From Ben Deatherage
Elma, WA — (June 8, 2013) — Fans at the Grays Harbor Raceway were treated to an awesome night of racing on Saturday June 8th. The 3/8-mile clay oval facility had a large car count on hand in the pit area that produced some wonderful action on the track. The headline event was the Cut Rate Auto Parts 100 for the Street Stock division which had them compete in a marathon one-hundred lap feature. Other classes on hand included the 360 Sprints, Shipwreck Beads IMCA Modifieds, and Hornets.
Walking away with the cool $650.00 check at the end of the Cut Rate Auto Parts 100 was defending track champion Jason Tole. The Hoquiam driver showed the field the way for ninety-eight total laps. Tole, who originally planned on taking the night off, would take the lead on lap three getting past the Sam’s Auto Repair/Desperado Express #40 Camaro of Mike Knox from Tacoma.
As Tole would pace the field several cautions would occur a total including a total of eleven taking place by race’s end. After the fourth caution happened yellow flag laps started to be counted up until lap ninety. After the fuel stop at the midway point it started to become a race of attrition as drivers pushed their machines to the limit.
Lapped traffic came into play especially with only a couple of laps to go and it looked like Brian Harding of Oakville was going to make the pass. The Northwest Mountain Winery/Wilcox & Flegel Petroleum Supply #28 Camaro would briefly seize the top spot only to give it right back due to a caution on lap ninety-four. Tole would retain the lead and hold off the contenders to put his Western Washington Construction/Crowell Brothers Automotive #34 Camaro into victory lane for the third straight race in Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stock division.
“I planned on hanging out in the stands tonight but I kind of got guilted into racing tonight,” an extremely happy Jason Tole would say in victory lane, “I had all kinds of game plans going into this race but once the green flag came out I was just focused on getting to the front and staying there. I got to thank Larry DeMoss from Cut Rate Auto Parts for doing putting up the money, this is awesome.”
Fellow Hoquiam driver Jack Parshall would finish a respectable second place in his Jacknut Apparel/CNK Machine #9 entry followed by Brian Harding in third. The #43 Mustang of Aberdeen native Shane Kerrigan was fourth while crossing the line in fifth was Brian Izzi from Lacey piloting the Eddie’s Automotive/Fusion Graphix #17 Camaro. Earlier in the evening Eddie Blood of Olympia set fast time of the night at 18.913 seconds driving the #97 Malibu sponsored by Eddie’s Automotive/Fusion Graphix.
Reece Goetz of Snohomish was out for a nice Saturday night drive in the 360 Sprint main event. Starting on the pole position Goetz would put his Great Western Transport/Speedmart Inc./Elma Lanes #9R Eagle mount into the lead on the initial start. As the feature had a long green flag run Enumclaw’s Henry Van Dam closed up the gap between him and Goetz and would start to put pressure on the leader.
As the laps winded down Van Dam continued to look for a way around Goetz but Goetz held the preferred line. In the closing laps Van Dam tried to make the pass for the lead but was unable to get around Goetz.
Van Dam would have to defend second as J.J. Hickle made a bonsai move to the bottom with only a little left in the race. The opportunity gave Goetz a chance to have some breathing room which was enough for him to go on and cruise to the win. For Goetz it was his second win of the season making him the first driver to win more than once in the 360 Sprints.
J.J. Hickle would capture second in the Meyer Electric/Kitsap Powdercoating #3 XXX followed by the Kovash Logging/Johanson Excavating #33V A.R.T. of Henry Van Dam in third. Finishing in the fourth position was Jay Cole from Shelton in his Our Community Credit Union/Bulldog Trailers #0J XXX while fifth went to the Shark Racing Engines/LAW Motorsports #33 of Everett’s Colton Heath driving for car owners Alan Larson and Kelly Welch.
Setting fast time of the night was Mill Creek native Cam Smith in the Dave Smith Motorsports/Powdercoating Inc./Nelson Texturing #17 Maxim with a time of 14.761 seconds. Earning the victories in heat race action were Colton Heath and Jay Cole.
The Shipwreck Beads IMCA Modifieds were in full force as they were competing for an enhanced purse of $750.00 to win courtesy of X-Factor Race Cars. Hometown driver Josh Muller was the car to beat in his PBM Trucking/Eager Beaver Dirtworks/DVO Custom Guitars #3M Skyrocket. Muller drove a distinct line the whole race primarily working the bottom groove of the track.
Both Mark Carrell and Scott Miller were quick and at one point each of them had a chance to get by Muller but Muller would shut the door on them on each occasion. In the late stages Joe German from Wishkah put his name in the hat for the win by moving into second place with only a few laps to go. German tried his best to get his Wishkah Iron Works/Ozman Services Inc. #75X Skyrocket into the lead but Muller would hold on. Josh Muller became the fourth different winner in five Shipwreck Beads IMCA Modified features so far in 2013.
“The bottom was definitely smooth,” commented Josh Muller, “I was just focused on hitting my marks and staying out in front. I got to thank all my sponsors and crew for helping me out.”
Joe German would finish in the runner-up position while Redmond, Oregon’s Mark Carrell was third in his Mark’s Auto Body/Gray’s Automotive #27 GRT by Phillips entry. The Blue Bear Park/Barbie’s Restaurant #26 Shaw of Shelton driver Scott Miller was fourth followed by Tom Sweatman from Cosmopolis in fifth in the Sweatman Trucking/D&D Dyno/MASCO Petroleum #11 Shaw. Earlier in the evening Josh Muller and Scott Miller were heat race winners.
The Hornet division saw Brian Norton take care of business in his Free Junk Removal #43. The Tacoma native took the lead early in the race and ran away with it to earn his second straight victory of the season. Norton also becomes the first Hornet driver to win more than one feature this year.
“Once I got ahead it was clean sailing,” said Brian Norton, “this ties us for the same amount of wins as I got last year so it feels good.”
The Kerrigan & Sons Trucking #17 of Aberdeen’s Willie Wright was second followed by the #19 of Ryan Williams in third. The Free Junk Removal/Eddie’s Automotive #75 of Chad Norton from Tenino crossed the line fourth and completing the top five was Amanda Allery of Elma in her I-5 Auto & Truck/Loopez Inc. #37X. Chad Norton and Amanda Allery would win their respected heat races earlier in the night.
The Grays Harbor Raceway will be back in action this Saturday June 15th. The Wild Wild West Modified Shootout will kick their speedweek series off at GHR as the local Shipwreck Beads IMCA Modified stars will defend their home track from the several travelling teams. 360 Sprints, Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stocks, and Hornets will all be on the card. For more information log on to www.graysharbrorraceway.com.
Race Summary
Cut Rate Auto Parts Iron Man 100
Saturday June 8th, 2013
Grays Harbor Raceway
Elma, Washington
360 Sprints
11 Entries
Fast Time: Cam Smith, 14.761
Heat Race Winners: Colton Heath (1), Jay Cole (2)
A-Feature: 1. Reece Goetz, 2. J.J. Hickle, 3. Henry Van Dam, 4. Jay Cole, 5. Colton Heath, 6. Tyler Anderson, 7. Cam Smith, 8. Jeff Dunlap, 9. Mike Romig, 10. Brent Hoover, 11. Jason Reed
Shipwreck Beads IMCA Modifieds
15 Entries
Heat Race Winners: Josh Muller (1), Scott Miller (2)
A-Feature: 1. Josh Muller, 2. Joe German, 3. Mark Carrell, 4. Scott Miller, 5. Tom Sweatman, 6. Del Schnitzer, 7. Zack Simpson, 8. Carl Larson, 9. Kris Asche, 10. Rayun McMichael, 11. Kevin Keller, 12. Alan Muncheow, 13. Jeff Foster, 14. Scott Westley, 15. Will Taylor
Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stocks
24 Entries
Fast Time: Eddie Blood, 18.913
A-Feature: 1. Jason Tole, 2. Jack Parshall, 3. Brian Harding, 4. Shane Kerrigan, 5. Brian Izzi, 6. Eddie Blood, 7. Cory Sweatman, 8. Ryan Haney, 9. Austin Kerrigan, 10. Matt Babcock, 11. Matt Bramer, 12. Mike Clingen, 13. Chip Haney, 14. Kelly Fugate, 15. Don Briggs, 16. Will Madison, 17. Tim Phillips, 18. Mike Knox, 19. Greg Watkins, 20. Ross Watkins, 21. Doug Brewster, 22. Andy Schmidt, 23. Josh Cherry, 24. Tom Hecker
Hornetes
13 Entries
Heat Race Winners: Chad Norton (1), Amanda Allery (2)
A-Feature: 1. Brian Norton, 2. Willie Wright, 3. Ryan Williams, 4. Chad Norton, 5. Amanda Allery, 6. Jeff Daniel, 7. Jeserae Norton, 8. Tom Hecker Jr., 9. Chris Pugsley, 10. Michael Brewster, 11. Peggy Harding, 12. Jason Valentine, DNS Jeremy Norton