West Coast Grudge #4 at Pacific Raceways

10 Aug 2018 Kent, WA – Race number four in the five-race season for the grudge runners brought out the big players for the $5,000.00 purse posted for this race.

From its humble beginnings last year, the series has grown to a serious contender for heads up 1/8th mi. racing. Under the guidance of Willy Petersen who took this program by the horns has brought in sponsors who support the program and a whole host of helpers to keep things going.

Still in the build stage and a sponsor from the git go Randy Parker of “Parkers Race Shop” brought out his bright green Dodge truck to test the “instant green” tree that puts a reaction to it at the front of winning or losing.

Add to this the “luck” factor that can and will happen when it’s your night as Nick Duda can attest to as it aided him to grab the cash in the finals, not a bad payday for just a few full runs.

Last race of the season is on a Sunday September 16th, BE THERE.

Lots of great images – the light was amazing tonight – click here to go to the photo album.

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

31st Annual Goodguys Friday Night Drags

27 July 2018 Kent, WA – Going to the GoodGuys car show down at the fair grounds in Puyallup you will see all kinds of show cars, trucks and hot rods. Over at Pacific Raceways the cars, trucks and hot rods are shined off the show room floor and front and center on the drag strip.

Each year the old school and classic Detroit muscle get together with some pretty fast race cars from the era for a get together on Pacific’s grounds. No drag racing at the fair grounds but here a little road dust is quite acceptable on the show cars that show up for the day.

Vendors were also on hand and there was plenty of food and refreshments by Bigfoods for the thousands that filled the stands enjoying the racing.

With entries nearing the 200 mark and more butts in the seats then years past really shows the interest the “old school” type of racing and the hot rods that go along with it.

We’re already looking to next year for what is sure to be even bigger.

Lots of great images of vintage Hot Rods – check out the photo album here…

WINNERS
Bobby Cottrell in Funny Car
Greg Kent in Hot Rod 1
Steve Siefert in Hot Rod 2
Makayla Quam in Street Machine 1
Gordon Rust in Street Machine 2
Dave Wakefield in Comp
Bret Renschler in Exhibition

Packed Classes at ProFormance Racing School

26 July 2018 Kent, WA – There was a packed classroom today at ProFormance racing school – started out with a warm morning and only got hotter thru the day. A whole host of instructors to ran the students thru the four stages of the program.

The class was Split in two groups to turn the stages at the east and west ends of the property at the same time. Not used very often as the normal is west to east and the two exercises run there. What you learn from these different stages are things that you could encounter at any time on the hi-ways and bi-ways.

Knowing what to do when those chance encounters confront you behind the wheel is nothing more than preventive medicine. The time it takes to think about what to do is the time needed in most all cases to avoid it all together. These skills taught to new car owners learning what their pride and joy will handle like, just in case.

For your school date go to the ProFormance Racing School page and set a date for yourself, child or loved one.

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

PRDC Olympic Ironworks Motorcycle Event #6 Was A Scorcher!

25 July 2018 Kent, WA – Heat and hydration – It seems like mother nature is treating this season of racing from one extreme to another in 2018. All drag racers dislike the rain as it stops racing in it’s tracks, but the heat it will stop “YOU”.

There was plenty of liquid seen all over the grounds attempting to keep everyone cool, at the 6th event of the Olympic Ironworks Motorcycle PRDC event.

Keeping his cool and throwing down a number one qualifying spot and riding it all the way to the “WINNERS” circle, made for a story book day for Mike Evans. Jacked from a perfect light to claim the number one spot and getting a break in one round was all that Mike needed to pick up his first Olympic Ironworks mid-week racing.

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

The next race is August 22nd, see you then.

Record Field For 2018 IRDC Summer Classic

22 July 2018 Kent, WA – Heading into the weekend at Pacific Raceways the IRDC group could say that the 3rd time was the charm. A record number of entries to the race that have not been seen for quite a while filled the grounds with haulers, trailers and motorhomes.

To see 40 plus cars lined up two by two for the start of a race is quite impressive, both in sight and sound. Combine all the classes along with the novice class and you had near 200 trying to qualify on Saturday with group 6 having an even dozen.

You have to think the “nose to tail” and “side by side” racing had to be a blast for the drivers testing their driving skills. No race shop here with spare cars and parts as a lot are one of a kind and crashing it is out of the question.

The IRDC is finished for the 2018 season at Pacific but they have more races at other tracks, go to the IRDC website for the schedule and race results from this race.

OVER 1,200 New IMAGES FROM THIS SPECIAL WEEKEND – CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE PHOTOS

4th Annual VW Nationals

15 July 2018 Kent, WA – As an auto that came out of world war two in a time of turmoil the ways that owners of the VW brand can modify, alter and personalize is as wide as the number of them around. The swap meet, and the drag race portion of the 4th Annual VW Nationals are cool, but the car show is where it is at.

Hundreds of all makes and models are on display and what each has done to his or her personal tastes, from the military uses in the war to the latest out of the factory can be seen.

As far as the drags and how you take that VW power that in reality traces its roots directly to Porsche and as most know these are bad fast cars on the road course tracks.

Here again the range of race cars is on display as some of these racers dip into the 10’s in the quarter mile.

The winner’s from the 4th Annual VW Nationals are Kelly McDonald in Sportsman, Cole Johnson in Pro and John Stevens in Run Tuff.

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

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.

Images are now available – click here!

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

West Coast Grudge Racing #3 at Pacific Raceways

13 July 2018 Kent, WA – It was race number three of the five dates at Pacific Raceways for the WCG and the high-powered race cars they bring to the strip. The high powered cars only run to the 1/8th mile and do it quickly.

There are two groups divided into two groups by a 10 second quarter mile time, group A-slower, group B-faster and a class for the bikes. Add into this a “small” tire shootout that most all could “fry” the tires the whole 1/8th mile, so putting that much horsepower to a small tire is a science at best.

This day tested all though as high temperatures and a bit muggy air had liquid in many forms in people’s hands. Add the date to the mix and near middle of summer many racers and their family might be at a lake somewhere and those that are superstitious not testing the date doing something else.

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

The Next date for the West Coast Grudge Series is August 10th. See you there!

    

Private Test & Lapping at ProFormance Racing School

12 July 2018 Kent, WA – When drivers find a date that they can run laps every 30 minutes starting at 9:00 AM, it’s like a kid in a candy store. Normal lapping dates are combined with the ProFormance Racing School students that have the track from nine till noon.

That extra hour and a half of seat time is the bonus for the lappers who now get the chance to run the 2.25 mile course in the morning.

Taking up the other 30 minutes of each hour was the Global Racing Group and their F-4 open wheel race cars who were getting some seat time while in the northwest.

Lead driver Benjamin Pedersen guided teammate Blake Upton around the track to work on consistent lap times for each driver. Being one of the instructors for Don Kitch and his school he has made many laps around the track and the lap times between the two proved that.

It was great watching these two and their team in action on track and off and how well prepared this team is as a whole, good luck in your up coming races.

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