Swift Tools ET Series #4 at Pacific Raceways

18 May 2019 Kent, WA – It may say race number four, but it is really, number two as mother nature took away the first two. Many of the racers are still fresh off the first race that filled the grounds as normal for the Swift Tool E.T. Series.

The weather was a touch chilly but fine for racing and way better than the rain that plagued the previous nights event. One mishap delay for an oil clean up stopped action for a short time but the quick work by the drag crew got things back on track quickly and still finish before curfew.

The slow down though it was a good one caused the run order to be altered as Gordon Rust was in the finals in Sportsman and Pro and is afforded cool down time which for him became a great thing as he claimed both classes and the trophy’s to go with the wins.

Jim Were claimed the M.C. class over William Nitta and Dave Wakefield picked up another win in Super Pro.

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Swift Tools ET Series #3 & West Coast Grudge at Pacific Raceways

04 May 2019 Kent, WA – Thank You Mother Nature!

After raining out the first two races of the season it was nothing but sunshine for all those attending event #3 of the Swift Tools ET Series.

Really only the first time the Swift Tool sponsored series racers get down the track to earn points towards a number of “carrots” at the end of the season. Time trials got underway on a well prepped track by the drag crew put new numbers on their time slips to check if the improvements made over the winter worked.

For those bringing out new to them race rides in “all” the series classes will not only bring in new blood but will develop new relationships amongst the “family” that drag racing is all about.

Race number #3 class winners are in Junior Street O’Riley Benda, Kaitlin Smith in High School, Bailey Benda in Jr, Storm, Luke Cavar in Jr. Lightning, Dustin Ridge in Jr. Thunder, track champ Kevin Renick defending his title in Super Pro, Mike Driscoll in Pro, Craig Smith takes the trophy in Sportsman and William “Bill” Nitta on his ’08 Hayabusa out rode the rest in Motorcycle.

On a side note to the MC class for the first time that I can remember a “snow mobile” made it a true BIKE/SLED class, great to see.

Tying into the series race the West Coast Grudge racers brought their growing list of racers ready to attack the “instant green” and quick 1/8th mile races. Willy and his crew have done an outstanding job of promoting and leading the way on this quickly growing series and its followers. Local racer Lane Cavar is “all in” and it showed with the show he put on with a smooth, wheels up launch carrying the front off the track farther than any previous runs and putting that laundry holder on the rear some work. Very impressive indeed.

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Swift Tools ET Series #12 at Pacific Raceways

11 Aug  2018 Kent, WA – Race number twelve of the Swift Tools ET Series brought some conditions together that were planned and some were not. With a big race going on in Boise and Mother Nature threats resulted in the lowest car count for a Swift Tool race.

Overnight rain started the drag crew on the removing gallons of water from the track with the new scrubber and watering the parched grass in the process as the rainfall has been sparse for the last three months.

Racers lined up and going thru qualifying Mother Nature struck again – soaking everything though later she turned around and helped dry everything with a cloudless sky. It was a welcome sight the racing got going thru eliminations into the night.

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

On top of all racers in their class are:

Super Pro – Alston Hentges
Pro – Kenny O’Keefe
Sportsman – Jake Biscay
Motorcycle – Jim Were
High School – Chase Gordner

Super Saturday #3, Swift Tools #11, Jr Dragsters #10, High School #5 & WCSA at Pacific Raceways

28 July 2018 Kent, WA – Race number eleven of the Swift Tools ET Series rounds off the chance for racers to qualify for the E.T. finals and in the end track champions. The field was just one racer shy of 250 that took the tree in the first round in all classes combined with just a handful here to test for the upcoming national event.

Add to this for the Swift Tool E.T. series it is an “All Access Challenge” which earns you a “Wally”. The trophy on its own is a hard one to earn and all racers covet earning one.

Having said that a huge shout out to Cole Dickhoff who for the second year in a row picked up two in the same week in two countries and tracks. A lot of racers go their entire racing career and never get one and to get four in two years speaks volumes on this young mans talent and I hear he is also quite good on a go-kart.

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

The winners for today’s race are:

Super Pro – Norm Braedt
Pro – Brian McGinnis
Sportsman – Art Kirby
Motorcycle – Stacy Hesch
Jr. Lightning – Ian Theofelis
Jr. Thunder – Cole Dickhoff
Jr. Storm – Dawsin Ridge
Stock – Alan Falcone
Super Comp – Derek McMasters
Super Gas – Lane Cavar
Super Street – Martin Rachel
Top Comp – Kevin Rennick
Turbo Thunder – Dennis Hogan

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Swift Tools ET Series #7 & High School #4 at Pacific Raceways

16 June 2018 Kent, WA – To this race we have to thank “Mother Nature” as she has affected or cancelled many of the previous race dates. The weather this time brought nearly 170 racers to the track had no one complaining. E.T. racing at it’s best with sunshine and lots of cars down the track.

This event was also another “Bud Under the Lights” night with food and adult beverages on the patio. With track prep in the “house of hook” condition the racing really would have a hard time being better when all is put together. The next “Bud Under the Lights” is set for June 23rd come on out and take in the action.

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

WINNERS

Bill Heard in Super Pro
Brian McGinnis in Pro
Mark Biscay in Sportsman
William Nitta in Motorcycle
Cassidy Langley in High School.

An Incomplete Weekend at Pacific Raceways

10 June 2018 Kent, WA – It was a whole bunch of classes – Car Club, Junior #5, Swift #5, Junior #6, Super Saturday #1, Outlaw Shootout, PNSCA, BC Shifters, Swift #6 who all were on the LOSS side, as Mother Nature took the WIN at the Swift Tools ET Series #5 at Pacific Raceways.

Try as they may the Pacific Raceways drag staff with help from the racers could not win though not from the lack of trying. The sunshine was only a tease to get everyone going with a goal in sight. No one was happy about the weather putting an end to their plans but think of it this way, it’s not hot lava or torrents of water flooding in destruction mode on peoples lives, disrupting their plans, racers will again run down the track as “Mother Nature” allows you to “WIN” your fair share of the time, with her It’s you win some and you lose some in the “Northwet”.

Got some great images while the fun lasted, click here to go to the photo album.