By Jack Fordyce, Grays Harbor Raceway
ELMA, Wash. — McCleary’s Brandon Daniel was disqualified when an official protest was filed after the completion of the Cut Rate Auto Parts 20-lap main event Saturday night.
An inspection by track officials after the race determined that Daniel had used an illegal carburetor on his engine. The victory was awarded to the second place car, Zack Simpson of Hoquiam, and Daniel was stripped of all points and prize money earned on Saturday night.
Montesano’s Josh Muller had a long way to go and a short time to get there, but he accomplished the task when he took the checkered flag in the Ship Wreck Beads “Modifieds” 25-lap feature event.
Josh DeWitt of Snohomish picked up his first Grays Harbor Raceway feature win in the Whitney’s Auto Group “360 Sprints” 25-lap main, crossing the finish line over three seconds ahead of second place JJ Dishneau of Maple Valley.
The “Cruisers” heat race and main event were scratched for the night due to the lack of cars. Only three cars were at the track.
Modifieds
Due to some bad luck earlier in the evening, Muller was relegated to the fourteenth spot on the starting grid at the start of the feature race. Muller had broken a drive line in his heat race. “I had some bad luck and some good luck tonight.” Muller said. “Cautions helped me out tonight. I was able to get by cars on the restarts.”
Pole sitter, Randy Ward lasted only lap before he broke a drive line on the second lap, and former track champion, Craig Moore took over the top spot. Moore was followed by another former track champion, Scott Miller of Shelton, Aberdeen’s Greg Dineen, Dan fox of St Helens, OR. and Joe Lambert of Shelton.
After another caution flag restart on lap-7, Miller had the top spot, Moore second, Muller was now third, Dineen fourth and David Wolfard of Seabeck fifth.
Muller picked off Moore on another restart on lap-10 for second and set his sights on Miller.
The really good luck came for Muller on lap-14 when Miller had to go to the pits during a caution flag with a flat tire. When Miller came back out after the repair he had to go to the back of the pack.
Muller survived two more caution flag restarts, the first on lap-19 and the second on lap-22. Muller was able to hold off Moore in the closing laps, Moore made a great comeback as he made his way from the back of the pack to finish third, Dineen held onto fourth and Graham Cook of Part Hardy, B.C. made a late charge for fifth.
Hobby Stocks
Daniel came from fourth to first on the first lap as he passed both front row cars, Alan Muenchow of Shelton and Keith Knowlton of Bremerton.
Simpson followed suit, moving from eighth to third at the same time.
Simpson was in second place, followed by Muenchow, Knowlton and Chaz wilder of Elma.
Daniel appeared to have no problem holding onto the lead the rest of the way, sometimes leading by almost a full front stretch, in a race that was caution free.
Simpson made a charge for the lead in the final laps but was unable to catch and pass the McCleary driver.
Daniel took the check flag for the apparent victory, followed by Simpson, Knowlton, Chaz Wilder and Muenchow, the only cars still on the lead lap.
It is unconfirmed who filed the protest, but the rules state that it has to be filed within 20-minutes after the checkered flag, by either a driver or car owner in the same class. The protest was filed with track officials within the time limit along with the $300.00 protest fee for filing a protest on an engine.
The protest was upheld and Daniel was disqualified and the win was awarded to Simpson.
Simpson had his share of bad luck earlier in the evening when he broke a ball joint in his heat race, but was able to get the car repaired by the time of the feature race.
The win is Simpson’s eleventh of the season, ten coming in the regular scheduled races and one in the “Hobby Stock Shoot Out”, a non point’s race.
Sprints
DeWitt is not a regular at the track in Elma, but does come down from Snohomish frequently and it paid off this time as he picked up his first Grays Harbor feature win.
DeWitt had the pole position with defending track champion, Shelton’s Jay Cole next to him.
Cole led after the first lap, but that was the only lap as DeWitt took over and dominated the race.
DeWitt set a fast pace, followed by Cole, Shawn rice of Tacoma, Kirkland’s Steve Vague and Dishneau.
Dishneau had moved into third behind Cole and took over second on the second and last caution flag of the race on lap-10.
DeWitt took the checkered flag well in front of Dishneau, Cole held onto third, Rice fourth and Vague fifth.
Dishneau, Cole, Rice and Vague were the only cars in the field that were able to keep on the lead lap with DeWitt.
Next Saturday night will feature the “Sprints”, “Modifieds”, “Midgets”, “Cruisers” and “Hornets”. Gates open at 4:30 with racing around 7:00.
Top Finishers/Top Points
Ship Wreck Beads “Modifieds”
Main Event. 1. Josh Muller, Montesano. 2. Craig Moore, Seabeck. 3. Scott Miller, Shelton. 4. Greg Dineen, Aberdeen. 5. Graham Cook, Port Hardy, B.C. 6. David Wolfard, Seabeck. 7. Tim Issacson, Olympia. 8. Chip Haney, Elma. 9. David Burns, Bremerton. 10. Steve Signal, Olympia.
Heat 1. Miller. 2. Clint Petty, St Helens, OR. 3. Randy Ward, Olympia. 4. Wolfard. 5. Scott Westley, Centralia.
Heat 2. 1. Dineen. 2. Joe German, Aberdeen. 3. Dan Fox, St Helens. 4. Haney. 5. Issacson.
Heat 3. 1. Moore. 2. Cook. 3. Joe Lambert, Shelton. Signal. 5. Burns.
Fast Time: Miller. 16.805 80.333 MPH.
Top Points (Unofficial). Muller-1102. Miller-1084. Wolfard-100f. German-974. Oien-956.
Cut Rate Auto Parts “Hobby Stocks”
Main Event. 1. Zack Simpson, Hoquiam. 2. Keith Knowlton, Bremerton. 3. Chaz Wilder, Elma. 4. Alan Muenchow, Shelton. 5. Jason St Paul, Shelton. 6. Zach fuller, Tacoma. 7. Jim Solorzano, Shelton. 8. Dick Ewing, Elma. 9. Daryl Brumfield, Matlock. 10. Westin Smith, South Bend.
Heat 1. Knowlton. 2. Fuller. 3. Solorzano. 4. Muenchow. 5. Derek Junell, Key Center.
Heat 2. 1. Daniel. 2. Wilder. 3. St Paul. 4. Smith. 5. Brumfield.
Fast Time: Simpson. 18.533 72. 843 MPH.
Top Points (Unofficial). Simpson-1354. Knowlton-1252. Muenchow-1162. Junell-1129. Blood-1024.
Whitney’s Auto Group “360 Sprints”
A Main. 1. Josh DeWitt, Snohomish. 2. JJ Dishneau, Maple Valley. 3. Jay Cole, Shelton. 4. Shawn Rice, Tacoma. 5. Steve Vague, Kirkland. 6. Otto Jorgenson, Auburn. 7. Axel Walker, Olympia. 8. John Tharp, Snohomish. 9. Glenn Borden Jr. Raymond. 10. Logan Forler, Orting.
Heat 1. 1. Borden Jr. 2. Dishneau. 3. Rice. 4. Cole. 5. Rob Johnson, Raymond.
Heat 2. 1. Tharp. 2. Forler. 3. DeWitt. 4. Vague. 5. Jorgenson.
Fast time: Rice. 12. 947 104.271 MPH.
Top Points (Unofficial). Borden Jr.-1034. Cole-1001. Rice-966. Vague-957. Hickle-874.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
