Alger, WA – 5/29/11 by Kelly Hart
Memorial Day Weekend racing at Skagit Speedway featured the John Carroll Classic. On Saturday night Eric Fisher lead all 25 laps of the 410 main event for the win. It was Devin Madonia taking over the lead from Danielle Huson after 16 laps into the race for the 360 Sprint win. Derek Roberts made it two in a row for the Sportsman Sprint win and Greg Hibma came out of retirement for the Outlaw Hornet win in Freddie Vela's car.
After a three week layoff the competitors in the 410 Sprint division were ready to scream around the Skagit Speedway 3/10th mile clay oval. Travis Jacobson started off the evening with fast time of 11.425 seconds. The heat race winners were Kevin Smith and Josh DeWitt. The 25-lap feature took a few tries to get started but clearly Eric Fisher had a handle on the field. A lap one yellow cost Jacobson his front end and Alec Covert clipped Jacobson sending the #27 car flipping into the front straightaway. Neither car could continue. On the next start, Jesse Whitney spun in turn two bringing out the second caution and sending the defending 410 champion to the back of the pack. Fisher nailed the restart pulling away from Barry Martinez, Colton Heath and Chad Hillier. Martinez retired with motor woes bringing out the yellow on the sixth lap. Enter Josh DeWitt the first week winner to the fray. The most entertaining racing was behind Fisher as Hillier, Heath and DeWitt all battled back and forth for second through fourth. A late race red on lap 21 for a flipping Steve Parker closed the field. That red was followed by another red flag but Fisher was good on the restart and pulled away for the win followed by DeWitt, Hillier and Heath. The Wells Wheels Hard Charger award went to New Zealand racer Jason Scott who passed 7 cars.
Jacobson pulled off the rare double of fast time in two sprint car divisions in one night with an 11.771 clocking in the Budweiser 360 Sprints. Jacobson was the only car in the 11 second bracket for the class. Heat race victories went to Kelsey Carpenter and Rod Perkins. The main event featured some heated battles for position all around the race track. Eric Thibert spun on the first lap and Danny Kirkpatrick spun on the second lap. On the lap 2 restart the field saw the back of Danielle Huson’s tail tank as she launched off to a half lap lead before hitting traffic on the 14th lap. Devin Madonia who has led the majority of main event laps run at Skagit Speedway this season was stalking Huson and found a slight opening in traffic to slip by for the lead. Madonia took over the lead on lap 17 and was not challenged. Meanwhile Jacobson had found his rhythm and was moving in on Huson for second. The two would dice in and out of traffic and at the checkered flag is was Madonia, Huson and Jacobson the top 3. Mack Brown was the Weld Wheels Hard Charger with 8 positions gained.
In the Cook Road Sportsman Sprints the “Flying Fireman” Derek Roberts won his second straight 20-lap feature. Roberts led all 20 laps for the win. On the 8th lap of the main Victoria Cantu made contact with another car and flipped hard on the back stretch. Parker slipped past Rob Schroder for second with 5 laps to go. Cale Brooke, Cory Swatzina and James Bundy won the three heat races. Justin Youngquist was the Weld Wheels Hard Charger passing 6 cars for a 4th place finish in the main.
One of the best races in Outlaw Hornet history at ASA member track Skagit Speedway took place with Greg Hibma pulling past Tom Warner by the front bumper at the finish line, leading the last 5 feet of the final lap for the win. Four lead changes saw Wade Swatzina give way to Rick Young on the second lap. Tom Warner passing Young on lap 6 and Hibma crossing the line first at the checkered flag. Throw in Tyler Ketchum and a hard charging Jon Gunderson and there were 6 legitimate contenders for the win all within 100 feet at the finish. The race saw many 3-wide passes with the leaders slicing and dicing there way through the 20 car field for the win. The O’Reillys Auto Parts Hard Charger was Gunderson who picked off 13 positions. Hibma and Warner were the heat race winners.
Skagit Speedway welcomed two drivers in brand new 410 Sprint cars as Jason Scott and Danielle Anderson from New Zealand were both in attendance. These two drivers arrived early in the week and assembled two cars from scratch at the XXX Raceco World Headquarters a few miles from the track. Scott finished 6th in the main and Anderson was 9th their first time at Skagit Speedway. These are the first of 4 drivers due from New Zealand to race at Dirt Cup June 16th through 18th.
RESULTS 5/28/11
410 Sprints
Fast time: Travis Jacobson 11.425
Heat 1: Josh DeWitt, Eric Fisher, Jacobson, Chad Hillier, Otto Jorgenson
Heat 2: Kevin Smith, Jesse Whitney, Barry Martinez, Colton Heath, Steve Parker
Main: Eric Fisher, DeWitt, Hillier, Heath, Smith, Jason Scott, Kelleigh Johnson, Danielle Anderson, Whitney, Parker, Martinez, Jacobson, Alec Covert
360 Sprints
Fast time: Travis Jacobson 11.771
Heat 1: Kelsey Carpenter, Jacobson, Danielle Huson, Randy Price, Jonathan Jorgenson
Heat 2: Rod Perkins, Alan Munn, Devin Madonia, Danny Kirkpatrick, Bud Ashe
Main: Devin Madonia, Huson, Jacobson, Price, Mack Brown, Perkins, Munn, Jorgenson, Ashe, Kirkpatrick, Eric Thibert, Carpenter, Jeff Dunlap
Sportsman Sprints
Heat 1: Cale Brook, Rob Schroder, Steve Parker, Dave Mead, Paul Burdick
Heat 2: Cory Swatzina, Derek Roberts, Clayton Sibley, Justin Youngquist, Curtis Clark
Heat 3: James Bundy, Ben Gunderson, Michael Hodel, Bill Rude, Victoria Cantu
Main: Derek Roberts, Parker, Schroder, Youngquist, Brooke, Hodel, Rude, Bundy, Burdick, Sibley, Clark, Geoff Needham, Gunderson, Glenn Reinstra, Swatzina, Cantu, Mead, Ashley Lewellen
Outlaw Hornets
Heat 1: Greg Hibma, Ken Higby, Wade Swatzina, Tyler Ketchum, Jon Gunderson
Heat 2: Tom Warner, Howard Vos, Rick Young, Matt Powers, Stacey Sims
Main: Greg Hibma, Warner, Swatzina, Young, Ketchum, Gunderson, Matt Ploeg, Higby, Powers, Jon Edwards, JR Schuh, Sims, Adam Nelson, Tina Thibert, Clint Meins, Vos, Jesse Swint, Cliff Ballenger, Eric Thibert, TJ Campbell
No comments:
Post a Comment