By Kaleb Hart
Shane Stewart won the first preliminary night of the 39th Annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway. After starting on the front row of the main event, Stewart was flawless out front, using clean air to his advantage as he led every lap of the main event in the Jet City Equipment #7k ART. Zach Zimmerly fought his way from 5th to 2nd in the DWT #94 ART. Tim Kaeding climbed nine spots to finish 3rd in the HR Cattle #83 KPC. Kaeding is the points leader after night one, followed by Tommy Tarlton, Brent Kaeding, Jayme Barnes and Kyle Larson. Heat race wins went to Eric Fisher, Barnes, Larson, Kyle Hirst and Tim Kaeding. Tarlton was quick time. Skinny Colson won the C Main. Colton Heath won the B.
Ben Gunderson led all 17 laps of the Pull A Part Outlaw Hornet feature to secure his third W of the year. James Bundy finished a career best second, holding off a hard charging Freddie Vela who ended up third. Heat race wins went to Bundy and Gunderson.
Night two of the 39th Annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup starts at 5pm as the 410 Sprints and Ford Focus will be in action. For ticket information and the full points run down, visit www.skagitspeedway.com
Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup Prelim Night 1
Fast Time – Tommy Tarlton
Heat 1 – Eric Fisher, Bud Kaeding, Tarlton, Colton Heath, Mitch Olson, Cam Smith, Chad Groves, Steve Dyer, Logan Forler
Heat 2 – Jayme Barnes, Zach Zimmerly, Jason Solwold, Josh Edson, Jesse Whitney, Michael Harris, Glen Reinstra, Alec Covert
Heat 3 – Kyle Larson, Seth Bergman, Shane Stewart, Barry Martinez, Willie Croft, Skinny Colson, Jason Bloodgood, Trey Starks, Steve Parker
Heat 4 – Kyle Hirst, Jonathan Allard, Marc Duperron, Travis Jacobson, Peter Murphy, Glenn Borden, Danielle Huson, Clayton Sibley, Jake Mann
Heat 5 – Tim Kaeding, Henry Van Dam, Chris Schmelzle, Brock Lemley, Brent Kaeding, Kelsey Carpenter, Kevin Smith, Marc Schutte
C Main – Skinny Colson, Parker, Huson, Carpenter, C Smith, Mann, Dyer, Reinstra, Sibley, Starks, Schutte, Harris
B Main – Colton Heath, Jacobson, Croft, B Kaeding, Olson, Martinez, Forler, Borden, Whitney, K Smith, Colson, Edson, Groves, Murphy, Parker, Roger Crockett, Bloodgood, Lemley
A Main – Shane Stewart, Zimmerly, T Kaeding, Larson, B Kaeding, Tarlton, Barnes, Schmelzle, Bu Kaeding, Croft, Solwold, Heath, Martinez, Duperron, Bergman, Olson, Forler, Fisher, Allard, Jacobson, Hirst, Van Dam
Lap Leaders – Stewart 1-30
Pull A Part Outlaw Hornets
Heat 1 – James Bundy, Rick Young, Freddy Vela, Ken Higby, Mike Powers Jr, Howard Vos, Ashley Lewellen, Tyler Arp, Ronda Eszlinger
Heat 2 – Ben Gunderson, Tyler Ketchum, Karl Dahl, Tina Thibert, Jon Edwards, Angie Richter, John Gunderson, Eric Thibert, James Sims, Wade Swatzina
Main – Ben Gunderson, Bundy, Vela, Ketchum, Young, Lewellen, J Gunderson, Dahl, Vos, E Thibert, Edwards, Terry Graul, Arp, Sims, T Thibert, Higby, Powers Jr, Stacy Day, Richter
Lap Leaders – B Gunderson 1-17