ELMA, WA –  Despite a damaged race car, Lane Zerbin salvaged his evening with an 8th place finish at Grays Harbor Raceway.  A total of 22 IMCA Modifieds were in the pits for the Saturday race.  Zerbin was the only Canadian in the field.  “It was a bit of a mud race,” sighs Zerbin, “I was lucky to gain any spots at all.”  The race started two-hours earlier than normal due to the annual fair taking place at the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds.  “There was a time limit with the fair.  They needed to be done by 7PM.”  Unfortunately rain showers fell in the region around lunchtime which added to the water already on the racing surface from the track preparation crews.  Officials decided not to delay the start of the race and dropped the green flag shortly after 4pm.  Zerbin finished 5th in his Heat race which gave him a starting position of 13th in the Feature.  Track conditions were a little better for the Feature.  “You could run the bottom, middle and that was about it.”  There were plenty of multi-car and single-car incidents in the Feature.  “It was a carnage filled night.”  Zerbin was involved in one of the single-car incidents.

“I slapped the back stretch wall pretty good,” admits the Victoria, British Columbia driver, “you get into the slop and then you just slide.  Most of the damage to the back of the car was my doing.”  Thinking the damage was race ending, Zerbin headed for the pits.  “I was contemplating parking the car. My dad (Ted) and Matt (brother-in-law) said the damage wasn’t that bad so I went back out.”  Zerbin went to the tail end of the pack and fought his way back and finished 8th.  “A top-10 is not too bad especially after going to the back in the Feature.  I probably could have finished fifth if I didn’t head to the pits.”

Zerbin’s 8th place finish Saturday night was his 6th consecutive top-10 finish.  This is the first-time that Zerbin has accomplished this feat in his Northern Provincial Pipelines C-Force Marine #81 Modified.  “Sure would like to make that top-5’s.”  Zerbin recorded five consecutive top-5 finishes back in 2017.

Next race for Zerbin is scheduled for the September long weekend.  “We’ll race on the 2nd down at Willamette and then two-days at Elma.”  IMCA Modifieds will be the support class to the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars at Grays Harbor Raceway on September 3rd and 4th.