49th Annual Cornwell Tools All High School Drags

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03 May 2019 Kent, WA – A long lasting and annual event each spring that brings together students from all around the Puget Sound area to gain the bragging rights as “High School Champion” at the drag strip is the 49th Annual Cornwell Tools All High School Drags.

The added bonus to becoming the sole survivor is the chance to race against a “Top Fuel” driver during the “Nationals” held the first week in Aug. Not to be intimidated by the thought of that race because in the past the HS champ has taken out the “PRO” in front of a packed house.

In addition to that the winner takes home a “Cornwell” tool box loaded with all the basic tools needed for working on your ride. Music, food, drag racing and always the burnout contest equals just a bunch of fun for all the students and “Alumni” that attend this annual event.

A little bonus to all those attending Kim Parker brought out her dragster and made a few passes along with Ryan Hayward in his red Corvette making passes down the track.

Taking home the alumni win was Dalton Miller and the high school winner from Bonney Lake was Brandon Yokum.

It was another great high school drags in the books and number 50 coming up next year, should be a good one, see you then.

Lots of great images are now available – click on the link to go to the photo album.

HondaFest NW Continues To Grow

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07 Apr 2019 Kent, WA – Filling the grounds with cars and people at Pacific Raceways normally comes the first week in August. Coming in second and growing bigger each year is the HondaFest NW. The trio of a car show, lead/follow and drag racing bring the people and vendors to this annual event.

Rows and rows of all kinds of show cars and most all of them daily drivers filled the paddock area as SpeedFactory set up in the middle of the paddock leaving their normal spot as the drag race portion was cancled due to water weepers on the track.

Leading off the day on the 2.25mi. track instructors from ProFormance Racing School do what is called “lead/follow” with a group of three to seven cars. It is 100% follow the leader but that “leader” knows the fastest way around the track.

No fooling around here as the last car in line has a radio and you can’t out run it. You get out of the spirit of the day you will be booted out of line, Safety First. For those that follow the “drivers” meeting rules you get to push your car a little more than “normal” driving and doing it “safely”.

This part of the day is also growing as 19 sessions of drivers took part with a few doubling up. A great day put together by NWMotiv and Pacific Raceways will again look to grow the program so make a date for next year’s event.

Over 350 images of all the action today – click here to go to the photo album.

Test-N-Tune At Pacific Raceways

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30 Mar 2019 Kent, WA – TNT number two packed the grounds with over 300 entries wanting to test their projects, some in preparation for a big race in Vegas but most preparing for the Swift Tool race number one in one week.

Many regulars were on hone, but also many new to the drag strip and the great fun it is to test your ride against the grip of “Mark Lyle Blvd”.

All six lanes stayed full thru out the day with racers ready to test and eager to get back in line for another run which in turn more than 900 runs down the well prepped track. The weather for the second week in a row up in the mid-60’s, absolutely perfect for drag racing and sitting in the stands with burger and drinks taking in the action and soaking up the northwest spring sun.

Now the race begins to the end of the season for the championships to play out, good luck to all in their quest to end the season on top.

Lots of great images today – check out the images by clicking here. As always your purchases are most appreciated!!!

AM Skills, Novice HP & PM Lapping at ProFormance Racing School

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For many years Don Kitch has been teaching along with his many instructor’s students and others attending Performance Racing School. The only thing that has ever changed is what “Mother Nature” is doing outside the classroom, until today.

After many years of racing on the iconic 2.25 mi. track a new equal width surface was put down from the end of turn 2b to the end of turn 7. A continuous three wide paving machine operation carried out by Miles Resources spread and rolled out 101 dump truck loads of asphalt into a no seam surface.

Those that have been around the track at speed but not race trim just smiled knowing that many lap records in many classes are going to be re-set during their races.

The up-coming race season should be quite exciting for those attending, check the Pacific Raceways web site for race dates.

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

Cannot wait for the 2019 season to get underway!

Chassis Cert – ETI & Test-N-Tune at Pacific Raceways

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Opening the 2019 season starts the same as it does each year. Racers bring their winter projects or up grades to their current ride to be inspected for all the proper and correct safety equipment.

Tubing all in the right places and the correct thickness, sticker attached now put the rest of the car together and go racing after updating your ETI, safety equipment is only good for so long then needs replacement.

Those that came for the test and tune packed the lanes, almost event like numbers with a lot of new racers out to test the grip of Pacific’s drag crew work.

All in all a great first day of trips down the “Mark Lyle Blvd” for 2019.

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

Springfest at Pacific Raceways

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02 Mar 2019 Kent, WA – Having outgrown their past locations for lack of room the move to the grounds at Pacific Raceways became the new home for this car show, vendors, lead/follow on the road course and people, lots of people.

When the need to use parking akin to the NHRA Nationals, it was obvious there are a lot of people attending this event held for the first time at the track.

Great sunny skies but still some winter chill got the spectators into the stands soaking the sun while downing food from the various vendors as the lead/follow cars flew by on the track.

I would have to say the interest in this event by the number of attending people is something you might want to mark on your smart phone for next years date, it will only get bigger and better.

Lots of great photos of all the action at this big event – click here to go to the photo album.

Spike & The Impalers at The Chalet

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02 Feb 2019 Enumclaw, WA – Built over 100 years ago the Chalet once again hosted Spike and the Impalers for a Saturday night of live rock and roll. This northwest band founded on January 1st,2002 has seen their followers grow many-fold.

Fronted by former local radio DJ, Spike O’Neill has seen a number of members in and out of the band. Jeff Kathan on percussion and Lynn Sorensen on base there from the beginning forming the beat of the band. Joining the band on guitar and keyboards Steve Hanna, Scott Adams with his saxophone, Susan Kendall Morals brings her incredible vocals complemented by the very scorching guitar work Manuel Morals who rounds out the members who now have been performing together getting past five years.

Akin to a well-oiled machine the band rocks out a twenty song play list that gets many of the packed house followers dancing up in front of the band.

With 99 percent of the 460 seats filled at the start of the show when Kermet Apio started his comedy show, and yes he does pull his name into some hilarious comedy. If you have not seen Spike and his band go to their web-site and find an upcoming date and check them out they put on a great show.

Images from a great night are now online and available for purchase – click here to go to the photo album.

LO 206 at PGP Motorsports Park

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27 Jan 2019 Kent, WA – Packing the grounds with a near record number of entries for a non-paying race produced some great kart racing. Though foggy all day the thing it did best is kept the racing conditions the same thru practice, qualifying and the three-heat race.

The commonality in the three group 206 class is a Briggs and Stratton crate motor and a minimum weight for each kart then boils down to driving abilities. With colorful badging from the different manufactures and even home built with lap times less than two seconds apart which produces side by side and nose to tail racing around the 0.850 mile track at PGP.

In the main final the fastest lap came from the second place kart trying to chase down the winner was 1:09.967. Not bad time there now let this sink in, the fastest lap in the Jr. class also the second place finisher trying to chase down the winner turned in a lap of 1:09.305.

Also, to note the Jr. winner turned in a faster lap time then the winner of the main. You gotta watch the next generation coming up as they soak it all in with youthful enthusiasm.

Get on the internet and find PGP Motorsports Park and join in on the fun. The Jr. winner was Trey Amzen and the main was Kevin Janders with William Evans in the Heavy class.

Over 400 Images are now available – click here to go to the photo album.

AM Skills – Novice HP & PM Lapping at ProFormance Racing School

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26 Jan 2019 Kent, WA – It was a classroom full of students and a paddock loaded with lappers out to take advantage of the great winter driving weather at ProFormance Racing School. For the students sitting in the classroom at the Performance Racing School the unknown is about to be pointed out with discussion and charts.

Owner and instructor Don Kitch will guide you thru the four exercises you will be doing and the correct way to navigate the 2.25 mile track at Pacific Raceways. Going thru the class will open your eyes to the things that you may and will confront out on the hi-ways and bi-ways and how to safely navigate thru them when it happens.

Young drivers, seasoned drivers and even bucket listers praise the program at the end of the day. Contact Performance Racing School and learn what they are talking about.

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

Lust Punch at Louie G’s

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26 Jan 2019 Fife, WA – In and around the greater Seattle the venues to take in live music are aplenty. Place that hold thousands and just a few hundred – live music can be found. For the local up and coming bands the couple of hundred fans and followers are great to practice their craft. Up close and personal band mates and fans enjoy the closeness of these venues.

One of these bands, Lust Punch and venues Louie G’s in Fife got together as the opening act on a three-band night of live music. Hundreds of followers and newcomers alike are finding out how good these trios of musicians are.

Made up of Nick Knight on lead guitar and vocals, Retten Steincipher on drums and back-up vocals and Jessica Gittings on bass and back-up vocals preformed their 32 live show to a packed house. These three musicians jamming thru their set with bitching guitar work by Nick crafting his sound and a thumping bass from Jessica’s talented fingers and a drum solo by Retten pounding on those skins and metal that just has to be heard to understand his talent with feet and sticks.

Their music is hard and refined a testament to their skills both alone and together. Find them on the internet and give them a listen at their next show, you too will become a follower to a trio combined to make up “Lust Punch”.

Images from a great night at Louie G’s are now available – click here to go to the photo album.