Van Dam charges to 8th place finish in the Brownfield
ALK Promotions, September 22
Henry Van Dam had a long weekend again, but in the end things turned out alright as he posted a nice eighth place finish in the 2nd Annual Fred Brownfield Memorial Sprint Challenge in the Van Dam Racing No. 33v Shark-powered Maxim sponsored by Omlid & Swinney Fire Protection & Security, Van Dam Dairy, Corliss Resources, Rich Van Dam Dairy, Shareway Industries and GMS MetalWorks.
Van Dam drew a bad pill for Friday night's preliminary events and didn't fare well enough to get in the A-Main following the heat races and had to run in one of the three B-Mains held that night. Van Dam got into the second and final transfer position in his B-Main but as he was sliding into turn one his right rear wheel broke off the car, leaving his car extremely prone to flipping upside down. Van Dam, however, saved his car from going over and causing further damage to his car. That accident though kept him out of the A-Main.
Saturday saw Van Dam get a better pill draw and he drove to a second place finish in his heat race. With the top 16 in weekend points locked into the A-Main, Van Dam was 20th and was slated to start outside the front row in the second B-Main. Van Dam would finish second in that race to claim the 20th and final starting spot in the 40-lap A-Main. After sitting out last year's inaugural event with a neck injury, Van Dam was in the biggest race on the ASCS Northwest Region schedule.
In the A-Main, Van Dam quickly moved forward, using early yellows that kept the field bunched together. The last 30 laps, however, were non-stop and Van Dam's forward progress was limited. Van Dam still was passing cars and had spirited battles with Jayme Barnes, Rob Held and Chad Groves among others over the course of the race. Van Dam got around Groves in the closing laps to finish a strong eighth place.
Van Dam now sits tenth in the ASCS Northwest Region point standings. The series will close its inaugural season this Friday and Saturday at Central Washington State Fair Raceway in Yakima. This will be Van Dam's first time racing at the big 3/8-mile clay oval in two years.
Henry Van Dam, 26, is one of the top sprint car racers in the Pacific Northwest and one of the most popular. Van Dam has wins at both Skagit Speedway and Grays Harbor Raceway to his credit and also has a victory with the old Northern Sprint Tour in 2006. Henry has run at both Washington dirt sprint car tracks several times and has also run with the ASCS Northwest Region this season.
- - -
Henry Van Dam’s sponsors
Van Dam Dairy
Shark Racing Engines
Corliss Resources
Shareway Industries
Rich Van Dam Dairy
GMS Metal Works
Speedmart Inc.
Jack Dilley Logging
D & L Equipment Repair
Enumclaw Suzuki
Char’s Barber Shop
Enumclaw Express Lube
Foothills Auto supply
Stanely Patrick Striping
Pete Voss
Bob & Joann Schumway
Enumclaw Auto rebuild
Fire Down Graphics
- - -
Grays Harbor Raceway - Elma, WA:
http://www.graysharborraceway.netASCS Northwest Region:
http://www.ascsnorthwest.comAmerican Sprint Car Series:
http://www.ascsracing.com
