From Gray’s Harbor Raceway
Elma, WA — (July 12, 204) — The fans of Grays Harbor Raceway were treated to another great night of racing, with Round 3 of the Summer Thunder Sprint Series, and the finale of the Street Stock Nationals. The weather was hot, and so was the action on track.
The final feature of the evening was the 30 lap, $5000 to win, Summer Thunder Sprint Series 360 Nationals feature. Marysville’s Colton Heath, and Lake Havasu, Arizona driver Logan Forler lead the 22 car field to the green flag. Heath and Forler would race side by side into turn one and two, with Heath having the slight advantage, a caution would soon come out for Elma’s Jason Reed, who spun to a stop in turn 3, also involved was Snohomish driver Derek Roberts, and Luke Didiuk of Vancouver, British Columbia. DIdiuk would make contact with Roberts, and bicycle the car getting up on two wheels but not going over. On the complete restart, Forler would get a good run on the high side of the speedway, and pull away quickly. Slide jobs were traded back and forth between Forney, Texas driver Travis Rilat, and Puyallup’s Trey Starks for the fourth and fifth position, with Stanwood driver Jared Peterson working his way into the picture. Forler would soon hit lap traffic, and he would work his way quickly through, until a caution would come out on lap 4 for Snohomish driver Jared Ridge, as he slowed to a stop in turn 4. On the restart, Everett’s Jayme Barnes would dive to the bottom of the speedway, to try and make a move on Forler, but the momentum would swing in Forler’s favor, this also allowed Rilat to get by Barnes a lap later. Starks would work pull a slide job on Barnes in turn 1 and 2, Barnes would race side by side down the back with Starks. Heath would be right there as well as Peterson as they raced on the top side of the 3/8 banked clay oval. Forler would once again hit lap traffic, with Rilat closing in on him. Forler would time his moves just right on lap traffic to pull away slightly on Rilat. Caution would come out on lap 11 for Derek Roberts, as he slowed to a stop in turn 3. On the restart, Starks would dive bomb into turn one, pulling a slide job on Rilat, Rilat would get by out of turn 2 and down the backstretch. Starks would once again pull another slide job in turn 3, as Barnes would join in the mix making it a three car battle for second. Rilat would get by Starks off of turn four to regain second. The battle between Starks and Rilat was the one to watch, both drivers pulling slide job after slide job for a handful of laps, making it very exciting for the crowd. While this was going on, Forler would pull away from the field, running the high side of the speedway. As the three car battle continued, contact was made between Barnes and Starks down the backstretch, both cars would keep going, this allowed, Heath, Colin Baker of Cottage Grove, Oregon, and Peterson to join in the battle. Lap 15 would see caution once again, as contact was made between Baker and Barnes, sending Barnes into the turn 2 wall. Barnes was unable to return as he had heavy damage on the car. Forler would lead the field down as Rilat would try to reel him in. Most of the field would run the top side of the speedway, as that seem to be the advantage. Lap 19, Forler would once again hit lap traffic, maneuvering his way through the field, but a caution would soon come out on the same lap for Burlington’s Kelsey Carpenter, as he would come to a stop on the backstretch. This would allow no lap cars and a open track ahead for Forler. Under the caution, and right before the restart, Starks would come to a stop on the backstretch for a mechanical issue, he did go to the work area, and was able to make it back out. He was running third at the time. On the restart, Rilat stay right with Forler, and would try to make the move into turn 1. Rilat was side by side with Forler out of turn 2 and down the backstretch, but Forler would once again pull away. At then end of all 30 laps, Logan Forler would take the checkered flag, and pick up the $5000 pay check. Travis Rilat, Colin Baker, Jared Peterson, and all the way from the 15th starting position, Enumclaw’s Henry Van Dam would round out the top five. Heat race winners were, Jason Solwold of Burlington, Jayme Barnes, Shelton’s Jay Cole, and 2014 Dirt Cup Champion Brock Lemley of Bellingham. Colton Heath would pick up fast time.