Final Lap Pass Gives Bergman Win
Goetz Gets Second In a Row
Sweatman And Muller Pick Up Wins.
By Jack Fordyce
Grays Harbor Raceway
Elma, WA. It took Snohomish’s Seth Bergman 24 and three fourths laps to come from fifth place at the start of the “360 Sprints” 25-lap feature for his fifth feature win of the season on the harbor. Bergman edged Orting’s Logan Forler out of a win after Forler led from the start of the race. Fellow Snohomish driver, Reece Goetz had no problems in the “Midgets 20-lap feature as he led from wire to wire.
It was a case of survival for Montesano’s Josh Muller in the “Modifieds” 25-lap feature race. Muller survived no less than seven cautions during the race and a strong challenge from Lawrence O’Conner of Port Hardy, B.C. before he finally took the checkered flag at the finish. Tom Sweatman, Cosmopolis picked up his second “Hobby Stocks” feature win of the season. Sweatman led all but one of the 20-laps in the night cap race.
Sprints
Forler set a wicked from the pole position with Danielle Huson from Sedro Wolley a distant second, followed by JJ Hickle of Quilcene, Shawn Rice of Tacoma and Bergman. Bergman and Enumclaw’s Henry VanDam both moved up a spot when they edged Rice out of the top five on lap-5. The top five remained intact until a caution flag came out on lap-11. Bergman picked up another place on the restart and set his sights on Huson’s second place spot. With seven laps left in the race Bergman got by Huson and began to reel in the leader.
Forler slid a little too high in turn-4 on the final lap which allowed Bergman to get by him and dash to the checkered flag. Huson held onto third and Shelton’s Jay Cole made a last lap pass on Hickle for fourth. Bergman extended his season points lead over the second place VanDam, 698 to VanDam’s 629. Cole holds down the third spot with 595, sixteen points ahead of defending champion Glenn Borden Jr. of Raymond.
Midgets
Goetz pretty much had things all to himself in the “Midget” feature, starting from the pole with Bothell’s Todd Hartman on the outside
with defending series champion and fellow Snohomish driver Seth Hespe and Allison Journey of Springfield, OR. a row back and another Snohomish Driver, Dustin O’Brien and Ferndale’s Derek Holmwood in the third row. O’Brien edged Journey out of fourth place on the second lap and the race remained status quo, Goetz well out in front, followed by Hartman and Hespe. Hespe took over the second spot just past the mid-point of the race, but was unable to gain on the leader, following Goetz across the finish line almost four seconds behind. O’Brien finished third, Hartman fell to fourth and Holmwood edged Journey out of the top five. Just 21 points separate the top three drivers in the season points’ race. Hespe is on top with 549, Journey second at 537, O’Brien third at 528, with Goetz moving into fourth at 517 after his back to back wins.
Modifieds
Muller had a long way to go and a short time to do it in, as the defending series champion had to start from four rows back. Former series champion, Craig Moore of Seabeck held the early lead with McCleary’s Jim Oien Jr. O’Conner, Todd Hardesty of St Helens, OR. and Shelton’s Scott Miller and Muller all fighting for positions.
O’Conner took over the lead on lap-7 only to cough it up to Oien Jr. a lap later. After a caution flag restart on lap-11, Muller took over the lead. O’Conner tuned the tables on Muller on another restart on lap-15 and was able to hold on until a pair of caution flags late in the race. Muller regained the lead on the first and held onto the lead on the second when O’Conner spun his wheels on the second. Moore regained second place on the final restart with third, fourth and fifth going to a trio of Port Hardy drivers, Chris Beaulieu, O’Conner and Graham Cook. Hoquiam’s Floyd Livingston finished first in the 10-lap B Main, followed by Aberdeen’s Matt Scherer, Jon Swiglo of Curtis, David Bottoms of Ridgefield and Carl Larson of Castle Rock. All five picked up transfer spots to the A Main. Muller closed the gap in the points’ race with Miller and is now a scant five points behind the leaders 657.
Hobby Stocks
It isn’t very often that anybody manages to get the best of three time series defending champion Simpson, but Saturday night was one of those times. Sweatman vaulted from fourth to first on the first lap, followed by Parshall and Wilder Racing teammates, Jack Parshall and Simpson. Simpson edged his Hoquiam teammate out of second on lap three and set out after Sweatman. Simpson did manage to gain the lead on lap-11 but Sweatman took it back on the next lap.
Simpson challenged the leader in the late stages of the race but was unable to get by him. Parshall held onto third, Tom Hecker of Spanaway and Olympia’s Eddie Blood rounded out the top five.
Simpson still holds a comfortable lead in the points race with 678, Parshall second at 608 and Blood at 600 with Sweatman and Derek Junell close behind at 597 and 591.
Things will be quiet at the Harbor oval next Saturday night but the action returns the following Saturday night with the Mid-Season Championship races in all class followed by the annual fireworks show.
Gates will open at the usual 4:30 with racing around 6:30.
Top Finishers/Top Points
Whitney’s Auto Group “360 Sprints” A Main. 1. Seth Bergman, Snohomish. 2. Logan Forler, Orting. 3. Danielle Huson, Sedro Wolley. 4. Jay Cole, Shelton. 5. JJ Hickle, Quilcene. 6. Henry VanDam, Enumclaw. 7. Steve Vague, Kirkland. 8, Shawn Rice, Tacoma. 9. JJ Dishneau, Maple Valley. 10. Trey Starks, Puyallup. Heat 1. 1. Rice. 2. Glenn Borden Jr. Raymond. 3. Bergman. 4. Huson. 5. Dishneau. Heat 2. 1. VanDam. 2. Vague. 3. Forler. 4. Hickle. 5. Cole. Fast Time: Starks 14.443 93.471 MPH. Top Points (Unofficial). Bergman 698. VanDam 629. Cole 595. Borden Jr. 579. Rice 564. Dunlap 496. Hickle 485. Vague 459. Dishneau 446. Starks 422.
Ship Wreck Beads “Modifieds” A Main. 1. Josh Muller, Montesano. 2. Craig Moore, Seabeck. 3. Chris Beaulieu, Port Hardy, B.C. 4. Lawrence O’Conner, Port Hardy. 5. Graham Cook, Port Hardy. 6. Joe German, Aberdeen. 7. Jim Oien Jr. McCleary. 8. Todd Hardesty, St Helens, OR. 9. Scott Miller, Shelton. 10. Chris Cullen, Portland. B Main. 1. Floyd Livingston, Hoquiam. 2. Matt Scherer, Aberdeen. 3. Jon Swiglo, Curtis. 4. David Bottom, Ridgefield. 5. Carl Larson, Castle rock. Heat 1. 1. Miller. 2. Shane Rau, Shelton. 3. Del Schnitzer, Shelton. 4. German. 5. Cullen. Heat 2. 1. Muller. 2. Hardesty. 3. Moore. 4. Cook. 5. Alan Muenchow, Shelton. Heat 3. 1. O’Conner. 2. Beaulieu. 3. Oien Jr. 4. Steve signal, Olympia. 5. Dave Burns, Bremerton. Fast Time: Rau 18.370 73.489 MPH. Top Points (Unofficial). Miller 657. Muller 652. Moore 597. Oien Jr. 571. German 549. Schnitzer 544. Signal 538. Hardesty 513. Burns 507. Larson 485.
Triple X Racing “Ford Focus Midgets” A Main. 1. Reece Goetz, Snohomish. 2. Seth Hespe, Snohomish. 3. Dustin O’Brien, Snohomish. 4. Todd Hartman, Bothell. 5. Derek Holmwood, Ferndale. 6. Allison Journey, Springfield, OR. 7. Garret Johnson, Poulsbo. 8. Ariel Biggs, Hoquiam. 9. Gaylon Stewart, Everett. 10. Annika Johanson Lacey. Heat 1. 1. Goetz. 2. Biggs. 3. Journey. 4. Holmwood. 5. Johnson. Heat 2. 1. O’Brien. 2. Hartman. 3. G. Stewart. 4. Hespe. 5. Kelly Douglas, Poulsbo. Fast Time: Holmwood 17.935 75.272 MPH. Top Points (Unofficial). Hespe 549. Journey 537. O’Brien 528. Goetz 517. Johnson 486. Biggs 483. Johanson 430. Studer 419. G. Stewart 395. Miller 380.
Cut Rate Auto Parts “Hobby Stocks” A Main. 1. Tom Sweatman, Cosmopolis. 2. Zack Simpson, Hoquiam. 3. Jack Parshall, Hoquiam. 4. Tom Hecker, Spanaway. 5. Eddie Blood, Olympia. 6. Derek Junell, Key Center. 7. Kyle Swenson, Shelton. 8. Chuck Woodbury, Montesano. 9. Brian Izzi, Olympia. 10. Jim Atkinson, Grayland. Heat 1. 1. Sweatman. 2. Parshall. 3. Swenson. 4. Woodbury. 5. Blood. Heat 2. 1. Simpson. 2. Hecker. 3. Jay Biggs, Aberdeen. 4. Izzi. 5. Zach Fuller, Tacoma. Fast Time: Parshall 19.921 67.768 MPH. Top Points (Unofficial). Simpson 678. Parshall 608. Blood 600. Sweatman 597. Junell 591. Hecker 571. Izzi 555. Honea 524. Woodbury 506. Biggs 487.
