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VanDam, Dorie get 1st wins of season at Grays Harbor
Posted
at
12:01 am
by Scott Whitmore
by Jack Fordyce, Grays Harbor Raceway, Elma, Wash.,
ELMA, Wash. -- Henry VanDam of Enumclaw and Scott Dorie of St Helens, OR. each picked up their first Grays Harbor Raceway feature wins of the season Saturday night.
VanDam in a thrilling Whitney’s Auto Group “360 Sprints” 25-lap feature and Dorie from green flag to checkered flag 25-lap Ship Wreck Beads “Modifieds” main event.
Rory Clevenger of Olympia entered victory lane for the second time this season in the HiLine Homes “Hornets 15-lap feature race.
Zack Simpson picked up his seventh Cut Rate Auto Parts “Hobby Stocks” 20-lap feature in only nine races this year.
Sprints
VanDam started the race on the outside of row three but had moved into the third spot by lap-3. JJ Dishneau of Maple Valley was the early leader, followed by defending series champion Jay Cole of Shelton, VanDam, Randy VanAagten of Shelton and Steve Vague, Kirkland.
Former World of Outlaws driver, Jason Solwold of Burlington started in the fifth row and quickly moved into the top five when he passed Vague on lap-4.
VanDam took advantage of a caution flag restart on lap-14 when he dove under Dishneau in turn-1 for the lead,
Once VanDam was out in front of the field, the rest of the pack had to try their best to catch up with him.
Solwold had the best chance when Glenn Borden Jr. of Raymond spun out in turn-4 just before the 24th lap was completed, setting up a green white checkered flag finish.
On the restart it was VanDam, the lapped car of Jeff Dunlap, Solwold, Cole, Dishneau and Vague.
VanDam took the checkered flag just a little over a second ahead of Solwold, Cole held onto third, Dishneau 4th and Shawn rice, Tacoma edged Vague out for fifth.
Modifieds
It was a welcome win for Dorie who is recovering from throat cancer. The Oregon driver is a frequent visitor to the Elma track with a number of wins in past years and a second place finish earlier in the season.
Unlike last Saturday’s race which had five caution flags in the first 6-laps, this one only had three in the entire race.
Dorie grabbed the lead from last Saturday’s winner, Shane Rau of Shelton at the drop of the green flag, followed by Craig Moore, Seabeck, Jeff Foster of McCleary and series points leader Scott Miller also of Shelton.
Moore got by Rau after a restart on lap-5 and Miller put Rau back another spot a couple of lap later.
Miller moved into the second spot after another caution flag restart on lap-12 and set out after Dorie.
Dorie survived another caution flag restart on lap-16 when Foster spun out in turn-2.
Miller would catch Dorie in the corners, but Dorie would pull away in the stretches,
Miller followed Dorie across the finish line, Moore held onto third, Josh Muller of Montesano made a late charge for fourth and Kris Asche of Shelton took fifth.
Hobby Stocks
It usually doesn’t matter where Simpson starts the race, sooner or later you will find him at the front of the pack, and Saturday night was no exception.
The Hoquiam driver has only lost two feature events this season on his quest for a third straight “Hobby Stocks” championship. Both of those races were because of mechanical problems.
Simpson came from the third row back at the start and was in the front spot by lap-6, followed by Eddie Blood of Olympia, Keith Knowlton of Bremerton, Derek Junell of Key Center, and Brian Izzi of Olympia.
Simpson had over a 4 second cushion at the finish, Blood finished second, Brandon Biggs of Hoquiam third, Alan Muenchow of Shelton fourth and Knowlton fifth.
Hornets
Clevenger came from fifth to first in only 2-laps and from then on it was just like a Sunday afternoon drive.
With Clevenger out in front it was left up to the rest of the pack to pick up the left-over’s.
Kevin Krenz of Elma held onto second place for 6-laps until Brian Izzi of Olympia took that away. Izzi was doing double duty Saturday night as he also drove his Hobby Stock car in the next race.
After Izzi took over second place it settled into a five car race, Krenz third, Clifford Gill of Aberdeen fourth and Travis Blood of Olympia fifth.
Next Saturday night will feature the Whitney’s Auto Group Mid-Season championship races followed by a fireworks display.
The top six places are locked into the feature race with the top six starting positions determined by the finish of each trophy dash. From seventh spot back will be determined by time trails.
Gates open at 4”30 with racing around 7:00
Grays Harbor Raceway Top Finishers 7/4/09
Whitney’s Auto Group “360 Sprints A Main. 1. Henry VanDam. 2. Jason Solwold. 3. Jay Cole. 4. JJ Dishneau. 5. Shawn rice. 6. Mitch Olson. 7. Steve Vague. 8. Glenn Borden Jr. 9. Randy VanAagten. 10. Mack Brown. Heat 1. 1. VanAagten. 2. Michael Harris. 3. Cole. 4. Vague. 5. Solwold. Heat 2. 1. Dishneau. 2. Borden Jr. 3. VanDam. 3. Brown. 5. Dan Dunlap. Fast Time: Rice: 12.385 109.003MPH. Top Points (Unofficial). Borden Jr.-841, Cole-806,Hickle-790, Vague-767, Rice-765, Forler- 704, Dishneau-659, VanDam-621, Jorgenson-593, D. Dunlap-591.
Ship Wreck Beads “Modifieds” A Main. 1. Scott Dorie. 2. Scott Miller. 3. Craig Moore. 4. Josh Muller. 5. Kris Asche. 6. Greg Dineen. 7. Shane Rau. 8. David Wolfard. 9. Jim Oien Jr. 10. Joe German. Heat 1. Jeff Foster. 2. Muller. 3. Asche. 4. Floyd Livingston. 65. Tim Issacson. Heat 2. 1. Dineen. 2. Dorie. 3. Miller. 4. Oien Jr. 5. Randy Ward. Heat 3. 1. Morgan Criswell. 2. Moore. 3. Rob Sjogren. 4. Rau. 5. Steve Signal. Fast Time: Muller: 16.238 83.138 MPH. Top Points (Unofficial) Miller-794, Muller-777, Wolfard-739, German-712, Oien Jr.-704, Foster-688, Dineen-658, Rau-649, Burns-632, Criswell-586.
Cut Rate Auto Parts “Hobby Stocks” A Main. 1. Zack Simpson. 2. Eddie Blood. 3. Brandon Biggs. 4. Alan Muenchow JR. 5. Keith Knowlton. 6. Derek Junell. 7. Brian Izzi. 8. Brad Burnett. 9. Zachary Fuller. 10. Tara Smith. Heat 1. 1. Biggs. 2. Junell. 3. Knowlton. 4. Blood. 5. Burnett. Heat 2. 1. Simpson. 2. Muenchow Jr. 3. Izzi. 4. Fuller. 5. Brett Hillman. Fast Time: Biggs: 18.253 73.960 MPH. Top Points (Unofficial) Simpson-1019, Knowlton-936, Junell-895, Muenchow Jr.-890, E. Blood-840, Izzi-763, Wilder-508, Smith-346, Biggs-293, Murray-273.
HiLine Homes “Hornets A Main. 1. Rory Clevenger. 2. Brian Izzi. 3. Kevin Krenz. 4. Clifford Gill. 5. Travis Blood. Heat Race. 1. Izzi. 2. Clevenger. 3. Krenz. 4. Rich Gooding. 5. Gill. Top Points (Unofficial) Krenz-398, Clevenger-376, Gill-368, Travis Blood-275, Tyson Blood-206, Izzi-197, Baker-193, R. Willams-95, Muller-92, Gooding-91.
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