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Blood, Kerrigan, Miller, Esteban Feature Winners on Season Opener!

Mother nature started the season off with 2 wins but that did not happen on Saturday night. The skies were blue and the sun was shining bright on the 3/8 banked clay oval as the 360 Limited Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, PHRA Dwarf Cars and Super Stocks took to the raceway to start out the 2023 season.

Super Stocks:

Hoquiam's Matt White led the field to the green flag in the 20 lap feature event. Austin Kerrigan of Aberdeen took the lead into turn one, but contact between Kerrigan and Matt White brought out the caution, setting up a complete restart. 2022 Super Stock champion Larry Paladin of Aberdeen took over the front row with Kerrigan. Paladin and Kerrigan raced side by side down the front stretch with Kerrigan taking over the lead. Brenden White of Port Orchard moved into third. Gig Harbor's Jayson Wolcott and Matt White battled it out inside the top five. Kerrigan put lengthy distance on Paladin. Brenden White continued in third as the fourth position between Wolcott and Matt White was the race to watch. Matt White's evening ended up with mechanical issues slowing to a stop on the backstretch late in the feature bringing out the caution. On the restart Paladin looked to make a bid for the lead but it was Kerrigan continuing his trek out front, picking up the win. Paladin, Brenden White, Wolcott and Matt White rounded out the top five. Heat race winners earlier in the evening were Matt White and Kerrigan.

PHRA Dwarf Cars

Crystal Flath of Corbett, Ore and Hillsboro, Ore driver Mike Chadwick shared the front row of the feature event. Chadwick took the early lead with Flath moving back to second. Cory Esteban of Gaston, Ore moved into second bringing Henry Corbin III of Mollala, Ore in third. Chadwick saw tough company with Esteban and Corbin III right on his back bumper looking to make a pass. Tigard, Ore's Shane Youngren ran in fourth with the battle for fifth saw Hillsboro, Ore driver John Chrisman and Rob Glenney of Redmond, Ore race hard for multiple laps. The caution flag flew after a long green flag run for Doug Pirtle of Corbett, spinning in turn four. Chadwick led Esteban, Corbin III, Youngren and Chrisman to the green flag. Esteban looked low to make a pass in turn three but it was Chadwick continuing on in the top spot. Glenney and Chrisman continued their battle for fifth, with Glenney moving into the top five. Chadwick put some slight distance on Esteban and Corbin III on another long green flag run. Esteban and Corbin III made it to the back bumper of Chadwick, looking to make it a three car battle for the lead. Corbin III looked to the high side of Esteban for second, but couldn't make the pass. Late in the race Esteban looked to the high side in turn two and took the lead from Chadwick. Esteban slowly put some distance on Chadwick as the battle for third saw Youngren and Corbin III put on a show for the fans. It was Esteban picking up the win over Chadwick, Corbin III, Youngren and Chrisman. Heat race winners earlier in the evening were Chrisman and Esteban.

360 Limited Sprint Cars

A pair of 51's shared the front row as Tim Martin of Shelton and Oak Harbor's Dustin Gehring brought the field to the green flag. Martin took the early lead but it was Gehring making it a side by side battle in turn two. Martin led the opening lap with Gehring in second. 2022 Limited Sprint Champion Destry Miller of Olympia moved into third looking to track down Martin and Gehring. Martin put a little bit of distance between Gehring and Destry Miller as a battle for second was the race to watch. Xan Miller of Olympia and Carnation driver Levi Kuntz battled for the fourth position with Kuntz taking over, looking to track down the top three. Destry Miller moved into second early on with a pass out of turn four. Martin continued to lead as Destry Miller looked to get to the back bumper a handful of times, but couldn't make a pass for the lead. Both drivers ran the low side of the 3/8 banked clay oval. Martin hit his marks every lap, with Destry Miller at his back bumper. The battle for the lead saw Destry Miller move to a higher groove than Martin and took the lead out of turn four late in the feature. Martin continued in second but a battle behind him for third was the race to watch between Gehring and Kuntz. Both drivers made it to the back bumper of Martin but couldn't make the pass for the runner up position. Kuntz worked his way into a podium spot after a pass in turn one with just a handful of laps left in the feature. Coming to the white flag Gehring spun in turn four, doing a complete 360, but contact from Bill Rude of Mt. Vernon saw damage to the front end and ending his night as he pulled into the infield. In a caution free feature event it was Destry Miller picking up the win over Martin, Kuntz, Rude and Xan Miller rounding out the top five. Kuntz picked up the heat race win earlier in the evening with Destry Miller picking up fast time.

IMCA Modifieds:

A 22 car, 25 lap feature event brought the evening to an end, as 2022 IMCA Modified Champion Tyson Blood of Tumwater led the field to the green flag. Oakville's Brian Harding ran in the second position with Craig Moore of Seabeck in third. Blood looked strong out front putting some slight distance on Harding. A pair of Shelton drivers ran in the fourth and fifth position as Brenton Schnitzer and Scott Miller looked to catch up to the top three. The first caution flew early for Montesano's Jeremy Miller, spinning in turn four. On the restart, Harding stayed to the back bumper of Blood momentarily, as Moore looked to the high side to try and take over second. Harding continued to run the low side staying close. Contact between Longview's Clyde White and Shane Rau of Shelton brought out the caution flag. White's night ended with Rau tagging the back of the field. Blood led Harding, Moore, Scott Miller and Zane Miner of Graham to the green flag. Blood quickly put some distance on Harding as Moore stayed to the back bumper. Geoff Morris of Victoria, BC worked his way into the top five from his 19th starting position bringing along Elma's Austin Rognlin, who started 20th. A long green flag run saw Blood continue to work the low side of the raceway. Morris and Scott Miller put on a battle for the fourth position, but the long green flag run ended, as the caution flag flew for Branden Nutter of Mt. Vernon slowing in turn one. The restart saw Harding once again stay within striking distance on Blood with Moore looking to make the high side work. Morris looked low a handful of times for a podium spot but couldn't make the pass. Harding's podium run came to an end as he slowed off turn four, causing him to tag the back of the field. On the final restart with just 3 laps to go it was Blood, Morris, Moore, Rognlin and Schnitzer rounding out the top five. Blood quickly put some distance on Morris and Moore as the battle for second was the race to watch. Blood picked up the win over Morris, Moore, Rognlin and Scott Miller. Morris was the Elma Lane's Hard Charger of the feature event. Heat race winners were Blood, Harding and Moore.

Racing will resume next Saturday night with the first appearance of the 2023 season for the 360 Sprint Cars, Northwest Focus Midgets and Hornets. Gates will open at 4:30PM with racing at 6PM. For more information, and online ticket sales go to www.graysharborraceway.com

Grays Harbor Raceway
April 29, 2023

Limited Sprint Cars:
Fast Time:
3X Destry Miller

Heat Race:

1. 29 Levi Kuntz, 2. 33 Bill Rude, 3. 3X Destry Miller, 4. 23 Steve Parker, 5. 23X Xan Miller, 6. 51D Dustin Gehring, 7. 51 Tim Martin, 8. 21Z Kiera Zylstra (DNS)

A-Main:

1. Destry Miller, 2. Martin, 3. Kuntz, 4. Rude, 5. Xan Miller, 6. Parker, 7. Gehring, 8. Zylstra

Super Stocks:
Heat 1:

1. 23B Matt White, 2. 2 Larry Paladin, 3. 38 Larry Wetzel, 4. 5B Chuck Goodman

Heat 2:

1. AK47 Austin Kerrigan, 2. 83 Jayson Wolcott, 3. 90 Brenden White, 4. 43K Shane Kerrigan

A-Main:

1. Austin Kerrigan, 2. Paladin, 3. Brenden White, 4. Wolcott, 5. Matt White

PHRA Dwarf Cars:
Heat 1 Winner: 88 John Chrisman
Heat 2 Winner: 36 Cory Esteban

A-Main (Top 5):

1. 36 Cory Esteban, 2. 19 Mike Chadwick, 3. 89Z Henry Corbin III, 4. 63X Shane Youngren, 5. 88 Chrisman

IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1:

1. 97TB Tyson Blood, 2. 26 Scott Miller, 3. 42 Kevin Valen, 4. 43K Shane Kerrigan, 5. 27H Brandon Hoekstra, 6. 46 Jeremy Miller, 7. 52 Geoff Morris

Heat 2:

1. 28 Brian Harding, 2. 87K Brenton Schnitzer, 3. 31Z Zane Miler, 4. 93 Elliott French, 5. 29 Dave Harmon, 6. 1 Riley Scherer

Heat 3:

1. M14 Craig Moore, 2. 15 Clyde White, 3. 69R Shane Rau, 4. 51 Brandon Nutter, 5. 419 Jeff Hunt, 6. 16 Chaz Wilder, 7. 81 Austin Rognlin, 8. 34 Jason Tole

A-Main:

1. Blood, 2. Morris, 3. Moore, 4. Rognlin, 5. Scott Miller, 6. Schnitzer, 7. Rau, 8. Harding, 9. Miner, 10. Hoekstra, 11. Kerrigan, 12. Scherer, 13. Jeremy Miller, 14. Valen, 15. Hunt, 16. French, 17. Nutter, 18. White, 19. Haney, 20. Wilder.

Elma Lane's Hard Charger - 52 Geoff Morris, started 19th

Photo Chris White

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