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.

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

John Kilroy Footbrake Challenge & Mark Sarver Memorial 1/8th Mile Shootout

01 July 2018 Bremerton, WA – A bigger weekend would be hard pressed to find with the grounds packed for the John Kilroy Footbrake Challenge, the Mark Sarver Memorial 1/8th mile shootout and shootouts for the bikes and Jr’s.

190 entries divided into two groups going after the big money this event grown into since started a few years back. Hosted by the Sears Family Racing with a slew of sponsors this “one” day event could morph into a “two” day event with entrust growing rapidly as the first race had just under a couple dozen, can you say a ten-fold growth in just a few short years.

The idea of nothing but your brakes holding you on the line is every bit of “old school” racing, no trans brake and all electronics turned off or zeroed out to even have a dragster entered running with the door cars.

In what had to be everybody’s photo op every time he came to the line Jake Guadagnolo traveled from Linden, Ca. some 17+ hrs. to Bremerton Raceway toting his bumper dragging 70 Nova. Only going a few rounds in the footbrake race he redeemed himself putting on a show round after round in Pro and Super Pro on Sunday coming ever so close to winning both, in the end taking the trophy in S/P. In his words “I love this place and am coming back next year and bringing my friends with me”.

To cap off Saturday just hours before sundown a “wedding” broke out for Joe Grahm and Kathy Strong to say their “I Do’s” on the starting line. Congrats to the newlyweds.
Ending the day with the “Rolling Stones Concert Experience” put on a show back in the “Cul-De-Sac” racing pits, great way to end the day with great music.

Saturday’s winners are Jess Dale in Super Street, Emmett McKillop in Super Comp, Lane Cavar in the Sarver 1/8th. Mi. Shootout, FB Blue Peter Oliviero, FB Red Brandon Reaves, Footbrake Champion Peter Oliviero, Jr. Shootout Cooper Chun.

Sunday had the Bremerton Raceway E.T. Series in full swing with many of the “footbrake” racers now back in their normal race trim, IE trans brakes and electronics. In addition, the unfinished races from the National Open were also held with Tony Arthur getting the “Wally” in Super Comp and Todd Sims getting his “Wally” in Super Street, congrats to both on adding to the “trophy” case.

Sunday’s results are Jess Dale in Super Street, Tony Arthur in Super Comp, Jake Guadagnolo in Super Pro, Jim Were in Motorcycle, Gary Howe Jr. in Pro, Renea Berger in Sportsman, Sean Ryland in Jr. Street,Maurice Castro in H.S., Kort Holbrook in Jr. Thunder, Ian Theofelis in Jr. Lightning, Isabell Boardway in 2nd Chance Thunder and Jiovanni Collecchi in 2nd Chance Lightning.

Only Super Comp and Super Street were completed, stay tuned to details for the final rounds for the other classes.

Tons of images broken out into multiple albums – click here to go to them.

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.

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

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.

Images are now online – again thanks for your support and purchases – CLICK HERE FOR IMAGES

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.

IMAGES ARE NOW ONLINE – CLICK HERE

Busy Day at ProFormance Racing School

20 June 2018 Kent, WA – A dozen students filled the classroom at ProFormance Racing School. Another group of people that realize that these skills that are passed along by Don Kitch and his instructors will make them better drivers on the roads.

The points passed along really teach you what to do if, and when you really need to use the skills taught. Learning to control your automobile when panic arises is more than a plus, it can save your hide.

Summer is here, and new drivers are hitting the highways, what a smart addition to their drivers training than teaching them what is not gone thru in the basic drivers training.

Contact ProFormance Racing School for a date for you or your child or both.

Images from all the sessions today are now available – click here to go to the photo album.

Puget Sound Road Race Association Karts at Pacific Raceways

16 June 2018 Kent, WA – The Puget Sound Road Race Association and its group of kart racers came back to Pacific Raceways 2.25 mile track for the first time in seven years.

This fact showed as the paddock area around the ProFormance Racing School building was packed with entries for this race.

A morning of practice on Friday only and a race on Saturday both done by the 4:00 PM curfew as the drag strip had the track after then. With over 20 groups to run under depending on machine you will see some karts the tickle 140 mph down the straight away and that is just “one” inch off the pavement and like a motorcycle you are not attached to the machine.

The drafting that is done like NASCAR is gained a lot by an areo-package, here for most of the classes it is the human body and watching them go nose to tail six of seven-long is quite a sight.

Running seven groups with all but one being staggered starts with as many as five classes running at the same time and like the handicapped start in E.T. racing at the end all should be equal.

The list of winners is long so visit the PSRRA site for the list.

Images are broken out into two Albums – CLICK HERE TO GO THE ALBUMS

West Coast Grudge Continues To Grow

15 June 2018 Kent, WA – What came together last year from two guys with an idea for some grudge type racing in the northwest is growing by leaps and bounds. Under the guidance of Willy Peterson and family and a host of others the car count and range of grudge racers and their followers are filling in the lanes and grandstands.

This is just race number 2 of 5 set for this season, and it shows the interest of heads up and instant green racing. With a bunch of racers still building cars for just this event it really shows how this type of “safe” street kind of racing is growing in the northwest.

As I was tasked to cover a charity event at the kart track I could not spend a lot of time this night but am looking forward to the next event on July 13th.

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

Pacific Northwest Karting Challenge

15 June 2018 Kent, WA – Since 1997 Team Seattle under the leadership of Don and Donna Kitch have been involved with Seattle Children’s Hospital with a popular fund raiser for them. Over 5 million dollars have been brought to the aid of the children under the hospitals care.

Coming out to PGP Motorsports Park for the first time, 15 teams and their donor’s dollars came for an endurance team race. With sponsorship help from Jackson Dean Construction and ADVANCED ARE PROTECTION INC. the fund raising, and racing may have a new home and a really fun way to raise much needed dollars.

Adding to the fun for the donors PGP had just received a whole new fleet of karts with just a few runs on them and because they are new the times around the track that the numbers on the kart are the only way to notice which one you are riding now meaning the driver is the only controlling factor in the outcome of a race, can you say equality.

Like in any endurance racing the team of drivers you put together pretty much have to be equal in ability to get the most out of what you are racing, here being consistent in your laps by all.

This fact helped Team Seattle with a lap avg. of 90.150 seconds to claim the top of the podium and with the help of the following teams raised $80,000 dollars from this event. Congratulations to all that took part and the help.

Lots of great images of all the teams – click here to go to the photo album –

TEAMS –

Special Hope
Wanna Be Racers
Blanchard’s Brats
Tha Kart of Racing
Seattle-Symetra
DACO/Applied Team Hope Care Cure
Seattle “Michael’s Automotive Group 1”
Dirt Fish Teams 1 & 2
BMW + Mini Karting Challenge
Kruisers for the Kure
Buschwakers
NW Partitions Racing for Children’s
Chargers
Speed Racers/Team Seattle Heart Kart