By Ben Deatherage
ELMA, Wash. (July 13, 2024) – Four wins in four races led to the biggest payday of Collen Winebarger’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified career.
Winebarger topped both his heat races and the $500-to-win race of champions on Friday, then followed with the $7,500 checkers in Saturday’s 25th annual Modified Nationals main event at Grays Harbor Raceway.
“The weekend was really good, Winebarger said after leading the caution-free, 40-lap finale start to finish, racing the last 19 times around the track with a broken right front upper control arm.
“It was rough. I couldn’t feel my arms afterwards. The last few laps, holding onto the steering wheel, was tough,” he added. “We were still OK, we just slowed down a fair amount. Fortunately it didn’t break all the way off and end our race.”
Grey Ferrando ended in second with Nick Trenchard, Brenton Schnitzler and Craig Moore completing the top five.
Lapped traffic came into play starting on lap eight but didn’t slow Winebarger’s methodical run on the inside line.
Ferrando made his move to second in heavy traffic with 15 laps complete. Trenchard settled into third for good with 15 laps left to run.
With the lap count dwindling, Winebarger left just eight drivers on the lead lap in the non-stop main event. The standout pilot conquered all 40 circuits to score his second Modified Nationals victory in three seasons, and his third of his career, after winning in 2019 and 2022.
“I’ve raced at Grays Harbor once, maybe twice a year for about the last eight years. We always enjoy going up there. It’s hit or miss for us sometimes,” said Winebarger, already eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational and among the first drivers to register for the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s on Monday morning. “But they’ve been doing a lot of dirt work, and I would say that was probably the best surface we’ve had to race on there maybe ever. It was pretty racy, they’re doing a good job.”
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