Everett, Wash. Published: Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Moriarity, not Lewis, wins 7th straight late-model race
Herald Staff
ROCHESTER, Wash. — At least one streak was going to end.
Late-model racers Tom Moriarity and Gary Lewis both entered the Miller 200 with six-race winning streaks.
It was Moriarity, a former late-model champion at Evergreen Speedway, who prevailed, leading all 200 laps on Saturday, Aug. 9 at South Sound Speedway to win his seventh straight race.
“Man, what a night! I need a ride to the Lucky Eagle Casino so I can place a bet on lucky number seven,” The Monroe, Wash., driver said. “I can’t believe the season we are having. We qualified seventh, and by winning the Miller 200, we now have won our seventh race in a row this season.”
Rounding out their top five were runner up Rod Schultz, Jr., Kelly Mann, JJ Hamilton, and Brad Stanwood.
Lewis, of Snohomish, Wash., started fifth and had worked his way up to third before tangling with a lapped car, ending his bid at winning a seventh straight race. He finished 20th.
Mike Obrist won the Echo Chain Saw Trophy Dash.
Even with the only crate motor in the 21-car field, Hamilton, from Centralia, Wash., set fast with a lap of 13.557 seconds, winning the Joe’s $100 Fast Time Qualifying Award.
Moriarity qualified seventh, but started from the pole after a race fan rolled the Lucky Eagle Casino dice for the invert.
At the autograph session before the start of the race, drivers passed their helmets around in memory of Frank Brandt — who was killed in an automobile accident while driving to Kalispell, Mont., for the Montana 200 — and took donations for driver Christian Roeder and the Brandt Law Firm Racing Team.
South Sound Speedway and Mike Barrett Motors each donated $500, and donations by the race teams and fans brought the total to $1,700.
In addition to the Miller 200, South Sound Speedway’s local racing divisions saw action on Saturday.
Dennis Shaffer nearly swept the honors in the Delta Camshaft Mini Stock division, setting fast time (16.602) in qualifying and then winning the trophy dash, A heat and 25-lap feature. Bill Hayes won the B heat.
In the Northwest Baby Grand division, AJ Butler passed Brian Balmelli on lap 14 of the 25-lap feature en route to his fourth straight victory. Butler also set fast time with a lap of 14.874. Michael Millard-Perales won the trophy dash and Brooke Lefor won the heat race.
Racing continues on Saturday, Aug. 16 at South Sound Speedway with the Limited Late Models, WESCO, Street Stocks, and Pure Stocks scheduled.
The front gate opens at 4:45 p.m. with qualifying starting at 5 p.m. and an autograph session around 6 p.m. Racing begins at 6:30 p.m. Visit southsoundspeedway.com for more information.
South Sound Speedway results
Saturday, Aug. 8 at Rochester, Wash.
SUPER STOCKS MILLER 200
Fast time: JJ Hamilton – 13.557
Dash: Mike Obrist, Rod Schultz, JR., Tom Sweatman, Hamilton.
Main: Tom Moriarity, Schultz, JR., Kelly Mann, Hamilton, Brad Stanwood, Willy Thom, Shane Sawin, Dan Rhodes, Jay Sauls, Harold Racynski, Tim Gosch, Troy Eaton, Sweatman, Bob Presley, Tommy Elstoen, Riley Watson, Obrist, Rod Schultz, SR., Doug Davidson, Gary Lewis, Ron Eaton.
DELTA CAMSHAFT MINI STOCKS
Fast time: Dennis Shaffer – 16.602
Dash: Shaffer, Devin Matthews, Jeff Bracale, Kyle Matthews.
A-Heat: Shaffer, D. Matthews, Bracale, Freeman Pruitt, K. Matthews, Reggie Gill.
B-Heat: Bill Hayes, Floyd Hayne, Craig Rice, Jerry LaPlante, Jon Baglien, Earl Peyton.
Main: Shaffer, Baglien, Bracale, Rice, K. Matthews, Gill, Hayes, LaPlante, Hayne, Peyton, D. Matthews, Pruitt.
NORTHWEST BABY GRANDS
Fast time: AJ Butler – 14.874
Dash: Michael Millard-Perales, Lash Larew, Butler, Brian Balmelli.
