Tag Archives: #dragracing

49th Annual Cornwell Tools All High School Drags

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03 May 2019 Kent, WA – A long lasting and annual event each spring that brings together students from all around the Puget Sound area to gain the bragging rights as “High School Champion” at the drag strip is the 49th Annual Cornwell Tools All High School Drags.

The added bonus to becoming the sole survivor is the chance to race against a “Top Fuel” driver during the “Nationals” held the first week in Aug. Not to be intimidated by the thought of that race because in the past the HS champ has taken out the “PRO” in front of a packed house.

In addition to that the winner takes home a “Cornwell” tool box loaded with all the basic tools needed for working on your ride. Music, food, drag racing and always the burnout contest equals just a bunch of fun for all the students and “Alumni” that attend this annual event.

A little bonus to all those attending Kim Parker brought out her dragster and made a few passes along with Ryan Hayward in his red Corvette making passes down the track.

Taking home the alumni win was Dalton Miller and the high school winner from Bonney Lake was Brandon Yokum.

It was another great high school drags in the books and number 50 coming up next year, should be a good one, see you then.

Lots of great images are now available – click on the link to go to the photo album.

Test-N-Tune At Pacific Raceways

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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

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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.

Toys For Tots – NW Toy Drive at Pacific Raceways

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02 Dec 2018 Kent, WA – Each December the Pacific Raceways property plays host to some very generous people. The annual NW Toy Drive benefiting Toys for Tots, is sponsored by Lexus of Bellevue.

Thousands of folks brought their un-wrapped gifts or cash donation for the Marine Corps Reserve program.

Combine this with holiday music and vendors covering the many cars out for the car show gathering. Out on the 2.25 mile track a “lead/follow” run was overseen by ProFormance Racing School giving those who take part an idea of what it feels like to drive a road course.

In the house, Santa and his helpers were on hand accepting gifts and posing for pictures, also on hand was Ed Troyer from the Pierce County Toys for Tots program. Every year that I have covered this event it has gotten bigger and bigger thus proving the generosity of the NW to those in need.

This year exceeded last year’s total when combining cash donations and boxes of toys and those taking part in the lead/follow is growing in popularity. Great job by all those involved as it takes many to help bring it together each year.

Till next year Happy Holidays to all.

Images of all the fun, and Santa too are now available – click here to go to the photo album.

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

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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

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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

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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.

National Dragster Challenge & King of The Track at Bremerton Raceway

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06 Oct 2018 Bremerton,  WA – Rolling on to the raceway property with the sun out bright after a day long down pour the day before is always a great sight for the eyes.

This race weekend is loaded with “lasts”. The last race to earn points in the E.T. series towards track championships and to qualify for the “King of the Track” also it is the last race weekend for Bremerton Raceway season and the last weekend for Gordon and Barb Howell overseeing the operations of the racetrack and in this position changing the schedule for the KOT from the next day to this day because of the impending weather for that day.

Smart move as the next day became a “rainout” as far as racing but the big winner this day was Russell Lopeman who heard his name announced for the trailer giveaway presented by Freeway Trailers and Bremerton Raceway.

Challenge winners and KOT are Jeremy Sears in Super Pro, Mike Evans in Motorcycle, Brian McGinnis in Pro, Brian Thompson in Sportsman, Dawsin Ridge in Jr. Thunder, Charlie Burkevics in Jr. Lightning, Dustin Ridge in 2nd Chance Lightning and Congrats to Thomas Vickers in winning “King of the Track”.

All in all a great way to end the season at Bremerton Raceway and I have to add a huge “THANKS” to Gordon and Barb over the years for the help covering your work and enjoy your time away from the track.

Lots of great images are now available – click here to go to the photo album.

33rd Annual Bi-Mart Fall Classic at Woodburn

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23 Sept 2018 Woodburn, OR – The last big event at Woodburn Dragstrip is now in its 33rd year and the draw to racers and spectators alike was huge! With each day being its own race day, the amount of classes (25 over the two days) brings a wide range of race cars and trucks to the famous dragstrip. Adding to the mix the Outlaw 8.5 and 10.5 bring their high-powered cars to the track for some 1/8th mile racing.

BB/Funny Cars, Pro Nostalgia and a pair of jet funny cars put on a show for the spectators along with a race among themselves to get a winner.

With the entries for both days racing ran into the darkness turning on the newly finished light pole behind the burnout box. This is a race weekend you need to mark on your date book for next year as it is a great show of race cars and horsepower.

Tons of images from all 3 three days are now available – click here to go to the photo albums.

SATURDAY WINNERS

Danny Wargnier in Top Gas
Jarod Anderson in Hot Rod
Brian Horn in Street Machine
Jimmy Heriford in Street Rod
Paul Carbaugh in Stick Shift
Ron McBee in Gasser
Dave Mueller in Inline/Flathead
Steve Cooper in Run Tuff
Don DePeel in ET Motorcycle
Bob Osborne in Harley
Ty Anderson in Super Comp
Gary Erickson in Super Street
James Boyce in Stock/Super Stock
Ryan Bese in Jr. Lightning
Logan Scrivner in Jr. Thunder.

SUNDAY WINNERS

Greg Howland in BB/Funny Car
Marc Pruett in Pro Nostalgia
Paja Agotonovic in Outlaw 10.5
Michael Dunks Jr. in Outlaw 8.5
Tony Arthur in Super Comp
Jess Dale in Super Street
Dave Barcelon in Stock/Super Stock
Don Burgoyne in Dragster/Roadster
Donny Richards in Super Pro
Chris Stone in Pro
Jimmy Heriford in Sportsman
Terry Holloway in ET Motorcycle
Jeff Lilly in Pro Mod
Gene Hegle in Quick 8
Austin Varner in Jr. Lightning
Lindsey Miller in Jr. Thunder
Terry Holloway is King of the Track.

Congrats to all the winners at this years Fall Classic. Also need to thank Dave and Jack for the jump to get my dead battery going and to Jay Bird good luck on your new adventure to the east of the Mississippi river.

5th Annual Cornwell Tools GM Nationals

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15 Sept 2018 Kent, WA – September racing in the northwest can be anywhere from a sunny and 80-degree day or 50 degrees and rain or anything in-between. Last year it was high overcast skies and a completed race – this year though “Mother Nature and Murphy” had other plans.

The driver’s meeting finished and it was off to time trials for the four classes set for this event. Nearing a dozen passes into time trials the drops on the windshields began, not a downpour, not even really rain but just enough to make a prepped track un-raceable.

To all just enough to irritate those using the dragstrip and car show entries grabbing their shammies to get rid of it. Such is the waiting game with “Mother Nature”.
With a break in the rain and the track dry though it is now only 1/8th mi. race due to safety then that partner to “Mother Nature” reared its ugly head on the first pair down the track with the left lane dropping rear end parts on the starting line. It was a mad scramble to clean the mess and get back to time trials as the window of no rain was closing in on the area.

A great job by the track crew in dealing with the “Murphy’s Law” portion of the day in the cleanup but to no avail as the rain returned and ruined all the good work to get back to racing to all but the Cornwell Tools trucks as three pair took a trip down the track and had to be a highlight for the drivers.

Let’s hope the weather next year is on the better side and the cohorts that invaded the event stay away.

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