ELMA, WA – What a weekend for Lane Zerbin in the Team NPP #81 Modified in Washington State. On Saturday night Zerbin drove the Northern Provincial Pipelines Ltd./Alien Race Cars #81 Modified to a fourth place finish at Skagit Speedway. Less than 24 hours later, Zerbin was standing in victory lane at Grays Harbor Raceway. “It was a pretty good weekend for sure.” Saturday night in Alger, Washington, Zerbin finished 5th in his Heat which automatically transferred him to the ‘A’ Feature event. “Saturday’s Feature was a caution fest (at Skagit), ” explains Zerbin, “every two laps there was a caution. I started pretty deep in the field so it was hard to get any momentum going. I was pretty happy to even make it up to fourth.” This was Zerbin’s first appearance at Skagit Speedway this season. Lane and his dad (Ted) loaded up the Team NPP #81 Modified and headed to Elma, Washington for Sunday night race action.

“Had a really quick car Sunday,” admits the 22 year old, “I was fastest overall in hot laps so I was really looking forward to the race.” The extra speed may have been a bit of a downfall early for Zerbin. “I messed up in the Heat race and didn’t get a transfer spot (to the ‘A’ Feature).” Zerbin finished 8th in his Heat race. To transfer to the 20 car ‘A’ Feature, he needed to finish fourth or better in the ‘B’ Feature. “Started 6th in the ‘B’ and ended up winning it. For the ‘A’ Main I started 16th.” Zerbin narrowly avoided a five car crash at the tail end of Lap 2 in the big Feature. The calamity happened right in front of him. His quick reflexes were rewarded and the Team NPP driver immediately gained five spots and moved up to 11th for the restart. On Lap 10, Zerbin was running in the fourth position. “The car was hooked up on the topside. I got by two cars almost every corner when the opportunity presented itself. If there was a gap I took it.” By Lap 13 he was running second and chasing down race leader and fellow Canadian driver Chris Beaulieu from Campbell River, BC. Zerbin took the race lead away from Beaulieu a few laps later.

Getting by lapped traffic in the dying laps of the Feature slowed the pace of a speedy Zerbin. On the white flag lap Seabeck, Washington’s Tyler Moore briefly got by Zerbin to take over the race race lead . “I started hearing Tyler (Moore) with about five laps to go. He snuck up behind me and took the lead for about a half lap.” Moore had the lead going into the final corner but Zerbin made an outside pass coming out of four to grab the win at the checkered flag. “No one wanted to go to the topside (of the track) in Elma. I made it work several times Saturday night including the front straight pass for the win.” This was Zerbin’s second Feature event win of 2017 at Grays Harbor Raceway. His first win of the season came back on July 21st. “We are getting more consistent which is what we need.” In his last seven starts Zerbin has had an average Feature finish of 4.0. At this point in time Zerbin is unsure if there are any more races left for him in 2017. “There is one more Modified race in Elma the end of the month (September 30th). Hoping to be at this one.”

>SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd
MODIFIED FEATURE (Top 10)
1. #75 Graham Cooke – Parksville, British Columbia
2. #14 Kyler Moore – Seabeck, Washington
3. #28 Brian Harding – Oakville, Washington
4. #81 Lane Zerbin – Victoria, British Columbia
5. #58 James Wolford – Seabeck, Washington
6. #91 Chris Beaulieu – Campbell River, British Columbia
7. #97 Tyson Blood – Olympia, Washington
8. #14 Craig Moore – Seabeck, Washington
9. #45 Tiana Berkeley – Colville, Washington
10.# 8 Rick Smith – Mt. Vernon, Washington

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>SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd
MODIFIED FEATURE (Top 10)
1. #81 Lane Zerbin – Victoria, British Columbia
2. #14 Kyler Moore – Seabeck, Washington
3. #91 Chris Beaulieu – Campbell River, British Columbia
4. # 8 Doug Davenport – Vernonia, Washington
5. #75 Lawrence O’Conner – Parksville, British Columbia
6. #11 Tom Sweatman – Cosmopolis, Washington
7. # 7 Kevin Smith – Sedro Wooley, Washington
8. #26 Scott Miller – Shelton, Washington
9. #28 Brian Harding – Oakville, Washington
10.#12 BJ Wild – Redmond, Oregon