Swift Tools ET Series #10 at Pacific Raceways

14 July 2018 Kent, WA – Summer is in full mode in the northwest and all the tracks are in action. At the beginning of the season the racers look at all the schedules from the area tracks and plan their race season. The Swift Tools ET Series at Pacific Raceways is on the top of most the team’s lists for the year.

Choosing to go here or there is a personal choice on your goals for the season and your summer vacation plans for the family. These choices will have an impact on the car count at each track, some will be packed with entries and others will be down. This ebb and flow is the unknown to the track operators who have to prepare for a full house each and every race.

This does not include what the weather is doing on those dates, another fact that impacts what decisions the racers make.

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In the northwest when the temps jump into the 90’s we head for the water be it pool, lake or river. For the near 150 that endured the heat for the Swift Tools ET Series Event #10 today these are the class winners:

Super Pro – Kevin Rennick
Pro – Al Chinn
Sportsman – Jake Biscay
Motorcycle – Mark Sires
High School – Leim Sooy

West Coast Grudge Racing #3 at Pacific Raceways

13 July 2018 Kent, WA – It was race number three of the five dates at Pacific Raceways for the WCG and the high-powered race cars they bring to the strip. The high powered cars only run to the 1/8th mile and do it quickly.

There are two groups divided into two groups by a 10 second quarter mile time, group A-slower, group B-faster and a class for the bikes. Add into this a “small” tire shootout that most all could “fry” the tires the whole 1/8th mile, so putting that much horsepower to a small tire is a science at best.

This day tested all though as high temperatures and a bit muggy air had liquid in many forms in people’s hands. Add the date to the mix and near middle of summer many racers and their family might be at a lake somewhere and those that are superstitious not testing the date doing something else.

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The Next date for the West Coast Grudge Series is August 10th. See you there!

    

Private Test & Lapping at ProFormance Racing School

12 July 2018 Kent, WA – When drivers find a date that they can run laps every 30 minutes starting at 9:00 AM, it’s like a kid in a candy store. Normal lapping dates are combined with the ProFormance Racing School students that have the track from nine till noon.

That extra hour and a half of seat time is the bonus for the lappers who now get the chance to run the 2.25 mile course in the morning.

Taking up the other 30 minutes of each hour was the Global Racing Group and their F-4 open wheel race cars who were getting some seat time while in the northwest.

Lead driver Benjamin Pedersen guided teammate Blake Upton around the track to work on consistent lap times for each driver. Being one of the instructors for Don Kitch and his school he has made many laps around the track and the lap times between the two proved that.

It was great watching these two and their team in action on track and off and how well prepared this team is as a whole, good luck in your up coming races.

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

Olympic Ironworks Motorcycle #5 at Pacific Raceways

11 July 2018 Kent, WA – Hard to believe that only two more dates left to the 2018 Wednesday PRDC at Pacific Raceways. The season is flying by as this mid-week event keeps growing and bringing new riders to the program.

A fine looking white Harley chopper, new to the track with that ride went three rounds lining up against the pure drag bikes pushing some to break out trying to catch this high 12 second chopper.

The Chopper Fell in round three to Mark Sires who took home the hardware after taking out Steve Rosengreen in the finals.

The next Olympic Ironworks PRDC race is July 22.

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

Swift Tools ET Series #9 & HS #5 at Pacific Raceways

08 July 2018 Kent, WA – Sunday brought about the normal Swift Tools ET Series race and the completion of the Saturday race. Clear and sunny skies greeted all unlike the previous two day brought happy faces to all.

Again, the plan “B” comes into play as to how to finish both before the 5:00pm curfew, oh did I mention the NW Nostalgia Tour and their race to run.

With no adverse weather to worry about the tower laid out a plan and the drag strip crew carried it out running today’s race and the finishing the other, beating the curfew, but not by much.

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WINNERS
Jr. Storm – Dawsin Ridge
Jr. Thunder – Alexis Krier
Jr. Lightning – Ian Theofelis
High School – Lelan Good
Motorcycle – Tom Misfeldt
Sportsman – Adam Ysquicedo
Pro – Robert Steffen
Super Pro – Doug Whitmore

SATURDAY RACE WINNERS
Super Pro – Kevin Rennick
Pro – Al Chinn
Sportsman Casey Reed

UNFC Funny Car Invitational Finals at Pacific Raceways

07 July 2018 Kent, WA –  It was a packed line up on the schedule today with the rain-out qualifying scrubbing the first round, with at least three rows of haulers toting those funny cars somewhat harking back to the 64 funny car days of the past.

Northwest legends Bill Doner and Bucky Austin lead the way and their past connections with the funny car shows in mind they put together a program that those who witnessed those days and the “nitro” junkies of today totally enjoyed.

In between the funny cars the Swift Tool Series class racers enjoying a great sunny day of racing picking up points towards the E.T. Finals to be held Labor Day weekend in Boise. Round after round they went until the little bugger “Murphy” showed up and as we all know his monkey wrench has many sizes.

Working against the curfew, the scramble was on to get as many rounds in for the Swift racers and the UNFC finals completed.

When the time clock ran out these classes finished, Dawsin Ridge in Jr. Storm, Dustin Ridge in Jr. Thunder, Jordan “JoJo” Dooley in Jr. Lightning, Trenton smith in Jr. Street and the big winner and unbeaten this season in UNFC Bobby Cottrell left second but finished first over Jason Rupert.

The unfinished Swift racers will finish their race the next day.

Over 500 images, including great shots from the top end are now available – click here to go to the photo album.

UNFC Funny Car Invitational, Car Club & Jr Dragsters #8 at Pacific Raceways

06 July 2018 Kent, WA – Making plans are always subject to change. Having a plan “B” or further depending on what may or may not happen. All things were set to go for Friday racing at Pacific Raceways for the 2nd Annual UNFC Funny Car Invitational with twice as many trying to qualify for the 8-car field. Along with all the car club and Jr’s set for their scheduled series race.

A dozen runs into the car club time trials mother nature as she is poured rain onto the parade sending all for cover. The heavy downpour left huge puddles and a completely soaked track, and with a curfew looming, a new plan was in the works.

Scrubbing the funny car qualifying purely for safety, and the car club shortened their race to 1/8th mile as apposed to the normal quarter racing for them and the Jr’s could safely be run after the great work by the drag crew prepping the track.

Top of the class goes to Ken O’Keefe in Car Club, Selena Lenihan in Jr. Lightning, Dustin Ridge in Jr. thunder, Abigail Cole in Jr. Storm and Trenton Smith in Jr. Street.

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Swift Tools ET Series #8 & WCSA at Pacific Raceways

June 2018 Kent, WA – The early season rain cut the number of races for the Swift Tool series and this being number 8 of 13 had a packed house filling the grounds. With near or just above 200 entries, more than 80 in Pro alone, all were out in the sunshine enjoying the racing and weather.

Taking in the action the bike riders from WMRRA looked forward to their finals on Sunday, and there were some fast bikes and fast cars sharing the 14 hours of operation time the track has for the day.

We came ever so close to completing race number eight with a huge effort by the drag crew, but that 11:00 PM curfew slammed things down like a hammer on a nail. This fact stopped all classes but the motorcycles where Jim Werre grabbed a double break out win over William Nitta.

The next Swift Tools ET Series race is July 8th.

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Car Club – Jr Dragster #7 & WCSA at Pacific Raceways

22 June 2018 Kent, WA – Car Club at Pacific brings out a wide range of the Big-3 production cars and trucks. A ’64 Polara in one lane and a ’18 Charger in the other is quite a sight for the Mopar brand but then again, a ’69 Nova lined up next to a ’64 Chevy II harks back to early GM battles then mix it up with a ’15 Grand Cherokee against a ’06 Silverado.

All of these combinations can be found on a Car Club race date and are quite a treat for those watching. Along with the Car Club this date two groups of 1/8th mi. racers that are a mile apart in appearance and power.

The Jr’s. running their ¼ scale dragsters and the WCSA door slammers, the single cylinder of around 30 cubic inches for the Jr’s, to the over 800 cubic inch, eight-cylinder monster motors in the door slammers.

This night though belonged to the dragsters as “Mother Nature” reared her crying mode and ended the night after the Jr. finals.

The winners are: Ryan Warnke in Jr. Lightning, Alexis Krier in Jr. Thunder, Abigail Cole in Jr. Storm and Trenton Smith in Jr. Street.

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PRDC Olympic Iron Works #4 at Pacific Raceways

20 June 2018 Kent, WA – When Mother Nature brings out the sunny days the drag strip just loves it, but when she starts combining conditions she can make it down rite miserable.

Dressed in leathers in the heat and humidity has to just soak you up the need to at least get the top down as soon as possible. Though not in leathers those here for the test and tune with all windows up had to be a little un-pleasant with the sun beating in. Plenty of water and liquids for the drag crew doing its normal best even under the hot conditions.

Let’s hope the next race on July 11th has more favorable conditions by toning down the heat that tonight’s winner Jim Werre and his competitors went thru getting to the winners circle.

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