OR. 3. Shane Youngrew, Portland. 4. LaPlante. 5. Dave Lewis, Portland. Heat 1. 1. Meeuwsen. 2. Corbin III. 3. Jim Pavel, Molalla. 4. Troy Kunas, Vancouver. Heat 2. 1. Adams. 2. Corbin II. 3. Millar. 4. Chadwick. 5. Youngrew. Heat 3. 1. Estaban. 2. Thompson. 3. Brad Hicks, Creswell, OR. 4. Josh Kribs, Redmond. 5. Jim Fisher, Portland. A Dash. Estaban. B Dash Goben. |
