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NSCS gears up for inaugural weekend
Andrew Kunas, NSCS Publicist
ELMA, Wash. - It's only a few days away, the opening weekend for the inaugural Northwest Sprint Challenge Series season.
The new NSCS will invade the fast 3/8-mile Grays Harbor Raceway located at the fairgrounds in Elma, Wash. this Friday and Saturday, April 27th and 28th. This will be a first for both NSCS and Grays Harbor Raceway as both are under new leadership; Great Northwest Promotions will promote Grays Harbor Raceway after aquiring the lease from Brownfield Promotions at the end of February.
One driver with some recent history on his side is Henry Van Dam of Enumclaw, Wash. Van Dam is coming off a win just last Saturday at Skagit Speedway, and when the late Northern Sprint Tour made its final visit to Grays Harbor Raceway last August, it was Van Dam who motored his way to his first win.
Joining Van Dam are the likes of former NST champion Billy Nutter of Central Point, Ore. and Shawn Smith of Nampa, Idaho. Both drivers picked up victories in weekly action at Elma last year, but Smith is due to score his first touring victory.
Also running the entire NSCS circuit is second year driver Evan Funk of La Conner, Wash. The 17-year-old Funk scored three wins at Skagit last year and is looking for a big year in 2007. Throw in Burlington, Wash. driver Nick Engberg, who scored two victories last year and is also looking for his first touring victory.
Last year's NST Rookie of the Year Seth Bergman of Snohomish, Wash. had a strong second half in 2006, which included his first victory at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon and a sixth place finish in the NST point standings. Bergman finished second in the final NST race at Elma last August is looking for his first win at Grays Harbor Raceway.
A couple of local drivers to look out for are Randy Van Aagten and Mitch Olsen, both drivers winning multiple events at Grays Harbor last year. Then there's Shelton, Wash. driver Jay Cole, the six-time and defending Grays Harbor Raceway champion. Cole has many wins at Grays Harbor Raceway and a few NST victories to his credit, but the biggest one by far was holding off national star Jason Sides and NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne to win the Evergreen State Sprint Challenge last year.
Other drivers expected to compete include Rob Held of Sutherlin, Ore.; Robbie Vaughn of Monroe, Wash.; Derek Ingalls of Sultan, Wash.; and Josh DeWitt of Snohomish, Wash. Seth Hespe, grandson of the late Fred Brownfield, is also expected to compete in his first 360 sprint car event this weekend.
For race teams, the pit gates will open early at 1 p.m. on Friday to help with last minute NSCS registrations and technical inspections for the first
race. Both nights this weekend and all other NSCS events at Grays Harbor Raceway are open to ASCS-legal cars only.
More information on the Northwest Sprint Challenge Series can be found online at http://www.racenscs.com and information on Grays Harbor Raceway can also be found online at http://www.brownfieldent.com.
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NST winners at Elma, 2004-2006
July 16, 2004 - Rick Fauver
July 17, 2004 - Rick Fauver
August 26, 2004 - Brock Lemley
April 30, 2005 - Rick Fauver
July 15, 2005 - Brent Kaeding
July 16, 2005 - Roger Crockett
August 25, 2005 - Terry McCarl
July 28, 2006 - Travis Jacobson
July 29, 2006 - Jay Cole
August 24, 2006 - Henry Van Dam
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NSCS: The Northwest Sprint Challenge Series
http://www.racenscs.com
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