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Williamson Wins 2023 Shipwreck Beads Modified Nationals! Killingsworth wins Sportmod Nationals

Williamson Wins 2023 NW Modified Nationals!
By: Aaron Reed
Photos By Eric Lopotosky
The 24th Annual Shipwreck Beads Northwest Modified Nationals finale saw 40 cars take to the 3/8 baked clay oval. $7500 was on the line for the 40-lap feature event. The IMCA Northern SportMods and Hornets were also on hand running a full schedule of events.
IMCA Modifieds
24 cars set the field for the feature event as the drivers started three wide at the green flag. Albany, Ore's Bricen James took the early lead with Rogue River, Ore driver Jon DeBenedetti in second. Jesse Williamson of Coburg, Ore looked to the low side to make a pass at DeBenedetti but was unsuccessful. Lap 2 saw a pile up on the front stretch with five cars involved. On the restart James led DeBenedetti, Williamson and the rest of the field to the green. Williamson moved into second as DeBenedetti battled it out for third with Corbett, Ore's Collen Winebarger and Grey Ferrando of Stayton, Ore. James put some distance on Williamson and Winebarger, looking strong out front. The bottom of the raceway was the line that everyone was running. Early on James had smoke coming from the back of the car, looking like tire rub. Lap 9 saw James slow off of turn four with a flat left rear tire. Williamson inherited the lead with Winebarger and DeBenedetti looking for a podium finish. Williamson looked strong out front but Winebarger stayed within striking distance. Ferrando had tough company as Robert Jenner of Vancouver looked for that fourth spot, along with Port Hardy, BC driver Lawrence O'Connor. Winebarger made it to the back bumper of Williamson on a long green flag run, looking for any mistake. Late in the feature another long green flag run saw Winebarger make a few attempts at the lead as heavy lap traffic was a huge factor. Winebarger made it side by side numerous times but Williamson used a lap car to his advantage. Lap 38 saw Williamson make contact with Zane Miner of Graham, who was a lap car in front of the leader, Miner brought out the caution. A green, white, checkered restart saw Williamson lead Winebarger and Ferrando. Williamson looked to take the white flag, but the caution flew for Maytown's Riley Scherer. Multiple attempts were made at the green, white, checkered restart, but the race was called on lap 38. Williamson picked up the win and $7500. Winebarger, Ferrando, Geoff Morris of Victoria, BC and Jenner rounded out the top five. Elma Lane's Hard Charger was Tyson Blood of Olympia. Going 13 positions. Earlier on two B-Main events were ran with Matthew Drager of Albany, Ore, Blood, and Hoquiam's Jason Tole transferring out of the first B-Main, with Vancouver's John Gaynor, Craig Moore of Seabeck, and Albert Gill of Central Point, Ore moving on the feature in the second B-Main.
IMCA Northern SportMods
Landyn Philpott of Lapine, Ore and Coburg, Ore's Kevin Williamson set the front row of the 25-lap feature. Williamson took the early lead from Philpott. Ethan Killingsworth of Yreka, Ca worked his way into second, looking to track down Williamson for the lead. Trevor Points of Salem, Ore moved into third, getting around Philpott. Williamson had tough company with Killingsworth right on his back bumper. Williamson ran the low side of the raceway. Points, in striking distance looked for a mistake by the top two. Philpott ran in fourth with Rainier, Ore's Kody Greer battling it out with Vancouver's Brayden Brookshire for fifth. Killingsworth made a pass for the lead on lap 6 in turn one as Williamson went out of the low side. Greer saw trouble, spinning in turn one, bringing out the caution. On the restart it was Killingsworth, Williamson, Points and Philpott leading the rest of the field. Points worked his way into second, as Philpott and Brookshire battled it out in fourth. Lap 9 saw the caution flag fly for a three-car incident in turn four between Rogue River's Vinny DeBenedetti, Greer and Madilynn Ashley of Jasper, Ore. Killingsworth led Points and Williamson to the green flag. Philpott looked to the low side of Williamson for third, as Williamson looked to the high side of Points for second, putting on a battle. Brookshire also joined in for third, getting around Philpott and Williamson. Killingsworth slowly extended his lead and went on to pick up the win and $1000. Points, Brookshire, Williamson and Philpott rounded out the top five. Brookshire picked up the heat race earlier in the evening.
Hornets
Max Sanford of Belfair led the field to the green flag and to the early lead. Zach Dalrymple of Olympia made his way by Sanford, bringing Scott Tobeck of Tenino. Lap 2 saw the caution flag for three car incident in turn three with Payton Harding of Oakville, Ryan Shapansky of Elma, and Aberdeen's Josh Thompson. On the restart Dalrymple led Tobeck, and Wishkah's Don Briggs Sr. Briggs Sr worked his way into second, making his way around Tobeck. Dalrymple saw tough company as Briggs Sr looked low in turn one, taking the lead. Rochester's Richard Woolverton moved into the top three, looking to make a three-car battle for the lead. Woolverton moved into the runner up spot early on in the feature, setting his sights on Briggs Sr. Lap traffic loomed ahead for Briggs Sr, as he put some slight distance on Woolverton and Darlymple. Tobeck worked his way into the top three, getting around Dalrymple. Woolverton looked strong in turn three, getting to the back bumper of Briggs Sr as both put some distance on Tobeck, Dalrymple and Brandon Tyler of Elma. Tyler Sundstrom of Hoquiam worked his way into the top three, getting by Tobeck late in the feature, looking to catch Briggs Sr and Woolverton. With 5 laps to go, it was a three-car fight for the lead, as Briggs Sr looked to hold off Woolverton and Sundstrom. Woolverton looked low in turn two, racing side by side with Briggs Sr down the backstretch. Woolverton jumped to the lead. Sundstrom was right there, waiting for any mistake, as the top three caught lap traffic. A slight bobble by Briggs Sr allowed Sundstrom to take over second. Woolverton put some distance on Sundstrom and Briggs Sr, picking up the win. Sundstrom, Briggs Sr, Tyler and Tobeck rounded out the top five. Heat race winners earlier in the evening were Briggs Sr and Sundstrom.
Racing will resume next Saturday and Sunday for another double header weekend. The Elma Hall of Fame 360 Battle Royale, featuring the 360 Sprint Cars. The Wingless Sprint Series and PHRA Dwarf Cars will be in action both nights. Gates open at 4:30PM with racing at 6PM. For more information go to www.graysharborraceway.com.
Grays Harbor Raceway
July 15, 2023
24th Annual Shipwreck Beads Northwest Modified Nationals
Night 2
IMCA Modifieds
B-Main 1 (Top 3 transfer):

1. 21A Matthew Drager, 2. 97TB Tyson Blood, 3. 34 Jason Tole, 4. 58 Devon Reed, 5. 75 Alan Grimbly, 6. 43K Shane Kerrigan, 7. 16 Chaz Wilder, 8. 51 Branden Nutter, 9. 93 Elliott French, 10. 41 Tim Phillips, 11. 87K Brenton Schnitzer
   B-Main 2 (Top 3 transfer):
2. 99X John Gaynor, 2. M14 Craig Moore, 3. 34G Albert Gill, 4. 28H Brian Harding, 5. 81R Austin Rognlin, 6. 67 Ryen Haney, 7. 19W Skyler Winebarger, 8. 151 Adam Holtrop, 9. 419 Jeff Hunt, 10. 77 Jerry Schram, 11. 90 Chris Beaulieu

A-Main:

1. W5 Jesse Williamson, 2. 16s Collen Winebarger, 3. V13 Grey Ferrando, 4. 52 Geoff Morris, 5. 5R Robert Jenner, 6. 81 Lane Zerbin, 7. 8 Brad Purdy, 8. 31Z Zane Miner, 9. 98s Dan Sheller, 10. 97TB Tyson Blood, 11. 21J Jon DeBenedetti, 12. 26 Scott Miller, 13. 12 Dustin Comer, 14. 18 Miles Beaulieu, 15. M14 Craig Moore, 16. 99X John Gaynor, 17. 17 Brian Izzi, 18. 1 Riley Scherer, 19. 27EH Lawrence O'Connor, 20. 34 Jason Tole, 21. 13 Bricen James, 22. 42 Kevin Valen, 23. 21A Matthew Drager, 24. 34AG Albert Gill
   Elma Lane's Hard Charger: 97TB Tyson Blood (11 positions)

IMCA Northern SportMods
Heat Race:

1. 10 Brayden Brookshire, 2. 2G Kody Greer, 3. 21JR Vinny DeBenedetti, 4. 11 Trevor Points, 5. 7M Ethan Killingsworth, 6. 19 Madilynn Ashley, 7. W7 Kevin Williamson, 8. 21P Landyn Philpott, 9. 60J Jordan Henry
   A-Main:
2. Killingsworth, 2. Points, 3. Brookshire, 4. Williamson, 5. Philpott, 6. DeBenedetti, 7. Ashley, 8. Greer, 9. Henry
   Hornets
   Heat 1:
3. 13XXX Don Briggs Sr, 2. 35 Steve Morgan, 3. 0 Zach Dalrymple, 4. 07 James Gunter, 5. 89 Thomas Warner, 6. 423 Randy Goodman, 7. 29 Payton Harding, 8. 37 Mark Cooper
   Heat 2:
4. 23 Tyler Sundstrom, 2. 39 Scott Tobeck, 3. 3 Max Sanford, 4. 95 Richard Woolverton, 5. 18 Brandon Tyler, 6. 72 Martin Reed, 7. 88 Ryan Shapansky, 8. 45 Josh Thompson
   A-Main:
5. Woolverton, 2. Sundstrom, 3. Briggs Sr, 4. Tyler, 5. Tobeck, 6. Dalrymple, 7. Harding, 8. Sanford, 9. Gunter, 10. Cooper, 11. Goodman, 12. Reed, 13. Shapansky, 14. Morgan, 15. Thompson, 16. Warner

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