A new winner graced victory lane this weekend with the Northwest Sprint Tour as the series crowned its seventh different main event winner in as many races for Evergreen Speedway’s Granite Cup.
James Miller scored his first ever Northwest Sprint Tour main event win in spectacular fashion, beating Aaron Willison in a wild finish to claim the $10,000 prize and the Granite Cup title.
The 50 lap main event started with Willy Ginn and Stewart Lee on the front row leading the field of 17 to the green flag. Ginn would have the early jump before an incident on lap five with Ryan Willison, who spun on the back stretch, would bring out the first yellow flag of the race. On the ensuing restart James Miller would take the lead from Ginn, before Aaron Willison would drive himself off into the turn three grass to bring out the second yellow of the race.
On the first attempt at going back green Evan Margeson would tag Stewart Lee heading into turn three, sending the 52 around and leaving Cody Ridge with nowhere to go in the 41 car. Both cars would be out for the rest of the night.
From lap seven on the race would run green to checkered, with Miller leading and Aaron Willison storming his way from the tail end of the field all the way up to second with ten laps to go. The final few laps would see Willison reel in Miller, with the 14 launching a dive bomb move to the inside of the 71 on the white flag lap which resulted in contact between the two leaders.
Willison would save the car in the infield grass to finish second, but “The Thriller” James Miller would hang on for his first NST main event and biggest win of his Sprint Car racing career.
Willison, Brad Aumen, Jeff Montgomery and Evan Margeson rounded out the top five.
Jeff Montgomery set fast time with a 12.871, with heat race wins going to James Miller, Ryan Willison and Stewart Lee.