PORT ANGELES — The racing was loud and the spills spectacular at this weekend’s American Sprint Boat Racing races at the Extreme Sports Park outside of Port Angeles.
Locals did well in the weekend races as the Port Angeles team of Wicked Racing dominated the unlimited class.
And youth was served in the 400 class, which was won in an incredible close race by 20-year-old River Rogers and Rogers Racing of Lewiston, Idaho.
Rogers, along with navigator Cody Bristlin, took first with a time of 41.430, just nipping Preventing Insanity (driven by Leighton Lillie with Cody Holzer navigating), which had a time of 41.444.
The other top four boats in the 400 class included Nuckin Futz (Brad Cassell and Dakota Hemback) and Bad Influence (Steven and Randi Church). The top seven boats included Live Wire Racing of Port Angeles (Matt Denson and Vaughan Trapp), Guano Loco (Larry Steele and Chris Molderig) and Jolly Rogers 360 (Chris and Jen Farmer).
Taking first in the modified class in another very close finish was Jason and Sam Christ of Juggernaut Racing. The Burley, Idaho-based team won the final Sunday in a time of 45.425 seconds, just beating Frank and Kelly Toftemark (Castle Rock) of Check Mate, which had a time of 45.751.
Juggernaut went into the final day of racing with the best 8-cut time of 45.472 and the top 4-cut time of 45.198.
The remaining boats in the top four of the modified class were Jesse Denton and Terry Lamb of Slippery Pickle and T.J. Burrows and Keith Brownsberger of Jolly Rogers No. 208.
The top eight in the modified included Full Tilt (Seldon Glebe and Savannah Patten), Purcell Racing 154A (Jeff Purcell and James Goldberg), Bad Idea (Eric Petring and Scarlett Taylor) and Purcell Racing 154B (Frank and Kelly Toftemark).
Dan Morrison won in the unlimited class on his home track in his Wicked Racing boat. He finished with a time of 44.754 with Sami Gustafson as his navigator. The other finalists, Rob Coley and Tanner Ward of Poison Ivy, based in New Zealand, were not able to finish in the finals.
Wicked Racing had a great time in the 4-cut of 40.885, the top time of the day, and also the top time in the 8-cut of 41.118 as the Wicked Racing boat simply dominated. Wicked Racing also had a 40.851 time during qualifying Saturday. No other boat came close to cracking 41 seconds.
The remaining top four boats in unlimited were Dillon Cummings and Mike McAneny of Jeepers Creepers and Eric Werner and Tina Huff of the Jolly Rogers 39M boat.
Saturday’s qualifying featured a spectacular crash into the fence by the Jolly Rogers 360 boat with Chris and Jen Farmer. Driver and navigator were able to quickly get out of the boat as flames burst out of the engine compartment after the crash.
The sprint boats will return to the Extreme Sports Park Sept. 7-8.
Slippery Pickle with driver Jesse Denton, navigator Terry Lamb, and little plush companion, made it to the final four Sunday in the modified class. (Jeff Halstead/for Peninsula Daily News)
The Jolly Rogers 360 boat was involved in a spectacular crash during Saturday qualifying. Driver and navigator got out of the boat. (Jeff Halstead/for Peninsula Daily News)
The Jolly Rogers 360 engine bursts into flames after a crash during qualifying Saturday. The fire was quickly put out as driver and navigator got out of the boat. (Lonnie Archibald/for Peninsula Daily News)
