RAIN OUT SETS UP WILD FINISH FOR SEASON

Source: Jack Fordyce
Date: 08/18/2007

ELMA, Washington -- Saturday night’s rain-out is going to set up a wild finish for the season championship races on September 1st.

The driver that probably benefited the most was Zack Simpson of Hoquiam in the “Hobby Stocks” class. Simpson with five feature wins this season holds a seventy-one point lead over his closest competitor, Tim Isaascon of Olympia. Isaascon better not look out as Joe German of Aberdeen is only four points behind, and would like to move up in the standings at the finish of the season.

Things get interesting in the Ford Focus “Midgets” class as there is only nine points separating the top two drivers. Jeff Bell of Marysville is on top with one feature win, six top five and top finish’s with Dan West Jr. of Shelton with two feature wins. Otto Jorgenson of Auburn is right there with 439 points compared to Bell’s 460, West Jrs’ 451 and Samantha Taylor of Bonny Lake just nine points back.

Jay Cole of Shelton would have liked to have the races tonight as he is in pursuit of his seventh “360 Sprints” championship and his second in a row, along with along with a championship early in his career in the “Hobby Stocks” to make him the winningst champion in Grays Harbor Raceway history. Cole is in third place in the points standings behind Glenn Borden Jr. of Raymond who sits at the top with 635 points, with three feature wins, Nick Engberg second at 607, Cole at 598 and young J. J. Hickle of Quilcene just nine points behind Cole.

Scott Miller of Shelton wants his championship back, which he has captured three times, from Blair Shoemaker of Yakima, last years champion. Shoemaker started the season out strong with three feature wins and looked unbeatable, but then took three weeks off to race back east, which gave everybody a chance to gain ground.

Miller has the top spot with 635 points, sixty points ahead of surprising Jim Oien Jr. of McCleary, last years “Hobby Stocks” champion who moved up this year to the “Modifieds”. Miller has two feature wins along with seven top five finishes. Oien Jr. doesn’t have a win this year but he has been consistent with five top fives and eight top tens.

Shoemaker could move up in the standings with another good finish, but for him to take over the top spot he needs a lot of help, like Miller an Oien Jr. not showing up for the season finale.

The driving team of J. D. Boling and Brad Crawford of Elma are perched on top of the “Cruisers” points lead with 832 and looking for their second championship in a row, having done so with out a feature win this season, but they better look out as Brian Crawford and Aaron Hurd also of Elma are only thirteen points behind. Crawford and Hurd didn’t win a feature this year either, but like Boling/Crawford they have done it with consistent finishes. Tom Conrad and Zeb Conrad of Montesano have made a late season charge to move within twenty-five points of the leaders with three straight feature wins.

Season championship races will be on Labor Day weekend. Next week will have a Saturday night off but come back on Sunday night with the Northwest Sprint Challenge Series and the World Of Outlaws on Monday night.

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