Elma, WA — (July 3, 2015) — For the third time in four nights of racing in the Pacific Northwest, Burlington, Washington’s Jason Solwold stood in Victory Lane with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network; topping the opening night of the Fred Brownfield Classic presented by Little Creek Casino at the Grays Harbor Raceway.
Holding off the charge of Johnny Herrera through slower traffic in the closing laps, Solwold crossed 0.602 seconds ahead of the MVT No. 45x.
“Our car was pretty good, but usually we’re a little bit better towards the end of the A-Main, but in the beginning of the race, we were really good so I think I may have cooked the Left Rear off just a little bit too much skating through the middle,” said Jason. “I just have to thank my guys; my cousin Travis, owner Mike, Ed, my Dad, Mel they have just have the car perfect so it makes my job so easy.”
Challenged on the opening lap by Travis Jacobson, the Scottie’s Plumbing No. 18 shot to the point with a high-side pass on the No. 44h. The Lake Stevens shoe challenged again on a Lap 2 caution, but would ride runner-up until Lap 14 when problems in the rear differential put the No. 44h to the infield.
Crossing second was not without a few hits for Herrera, who avoided catastrophe twice trying to race through the field, “I got slid, I think by the No. 7 car, and I’m sure he’s not happy but I had to hit the brakes, turn him loose, and let him go. I wasn’t trying to take anyone out. That’s why they put brake pedals in these cars. We got close, he made the choice, and I’m sorry but that’s a part of racing.”
Able to run down Solwold toward the end, Johnny commented on the run saying, “I think he was a little better on the start, but the longer we would run, the better we got but we’ll take second; that locks us in to tomorrow so here we go.
Making his 100th Lucas Oil ASCS A-Feature start, Aaron Reutzel had to dodge a few crashes coming from 10th for his 21st career podium with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour.
“I just had to miss all the wrecks there and make it through, but I was just a little too tight tonight,” said Aaron. “It was getting better and better as the race when on; just needed a longer run but hey, another podium finish for this team is definitely what we needed to get locked into tomorrow.”
Wayne Johnson muscled his way from seventh to fourth and is the final lock-in for Saturday’s A-Feature. Seth Bergman came from 11th to complete the top-five.
In his first National Tour start of the 2015 season, Dustin Morgan drove the Kris Miller owned No. 33 to a sixth place finish followed by reigning Grays Harbor track champion, Evan Margeson, with J.J. Hickle from 13th to eighth. Flipped during his Heat Race, Blake Hahn came from 14th to fifth in the B-Feature, then charged from 21st to ninth with Cam Smith rounding out the top-ten.
With 31 drivers drawing in, four Heat Races went to Henry Van Dam, Dustin Morgan, Wayne Johnson, and Travis Jacobson. The B-Feature was won by Jordan Weaver. The final starting spot of the A-Feature was Matt Covington who utilized a provisional.
The Fred Brownfield Classic at the Grays Harbor Raceway continues on Independence Day with gates opening at 5:00 P.M. (PT). Races will get underway around 8:00 P.M. to allow the sun to set for the safety of the drivers.
For continued updates on the Lucas Oil ASCS presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com.
Race Results:
Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour
Fred Brownfield Classic – Night 1
Grays Harbor Raceway – Elma, Wash.
Friday, July 3, 2015
Car Count: 31
Heat Races: 8 Laps, taking the winner plus the next the next 12 highest in passing points to the A-Feature.
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 33V-Henry Vandam[3]; 2. 0J-Jay Cole[5]; 3. 24-Tyler Anderson[2]; 4. 94-Robbie Price[1]; 5. 9A-Luke Didiuk[7]; 6. (DNF) 14K-Kyle Bellm[6]; 7. (DNF) 91-Chase Goetz[8]; 8. (DNF) 52-Blake Hahn[4]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 33-Dustin Morgan[1]; 2. 45X-Johnny Herrera[3]; 3. 18-Jason Solwold[7]; 4. 15-Jeff Dunlap[2]; 5. 3-J.J. Hickle[8]; 6. 3G-Garrett Johnson[4]; 7. 5R-Steve Reeves[6]; 8. 9-Dan Dunlap[5]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 77X-Wayne Johnson[1]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel[2]; 3. 17-Cameron (Cam) Smith[3]; 4. 9R-Reece Goetz[6]; 5. 59-Eric Fisher[7]; 6. 22B-Trevor Cook[5]; 7. 62-Lawrance Kirkham[8]; 8. 95-Matt Covington[4]
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 44H-Travis Jacobson[2]; 2. 7N-Jared Peterson[6]; 3. 23-Seth Bergman[4]; 4. 50-Evan Margeson[7]; 5. 92-Jordan Weaver[3]; 6. 97R-Jason Reed[1]; 7. (DNF) 33X-Colton Heath[5]
B-Feature(s): 12 laps, taking the top 6 to the tail of the A-Feature.
B Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 92-Jordan Weaver[4]; 2. 59-Eric Fisher[1]; 3. 14K-Kyle Bellm[5]; 4. 94-Robbie Price[3]; 5. 52-Blake Hahn[14]; 6. 33X-Colton Heath[12]; 7. 91-Chase Goetz[7]; 8. 95-Matt Covington[15]; 9. 15-Jeff Dunlap[2]; 10. 22B-Trevor Cook[6]; 11. 97R-Jason Reed[10]; 12. 3G-Garrett Johnson[9]; 13. 5R-Steve Reeves[11]; 14. 62-Lawrance Kirkham[8]; 15. (DNF) 9-Dan Dunlap[13]
A-Feature: 25 Laps: Top 4 lock into Saturday’s A-Feature.
A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 18-Jason Solwold[2]; 2. 45X-Johnny Herrera[5]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel[10]; 4. 77X-Wayne Johnson[7]; 5. 23-Seth Bergman[11]; 6. 33-Dustin Morgan[3]; 7. 50-Evan Margeson[9]; 8. 3-J.J. Hickle[13]; 9. 52-Blake Hahn[21]; 10. 17-Cameron (Cam) Smith[14]; 11. 33V-Henry Vandam[8]; 12. 14K-Kyle Bellm[19]; 13. 95-Matt Covington[23]; 14. 92-Jordan Weaver[17]; 15. 33X-Colton Heath[22]; 16. 9R-Reece Goetz[12]; 17. 94-Robbie Price[20]; 18. 24-Tyler Anderson[15]; 19. 9A-Luke Didiuk[16]; 20. (DNF) 59-Eric Fisher[18]; 21. (DNF) 44H-Travis Jacobson[1]; 22. (DNF) 0J-Jay Cole[4]; 23. (DNF) 7N-Jared Peterson[6]
Lap Leader(s): Travis Jacobson 1; Jason Solwold 2-25
KSE Hard Charger: Blake Hahn +12
FSR High Point: Jared Peterson
Provisional(s): Matt Covington (BP1)