BORDEN JR. MILLER, WEST JR. SIMPSON, HILES/GREGOROFF WIN SEASON FINALS AT ELMA

Source: Jack Fordyce
Date: 09/02/2007

ELMA, Washington -- The pole position was the place to be with the exception of the “Cruisers” class, as four out of the five trophy dash winners parlayed that into a win in the final points races of the season at Grays Harbor Raceway Saturday night. The trophy dashes were the second most import races of the night as the top six points leaders in each class were lined up according to their standings in the season longs points race, and where they finished in the trophy determined the starting grid for the first three rows of the feature races of the night.

Glenn Borden Jr. of Raymond, Scott Miller of Shelton, Zack Simpson and Dan West Jr. of McCleary all used it to their advantage.

Borden led from green flag to the checkered flag in the thirty-five lap “360 Sprints” main event, Miller did like wise in the thirty-lap “Modifieds” feature, West Jr. regained the front spot from Jeff Bell of Marysville five-laps into the “Midgets” twenty-five lap feature, Simpson was never challenged in the “Hobby Stocks” twenty-five lap main event, while the driving team of Tom and Zeb Conrad of Montesano held the lead for the first twenty three-laps of the “Cruisers” twenty five-lap main but faded at the end as the driving team of Doug Hiles and his fill in partner for the night, seventy years young Donna Gregoroff of Elma came from four rows back to win.

“360 Sprints”

Borden Jr. wasn’t taking any chances in the race as he picked up his third “360 Sprints” season championship. He had a slim lead over Nick Engberg of Burlington and didn’t want to give it up.

Borden took the lead followed by Engberg, J. J. Hickle of Quilcene, Shawn Rice of Tacoma and Jay Cole of Shelton.

The race was marred by four caution flags and one red flag. The red flag came out on lap-7 when Rob Johnson of Raymond caromed off the wall in turn three and flipped his car. The caution flags came after Rice lost a wheel on lap-eleven as did Dan Dunlap of Renton on the restart, Mike Gable of Shelton, Eddie Evans of Marysville and Rice.

Through it all Borden kept his cool and crossed the finish line, followed by Engberg who finished second in the points standings for the second year in a row, Mitch Olson of Tacoma, Hickle and Derek Ingalls of Snohomish rounded out the top five.

“Modifieds”

Miller had last years champion, Blair Shoemaker of Yakima beside him on the front row with a former track champion, Craig Moore of Seabeck just one row back.

When the green flag dropped, it was Miller, Shoemaker, Moore, Greg Dineen of Aberdeen and Joe Lambert of Shelton at the front.

The top five remained the same through the first fifteen laps until a caution flag came out when Steve Signal of Olympia hit the wall in turn-three. Shoemaker left the track under the caution for repairs which dropped him out of the top-five.

Dineen exited the track on the hook when he broke a tie rod on lap-twenty.

Moore gave it everything he had, but couldn’t pass Miller, he would catch him in the corners but lose ground on the straight-aways.

Miller took the checkered flag, followed by Moore, Jeff Foster and Jim Oien Jr. of McCleary while Shoemaker made it back into the top five.

“Hobby Stocks”

All Simpson had to do to secure the championship for the year was start the race, he did more than that though.

Tim Isaascon of Olympia was on the outside of Simpson at the start and took the early lead, followed by Simpson, Chaz Wilder of Elma, Joe German of Aberdeen and Scott Westley of Centralia. Isaascon held onto the lead for the first five laps when a puff of smoke came out of the car and he faded quickly, finally coming to a stop between turns three and four on lap-sixteen.

Simpson was never really challenged as he took the checkered for the win and his first season championship, followed by Paul Short of Puyallup, Joe McDougal of Oakville took third while Wilder and Westley had to settle for fourth and fifth.

“Midgets”

West Jr entered the race a scant nine points behind the leader Jeff Bell of Marysville. He had the pole, but Bell grabbed the lead on the first lap and held onto it for the four-laps until West Jr got it back.

With West Jr. out in front, followed by Bell, Otto Jorgenson of Auburn, Samantha Taylor of Bonny Lake and Otto’s son Jonathan, it looked like Bell was going to secure his first season championship, but lady luck has a way of changing things in a hurry.

Bell only need to stay within three spots of West Jr. to secure his first season championship, but was unable to do so as he flipped his car on the final lap after West Jr. had passed the flag stand and the checkered flag.

West Jr. was followed by Taylor, the two Jorgensons, father and then son while Han DeBakker of Olympia took fifth.

“Cruisers”

It doesn’t seem to bother Doug Hiles and his driving partner, whether it is Lisa Lemmon his usual driving partner or on this night it was seventy-year young Donna Gregoroff of Elma, they still manage to come from the back of the pack to take the checkered flag.

Conrad/Conrad were the only dash winner and pole sitter that didn’t win the feature race in their class this night.

It doesn’t matter how many laps you lead in the race, the one that is the most import is the final one.

Conrad/Conrad led from the start, followed by Brian Crawford/Aaron Hurd, J. D. Boling/Brad Crawford, Brian Brearty/Travis Brearty, all of Elma and Bob Armanino/Gordon Falkner of Shelton.

Hiles/Gregoroff moved into the top five just four –laps into the race and then began to pick off each team on their way to the front, getting by the leaders with just two-laps left in the race.

When the flagman waved the checkered flag it was Hiles/Gregoroff, Crawford/Hurd, Boling/Crawford, Mike Crawford and Dan Green of Aberdeen and Brearty/Brearty in the top five spots.

Boling/Crawford only had a fifteen point lead in the points race and needed to finish in the top four spots to secure their second straight season championship.

The sprint cars and midgets will return for a final two nights of racing for the Rained out Fred Brownfield Memorial race on Friday September 14th and Saturday the 15th. Gates open at 5:00 P.M. with racing around 7:00 both nights.

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