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Starks, Zylstra, Blood and Sanford Win Prelude to WoO!

Starks, Zylstra, Blood and Sanford Win Prelude to WoO!
By: Aaron Reed
Pictures by Josh Bryant
Labor Day weekend sets up for the biggest show of the year. The Prelude to the World of Outlaws on Monday saw the 360 Sprint Cars, Limited Sprints, IMCA Modifieds and Hornets in action
360 Sprint Cars
Levi Kuntz of Carnation and Vancouver, BC driver Luke Didiuk shared the front row of the 25-lap feature event. Kuntz took the early lead in turn one. Puyllup's Trey Starks moved into second but the red flag flew for Andy Caruana of Melbourne Victoria, Australia, getting upside down in turn four. Caruana did exit the car under his own power. Kuntz took the lead on the restart, but the caution flag flew for Lance Sargent of Spanaway spinning in turn four. Kuntz once again took the early lead with Didiuk right on his back bumper. Starks ran in third as Clovis, CA driver Corey Day ran fourth. Starks worked his way into second, getting by Didiuk early on, setting his sights on Kuntz. A long green flag run saw lap traffic start to be a factor for Kuntz, as Starks and Didiuk closed in. Starks and Kuntz battled for a handful of laps with Starks taking over the lead on lap 10. The caution flag flew for Carly Holmes of Jacksonville, Ore with a shredded left rear tire. Starks led Kuntz, Didiuk, Day and Jordi Meese of Graham. Didiuk pulled a slide job on Kuntz to take over second momentarily. Kuntz took the runner up spot back. Starks set a blistering pace, extending his lead to half a straightaway. Lap 22 saw Snohomish's Chase Goetz get upside down after making contact with an infield tire. Meese also spun but kept the car running. Goetz exited the car and was ok. A three-lap shootout between Starks, Kuntz and Day was the race to watch. Starks timed his start just right and went on to pick up the win over Kuntz, Day, Didiuk and Cam Smith of Mill Creek, making a charge to the front after an early race spin. Heat race winners were Holmes, Jay Cole of Shelton, and Ravensdale driver Dallas Melby. Starks picked up fast time and a new track record.
IMCA Modifieds
Tim Phillips of Spanaway led the field to the green flag. Maytown's Riley Scherer ran in second, as the caution flag flew on lap 1 for Craig Moore of Seabeck, spinning in turn four. A pair of complete restarts saw the race finally get underway as Phillips led Scherer and Brenton Schnitzer of Shelton. Schnitzer worked into second and to the back bumper of Phillips. Tumwater's Tyson Blood worked his way into the top three, setting his sights on Phillips for the lead. Blood took over the top spot a few laps later. Lap 5 saw trouble for Phillips and Schnitzer, as some contact was made sending both spinning in turn four. Blood led the field to the green flag. Hoquiam's Elliott French ran in second with Jeff Hunt of Olympia in third. A three-car battle behind the top three saw Austin Rognlin of Olympia, Shelton's Scott Miller and Zane Miner of Graham. Miner worked his way into the top three, battling with French for second. Miner set his sights on Blood, getting close to making a move late in the feature. Hunt and French battled for third as Rognlin joined in. Rognlin worked his way into the top three midway through the feature event. Hunt saw tough company as Miller looked to take over fourth. A caution filled feature saw Blood pick up the win over Miner, Rognlin, Miller and Moore. Miner was the Elma Lane's hard charger going 16th spots, 18th to 2nd. Heat race winners were Campbell River, BC's Chris Beaulieu, Blood, and Longview driver Clyde White.
Limited Sprints
Kiera Zylstra of Monroe and Olympia's Destry Miller led the field to the green flag. Destry Miller took the early lead with Zylstra in second. The battel for third was the race to watch between Levi Kuntz of Carnation and Maple Ridge, BC driver Kai Dixon. Both battled early on with Dixon taking over the podium spot. Late in the feature Zylstra started to catch Destry Miller as Kai Dixon looked to make it a three-car battle for third. With 5 laps to go Miller spun in turn four, doing a complete 360 spin and continued on. Zylstra took over the lead with Dixon in second. Tahuya's Nate Geister worked his way into a podium spot. Zylstra picked up the win over Dixon, Geister, Destry Miller and Xan Miller of Olympia. Dixon picked up the heat race with Zylstra setting fast time.
Hornets
Landon Pruett of Montesano set the field to the green flag in the 15 lap feature event. Belfair's Max Sanford ran in second as Oakville driver Payton Harding rounded out the podium early on. Sanford worked his way past Pruett for the lead, bringing Harding with him. Pruett shuffled back to third. A pair of Elma drivers battled the fourth position as Ryan Shapansky and Brandon Tyler ran side by side. Sanford put some distance on Harding, Pruett and Shapansky. Lap traffic started to become a factor as Sanford worked his way through. Harding and Pruett put on a late race battle for second. Contact between Harding, Pruett and the lap car of Scott Tobeck of Tenino on the last lap changed things up a bit. Sanford picked up the win over Pruett, Tyler Sundstrom of Hoquiam, Grayland's Jeff Hatton and Nik Sheats of Tenino. Heat race winners were Pruett and Sanford.
Grays Harbor Raceway
September 3, 2023
Prelude to WoO
360 Sprint Cars
Fast Time:
55 Trey Starks (New Track Record)
Heat 1:

1. 22C Carly Holmes, 2. 17 Cam Smith, 3. 91 Chase Goetz, 4. 55 Trey Starks, 5. 15 Jeff Dunlap
   Heat 2:
2. 0J Jay Cole, 2. 24 Jordi Meese, 3. 4 Corey Day, 4. 9A Luke Didiuk, 5. 51D Dustin Gehring
   Heat 3:
3. 55X Dallas Melby, 2. 96AU Andy Caruana, 3. 29K Levi Kuntz, 4. 33s Lance Sargent, 5. 51 Tim Martin
   A-Main:
4. Starks, 2. Kuntz, 3. Day, 4. Didiuk, 5. Smith, 6. Meese, 7. Cole, 8. Sargent, 9. Dunlap, 10. Melby, 11. Gehring, 12. Holmes, 13. Goetz, 14. Caruana, 15. Martin
   Limited Sprints
   Fast Time:
   21Z Kiera Zylstra
   Heat Race:
5. 20K Kai Dixon, 2. 29K Levi Kuntz, 3. 21Z Kiera Zylstra, 4. 3X Destry Miller, 5. 38 Nate Geister, 6. 23X Xan Miller, 7. 51 Austin Rognlin, 8. 99X Samuel Strange
   A-Main:
6. Zylstra, 2. Dixon, 3. Geister, 4. Destry Miller, 5. Xan Miller, 6. Kuntz, 7. Olsen
   Hornets
   Heat 1:
7. 20P Landon Pruett, 2. 29 Payton Harding, 3. 18 Brandon Tyler, 4. 88 Ryan Shapansky, 5. 96 Nick Sheats, 6. 37 Mark Cooper, 7. 72 Jeremy Cleveland, 8. 0 Zach Dalrymple
   Heat 2:
8. 3 Max Sanford, 2. 23 Tyler Sundstrom, 3. 13XXX Don Briggs Sr, 4. 41 Matt Aubuchon, 5. 39 Scott Tobeck, 6. 27 Dean Cleveland, 7. 07 Jeff Hatton
   A-Main:
9. Sanford, 2. Pruett, 3. Sundstrom, 4. Hatton, 5. Sheats, 6. Briggs Sr, 7. Cooper, 8. Tyler, 9. Harding, 10. Shapansky, 11. Dean Cleveland, 12. Tobeck, 13. Aubuchon
   IMCA Modifieds
   Heat 1:
10. 90 Chris Beaulieu, 2. 41 Tim Phillips, 3. 81 Lane Zerbin, 4. 1 Riley Scherer, 5. 81R Austin Rognlin, 6. 16 Chaz Wilder, 7. 147 Dylan Ensor, 8. 97 Rodger Perry
    Heat 2:
11. 97TB Tyson Blood, 2. 93 Elliott French, 3. M14 Craig Moore, 4. 419 Jeff Hunt, 5. 67 Ryen Haney, 6. 42 Kevin Valen, 7. M57 Mike Mann
    Heat 3:
12. 15 Clyde White, 2. 26 Scott Miller, 3. 87K Brenton Schnitzer, 4. 18 Miles Beaulieu, 5. 34 Jason Tole, 6. 31Z Zane Miner, 7. 39 Brenden White
    A-Main: (Updated results)
13. Blood, 2. Miner, 3. Rognlin, 4. Miller, 5. Moore, 6. Hunt, 7. Wilder, 8. Haney, 9. Scherer, 10. French, 11. Mann, 12. Zerbin, 13. Ensor, 14. Brenden White, 15. Miles Beaulieu, 16. Chris Beaulieu, 17. Phillips, 18. Valen, 19. Clyde White, 20. Perry, 21. Tole, 22. Schnitzer
    Elma Lane's Hard Charger: 31Z Zane Miner (16 positions, 18th to 2nd)

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