by Kelly Hart
(Alger, WA) 5/11/12 
Just one week ago, driver Travis Jacobson was planning on taking this weekend off. The team put together a motor deal late Friday and showed up Saturday ready to race. Ready to race included winning the initial Summer Thunder Sprintcar Series presented by SpeedMart at ASA Member track Skagit Speedway. 31 Sprint cars were on hand for the initial event racing before a packed house.
Chad Hillier set fast time with an 11.538 lap to begin the evening. The second straight week that fast time just missed the longest standing track record still standing by one tenth of a second.
The ten lap heat races saw the top 4 cars transfer directly to the feature. In heat one Evan Margeson won, followed by Kelsey Carpenter, Hillier and JJ Hickle. Heat two saw Liam Ryan will with Henry Van Dam, Travis Rilat and Josh DeWitt following. The heat three winner was Cam Smith with Tyler Anderson, Trey Starks and Mack Brown completing the transfers. In the final heat Jacobson won ahead of Brock Lemley, Derek Roberts and Michael Bollinger.
The B Main event transferred the top four to the main. Kenny Rutz led all 15 laps with Michael Harris, Danny Kirkpatrick and Matt Jensen moving up to the feature. The B main went green to checkered.
With weather threatening 20 cars rolled out to take the Kirby Hoyle green flag. On the start Jacobson beat Travis Rilat to the first turn and took the lead. Jacobson was followed by Rilat, Chad Hillier and Trey Starks. As they were just getting into traffic on lap 6 the first of 6 yellow flags would fly for a slowing Kenny Rutz. On each restart Jacobson would build a lead with Hillier and Rilat swapping spots. Hillier encountered a late race mishap when his right rear shredded bringing out the yellow. That moved Rilat and Starks up into the top 3. Mack Brown completed a furious charge through the field and into a fourth place finish with Cam Smith running steady to finish fifth.
Racing action all over the track saw numerous positions swapped back and forth. In the end 13 cars finished on the lead lap. Nobody challenged Jacobson the rest of the way and he took home the inaugural Summer Thunder Sprintcar Series trophy and $2000.00 winners check.
In the NW USAC Midgets Chase Goetz picked up his first career Skagit Speedway victory. The heat race winners were Ariel Biggs and Garrett Thomas.
Rick Young won the Outlaw Tuner 17-lap feature. The heat race winners were Young and Eric Thibert, Sr.
Next week at Skagit Speedway the Shipwreck Beads Modified Series debuts at Skagit Speedway along with Sprints and Outlaw Tuners. Racing starts at 7:00 p.m.
Results
Sprints
Fast time Chad Hillier 11.538
Heat 1 Evan Margeson, Kelsey Carpenter, Chad Hillier, JJ Hickle
Heat 2 Liam Ryan, Henry Van Dam. Travis Rilat, Josh DeWitt
Heat 3 Cam Smith, Tyler Anderson, Trey Starks, Mack Brown
Heat 4 Travis Jacobson, Brock Lemley, Derek Roberts, Michael Bollinger
B Main (top 4 transfer to A) Kenny Rutz, Michael Harris, Danny Kirkpatrick, Matt Jensen, Jeff Dunlap, Luke Didiuk, Lawrence Kirkham, Cale Brook, Zeth Custer, Bud Ashe, Ashley Lewellen, Reece Goetz
A Main Travis Jacobson, Rilat, Starks, Brown, Smith, DeWitt, Ryan, Carpenter, Kirkpatrick, Roberts, Van Dam, Margeson, Jensen, Hillier, Anderson, Rutz, Hickle, Harris, Lemley, Bollinger
Lap leaders Travis Jacobson 1-30
Hard charger Danny Kirkpatrick +10 positions gained
USAC Midgets
Heat 1 Aerial Biggs, Dougie James, Chase Goetz, Robby Vaughn, Steve Hughes.
Heat 2 Garrett Thomas, Todd Hartman, Chance Crum, Renee Angel
Main Chase Goetz, Robby Vaughn, Biggs, James, Thomas, Hartman, Crum, Angel
Lap leaders Dougie James 1-7, Chase Goetz 8-20
Hard charger Robby Vaughn +5 positions gained
Outlaw Tuners
Heat 1 Eric Thibert Sr, Ben Gunderson, Patrick Adams, Clint Meins, Becky Boudreau
Heat 2 Rick Young, Matt Ploeg, Andy Dillon, Freddie Vela, Howard Vos
Main Rick Young, Ploeg, Vela, Boudreau, Ben Gunderson, Tom Warner, Eric Thibert Jr, Jon Edwards, Mark E Toth III, Vos, Jon Gunderson, Meins, Brandon Berg, Trevor Helms, Adams
Lap leaders Matt Ploeg 1-6, Rick Young 7-
Hard charger Tom Warner +9 positions gained