From Kaleb Hart
ALGER, Wash. (July 30, 2016) — Roger Crockett swept into Skagit Speedway looking for a big day, and swept away with $10,000 in his pocket after winning the main event on Saturday night for the Bob’s Burgers & Brew Summer Nationals.
At the outset of the 40 lap feature, Travis Rilat took the lead from his pole position with Evan Margeson and JJ Hickle chasing. Three cautions slowed the race over the first three laps, but once consecutive laps of green flag action commenced, the action was happening so fast that it was nearly impossible to keep track of. Rilat rabbited out to a huge advantage, as Hickle passed by Margeson and set sail to run down Rilat amongst heavy traffic. The lead two used all three grooves to dice and slice in and amongst traffic, as eighth place starting Jason Solwold and eighth place starting Roger Crockett also went high, wide and low to move up into the top five. Solwold pulled a slider on Hickle in turn four around lap 23 to take second, while Rilat continued his torrid pace through the slower cars. On lap 27, Rilat shot his car too far into the cushion in turn two and tapped the wall, allowing Solwold to blow by along with Hickle, Crockett and Robbie Price. Crockett slid past Hickle a lap later, but Solwold had already stormed around multiple lapped cars while building a near straightaway lead. AS the laps ticked down, Solwold was eyeballing his fourth Summer Nationals crown, but a caution on lap 35 for Justin Youngquist bunched the field together with no lapped cars separating your leaders. On the restart, Solwold stopped Crockett’s move in one in two by blocking low, but Crockett built up enough momentum to slide Jason in turn three and take the lead. With precious few laps left, the Medford, OR driver streaked away to take his second Summer Nationals win and his first since 1998 as well the $10,000 top prize. Solwold and Hickle rounded out the podium. JJ was the quickest car in qualifying. Heat winners were Jake Helsel, Henry Van Dam, Eric Fisher and Mack Brown.
The Triple X Northwest Focus Midget Series ran as the support division on Saturday night and it was Garrett Thomas putting a spanking on the field as he went wire to wire for the 25 lap main event win. Nick Evans took second and Tristin Thomas took third. Heat race winners were Evans, Thomas and Ryan Cully.
360 Sprints
Locked In From Friday – Roger Crockett, Colton Heath, Evan Margeson, Jared Peterson
Fast Time – JJ Hickle 12.475
Heat 1 – Jake Helsel, Cam Smith, JJ Hickle, Chase Goetz, Travis Jacobson, Jared Ridge, Tristen Spiers
Heat 2 – Henry Van Dam, Jason Solwold, Reece Goetz, Robbie Price, Bricen James, Brandon Harkness, Steve James
Heat 3 – Eric Fisher, Steve Reeves, Devin Madonia, Lance Sargent, Nate Vaughn, Trevor Cook, Justin Youngquist
Heat 4 – Mack Brown, Travis Rilat, David Miller, Bud Ashe, Jason Reed, Cody Ridge, Luke Didiuk
B Main – Travis Jacobson, Youngquist, Harkness, J Ridge, B James, Didiuk, Reed, Spiers, C Ridge, S James, Cook, Vaughn
A Main – Roger Crockett, Solwold, Hickle, Fisher, Heath, Van Dam, Rilat, Youngquist, Margeson, Jacobson, Peterson, Price, C Goetz, J Ridge, Ashe, Harkness, Sargent, R Goetz, Brown, Madonia, Reeves, Helsel, Miller, Smith
Lap Leaders – Rilat 1-27 Solwold 28-35 Crockett 36-40
Triple X Northwest Focus Midgets
Heat 1 – Nick Evans, Chance Crum, Al Goldie, Michael Millard, Chad Sinner, Brandon Turner, Brian Hayes, Michael Vollbrecht
Heat 2 – Garrett Thomas, Tristin Thomas, Thomas Walker, Renee Angel, Ray Stebbins, Aly Pyles, Nik Larson
Heat 3 – Ryan Cully, Ross Rankine, Todd Hartmann, Shane Smith, Eric Turner, Jacob Brown, Chris Bullock
Main – Garrett Thomas, Evans, T Thomas, Crum, E Turner, Millard, Smith, Brown, Walker, Hartmann, Goldie, Sinner, Hayes, Bullock, Angel, Stebbins, Pyles, Rankine, Cully, B Turner, Vollbrecht, Larson
Lap Leaders – G Thomas 1-25