The Wait is Over as Seth Wins ASCS Sunday Feature Event

They say that hard work eventually pays off, and there is no doubt that it holds true for Seth Bergman as he took home the victory on the feature night of racing at the inaugural ASCS Northwest opening weekend.

After a fourth place finish on Saturday night the Bergman team were extremely confident that a repeat performance was on the cards, however morning rain threatened to cancel the entire nights racing. Thanks to the great job of the Grays Harbor track team they were able to get the track ready for Sunday’s feature night.

Just like night one the ball drop was favorable for Seth as he drew the one ball for heat number two, which saw him pitted against Saturday nights second place finisher Henry VanDam, Taylor Malsam as well as local drivers Shawn Rice and Jay Cole. As the green flag dropped Seth raced away to and early lead until the yellow came out for Jay Cole as he hit the wall coming into turn four. It was a nasty wreck and it took the track officials quite some time before they were able to clear the wreckage. As racing resumed Seth dashed away and was never headed as he took home his fourth straight heat race victory.

As the heat races concluded it was time for the ball drop to see the starting eight positions for the main event. The ASCS takes the top eight in points from the heat races and they are randomly drawn to see where they start for the feature event. Unlike night one where Seth drew the seven ball, lady luck was on his side as he drew the two ball and started on the front row next to Chris Schmelzle.

Saturdays top eight where completely different from the night before as California driver Jonathan Allard started from ninth, Saturday night winner Jayme Barnes was back in twelfth and Roger Crocket was in position fourteen. As the cars circled before the beginning of the race the announcers where pretty confident that the winner of the race was going to come from the middle of the pack, but they forgot to mention they guy in the 23 who was sitting in second.

As the green flag dropped my heart stopped for a second as it appeared there had been a false start, but thankfully debris had flown onto the track so the field had to circle for another restart. As racing commenced Schmelzle raced away in clear air for an early lead with Seth tucked in behind. The action was thick and fast behind Seth as Mitch Olson and Travis Rutz quickly moved up to third and fourth while Allard, Malsam, Barnes and Crocket started slicing their way through the field. Unlike night one where the track was extremely slick and not conducive to passing, Night two was going to be a completely different race, as cars where getting three wide in the turns and sticking their passes.

After just three laps Jonathan Allard had moved his way from ninth to fifth and on lap six he got by Rutz for fourth, Mitch Olson was next on lap eight and on the eleventh lap the pivotal moment of the race would happen. As lap eleven commenced Allard was hot on the heels of Seth. As the drivers entered turn one Seth went around the top while Allard stayed in the middle and made the pass on Seth. As the drivers raced up the back straight away Seth proceeded to take the higher line around the top while Allard stayed on the bottom. Before both cars had got to the turn Jared Peterson in the number 9p had spun out, Seth avoided the collision but Allard was not so fortunate as he could not miss Peterson being on a lower line. Allard ended up receiving front end damage and his night was over.

Drivers formed into single file for the restart and unlike earlier in the night Seth was hot on Szhmelzle’s heels. As the drivers came out of turn four on lap thirteen Seth had the high line and the straight line speed and took the lead from Schmelzle. Both of Kevin Rudeens cars where in third and fourth respectively as Taylar Malsam had done a tremendous job coming from eleventh and Saturday night winner Barnes had moved from twelfth to fifth.

Malsam, Rutz and Barnes where hot on Seth’s heels, but as Seth caught up to the back makers he proceeded to put on a clinic of how to get through traffic has he weaved his way past the slower cars. This created separation between him and the rest of the field. Henry VanDam and Roger Crocket had surged through the middle section of the race and both cars ended up getting by Barnes who had drifted back. As Rutz got held up by a back marker VanDam went around on the high side to take third after starting in eighteenth position.

As the laps wound down Seth had created a full straightway lead and on lap thirty the wait was finally over as he crossed the finish line as the feature night winner on the inaugural ASCS Northwest Sprint car weekend. Malsam finished in second place while Rutz put a pass on VanDam to take third. VanDam finished in fourth with Roger Crockett rounding out the top five.

It was clearly a very emotional win for everyone at the end of the race after the disappointments of last year, as Seth received countless hugs and congratulations from everyone on the race team. “This is a fantastic feeling, we have worked so hard to finally get back here and it just great” said Seth in victory lane after the race. Seth took home a $1500 check for 1st place and currently sits a top of the points standings after the first weekend of the ASCS Norrthwest Sprintcar tour.

ASCS Northwest racing will resume on June 6th as the drivers head to Willamette Speedway in Lebanon Oregon, before heading to Cottage Grove Speedway for night two on on June 7th.

Stay tuned to the website as we will have videos posted shortly of Seths victory from Sunday night.