Swift Tools ET Series #2 at Pacific Raceways

Posted on by

15 Apr 2017 Kent, WA – Try as we may, beating “mother nature” is no easy task. The forces of nature will say at times “beat this issue”. Such was the case for the Swift Tool and High School races today. Hours spent drying the track surface by the Pacific Raceways drag crew became like wiping your brow on a hot day, wiped dry and not long later, more moisture. With the sun going in and out of the clouds it became a battle of wills.

Either all sun or all clouds would dry the track in a few hours. With winter hour’s still in effect it became apparent that time would not allow the race to be completed so it was “rained out” and the last few hours turned into a “test-n-tune for those that wanted to wait until the track dried for a couple “hits”.

As all of this drying and waiting the Hagen twins Abbie and Angie with parents Steve and Kim put on an 18th birthday party for their “girls”. The “tax-day twins” as the track announcer calls them were in “dual” mode as they also take part in the high school portion of the Swift Tool Series. Although the “series” race was rained out they did get to make a TnT pass showing their family and friends what their “sport” is all about.

Images are now available – click here to go to the photo album.

Powercell Rocks at the Draft Choice

Posted on by

11 Apr 2017 Auburn, WA – Not a new thing but put out the word and they will come. Lynn Sorenson and band mate Manuel Morias set up their equipment and invite anyone who would like to come up and play or sing. Setting up at the Draft Choice once a month to bring live music to the masses and showcase those who come and take part.

Jam sessions here bring together old and young instrument players alike, all with the same end game, play some bitchin live music.

Images of all the action are now available – click here to go to the photo album.

Check the Draft Choice website for the next date to join in or look into Powercell or the other bands that Lynn and Manuel play in to follow them.

Record Crowds at 2017 HondaFest NW

Posted on by

09 Apr 2017 Kent, WA – Filling the grounds with cars and people at Pacific Raceways normally comes the first week in August. Coming in second and growing bigger each year is the HondaFest NW. The trio of a car show, lead/follow and drag racing bring the people and vendors to this annual event.

Rows and rows of all kinds of show cars and most all of them daily drivers filled the paddock area as SpeedFactory set up in their favorite spot next to the staging lanes.

Leading off the day on the 2.25 mile track instructors from ProFormance Racing School do what is called “lead/follow” with a group of three to seven cars. It is 100% follow the leader but that “leader” knows the fastest way around the track. No fooling around here as the last car in line has a radio and you can’t out run it. You get out of the spirit of the day you will be booted out of line, Safety First.

For those that follow the “drivers” meeting rules you get to push your car a little more than “normal” driving and doing it “safely”. This part of the day is also growing as near 50 drivers took part with a few doubling up.

All this time the “drag crew” is prepping the drag strip for the afternoon of side by side running of all kinds of cars and trucks.

Leading off the action the ultra- fast Honda’s from SpeedFactory in a mix of testing and checking the latest setup put down some impressive numbers as noted by the crowd and crew reactions.

A great day put together by NWMotiv and Pacific Raceways will again look to grow the program so make a date for next year’s event.

Lots of great images from all over the facility – click here to go to the photo album. As always thank you for your support and purchases!

Swift Tools ET Series Gets Season Underway

Posted on by

02 Apr 2017 Kent, WA – Kicking off the drag racing season in the northwest spring can bring a host of weather conditions. The overnight downpour left a big task to the drag crew drying and prepping the track. Beat the water they did but a later than normal start finally got things underway.

Two hits for all to start the day then into racing for real. A brief light shower both brought about no racing and pushed the “Sunday” curfew to the limits. Try as they did when “Mother Nature” dictates what you can do you just do your “best”.

So close they came, finishing three of the six classes leaving two “finals” and one “semi” to run.

The three class winners are in Jr. Lightning Josh Schmanke grabbed the trophy while also licensing for a Super Comp ride. In Jr. Lightning Ryan Warnke came out on top while Brian Thompson put his Mustang in the Sportsman Class “Winners Circle”.

Images are now available – click here to go to the photo album.

The Hagen Twins

Posted on by

This habit that is called “drag racing” grabbed me in the early seventies. Since then, I have met thousands of stars that take part in the sport.

As any photographer that covers motorsports will tell you, the people you meet and their background can cover the full spectrum of life. As the photographer for Pacific Raceways, I cover a variety of different forms of motorsports, from Drag Racing, Motocross, Road Racing and Go Karts, and they all share one thing in common, Family.

All, of these families have their stories. When an unusual “story” presents itself, I like to focus on it…

An unusual or unique story in drag racing at Pacific Raceways are twins Abbie and Angie Hagen. As high school seniors they will once again compete in the Air Force Reserve High School Drag Racing Series. The twins hope to improve on their 3rd and 4th place finishes last season.

Their attraction to drag racing stems from father Steve who came to the track to watch the 1978 Fall Nationals. In the mid 90’s when looking to buy their first house Steve and wife Kim found a home just a few blocks from the track.

A few years later the twins were born and raised just blocks from the sounds of the race track. Abbie was the first to hit the track though not what you may expect. As a sophomore, she entered her father’s Dodge Challenger in the high school burnout contest. Abbie in the driver’s seat and Angie sitting on the passenger side, the track announcer asked her if her Dad knew you were burning the hides off his car? Without hesitation Abbie replies “Yes, he is in the back seat”.

Twin sister Angie was not really into Drag Racing, she kind of fell into it at her sister’s request. Abbie was fighting for points in the high school class. So, Angie jumped into her sister’s car hoping to do well. Angie had so much fun she decided that she should have a Challenger too. Then the Hagen’s became a three Challenger family as Abbie found one very close to her sisters.

With dad Steve running in the Sportsman class and the girls in the High School class, it is easy to spot them in the pits with the White, Red and Green Challengers lined up in a row.

This time together earned both girls a trip to the “winners circle” for trophy and pictures and enough points for Abbie to earn a prestigious spot on the E.T. Finals Team and a trip to Canada to race at Mission Raceway. Not bad for their first season of racing!

Seeing the fun that Abbie had last season, a bit of a sibling rivalry has formed! Angie is forgoing softball this season to put all her energy into racing in her effort to make it to the E.T. Finals and of course Abbie will try to re-peat her ET Finals performance.
If these two-college bound young ladies go at racing with the same energy as they do for school, the competition should be a bit worried!!

April 15th is race number one for the Air Force Reserve High School Series this season and should one of them win this special day to begin with would really be “frosting on the birthday cake”. Good luck to both of you this season.

AM Skills, Novice HP & PM Lapping at Pacific Raceways

Posted on by

26 Mar 2017 Kent, WA – For the dozen plus folks who took part in the ProFormance Racing School this day the weather played a big part. Choosing the date to go to school you hope for a great weather day, but this is the northwest in spring time and the weather is a crapshoot, with the record rain thru late winter into early spring today it just continued.

Bringing out the bumper-shoots that under normal use here shades the drivers from the sun reared back to their original use, to keep the rain off. To ProFormance Racing School and its instructors the weather makes no difference on the program and how they instruct the students.

Looking at the exercises, there are four of them, going thru them I believe it would be worth taking the class twice if possible, in the rain and in the sunshine. What you feel in the seat of your pants will be two very distinct sensations. Once you feel the difference in wet to dry you will come away a better driver in the northwest.

Important enough to parents to put their children thru the class to teach what is not in drivers training and to a husband and wife today with their personal plates sharing the experience together.

Images are now available – click here to go to the photo album.

Check out this program on the ProFormance web site for your date to better driving.

ProFormance Racing School Action at Pacific Raceways

Posted on by

19 Mar 2017 Kent, WA – As more and more parents see their children go thru drivers training and what they are learn they are coming to driving schools for the skills that will better prepare them for driving on the hi-ways and bi-ways.

Seeing parents weather by their pushing or their kids choosing going thru the stages that ProFormance Racing School and their instructors teach is every bit a recordable moment. Deep in parents minds and spoken, this is the best bang for your buck to be found for young drivers.

This also you see on the faces of the students as they gather after the first go round and how fun it is to learn what your car is telling you when you tell it to do something. Then of course at the end of the school day the confidence that the students now show truly shows the impact of going thru the school.

Over 300 images are now available online – click here to go to the photo album.

For info on upcoming dates go to the ProFormance Racing School web site or their Facebook page.

The Fabulous Johnsons at the Red Dog

Posted on by

17 Mar 2017 Maple Valley, WA – Playing on a stage the weekend before with room to move around to the confines found when playing in a bar or tavern was a trip. The Fabulous Johnsons – the trio of Lynn Sorenson, Jeff Kathan and Manuel Morias rock in the small venues.

With four plus hours of playing the set list is pretty long and diverse. With help thru out the night from Christoff, Amanda, Susan and Jaysen it is well worth to check them out. Find out where and when on their web site or the Red Dog when they will be back to rock the house.

Images of all the action in Maple Valley are now available, click here to go to the photo album.

Spike And The Impalers at the Claws Chalet Theater

Posted on by

11 Mar 2017 Enumclaw, WA – As a DJ for local classic rock station KZOK Spike O’Neill has his pulse on the music that is played by them and brings this music to life as “Spike and the Impalers”. The “Claws” Chalet Theater and its stage became a perfect setting for 500 or so to enjoy some rocking live music.

Leading off the show local comedian Susan Jones put it to the audience with some great wit and punch lines. Nothing like laughter to get everyone in the same frame of mind ready to jam on some great live music and this she did as a huge thunder of hand clapping and yells as she finished and introduced the band to the audience.

Jumping into an Edgar Winter tune right away got everyone going, leading to Spike singing as he walked up on stage the next song in the nights set. The diversity of the band members and the multiple instruments they can play along with Spikes voice brings some rocking music to life. With no counter I lost track but there had to be at least 20 songs on the set list including a slow song so those dancing up front could hug up for one song. I say if you get the chance to see the band play you need to go, they won’t let you down.

Band members are: #Spike O’Neill – #Lynn Sorensen – #Jeff Kathan – #Manuel Morias – #Susan Kendall Morias – #Scott Adams – #Steve Hanna – #Jaysen Dickhoff Comedian: #Susan Jones

Got Lots of great shots – go to the photo album by clicking here.

Alfa Romeo Club PM Lapping Day at Pacific Raceways

Posted on by

11 Mar 2017 Kent, WA – Going thru a driving course in nice weather can be a challenge but when you put Mother Nature and the “Northwet” it does add a new dimension to what you are trying to accomplish.

As explained by instructor Mirko the rainy weather will help you feel in your backside what your car is doing when you put input to it. Steering, braking and peddle control is brought to the forefront going thru the four coned stations.

Seems simple enough, though once behind the wheel the focus gets intense as you want to complete the task as instructed as a dozen or more teachers watch your every move, then de-brief, good or bad what you just did.

Then take those instructions and get in line and do it again. It is truly a do it and you will get it right and become a better driver because of it. Anytime you get the chance to take a driving course like ProFormance Racing School, Doug Herbert’s “Brakes” or a Teen driving class you will come out of them a better driver for it. Do yourself or a loved one a big favor and check into a program near you and go thru it.

Images from the full day of action are now online and available for purchase – to go to the album, click here.