Bell Victorious, Simpson Gets Another Win.
Rockey and Chadwick pick up Wins.
By Jack Fordyce
Grays Harbor Raceway, Elma, WA.
Marysville’s Jeff Bell picked up the win in the NorthWest Wingless Sprint Tour opening race of the season Saturday night at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma when he took the checkered flag at the finish of the 30-lap feature race. It was the first appearance of four scheduled for the series at Elma.
Hoquiam’s Zack Simpson cruised to another “Hobby Stocks” feature win when he held off fellow Hoquiamite and Parshall and Wilder Racing team member Jack Parshall in the 20-lap feature race.
Aaron Rockey of Chehalis picked up his first feature win of the season in the “Hornets” 15-lap feature and became the third different driver to win a “Hornets” feature race on the Harbor this season.
Mike Chadwick of Hillsboro, OR. went from fourth to first in a single lap in the Pacific Hardtop Racing Association “Dwarf’ Car 30-lap feature then ran away from the rest of the field.
Sprints
Bell, a former Ford focus “Midgets” season champion at Grays Harbor Raceway picked up his first series feature win on the Elma track and his second series feature series win. Bell had his work cut out for him as he started four rows back and then proceeded to pick off the front runners on his way to the front. Bell was in the top five by lap-4, got by Renton’s Dan Dunlap and Yakima’s Doug Peters on successive laps. The Marysville driver moved into second spot when he passed Theo McCarty of Hillsboro, OR. on lap-8. McCarty had led the first three laps before giving up the top spot to Vancouver’s Mike Romig. Bell eclipsed Romig on lap-13 when the both got into slower traffic and Bell dove to the bottom of the track for the pass.
Bell and Romig brushed wheels going into turn-2 with five laps left in the race and Romig grazed the wall along with Dunlap, with both cars done for the night. Nick Tomlinson of Newberg, OR. finished second, Tony Thomas of Mill city, OR. third, Kelso’s Dylan Olson fourth and Auburn’s Jonathan Jorgenson fifth.
Bell also had fast time on the night and won the trophy dash earlier in the evening.
Hobby Stocks
Simpson completed another Saturday night cruise to the win, his fourth in five races this season at Elma, and continues to dominate the series again, both in wins in the season point’s race. Pole sitter, Derek Junell of Key Center left the track on the first lap with and Simpson got by Olympia’s Eddie Blood on the lap for the lead. Parshall, Olympia’s Brian Izzi and Spanaway’s Tom Hecker rounded out the top five at that point. Parshall moved into the second spot on lap-7 and set out after his teammate but couldn’t get the job done.
With Simpson and Parshall well out in front, Izzi, Blood and Hecker were left to fight over the left over’s. Blood dropped out of the top five late in the race with mechanical problems and finished a distant 10th. Izzi held onto third, Aberdeen’s Jay Biggs made a late charge for fourth and Hecker finished fifth.
Hornets
Rockey picked up the win in only his second race at Elma. Rockey had the pole at the start of the race and led the first four laps of the race before Olympia’s Travis Blood took over the top spot.
Rockey regained the lead four laps later and never gave it the rest of the way. Rockey was able to hold off Blood, finishing a scant three tents of a second in front of him. Brian Izzi finished third, for his second third place finish of the night as he pulled double duty on the night, piloting both his Hornet and Hobby Stock cars. Defending series champion Rory Clevenger, Olympia finished fourth and Aberdeen’s Cliff Gill fifth.
Chadwick made short order of things in the Dwarf feature as he came from fourth to first in a single lap, passing Charles Millar, Gresham, OR. Kelso’s Jess Turner and pole sitter Doug McVae in the process.
Chadwick had things pretty much all to himself as he was never challenged after taking over the lead. McVae was in out of the second spot through out the contest be finally prevailing. Fellow Hillsboro driver Dave Cantu and Ronnie Gilmore of Aloha, OR. finished third and fourth. Cantu and Gilmore finished 1-2 in the B Main earlier in the evening to transfer to the feature race and both made impressive runs in the feature as they started from the seventh row. McVae and Cantu both picked up trophy das wins early in the evening, McVae in the A Dash and Cantu in the B.
Next Saturday will feature the first of two appearances by the Northwest Spec Late Models, The Cut Rate Auto Parts “Hobby Stock” Challenge, Modifieds and Hornets.
Gates open at 4:30 with racing around 6:30.
Top Finishers.
NorthWest WinglessSprintTour A Main. 1. Jeff Bell, Marysville. 2. Nick Tomlinson, Newberg, OR. 3. Tony Thomas, Mill City, OR. 4. Dylan Olson, Kelso. 5. Jonathan Jorgenson, Auburn. 6. Kyle Mehner, Damascus, OR. 7. Mark Nichols, Eagle Creek, OR. 8. Bill Winsley, Molalla, OR. 9. Randy Dubois, Redmond. 10. Mike Gable, Shelton.
Heat 1. 1. Tomlinson. 2. Theo McCarty, Hillsboro, OR. 3. Bell. 4. Mehner. 5. Nichols. Heat 2. 1. Doug Peters, Yakima. 2. Dan Dunlap, Renter. 3. Winsley. 4. Roy Crouch, Sheridan, OR. 5. Jorgenson. Heat 3. 1. Mike Romig, Vancouver. 2. Gable. 3. Dubois. 4. Thomas. 5. Olson. Trophy Dash. Bell. Fast Time: Bell 16.415 82.242 MPH.
Cut Rate Auto Parts “Hobby Stocks” A Main. 1. Zack Simpson, Hoquiam. 2. Jack Parshall, Hoquiam. 3. Brian Izzi, Olympia. 4. Jay Biggs, Aberdeen. 5. Tom Hecker, Spanaway. 6. Kalvin Probst, Shelton. 7. Ross Watkins, South Prarie. 8. Koit Honea, Montesano. 9. Chuck Woodbury, Montesano. 10. Eddie Blood, Olympia. Heat 1. Simpson. 2. Parshall. 3. Blood. 4. Woodbury. 5. Probst. Heat 2. 1. Hecker. 2. Izzi. 3. Derek Junell, Key Center. 4. Honea. 5. Cory Sweatman, Cosmopolis. Fast Time: Simpson 18.983 71.116 MPH. Top Points (Unofficial). Simpson 564. Blood 503. Parshall 499. Junell 498. T. Sweatman 479. Hecker 469. Izzi 465. Honea 445. Woodbury. Biggs 400.
HiLine Homes “Hornets” A Main. 1. Aaron Rockey, Chehalis. 2. Travis Blood, Olympia. 3. Brian Izzi, Olympia. 4. Rory Clevenger, Olympia. 5. Cliff gill, Aberdeen. 6. Will Martin, Centralia. 7. Zach Floreek, Tenino. 8. Eric Franson, Tenino. 9. Lillian Renfro, Aberdeen. 10. Mike Clingen, Ocosta. Heat 1. Clevenger. 2. Gill. 3. Jake Mills, Onalaska. 4. Zach Dalrymple, Olympia. 5. Jared Rockey, Chehalis. Heat 2. 1. Izzi. 2. A. Rockey. 3. Blood. 4. Martin. 5. Franson.
Pacific Hardtop Racing Association “Dwarf” Car A Main. 1. Mike Chadwick, Hillsboro, OR. 2. Doug McVae, Scappoose, OR. 3. Dave Cantu, Hillsboro. 4. Ronnie Gilmore, Aloha, OR. 5. Jess Turner, Kelso. B Main. 1. Cantu. 2. Gilmore. 3. Bob Murphy, Carson. 4. Jim Fischer, Portland. 5. Brian Hicks, Creswell, OR. Heat 1. 1. McVae. 2. Chadwick. Heat 2. 1. Turner. 2. Troy Kunas, Vancouver. Heat 3. Charles Millar, Gresham, OR. 2. Brad Hicks, Gresham. A Dash. McVae. B Dash. Cantu.
