ELMA – The track is only 3/8ths of a mile long, but that didn’t stop some racers from driving more than 400 miles to get to Grays Harbor Raceway.

The local drivers had some stiff competition from Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia-based drivers in the running of the Shipwreck Beads Modified Nationals feature race on Saturday evening in Elma.

The main event modified race offered a $2,500 purse to the winner, which provided plenty of incentive for drivers from as far away as northern British Columbia to make the trip south.

Nick Trenchard hung on to take the checkered flag in a tense, caution-filled race and said the victory makes the long drive from southern Oregon worth it.

“This is probably one of the most prestigious races on the west coast. We’re from Klamath Falls, Oregon so it takes us seven hours to get up here, but I love coming up here” he said. “This is the fourth time I’ve won this in the last five years so it’s one of my favorite tracks. I’ll always come back here.”

Drivers are often looking for any financial help they can get because as they tour they drive state-to-state to indulge in what can end up being an expensive hobby.

To go along with the costs of transporting the race car in a trailer from one track to the next, the unpredictable nature of the sport often leads to damage that has to be fixed before the next race.

Collen Winebarger, who finished second behind Trenchard, said payouts like the one offered Saturday always provide a little extra motivation to make the drive from the Portland area.

“It’s prestigious, a lot of big-name guys have won it and it pays a lot,” he said. “We don’t do this 100 percent for the money but we try to make what we can when we can to help offset the costs.”

Depending on how physical the race gets, maintenance can cost a driver a lot of money and time. The latter isn’t as much of an issue for Graham Cook of Parksville, British Columbia, who is one of the few drivers lucky enough to have mechanics who handle all the repairs for him.

“(They) pretty much do all the work. I got the easier part where I just drive,” Cook said with a chuckle as his crew members worked on replacing a front tire in the dark of the pits.

The main event modified race was not kind to cars on Saturday as pile-ups and spin-outs thinned the field as the race went on and pushed the vehicles to their limits.

Fellow Vancouver Island native Lawrence O’Connor said he’ll be able to tolerate the damage his car sustained on Saturday since he ended up finishing in the top five.

“It’s really beat up but that’s part of the game. It got beat up pretty good on that first deal when we got taken out but we raced our way up to fourth, so I was pretty happy with that,” he said.

Though a lot of drivers have tracks they frequently race at closer to where they live, the group of drivers that tour this region of the country often run into each other throughout their travels.

The drivers are used to seeing familiar faces on the track, but a driver can also pick up new fans with a good performance as some of the top finishers that night had the enviable task of signing items from young autograph seekers.

O’Connor said the atmosphere at the track alone is worth the trip.

“Some of the tracks you go to the guys are a little rough or dirty, but this is a good group of guys that race here,” he said. “They have a great fan base here and the facility is really nice. The staff here is second to none, so it’s nice to come here and you feel welcome.”

As racers make their way to the next event, a lot of them had the chore of getting on the road the next morning. Putting a lot of highway miles on the trailer so they can drive at another 3/8 mile dirt track is par for the course for these drivers, but earning a trophy and a check for their efforts makes things a little more tolerable.

“We’ve been struggling the last month. We haven’t won since June so this is great for our team and it’ll make the seven-hour drive a lot easier on Sunday,” Trenchard said.

Collen Winebarger signs the back of a sweater for a fan after the Shipwreck Beads Modified Nationals on Saturday. Winebarger took second place in the main event race. (Hasani Grayson | The Daily World)