Category Archives: Test & Tune

Test-N-Tune At Pacific Raceways

Posted on by

30 Mar 2019 Kent, WA – TNT number two packed the grounds with over 300 entries wanting to test their projects, some in preparation for a big race in Vegas but most preparing for the Swift Tool race number one in one week.

Many regulars were on hone, but also many new to the drag strip and the great fun it is to test your ride against the grip of “Mark Lyle Blvd”.

All six lanes stayed full thru out the day with racers ready to test and eager to get back in line for another run which in turn more than 900 runs down the well prepped track. The weather for the second week in a row up in the mid-60’s, absolutely perfect for drag racing and sitting in the stands with burger and drinks taking in the action and soaking up the northwest spring sun.

Now the race begins to the end of the season for the championships to play out, good luck to all in their quest to end the season on top.

Lots of great images today – check out the images by clicking here. As always your purchases are most appreciated!!!

Chassis Cert – ETI & Test-N-Tune at Pacific Raceways

Posted on by

Opening the 2019 season starts the same as it does each year. Racers bring their winter projects or up grades to their current ride to be inspected for all the proper and correct safety equipment.

Tubing all in the right places and the correct thickness, sticker attached now put the rest of the car together and go racing after updating your ETI, safety equipment is only good for so long then needs replacement.

Those that came for the test and tune packed the lanes, almost event like numbers with a lot of new racers out to test the grip of Pacific’s drag crew work.

All in all a great first day of trips down the “Mark Lyle Blvd” for 2019.

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

Final Test-N-Tune of the 2018 Season at Pacific Raceways

Posted on by

20 Oct 2018 Kent, WA – The end of the season for the dragstrip at Pacific Raceways is a test and tune/gambler race, and as always weather permitting. This day started at daylight with 100% humidity and visibility less than 1/8th mile and the sun no where in sight until the fog lifts.

The previous few days this was the pattern between 9 and 10 am then the fog was gone and things warmed up nicely to the 60’s. This day however “Mother Nature” had other plans for the 175 plus racers and the area around the dragstrip, though just a few hundred feet in elevation it is sunny and warm while here it is, see your breath chilly and you can see barely a mile.

Track temps now in the 60’s with “street” tires only running the track and little by little warming the surface as the sun is now peeking thru the fog aiding in the process to prep the track for cars with the “slick” tires to make runs.

With the sun out nicely and everyone having made a run, it was time for the “Gambler”. The race is one run only and the “best package” takes the cash.

Two “winners” emerge, electronic and non-electronic, each earning a “GIFT” package of Bardahl products provided by sales representative Renea Berger who shared the winners circle with the electronics winner Mary Burckhard and drag strip manager Ed Garfield.

Taking home all the way to Mission, BC in the non-electronics class is Chris Stone in his ’68 Dart laying down a 0.040 package. Congratulations to both winners and see you sometime mid-March for the next TnT.

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

West Coast Grudge Season Ends With A Bonus

Posted on by

13 Oct 2018 Kent, WA – The West Coast Grudge Series ended their 2018 season with a bonus day of racing. The last date was added after the last race was rained out and it turned out to be a great move for the racers and spectators alike.

Pairing up with a test and tune date already on the docket brought over 200 entries eager to hit the instant green and 1/8th mile distance, and many hit speeds over 150 mph.

A huge thing for the series is the spectators that come out and watch these wicked machines do battle – the stands filled with more people than all the previous dates put together, it was great to see that and I am sure that the great weather that “Mother Nature” provided helped.

To all those involved in bringing this series to the northwest, Congrats to all your hard earned efforts and a job well done. From an idea born from Mike Bader and Dave Stolz and grabbed by the horns, Willy Peterson and his gang have built a series that will continue to evolve as the years go by.

We will see more and more bad fast cars and trucks to the Northwest and “Instant Green” racing.

Over 500 great images of these amazing cars are now available – click here to go to the photo album.  As always thank you for your support and purchases!!

WINNERS
Mike Thielen in Outlaw 10.5
Daniel Rodrique in Skinny
Dan Hermann in Stick
Eric McLaughlin in 6.50
Kenny O,Keefe in 7.50
Brad Craig in the 8.50 class

Test-N-Tune & Gambler at Pacific Raceways

Posted on by

07 Oct 2018 Kent, WA – October racing in the northwest or as some say the “Northwet” is always a gamble. Todays ability to go on the smart phone and see what the weather is doing and forecasted to do just about to the second can be a blessing or a curse.

Adding to that the direction from which the weather is coming can by just a scant mile be totally different. This became the factor in in which the date became a “rainout” as Pacific Raceway was just inside the border of rain/no-rain and just enough came down to make it un-safe and irritate everyone.

Here are the images from today’s rain-shortened day – click here to go to the photo album.

The weather though looks good for the Oct. 13th date and the 20th is too far away and this is drag racing in the “Northwest” at its best.

2018 ET Finals Was Epic!

Posted on by

02 Sept 2018 Boise, ID – As the rotation goes around between the four host tracks for the Northwest E.T. Finals all headed to Firebird Raceway this year. Close to 500 entries packed onto the grounds, divided up into 14 team pits.

With the Managers Cup, the Race of Champions and the Team championship up for grabs with the winners of the Race of Champions going to Pomona as the Division 6 players for a 7-Division battle for number one in their class.

The weekend got tarted on Thursday with a test and tune for all that needed to adjust to the conditions that is Firebird Raceway. On to Friday and the Gambler race for all those that wish to enter and the runs were also your qualifying hit as those not in get a hit also. The more that enter the bigger the payout and any help with costs to a racer can be helped greatly with a win.

Those that pocketed the cash:

Kurt Gross in Super Pro
Brian McGinnis in Pro
Shannon O’Leary in Sportsman
Riley Toth in Bike/Sled
Kyle Wagenaar in Jr. Lightning
Logan Scrivner in Jr. Thunder
Cooper Chun in Jr. Street.

On to Saturday and it was the Track Managers Challenge and the Race of Champions. A race within a race as all members of the team’s race with the winner added to the team total and as the track champions do battle for the Race of Champions portion also adding to the team total.

With two classes requiring seven rounds to get a winner that’s a lot of racing. Round after round and into darkness it took to go thru the eight classes of racers. The four classes of winners in the ROC that will represent Division Six in Pomona are Pat Osmundson in Super Pro, Matt Lielman in Pro, Devin Fround in Sportsman and Scott Grondahl in Sled/Bike.

The four ROC winners not yet included in the trip to Pomona are Damien Chinn in High School, Kyle Wagenaar in Jr. Lightning, Lindsey Miller in Jr. Thunder and Calli Deming in Jr. Street.

In the Track Managers Challenge of the fourteen tracks that entered the E.T. Finals the big winner this year was Woodburn Dragstrip with 49 points to claim bragging rights for another year and those eight class racers that are now on a huge “high” for what they just accomplished.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday as they say is here with the “Team” Championship up for grabs. With a round win number that will take a long time to better Woodburn Dragstrip “Team Pacific” and it’s 55 racers were ready to attempt a re-peat. Food and liquids provided by “Pirates Loot” over the weekend kept all going into Sunday with a last breakfast before racing. Team photo finished, the members scattered to the pit area to get ready to do battle. Early on the round wins were tough to come by and no record this year and the place in the standings fell.

This fact was also true for a number of tracks, as a many time winner for this series came up with a big win and that team is Portland Int’l Raceway with 86 points.

The class winners in this race

Brad Pattan in Super Pro
Steve Kelly in Pro
Gary Howe Jr. in Sportsman
Mark Canty in Bike/Sled
Kyle Wagenaar in Jr. Lightning
Ryan Bese in Jr. Thunder
Cooper Chun in Jr. Street.

On a special note for a three-day weekend of racing with three separate races to win a racer can only dream of winning all three. Well a young man named Kyle Wagenaar had his dreams come true by “sweeping” the three races, a rare feat indeed done by anyone but to do it in the Jr. Lightning class says a lot about this, young racers future.

Images from the entire weekend, broken out in Albums by day, are now available – click here to go to the photo albums.

Till next time “Congratulations” to all the winners and “Good Luck” to those going to Pomona.

Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Comes To Pacific Raceways

Posted on by

19 Aug 2018 Kent, WA – A Test & Tune, Qualifying, and great racing was the formula for a four-day weekend in which just shy of 350 entries attempted to end up with a little gold statue they call a “WALLY” at Pacific Raceways this past weekend.

Weather could not have been better for racers and spectators alike though it was a little warm for the finals that finished just ahead of a smoke bank from a nearby fire.
On a funny note Chris Demke started the weekend pushing a “shoe” 300 feet down the track leaving it there for all to see and a track worker to go and retrieve.

Chris Marshall showed big performance by earning “Wally’s” from both the “Nationals” and the “Divisional” events at Pacific Raceways, and always-a-threat local racers Jeff Lane and Jody Lang added to a long list of “WALLY” wins.

Three days of great racing resulted in over 1,900 images available – click here to go to the photo albums.

FRIDAY NIGHT SHOOTOUT WINNERS
Chris Thode in Top Comp
Tanner Theobald in Super Comp
Aaron Kinard in Super Gas
Jess Dale in Super Street

“WALLY” LODRS WINNERS
TAD – Chris Demke
TAF – Chris Marshall
Comp – Jeff Lane
Super Stock – Jody Lang
Stock – Norm Webber
TS – Doug Crumlich
TD – Mark Campbell
SC – Aaron Kinard
SG – Rob Willis
SS – Gary Ericksen
SM – Miles Hauer
SP – Parker Theobald
Pro- Dustin Ward

Olympic Ironworks Motorcycle Race #1

Posted on by

02 May 2018 Kent, WA – Starting off the summer schedule Wednesday night the motorcycle riders were first up. This mid-week race has grown into a great meet and race around a bunch of friends.

Racers pitted around each other prepping their bikes, helping one another when needed and welcoming new riders to the race program. Combined with the bikes was a test and tune for cars and Jr. Dragsters. They filled up the lanes ready to test their machines and the track surface and its grip.

May 16th is the next date for the bikes, come on out for the mid-week racing.

Outlasting the rest of the class Mark Sires saved the best for last running one-thousands off his dial-in over Mike Evans who was a little off the mark.

Images from this 1st race of the series are now available – click here to go to the photo album.

Private Test Session at Pacific Raceways

Posted on by

26 April 2018 Kent, WA – When there is an open date at the dragstrip it can be used a racer who really needs the track time, he will grab it. Then word gets around that the track is booked for the day others will join in and help split the cost of the track rental. This cost can be split by up to ten players – the cap set by the track.

The range and reason for taking this track time can be all over but the common item is “seat” time. Under the watch full eye of dragstrip manager Ed Garfield and the always present Race Rescue ready for the 9:00am start. For Ed though the day began early as “Mother Nature” gold dusted the track surface with pollen. Brooming, dragging and spraying done before motors can legally start the track is ready.

Out today Speed Factory and their Honda Civic were getting it set up for an upcoming race. Hood off and getting the launch dialed in. Make a launch, stop, adjust, hit it again, back up to their pit and read the data cool it down and do it again when ready.

When the hood went back on you knew they were ready to make a full track run. And run they did throwing out the laundry after running a 7.58 @ 206 mph. That made their day on just a test pass.

Over in the pits a corral of turbo cars that that could be looking to run in the “Grudge” dates dialing them in. Ono of those cars a yellow/gold Mustang sporting a 302 Coyote motor had his hands full calming down the power to the wheels – he was losing traction on the launch. With the persistence of a true racer he figured it out to make a full pass and use the parachute hanging off the back end. By the end of the day all seemed to have things dialed in and ready to race.

Using the time also a few Jr. Dragsters were out for licensing and testing for their big event coming up in May. Finishing up the story I had to end with my long-time friend Jim Ronan and his wheel stander. Some could look at it as a “bucket list” though those that know Jim it has been a “goal” to license since purchasing the old “Knotts Berry Farm” truck.

Making changes over the winter to improve the truck with the aid of Russ Smith today dialed the wheel stander in little by little. Calming down the throttle hit to not jump up on the skid pads added greatly to get the truck up to the proper attitude. With this obtained Jim started making longer and longer runs at different parts of the track. Then came the big moment making a nice straight pass into high gear down the track better than 330 ft. captured on video and posted to Facebook by Edmund Woody Hloshyk ll.

The excitement that is all over Jim’s face is going to take a long time to calm down though now really looking forward to the next chance to ride the skid pads. Great job Bud.

It was an awesome day at the track – congrats to the Speed Factory folks as social media is buzzing on their world record performance.

Lots of great images, often from angles that are hard to get on a regular racing day. Check them out – click here to go to the photo album.

Test-N-Tune #2 at Pacific Raceways

Posted on by

25 Mar 2018 Kent, WA – The second Test-N-Tune of the 2018 season brought in more new faces and cars, not the number from the previous weekend but a large number for a test and tune.

Cold and cloudy for the early morning then the sun was in and out of the clouds all day. At times the lanes were filled back around the curve. As the rounds of racers in cars, trucks, bikes and Jr. Dragsters moved on like clock-work a testament to the dragstrip crew keeping things running smooth.

The winners here today were all those that came out on a chilly Sunday for a Test and Tune. No April Fools here the next date will start the season for the Jr.’s along with a test and tune, see you then.

Images from the entire day are now available – click here to go to the photo album. As always, thank you for the support and purchases!!