graysharborraceway Archives

Williamson is captain of IMCA Shipwreck Beads Nationals

By Aaron Reed ELMA, Wash. (July 15, 2023) – Jesse Williamson made another trip to victory lane at Grays Harbor Raceway Saturday night, this one worth $7,500. One night after topping the race of champions at Elma, Williamson outran and outlasted the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified field at Grays Harbor Raceway, topping the 24th annual Shipwreck Beads Nationals main event ahead of 2022 race winner Collen Winebarger. The Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational eligibility qualifying victory was Williamson’s fifth. Grey Ferrando, Geoff Morris and Robert Jenner rounded out the top five. A who’s who of Modified drivers from the Pacific Northwest and Canada vied for starting spots on the 24-car grid and Bricen James took the early lead with Jon DeBenedetti in second and Williamson third. Lap two saw a multi-car incident on the front stretch and Williamson moved to second following the restart ahead of DeBenedetti, Winebarger and Ferrando. James put some distance on his challengers, making the most of the bottom of the raceway, but slowed and exited on lap nine with a flat tire. [Read More]

Williamson wins IMCA Modified RoC at Friday Shipwreck Beads Nationals show

By Aaron Reed ELMA, Wash. (July 14, 2023) – Night number one of Grays Harbor Raceway’s 24th annual Shipwreck Beads Nationals saw Jesse Williamson win the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified Race of Champions while Trevor Points prevailed in the $1,000 to win Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main. Twenty-one cars set the field for 25 laps during the Race of Champions, made up of 2023 feature winners and track champions across the Northwest and Canada. Williamson and Jason Tole set the front row. Williamson struck first going into turn one, taking the lead while Jason Beaulieu moved into second and Collen Winebarger made it a battle for the runner-up position. Williamson quickly put some distance on Winebarger, Beaulieu and Matthew Drager as Austin Kerrigan ran fifth. Following an early restart, it was Williamson with Winebarger right at his back bumper. Winebarger tried for the lead in turn two but couldn’t make the pass. The battle for fifth was the race to watch between Kerrigan, Bricen James and Lane Zerbin. Williamson slowly put some distance on Winebarger [Read More]

Best in the West IMCA Modifieds, Northern SportMods to battle at Grays Harbor Shipwreck Beads Nationals

By Shaun Hulbert ELMA, Wash. (July 12, 2023) – Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and SportMods are coming to Grays Harbor Raceway this weekend, July 14 and 15, for the Shipwreck Beads Modified Nationals. One of the longest running IMCA Modified specials in the Northwest at 24 years brings an additional $6,500 to the main event on Saturday, July 15 including a $7,500 top prize and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility for the winner. If that’s not enough this year’s Saturday night main event for the Modifieds will feature a three-wide initial start. Main grandstand tickets are $5 for a Friday night program that sees two sets of heat races, where drivers earn finishing and passing points that will lock the top 18 into Saturday’s big show and the rest into subsequent heats and ‘B’ races for Saturday. There will be a full SportMod and hornet program that include heats and main events, and then end the night with the Modified Race of Champions. To purchase tickets to Friday’s event please go to https://www.graysharborraceway.com/schedules/event/435996. Saturday is [Read More]

In stride, Winebarger tops Shipwreck Beads Nationals

ELMA, Wash. (July 23, 2022) – Collen Winebarger is hitting his stride at just the right time. Just a week after topping the $5,000 to win special for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars at Sunset Speedway Park, the two division star from Corbett, Ore., scored another $5,000 checkers Saturday night at Grays Harbor Raceway’s Shipwreck Beads Nationals. The July 23 win was the richest in his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified career. “We had some DNFs and some other dumb stuff that happened earlier this season whenever it wasn’t raining,” said Winebarger, who’d gone winless in just 10 starts between April 2 and July 3 before sweeping the July 16 program at Sunset. “Now we’re hitting our stride and running well, and fortunately we’re doing it at races that pay well.” Already guaranteed to start the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational for Stock Cars, Winebarger’s second Modified win of 2022 also earned him Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility at the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “We traveled more the last [Read More]

Wild West Shootout takes IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods to Oregon, Washington venues

WHITE CITY, Ore. (June 10, 2022) – Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds return to the top of the marquee for the June 17-25 Wild West Shootout. One thousand dollar top checks and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility go to Modified feature winners June 17 at Southern Oregon Speedway in White City; June 18 and June 21 at Cottage Grove Speedway; June 19 and 20 at Coos Bay Speedway; June 23 at Willamette Speedway in Lebanon; and June 24 at Sunset Speedway in Banks. The June 25 finale doubles as the Modified Clash at Grays Harbor Raceway and pays $2,000 to win. Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods run for $400 to win each of those dates while IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for $400 each night June 17-23 and for $1,000 to win and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star qualifying eligibility in their finale at Sunset. All eight race programs will be broadcast by IMCA.TV and information about the Wild West Shootout will be updated on Facebook. Pit gates open at 1 p.m. with hot [Read More]

IMCA Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks new at Grays Harbor in 2022

ELMA, Wash. – Two more IMCA divisions debut on the dirt in Washington in 2022, with Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks joining select Saturday night programs at Grays Harbor Raceway. Northern SportMod race dates are May 14, June 25 during the third annual West Coast Modified Clash and July 22 and 23, as part of the 23rd annual Shipwreck Beads Nationals. Ten dates, from opening night April 16 to championship night Sept. 17, are on the tentative schedule for Hobby Stocks. “We brought the IMCA Modifieds back this year and the 2021 season was thrilling,” said Grays Harbor General Manager Bert Johnson, expecting even bigger and better things next season. “What we like best about these two new divisions is that they’re economical and come with their own sets of established rules.” “The point is, we want to allow people to build a car that is safe to race, have fun, and then move onto another division if they want.” The Modified Clash date at Elma doubles as the final night for [Read More]

Williamson wins IMCA Modified battle at Grays Harbor, Winebarger wins Wild West Shootout war

By Ben Deatherage ELMA, Wash. (Aug. 14) – Jesse Williamson won the battle while Collen Winebarger won the war Saturday at Grays Harbors Raceway. Williamson raced to his third $1,000 Wild West IMCA Modified Shootout victory of the week in the series’ sole Washington State stop of the week. Winebarger, a three-time Shootout winner as well, ended in third, good enough to clinch his first ever Shootout title. After leading the field the first lap, Winebarger set an ever quicker pace before he was caught and overtaken on lap 17 by Grey Ferrando. Ferrando was the trailblazer for a bit of time until he had some fast company with the likes of Jesse Williamson. Williamson seized the top-place position on lap 26 only to see Ferrando take the coveted top spot back on the 30th circuit. Williamson kept his composure, got back around Ferrando on lap 38 and led to the end of the 40-lapper. The win was Williamson’s career 15th on the tour and eighth in IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing action this season. Ferrando [Read More]

Wild West Modified Shootout returns, IMCA.TV to broadcast Aug. 6-14 series

By Ben Deatherage LEBANON, Ore. – After not being on the schedule in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Wild West IMCA Modified Shootout is back. Eight races will be run in nights at four race tracks in the Pacific Northwest. Not only will IMCA Modifieds be in attendance but the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern Sport Mods will accompany the tour in the first seven legs. Modified feature winners earn $1,000 and become eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Lebanon’s Willamette Speedway will kick the whole party off on Friday, Aug. 6 and the tour will remain there for three straight nights. Monday, Aug. 9, and Tuesday, Aug. 10 will be reserved for Cottage Grove Speedway. Wednesday will be the only off day for the series however there will be a pit party at Sunset Speedway Park, in Banks. The Banks Bullring will host action for Thursday, Aug. 12 and Friday, Aug. 13. Everything will wrap up the next night at Grays Harbor Raceway, in Elma, Wash., for the lone stop [Read More]

Jesse Williamson Wins 2021 Shipwreck Beads Northwest Modified Nationals

By Aaron Reed ELMA, Wash. (July 24) – He was “OK” in finishing fifth in Friday’s race of champions. Jesse Williamson was better than that in the Saturday Shipwreck Beads IMCA Modified Nationals main event at Grays Harbor Raceway. Williamson worked his way up from ninth starting and led the last 15 circuits of the 40-lapper headliner at Elma, earning $2,500 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. “I started working the top line to the middle and kind of passed everybody on top,” said Williamson, also the 2009 Shipwreck Beads winner. “It feels pretty good to have this kind of success with a new car (a recently built SDMF Chassis). Every time we go out we keep making adjustments and the car gets even better.” Race of Champions winner Collen Winebarger, Grey Ferrando, John Campos and Brad Martin rounded out the top five finishers. Campos and Winebarger had set the front row of the main event. Campos took the early lead with Winebarger losing a few positions after going three wide with Ferrando and [Read More]

IMCA Modifieds race for bragging rights and $2,500 at Grays Harbor Shipwreck Bead Nationals

ELMA, Wash. – Bragging rights are at stake on opening night of Grays Harbor Raceway’s July 23 and 24 Shipwreck Beads IMCA Modified Nationals. Bragging rights, $2,500 and a berth on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational are on the line on night two. Previous Nationals winners and track champions comprise Friday’s $500 to win race of champions field. They’ll be among the contenders for Saturday’s big check at Elma’s 22nd annual special. “We hope to pull drivers from as far away as California and Arizona,” said promoter Bert Johnson. “There are a lot of bragging rights involved but this is really a fun event. We went back to the original two-day race format in 2015 and it’s worked very well for us.” The sanctioned special is the first held in Washington State since Grays Harbor returned to IMCA sanctioning this season. All drivers will run two qualifying heats on Friday, with the starting order reversed for the second heat. Last-chance races precede Saturday’s main event. Entry fee is $80 and pit passes are $35. Pit gates [Read More]