Vintage Modifieds season opener at PA

After a disappointing rain out at South Sound Speedway April 29th the season opener move to May 15th at Port Angeles Speedway. A few drivers elected not to travel to PA but there was still a big enough field to put on a spectacular show for the fans.

PA has a different way to do qualifications then most tracks. Several cars are evenly spaced on the track and run for 8 laps, the best of which is used as a qualifying time. The Modified drivers like this format. It works particularly well for cars that need a few laps to warm up the tires and must be a better show for the fans than watching (yawn) car after car go round and round. For those keeping score fast times are announced at the end of each qualifying session. On this night the fast time honor went to Bobby Wheeler, Jr., car #22, who had the only time less than 16 seconds. Must be that new shinny black paint job.

Two trophy dashes were on the program. Rookie KC Peterson, grandson on Veteran Chuck Peterson, driving the car (#32) of Leonard Schmidt, led off the B dash. To his right was newcomer Jim Fisher, (#97) in his first race ever. John Mustered (#26) and Chuck Peterson (#23) made up the second row followed by Charlie West, Jr (42). When the green flag flew the two rookie drivers quickly fell to the rear. Four laps later it was Chuck Peterson taking the trophy over Mustered.

The A dash pole sitter was Josh Braudway, sitting in the seat normally occupied by Robert Rux (#88). Even though Josh was flying rookie flags he is a veteran from years of local late model racing. Mike Clother (#7) was on the outside line followed by Paul Field (#21), Jim Jones (#03) and Wheeler. Braudway and Clother stayed side by side for the first two laps. Behind them, contact with Paul Field sent Jones limping to the pits. A lap later Field had a tire go flat during an attempt to pass Braudway for the lead. Josh prevailed and went on to take the trophy in his first Vintage Modified race.

The heat races lined up exactly the same as the dashes with the exception that the two rookie drivers both opted to start in the rear. In the B heat Mustered was able to hold off Chuck Peterson for the win. When the A heat lined up drivers were warned that there was water on the track in the preferred line exiting turn 4. Since nobody wanted to start in water there was a lot of jockeying for stating position. The flagman wisely allowed the race to start in single file. As the green flag flew Jones took advantage with an excellent dive off turn 4 that took him to the point closely followed by Wheeler. Those two finished first and second followed by Field, Braudway and Clother.

With the two rookie drivers once again opting to start in the rear of the field John Mustered sat on the pole for the 40-lap feature main event. The veteran Peterson was next to him, West and Braudway just behind. Peterson spun his tires at the start and held up the outside line allowing Mustered and West to jump into the lead followed closely by Clother and Jones. 2008 and 09 champion Jones wasted no time passing both Clother and West to move to second. The first caution flag flew when rookie Peterson spun and stalled in turn 1. After the restart Mustered proved to be a challenge for Jones who ended up with his two left wheels in the dirt entering turn one. That allowed West and Clother to move back by him. Unfazed, Jones began working the high groove again but encountered a problem when he and Clother tried to go 3 wide while over taking a lapped car. Jones’ car slid to a stop in turn 4 bringing out the caution flag again at lap 15. Mustered, West, Clother and Wheeler ran bumper to bumper for 25 laps only slowing for two cautions and one red flag that stopped the race when veterans Peterson and Field got tangled up exiting turn 2. With 5 laps to go water spewed from leader Mustered’s car, the result of a failed hose. He continued for two laps before slipping on the back straightaway slowing West down enough to allow Clother to slip by both of them on the right side. Clother held on for the win followed by West, Braudway, Wheeler, C. Peterson and Jones.

The next race for the Vmods is at South Sound May 29th.