Henry Van Dam motors to Grays Harbor win

Henry Van Dam motors to Grays Harbor win Henry Van Dam found the way to get around a choppy track and put the pedal to the metal, motoring away from the field to win the 360 sprint car main event at Grays Harbor Raceway on Saturday night. It’s the Enumclaw, Washington driver’s second win of the season, the first also coming at Grays Harbor Raceway on the 4th of July. Driving the Van Dam Racing No. 33v Shark-powered Rocket sponsored by Omlid & Swinney Fire Protection & Security, Van Dam Dairy, Cadman Concrete, Shareway Industries and GMS Metal Works, Henry opened up his night by qualifying eighth with a time of 13.314 seconds on the big 3/8-mile, high-banked clay oval. This put him in the evening’s second heat race. Van Dam got stuck in the fifth position on the initial start of his heat, but on the second lap he motored around both Shawn Rice and defending track champion Jay Cole on the outside in Turn 2 to move up to the third position. The next lap saw Van Dam motor by Rob Johnson for the second position, where he would finish behind Cory Chamberlain. Because of his time, heat race finish and an eight-car invert, Van Dam started inside the second row for the 25-lap feature. The track had gotten fairly choppy in Turns 1 and 2, especially Turn 2, meaning whoever missed the holes best would get around the turns faster. Van Dam was fortunate to start where he did, as after the first attempt to start the race was a no go, the second start saw cars piling up behind Van Dam on the front stretch with one of them going upside down. Of the 15 cars that started, nearly half of them were involved and five cars did not return. The third start was again shaky but everyone managed to go as Henry got around outside pole sitter Taylor Malsam on the start to take second place. While Van Dam was getting around Malsam, the pole-sitter Chamberlain got out to a several car length lead. Van Dam, however, gradually ate away at Chamberlain’s lead over the first ten laps. Van Dam, who likes running the top at Grays Harbor Raceway when he can, found that the top side around Turns 1 and 2 were far less bumpy, so he made himself at home up there as he chased down Chamberlain, running through the ruts on the bottom when dealing with slower cars. It was on Lap 10 when Van Dam caught Chamberlain motored by him for the lead. From there, Henry was gone. Van Dam clocked the fastest lap of the race on Lap 23, touring the track in 13.630 seconds. Henry took the checkered flag more than three seconds ahead of runner-up Taylor Malsam. Henry’s next couple of weeks are a little bit up in the air. He is hoping to secure a 410ci motor to race with the World of Outlaws when they roll through the Pacific Northwest on Labor Day weekend. They race at Skagit Speedway and Friday and Saturday, September 4th and 5th and at Grays Harbor Raceway on Monday, September 7th. Henry does intend to run his 360ci motor in the September 6th ASCS Northwest Region event at Grays Harbor Raceway. Van Dam is currently fourth in the ASCS Northwest Region point standings. 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. - - - Henry Van Dam’s sponsors Van Dam Dairy Omlid & Swinney Fire Protection & Security Cadman Concrete 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 - - - Van Dam Racing online http://www.vandamracing.com