From Kaleb Hart
ALGER, Wa. (July 29, 2017) – For the first time in 15 years, Jason Solwold won the $10,000 to win Bob’s Burgers & Brew Summer Nationals Main Event. The win gives Solwold four total Summer Nationals wins, breaking the tie for the all time record previously held by him, Travis Jacobson and Steve Kent.
Solwold led all 40 laps of the main event but it was by no means a walk in the park for the driver of the Shaylen Raye Motorsports #18 car, as he was pressured early and often by eventual runner-up Colton Heath. With an abundance of early caution flags, Heath only had one shot at Solwold early, coming amongst heavy traffic as the pair was working lap 21. Heath was within a car length of Solwold entering turn one when JJ Hickle rolled to a stop, bringing out what was the fifth yellow of the main event at that time. With 22 laps complete, Steve Reeves stopped in turn three, drawing a red flag for a quick fuel stop. When the cars roared back to life, the Summer Thunder Sprint Series clicked off the final 18 laps in order, with Solwold masterful amongst heavy slower traffic before taking the victory, his first at this event since 2002. Heath would take his second place finish with Eric Fisher cutting through a mass of slower cars to hold Robbie Price, Jared Peterson and Roger Crockett all at bay for the final spot on the podium. The top four from Friday night’s show were all locked in to the main, leaving 29 cars to run a full program on the second night. Kelsey Carpenter was the fast qualifier of the group, but his night ended early with a vicious wreck in is heat race. Heat winners were Austen Wheatley, Chase Goetz, Steve Reeves and Garen Linder. Hickle was the B Main winner. Brock Lemley was the hard charger in the main, advancing ten positions.
The Northwest Focus Midget Series brought 31 cars as the support division for Saturday night. Tristin Thomas continued his strong runs at Skagit Speedway, as he’s now won the last three races here following a win on Saturday night. It took Thomas many laps to figure out the combination to pass race leader Garrett Thomas, eventually finding the trick on lap 17 en route to victory lane. Nick Evans got by Garrett late for second, relegating the McCleary, WA driver to a third place run. Nate Vaughn, Shane Smith, Otto Jorgenson and Ryan Cully won the heat race. Hannah LIndquist won the B Main.
Summer Thunder Sprint Series
Fast Time – Kelsey Carpenter 11.765
Heat 1 – Austen Wheatley, Marc Duperron, Reece Goetz, Jeff Dunlap, Brian Boswell, Bill Rude, Devin Madonia, Kelsey Carpenter
Heat 2 – Chase Goetz, Cam Smith, Brandon Harkness, Luke Didiuk, Lance Sargent, Barry Martinez, Jason Reed
Heat 3 – Steve Reeves, Robbie Price, Casey Adams, Trevor Cook, JJ Hickle, Jared Ridge, Steve James
Heat 4 – Garen Linder, Chris Schmelzle, Roger Crockett, Travis Rilat, Brock Lemley, Bud Ashe, Cale Brooke
B Main – JJ Hickle, Lemley, Martinez, Ridge, Reed, James, Brooke, Ashe, Rude, Sargent, Boswell
A Main – Jason Solwold, Heath, Fisher, Price, Peterson, Crockett, Rilat, Wheatley, Duperron, Linder, C Goetz, Lemley, R Goetz, Schmelzle, Didiuk,
Cook, Harkness, Martinez, Adams, Hickle, Reeves, Dunlap, Smith, Ridge
Lap Leaders – Solwold 1-40
Northwest Focus Midget Series
Heat 1 – Nate Vaughn, Tristin Thomas, Doug Davison, Kensi Thomas, Thomas Walker, Todd Hartman, Renee Angel, Ray Stebbins
Heat 2 – Shane Smith, Garrett Thomas, Evan Margeson, Ashley Thompson, Eric Turner, Hannah Lindquist, Greg Thornhill, Dave Mills
Heat 3 – Otto Jorgenson, Ross Rankine, Nick Evans, Shane Biles, Chance Crum, Michael Hodel, Brian Hayes, Dana Geary
Heat 4 – Ryan Cully, Jonathan Jorgenson, Sawyer LInd, Nik Larson, Mike Vollbrecht, Chris Bullock, Dave Mead, Jeremiah Franklin
B Main – Hannah Lindquist, Vollbrecht, Turner, Hartman, Hodel, Thompson, Bullock, K Thomas, Thornhill, Franklin, Stebbins, Hayes, Angel, Mills,
Geary
A Main – Tristin Thomas, Evans, G Thomas, Vaughn, Cully, Crum, Rankine, Larson, Margeson, Vollbrecht, Turner, J Jorgenson, Lind, Biles, Lindquist, O Jorgenson, Hartman, Walker, Davison, Smith
Lap Leaders – Cully 1-6 G Thomas 7-16 T Thomas 17-25