7/13/2015
Grays Harbor Raceway
Foster, Onasch, Van Dam, Thomas, and Kerrigan Victorious On Mid Season Championship!
After consecutive weeks of hot weather, a change would happen in Elma with rain showers hitting earlier in the day, that wouldn't stop Grays Harbor Raceway from getting in the 2015 Mid Season Championship. With all divisions on hand and fireworks, the fans were treated to a great night of racing.
Outlaw Tuners:
Don Briggs Sr of Wishkah led the Outlaw Tuner field to the green flag, but it wouldn't take long for George Lovell also of Wishkah to jump to the early led. The yellow would fly just as the race would get going for contact between Wishkah's Kaleya Onasch and Ryan Onasch of Aberdeen. Onasch going for a wild ride, but keeping the car on all four wheels. The restart saw Lovell take the early lead once again from Briggs Sr. Woodland driver Cody Scouller looked to chase down the leaders, while Ryan Onasch joined in on the action.
Lovell leading most of the feature had mechanical problems giving up the lead to Onasch. Later on in the feature Scouller and Onasch battled for the lead, racing side by side for a handful of laps. For a race that would be caution free after the first lap incident, Ryan Onasch would pick up the Outlaw Tuners feature. Cody Scouller, and Don Briggs Sr rounded out the top three. Earlier in the evening Aberdeen driver Jason Valentine picked up the Scramble
Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stocks:
In the Street Stocks division, it has been a great year for the father and son team out of Aberdeen Shane Kerrigan and Austin Kerrigan. Both drivers led the field down to the green flag on a 21 car field. The first caution of the evening would come out quickly for Don Briggs Jr. of Wishkah having mechanical issues and slowing down the backstretch. On the restart Austin Kerrigan took the early lead, but wouldn't take long for his father Shane to take the top spot out of turn four. Lap 1 seen a caution for Austin Kerrigan spinning in turn one bringing out the caution.
On the restart Shane Kerrigan led the field down to the green flag with a pair of Hoquiam drivers Jack Parshall and Jason Tole looking to put a end to the Ford Mustang winning streak. Parshall looked to the inside of Shane Kerrigan a handful of times throughout the feature, but couldn't make the pass. Lap 8 saw a caution for debris in turn two, setting up a restart. Shane Kerrigan leading them down once again, saw a battle for second between Parshall and Tole, with Parshall maintaining the second spot. Shane Kerrigan would go on to win a caution filled Street Stocks feature, Jack Parshall, Brian Harding of Oakville, Eddie Blood of Olympia, and Kelly Fugate of Spanaway rounded out the top five. Austin Kerrigan picked up the Scramble earlier in the evening with Spanaway driver Tim Phillips picking up quick time.
Northwest Focus Midget Series:
Burlington's Tristin Thomas and Garrett Thomas of McCleary led the field to the green flag with Tristin Thomas taking the early lead. Nick Evans of Marysville moved into the second spot getting around Garrett Thomas, while Michael Vollbrecht of Shorline and Shelton's Lee St. Paul battled for the fourth and fifth position. Tristin Thomas started to pull away as the battle for second was the race to watch. Evans pulled away slightly on Garrett Thomas, but it wouldn't take long for Thomas to make an attempt to the inside. Thomas tried to make the pass in turn two on lap five, but Evans maintained the position.
Tristin Thomas continued to lead the feature event, pulling away to almost a straightaway on the rest of the field. Michael Vollbrecht brought out the first caution of the feature on lap 14 as he slowed to a stop on the front stretch. Tristin Thomas led the field to the green flag and would never look back, picking up his second feature win at Grays Harbor Raceway this season. While the checkered flag would fly, the red flag also flew for Brian Hayes of Mt. Vernon, getting upside down in turn two. He did walk away. The Northwest Focus Midget top five would be Tristin Thomas, Nick Evans, Garrett Thomas, Lee St. Paul and Puyallup's Doug Anderson. Tristin Thomas also picked up the scramble earlier in the evening with Kenzi Thomas of Bellingham picking up quick time.
Shipwreck Beads Modifieds:
A pair of Shelton drivers, Kris Asche and Scott Miller led the field to the green flag in the Modified division, Miller jumped to the early lead with Asche looking to chase him down. Del Schnitzer of Shelton brought out the first caution of the feature on lap 2 as he slowed to a stop in turn two. Miller leading the field down on the restart pulled away slightly as Asche and Cosmopolis driver Tom Sweatman battled for third. Lap 4 seen another caution this time for Elma's Matt Arnold spinning in turn two, collecting Bill Rowe of Raymond and Seabeck's Craig Moore. Asche, Sweatman and Dayton, Oregon driver Bubba Foster battled for the second, third, and fourth position, with Asche maintaining the second spot.
The red flag would come out on lap 10 for Olympia driver Gene Miller after making hard contact with the backstretch wall destroying his car. He did walk away. The restart brought a great battle between Scott Miller, Foster and Asche. Foster looked to the inside of Miller out of turn four on lap 12 but couldn't make the pass. Miller and Foster raced side by side for a handful of laps before Foster took the lead on lap 16 and never looking back. Bubba Foster would pick up his first career Modified win at Grays Harbor Raceway, Tom Sweatman, Scott Miller, Craig Moore, and Kris Asche rounded out the top five. Earlier in the evening Asche picked up the Scramble.
360 Sprint Cars:
A pair of Grays Harbor Raceway track champions graced the front row of the 360 Sprint Car feature, Henry Van Dam of Enumclaw and Shelton's Jay Cole led the field to the drop of the green flag. Van Dam took the early lead from Cole with Lake Stevens driver Devin Madonia taking over the third position. It wouldn't take long for Trey Starks of Puyallup to move by Madonia and take over the third spot. Van Dam looked like a rocket on a very fast 3/8 banked clay oval getting a huge lead on Cole.
Starks wouldn't take long to get to Cole's back bumper and try to take over the second position. Starks looked to make the pass in turn four on lap 7 and was successful. With Van Dam hitting lap traffic early, Starks looked to track him down and make a battle for the lead. Van Dam running the high side continued to pull away, and going on to win a caution free Sprint Car feature. Trey Starks, Jared Ridge of Snohomish, Jay Cole, and Lucas Oil ASCS National Series driver Kyle Bellm of Nixa, Missouri rounded out the top five. Van Dam also picked up the Scramble with Starks getting quick time.
Racing will resume next Saturday night with the Sportsman Sprint Cars, Cut Rate Auto Parts Street Stocks, and the Outlaw Tuners. Gates open at 5:30 with racing at 7PM.
Article Credit: Aaron Reed
Submitted By: Steve Beitler
