COLE, LENZ, SWEATMAN, CONRAD/CONRAD ALL TAKE CHECKERED FLAGS

Source: Jack Fordyce
Date: 08/05/2007

Defending “360 Sprints” champion Jay Cole of Shelton, WA. picked up his first victory of the year when he made a wide pass in turn four on Nick Engberg of Burlington, after a restart on lap fifteen, and never looked back as he took the checkered flag in the thirty-lap main event. Scott Lenz of Shady Grove, Or. won his first race at Grays Harbor Raceway, starting from the outside front row and led from start to finish in the “Modifieds” twenty-five lap feature. Tom Sweatman of Cosmopolis, WA. had the pole from the start and then had to hold off Joe McDougal of Oakville for the last ten-laps for the win in the “Hobby Stocks” twenty five-lap main event. The driving team of Tom Conrad and Zeb Conrad of Montesano, WA. took the lead on the first-lap and won going away in the “Cruisers” twenty-lap feature race.

“360 Sprints”

Cole had his work cut for him as he had to start on the outside of the third row with Glenn Borden Jr. of Raymond and

Andy Jacobson of Lake Stevens, WA. on the front row, Engberg and J. J. Hickle next in line and Travis Rutz of Langley, B. C. next to him. Borden Jr. held onto the lead through a red flag restart when Eddie Evans of Marysville, WA. flipped his car in turn two just three laps into the race. Evans was checked out by track safety officials, and the only thing hurt was his pride.

Cole and Engberg jockeyed for position behind Borden Jr. for the next nine-laps when Engberg led Cole around Borden Jr. on lap-thirteen.

The field was bunched up again on lap-fourteen when Mike Gable of Shelton and Steve Martin of Fairbanks, AK. brought out the caution.

On the restart it was Engberg, Cole, Rutz, Borden Jr. and Hickle in the top five spots. After the restart, Cole went wide going into turn-three and came out of turn-four in front.

Cole took the checkered flag, followed by Engberg, Rutz, Hickle and Borden Jr.

“Modifieds”

Lenz didn’t have the pole position, but he was right next to pole sitter Joe Lambert of Shelton, WA. and took the lead on the first lap. Defending champion Blair Shoemaker put Lambert back a place on the second lap, with Greg Dineen of Aberdeen and Jeff Foster of McCleary right behind.

Dineen dropped out of the lead pack when Dineen, Josh Muller of Montesano, Scott Miller of Shelton and Floyd Livingston of Hoquiam all got tangled up in turn-four on lap-three. Miller and Muller both left the track on the hook and were done for the night while Dineen and Livingston were sent to the back of the pack.

On the restart it was Lenz, Shoemaker, Lambert, Foster and Jim Oien Jr. of McCleary at the front. Foster moved into the third spot on lap-six putting Lambert back a spot.

Lenz survived a yellow flag restart when James Wolfard of Seabeck spun out on lap-eight and again on lap-eighteen. On the final restart it was Lenz, Shoemaker, Foster, Lawrence O’Connor of Port Hardy, B. C. and Lambert.

Shoemaker was determined but was unable to get by Lenz by the finish, settling for second, Foster third, O’Connor fourth and Craig Moore of Seabeck nipped Leroy Lawhead of Rochester for fifth.

“Hobby Stocks”

You would normally find Sweatman behind the wheel of a late model super stock at South Sound Speedway on Saturday night, but he had the night off and he came to Elma to race the “Hobby Stock” he has built for his son Cory to race when he turns sixteen and can drive it himself.

Sweatman had the pole at the start with Scott Westley of Centralia on the outside and quickly set the pace. Paul Short of Puyallup put Westley into third on the second-lap, followed by Joe German of Aberdeen and Roy Borgerson of Satsop and sixteen-year old Joe McDougal of Oakville.

McDougal moved into the third spot when he got by German and Borgerson, bringing Zack Simpson of Hoquiam along with him.

McDougal got by Short on lap-fifteen as did Zack Simpson of Hoquiam, putting Short into fourth and German fifth.

The youngster from Oakville gave Sweatman everything he could hand from there to the finish, but was unable to get by the veteran driver as Sweatman took the checkered flag, McDougal second, followed by Simpson, short and Borgerson.

“Cruisers”

The “Cruisers” feature event was the only main event that went green white checkered flag which is a rarity in that class. Normally someone will either lose a wheel, spit out or occasionally roll a car, but not tonight.

Conrad /Conrad took the lead on the first-lap from pole sitters J. D. Boling/Brad Crawford of Elma on the first lap and were never threatened in the race. Boling/Crawford lost the second spot to Brian Crawford/Aaron Hurd on the before a full circuit of the track was made.

With Conrad/Conrad well out in front of the pack everybody else was fighting over the left-overs. Mike Crawford/Dan Green of Aberdeen put the defending champions back a spot on lap-thirteen.

Conrad/Conrad took the checkered flag, followed by Crawford/Hurd, Crawford/Green, Boling/Crawford and Doug Hiles/Lisa Lemmon of Elma.

Races next week will be held on Sunday night instead of the usual Saturday night along with an earlier start time. The “Modifieds” and “Cruisers” will have point’s races, while the “Hobby Stocks” will compete in the annual Cut Rate Auto Parts “Hobby Stocks” Shoot-out. Gates open at 5:00 P.M. with racing around 6:00 P.M.

Top Finishers/Top Points

Whitney’s Auto Group “360 Sprints”. A Main. 1. Jay Cole, Shelton, WA. 2. Travis Rutz, Langley, B. C. 3. Nick Engberg, Burlington, WA. 4. J. J. Hickle, Quilcene, WA. 5. Glenn Borden Jr. Raymond, WA. 6. Andy Jacobson, Lake Stevens, WA. 7. Brad Holmes, Cosmopolis, WA. 8. Steve Martin, Fairbanks, AK. 9. Dan Dunlop, Renton, WA. 10. Mike Gable, Shelton, WA. Heat 1. 1. Cole. 2. Martin. 3. Shawn Rice, Tacoma, WA. 4. Dunlap. 5. Jacobson. Heat 2. 1. Holmes. 2. Hickle. 3. Engberg. 4. Borden Jr. 5. Eddie Evans, Marysville, WA. Fast Time: Rice. 12.414 108.748 MPH

Top Points. Borden Jr.-577. Engberg-543. Rice-541. Hickle-530. Cole-528.

Ship Wreck Beads “Modifieds A Main. 1. Scott Lenz, Shady Grove, Or. 2. Blair Shoemaker, Yakima, WA. 3. Jeff foster, McCleary, WA. 4. Lawrence O’Connor, Port Hardy, B. C. 5. Craig Moore, Seabeck, WA. 6. Leroy Lawhead, Rochester, WA. 7. Joe Lambert, Shelton, WA. 8. Greg Dineen, Aberdeen, WA. 9. Jim Oien Jr. McCleary, WA. 10. Clint Petty, St Helens, Or. Heat 1. 1. Lenz. 2. Foster. 3. Josh Muller, Montesano, WA. 4. O’Connor. 5. Shoemaker. Heat 2. 1. Moore. 2. Petty. 3. Oien Jr. 4. Lambert. 5. Dineen. Fast Time: Lenz 17.254 78.243 MPH. Top Points. Miller 574. Shoemaker-499. Oien Jr-498. Muller-494. Moore-477.

Cut Rate Auto Parts “Hobby Stocks” A Main. 1. Tom Sweatman, Cosmopolis, WA. 2. Joe McDougal, Oakville, WA. 3. Zack Simpson, Hoquiam, WA. 4. Paul Short, Puyallup, WA. 5. Roy Borgerson, Satsop, WA. 6. Andrew Raney, Raymond, WA. 7. Tim Isaacson, Olympia, WA. 8. Jason St Paul, Shelton, WA. 9. Noel Graf, Astoria, OR. 10. Keith Knowlton, Bremerton, WA. Heat 1. Sweatman. 2. Jack Parshall Jr. Hoquiam, WA. 3. St Paul. 4. Borgerson. 5. Isaacson. Heat 2. 1. Simpson. 2. Scott Westley, Centralia, WA. 3. McDougal. 4. Raney. 5. Graf. Heat 3. 1. Short. 2. Joe German, Aberdeen, WA. . 3. Chaz Wilder, Elma, WA. . 4. Brian Lines, Quinault, WA. 5. Adam White, Elma, WA.

Top Points. Simpson-954. Isaacson-883. German-879. Lines-846. Westley-842.

“Cruisers” A Main. 1. Tom Conrad/Zeb Conrad, Montesano, WA. 2. Brian Crawford/Aaron Hurd, Elma. 3. Mike Crawford/Dan Green, Aberdeen. 4. J. D. Boling/Brad Crawford, Elma. 5. Doug Hiles/Lisa Lemmon, Elma, WA. 6. Bob Armanino/Gordon Falkner, Shelton, WA. 7. Brian Brearty/Travis Brearty, Elma, WA. 8. Chris Galligan Aberdeen, WA,/John Hyde, Hoquiam, WA. 9. Brandon Enge/Sam Pettis, Shelton, WA. Heat 1. Hiles/Lemmon. 2. Boling/Crawford. 3. Pettis/Enge. 4. Armanino/Falkner. 5. Brian Bartholomew/John Heater, Elma, WA. Heat 2. Conrad/Conrad. 2. Crawford/Hurd. 3. Brearty/Brearty. 4. Crawford/Green. 5. Hyde/Galligan. Top Points. Boling/Crawford-741. Crawford/Hurd-722. Conrad/conrad-707. Armanino/Falkner-693. Crawford/Green-690.

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