From Kelly Hart
Alger, WA — (July 10, 2011) — On Midseason Championship Night at ASA member track Skagit Speedway an overflow crowd viewed one hotly contested event after another. When the racing program ended a 25 minute monster fireworks display wowed the crowd.
All four divisions started the night with 8 car scrambles featuring the top eight in car owners points battling for starting positions in the main events. Travis Jacobson won both the 410 and 360 sprint scrambles in the potent twin #18 cars of Shaylen Raye Motorsports in convincing fashion. Derek Roberts won the Sportsman Sprint scramble with Freddy Vela capturing the Outlaw Hornet scramble win.
With Jacobson taking command of the early laps of the 410 Sprint main there were changes happening behind him. Colton Heath who started 8th in the scramble and finished fifth used that starting position to move quickly into 3rd position and set sight on the leaders. A lap 11 caution for a spinning 4th place car of Barry Martinez bunched the field. Heath used that restart to get around point leader Jesse Whitney and set sail for Jacobson. Nearing lap 20 the two encountered traffic with Jacobson choosing one line to get around the lapper and Heath the other. Heath passed Jacobson on lap 21 and was never headed the rest of the way. For Heath is was his first win in the LAW Motorsports car that has two Dirt Cup victories under it’s belt. At the line it was Heath, Jacobson, Whitney, Josh DeWitt and Eric Fisher the top 5.
For Jacobson a great night quickly went south as he was leading the Budweiser 360 Sprint main when a fuel pump quit five laps into the race ending the teams bid for a win. In a race that seemed as if no one wanted to win Devin Madonia inherited the lead and 5 laps later had a fuel line come lose ending his night. Inherit the lead Alan Munn. Munn would hold onto the lead for two laps before hard charging Mack Brown came sliding up underneath coming out of turn 4 to take over the lead on the 13th lap. Brown was fighting an ill handling race car and hanging on for dear life with the right front appearing to be broken. The top five were Brown, Munn, Kelsey Carpenter, Rod Perkins and Bud Ashe in his best run in a few years.
In just a few short weeks back in a race car after a couple of years off Brandon Harkness has piloted the Steve Parker Sportsman Sprint car to two victories. Harkness led all 20 laps of the midseason race for the win. His second in three weeks of racing. Rounding out the top 5 were Justin Youngquist, Derek Roberts, James Bundy and Paul Burdick. Harkness made contact with the turn one wall late in the race allowing Youngquist to close on the last few laps. Youngquist made one last attempt on the final lap to pull even but Harkness drove a smooth and fast outside line to take the win.
For Outlaw Hornet points leader Freddy Vela, winners circle is becoming almost like a second home. Vela won his 4th main of the year extending his point lead in convincing fashion leading all 17 laps. Matt Powers, Rick Young, Matt Ploeg and Tyler Ketchum rounded out the top 5.
When the night of racing had ended Skagit Speedway treated the capacity crowd to one of the most ambitious fireworks displays in track history. The NW Les Schwab Tire Center Giant Firework Show went on for over 20 minutes and ended with a cascade of lights and booms that left the crowd gasping in awe and standing on their feet.
Saturday night July 16th Skagit Speedway hosts the Big Rig Truck Race presented by Classic Rock 92.9 FM KISM. Also scheduled are Sprint cars and Outlaw Hornets.
RESULTS
410 Sprints
Main: Colton Heath, Travis Jacobson, Jesse Whitney, Josh DeWitt, Eric Fisher, Barry Martinez, Kevin Smith, Otto Jorgenson, Kelleigh Johnson, Danielle Huson
Scramble: Jacobson, Whitney, Fisher, Martinez, Heath, Smith, DeWitt, Johnson
Budweiser 360 Sprints
Main: Mack Brown, Alan Munn, Kelsey Carpenter, Rod Perkins, Bud Ashe, Randy Price, Ozzy Magee, Jonathan Jorgenson, Devin Madonia, Luke Didiuk, Travis Jacobson, Brian Kirkpatrick
Scramble: Jacobson, Madonia, Brown, Munn, Carpenter, Perkins, Price, Ashe
Cook Road Shell Sportsman Sprints
Main: Brandon Harkness, Justin Youngquist, Derek Roberts, James Bundy, Paul Burdick, Michael Hodel, Geoff Needham, Roger Oudman, Dave Mead, Cale Brooke, Ben Gunderson, Glenn Reinstra, Victoria Cantu, Clayton Sibley, Michael Bollinger, Cory Swatzina, Rob Schroder, Bill Rude
Scramble: Roberts, Harkness, Youngquist, Swatzina, Schroder, Bundy, Sibley, Burdick
Outlaw Hornets
Main: Freddy Vela, Matt Powers, Rick Young, Matt Ploeg, Tyler Ketchum, Stacy Sims, Howard Vos, Adam Nelson, Tina Thibert, Mike Webb, Terry Graul, Adam Holtrop, Jon Edwards, Brian Michelson, Clint Meins, Ken Higby, TJ Campbell, Jon Gunderson
Scramble: Vela, Young, Powers, Higby, Ploeg, Thibert, Sims, Nelson