ELMA, Washington — In a late night of racing which didn’t get over until almost midnight Saturday night, Enumclaw’s Henry VanDam took over the front spot in the Whitney’s Auto Group “360 Sprints” 25-lap A Main on lap-10, and dominated the race to then end.
Shelton’s Scott Miller recovered after going to the pits during a caution flag on lap-3 and came back to win the Ship Wreck Beads “Modifieds” 25-lap feature race.
Snohomish’s Seth Hespe prevailed in a see-saw battle with Marysville’s Jeff Bell in the Triple X Racing “Ford Focus Midgets” 20-lap feature race.
Olympia’s Rory Clevenger made the pass from third to the front with five laps left in the HiLine Homes “Hornets” 20-lap feature race for the victory.
Sprints
VanDam was able to avoid carnage which was the result when seven cars tried to fit into a space which only had room for one. Season points’ leader Glenn Borden Jr. of Raymond, Kirkland’s Steve Vague, Maple Valley’s JJ Dishneau, Quilcene’s JJ Hickle, and Snohomish driver Jason Cocking all left the track via the hook and were done for the night, while defending track champion Jay Cole of Shelton and Renton’s Dan Dunlap were able to make repairs in the pits and get back for the restart of the race. All of this happened in front of the grandstand at the start of the race.
Once the race was restarted, it went green white checkered, with no cautions and an average speed of 96.030.
Cory Chamberlain of Coquitlam, B.C. was the early race leader, followed by VanDam, Snohomish drivers, Taylor Malsam and Jared Ridge and Tacoma’s Shawn Rice.
Malsam, who is in the running for Rookie of The Year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, raced at Bristol, TN. Wednesday night, where he finished 31st.
VanDam passed Chamberlain on lap-10 and Malsam put Chamberlain back another spot four laps later.
VanDam took the checkered flag followed by Malsam, Ridge, Cole worked his way back to fourth and Rice finished fifth while Chamberlain dropped to sixth.
Borden’s early exit from the race allowed defending champion Cole to draw to within 18 points of Borden with just on race left on the schedule, the Season championship night race on September 12.
Modifieds
The race was marred by six caution flags and the exit of half of the eighteen car field before the end.
Longview’s Clyde White was the early race leader, followed by Aberdeen’s Joe German, Shelton’s Shane Rau, and Clint Petty of St Helens, OR. and series points’ leader, Josh Muller of Montesano.
Both Miller and Muller left the track during the third lap caution flag for repairs, Miller made it back out before the restart but Muller didn’t and had to wait until the next caution flag to re-enter the race. At Grays Harbor Raceway, you can not enter the track during a green flag race.
German led the race from lap-4 until Petty took over the top spot on lap-11.
Petty was followed by Hoquiam’s Zack Simpson, making his first start in a “Modified” car, German, Miller and David Wolfard.
Miller got by Petty on lap-16 and cruised to the finish, followed by Petty, Aberdeen’s Greg Dineen, Wolfard and Shelton’s Del Schnitzer.
Muller’s being able to get back on the track and salvage a ninth place finish left him still on top the points’ race, but Miller narrowed the gap to only three points left with just two races left for the “Modifieds”.
Midgets
Hespe started eighth in the eleven car field, but by lap-3 he was in the top five.
Montesano’s Jeremy Miller started the race from the pole and looked like he might get his first feature win, but could only hold onto the lead for the first 10-laps.
Miller surrendered the lead to Bell on the only caution flag restart of the race on lap-11 and fell to third on the same lap.
Hespe took over the lead on lap-14 but Bell was able to regain it on lap-19 but Hespe made a pass in turn-4 on the final lap for the victory, Miller held onto the fourth spot and rookie, Trey Stark of Edgewood, making his first Midget start at Grays Harbor finished fifth.
With just two races remaining on the midget schedule, Jorgenson has a one point lead on McCleary’s Brandon Daniel and Hespe lurking just sixteen points back of Daniel.
Hornets
Clevenger had the pole with Olympia’s Brian Izzi on the outside.
Izzi took the lead on the first lap, followed by Clevenger, Elma’s Kevin Krenz, and Barry Lampert of Canby, OR. and Clifford Gill of Aberdeen.
The race was halted on lap-6 when lacey’s Kyle Nurem ended up on his top in turn 4. Other than hurt feelings, Nurem was unhurt.
Izzi spun out in turn-4 lap-14 which allowed both Clevenger and Krenz to get by him.
Clevenger held onto the lead, Krenz took second, Izzi finished third, Olympia’s Tyson Blood fourth and Gill fifth.
Clevenger holds an eleven point lead in the standings with just the season championship night between him and a series championship.
Next Saturday night will feature the final points races for the “Modifieds”, Midgets” and “Hobby Stocks” before the season championship night. The Mountain Dew/Amp Energy Warriors of Dirt Late Models will make their final appearance at the track this year.
Gates open at 4:30 with racing around 7:00.
Top Finishers/Top Points
Whitney’s Auto Group “360 Sprints” A Main. 1. Henry VanDam, Enumclaw. 2. Taylor Malsam, Snohomish. 3. Jared Ridge, Snohomish. 4. Jay Cole, Shelton. 5. Shawn Rice, Tacoma. 6. Cory Chamberlain, Coquitlam, B.C. 7. John Tharp, Snohomish. 8. Otto Jorgenson, Auburn. 9. Rob Johnson, Raymond. 10. Dan Dunlap, Renton. Heat 1. 1. Malsam. 2. Ridge. 3. Glenn Borden Jr. Raymond. 4. JJ Dishneau, Maple Valley. 5. Tharp. Heat 2. 1. Chamberlain. 2. VanDam. 3. JJ Hickle, Quilcene. 4. Cole. 5. Rice. Fast Time: Ridge. 13.030. 103.607 MPH. Top Points (Unofficial). Borden- 1121, Cole-1103, Rice-1063, Vague-1038, Hickle-961.
Ship Wreck Beads “Modifieds” A Main. 1. Scott Miller, Shelton. 2. Clint Petty, St Helens, OR. 3. Greg Dineen, Aberdeen. 4. David Wolfard, Seabeck. 5. Del Schnitzer, Shelton. 6. David Burns, Bremerton. 7. Scott Westley, Centralia. 8. Zack Simpson, Hoquiam. 9. Josh Muller, Montesano. 10. Floyd Livingston, Hoquiam. B Main. 1. Schnitzer. 2. Dan Wolfard. 3. Westley. 4. Burns. 5. Lloyd Livingston, Aberdeen. Heat 1. 1. Muller. 2. Petty. 3. Clyde White, Longview. 4. Duane D’Amico, Yakima. 5. Donald Kunkle, Shelton. Heat 2. 1. Steve Signal, Olympia. 2. Miller. 3. Larry Buchanan, Ellensburg. 4. Simpson. 5. David Wolfard. Heat 3. 1. Dineen. 2. Joe German, Aberdeen. 3. Jim Oien Jr. McCleary. 4. Shane Rau, Shelton. 5. F. Livingston. Fast Time: Muller. 16.721-80.737 MPH. Top Points (Unofficial). Muller-1200, Miller-1097, Wolfard-1104, German-1062, Oien Jr.-1035, Dineen-1030.
Triple X Racing “Ford Focus Midgets A Main. 1 Seth Hespe, Snohomish. 2. Jeff Bell, Marysville. 3. Jeremy Miller, Montesano. 4. Jonathan Jorgenson, Auburn. 5. Trey Stark, Edgewood. 6. Allison Journey, Springfield, OR. 7. Todd Hartman, Bothell. 8. Ariel Biggs, Hoquiam. 9. Bailey Studer, Montesano. 10. Brandon Daniel, McCleary. Heat 1. 1. Hespe. 2. Journey. 3. Stark. 4. Hartman. 5. Miller. Heat 2. 1. Bell. 2. Daniel. 3. Jorgenson. 4. Biggs. 5. Studer. Fast Time: Hespe. 16.728-82.934 MPH. Top Points (Unofficial). Jorgenson-1149, Daniel-1148, Hespe-1132, Journey-1125, Miller-1042.
HiLine Homes “Hornets” A Main. 1. Rory Clevenger, Olympia. 2. Kevin Krenz, Elma. 3. Brian Izzi, Olympia. 4. Tyson Blood, Olympia. 5. Cliff Gill, Aberdeen. 6. Dana Austin, Olympia/James Hinkley, Centralia, (Cruiser). 7. Michael Juenemann, Ocean Shores. 8. Barry Lampert, Canby, OR. 9. Lillian Renfro, Aberdeen. 10. John Krieghauser, Canby, OR. Heat 1. Clevenger. 2. Lampert. 3. Jim Atkinson, Grayland/Mike Clingen, Westport (Cruiser). 4. Richard Turner, Olympia. 5. Jerry Winchester, Longview. Heat 2. 1. Izzi. 2. Krenz. 3. Gill. 4. Krieghauser. 5. Juenemann. Top Points (Unofficial). Clevenger-681, Krenz-679, Gill-639, Izzi-507, Tyson Blood-402.
