Seth Hespe makes Grandma proud, scores first win

For Snohomish, Washington driver Seth Hespe, it was a long time coming. On Saturday night, the 19-year-old Central Washington University student scored his first career main event victory as he held off a hard charging Jonathan Jorgenson to win the Triple X Ford Focus Midget main event at Grays Harbor Raceway.

Driving the Brownfield Motorsports No. 92 Stealth sponsored by Skagit Speedway, Elma Lanes, Justice Bros. and Completely Floored Carpet Sales, Seth scored a win that was very popular with the crowd on hand at the very track his late grandfather Fred Brownfield once promoted and turned into one of the finest dirt track facilities anywhere.

Hespe led every lap and as a result he snapped Jorgenson's unbeaten streak at the Elma, Wash. speed plant to start the season, but Jorgenson was relentless in the closing laps of the event as he got alongside Hespe and threatened to take the lead with less than two laps remaining. Hespe, however, held his ground and got back in front, shutting the door on Jorgenson. In front of a happy crowd that included his grandmother and car owner Debbie Brownfield, Hespe beat Jorgeson to Jason Valencia's checkered flag by about a car length.

The No. 92, the number Seth's grandfather drove during most of a successful career and became an iconic number to the Northwest racing community after his death in 2006, was a winner again after many years. After racing only once all last year after his sprint car ride moved to Iowa, Hespe was enjoying the spoils of victory lane for the first time on Saturday night. He was joined on the track by his proud grandmother. If only Fred were around to see it.

Sunday's second night of action at Grays Harbor Raceway saw Seth have another good run in the feature. Seth started outside the front row after finishing fourth in his heat race. He would lead the early going until sprint car stud Colton Heath got him on a restart. Seth would eventually settle for a solid fourth place finish to back up Saturday's win.

Hespe entered the weekend third in the Grays Harbor Raceway Triple X Ford Focus Midget standings. His finishes this weekend helped inch him closer to the top of the standings. Seth Hespe will continue driving the Brownfield Motorsports No. 92 Stealth on June 6th as points racing resumes at Grays Harbor Raceway.

Van Dam jumps from 5th to 3rd in ASCS Northwest points

The ASCS Northwest Region returned to action this weekend at Grays Harbor Raceway and it was a moderately successful two nights of action for Enumclaw, Washington sprint car racer Henry Van Dam. Van Dam earned a second place finish and tenth place finish to move up two spots in the ASCS Northwest Region point standings.

Henry was, as usual, behind the wheel of the Van Dam Racing No. 33v Shark-powered Maxim sponsored by Omlid & Swinney Fire Protection & Security, Van Dam Dairy, Shareway Industries and GMS Metal Works. Under the typical ASCS format, it was all about pill draws and passing points again for Van Dam, who was fifth in points after the tour's opening weekend in Oregon two weeks earlier.

Henry's draw put him in the sixth starting position in Saturday's second heat race. Van Dam moved up three spots to finish third and earn several valuable passing points, enough to secure the ninth starting position in the 30-lap feature. Van Dam was up to third place by Lap 19 and on a restart on that same lap he inherited second place when Jay Cole flipped upside down.

Over the last eight laps of the race, Van Dam and race long leader Shawn Rice dueled in traffic, and it was Rice who just held off Van Dam for the win. For Van Dam it was his fourth straight Top 10 finish and his second runner-up in 360 sprint car competition over the last month.

Sunday saw Henry's draw put him in the fourth starting spot in the evening's first heat race. Van Dam, however, had to leave the track prior to race and came back to tag the back of the field. Van Dam would drive his way back to finish fourth. In the Top 8 in heat race points, Van Dam ended up involved in the pill draw for the first eight starting positons. He drew the 5 pill.

Van Dam ran third in the opening laps and then motored past J.J. Hickle for second place. He spent the next handful of laps trying to chase down early race leader Jared Peterson. It was on Lap 13 when ex-World of Outlaws star Jason Solwold managed to get around Van Dam and bump him back to third place. Late in the race, Van Dam tried to continue running the high side, but the usuability of it disappeared quickly and Van Dam suddenly slipped all the way back to tenth, but composed himself and held down the tenth position in closing laps and finished there.

For Van Dam is it was his fifth straight Top 10 finish. His finish was good enough to keep him in third place in the ASCS Northwest Region point standings. He currently sits a mere six points behind second place points man Jared Ridge and 16 points behind leader Steven Tiner.

Van Dam next plans to race again at Grays Harbor Raceway this Saturday as weekly 360 sprint car action continues. The ASCS Northwest Region next races on Friday and Saturday, June 26th and 27th at Electric City Speedway in Great Falls, Montana. It will be Van Dam's first time to Electric City Speedway since 2005.

Henry Van Dam, 27, is one of the top sprint car racers in the Pacific Northwest as well as one of the most popular with fans. He has main event victories at Skagit Speedway and Grays Harbor Raceway to his credit. More information on Henry and the Van Dam Racing team including schedules, sponsors, photos and Van Dam Racing apparel can be found online at http://www.vandamracing.com.

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Henry Van Dam’s sponsors

Van Dam Dairy
Omlid & Swinney Fire Protection & Security
Shark Racing Engines
Shareway Industries
GMS Metal Works
Speedmart Inc.
Jack Dilley Logging
D & L Equipment Repair
Enumclaw Suzuki
Char’s Barber Shop
Enumclaw Express Lube
Foothills Auto supply
Pete Vos
Bob & Joan Shumway
Enumclaw Auto Rebuild
Fire Down Graphics

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Van Dam Racing online
http://www.vandamracing.com