Bryan Hulbert – ALGER, Wash. (June 22, 2019) Three leaders, six lead changes, and then a list of firsts for Robbie Price in the 48th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup presented by the Skagit Casino Resort as the driver of the Millstone Heating and Sheetmetal No. 21p landed his first $15,000 Dirt Cup paycheck and his first Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network victory.
Becoming the first Canadian born driver to top the Skagit Speedway crown jewel, Robbie is also the youngest driver at 21-years old to win the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup.
“It’s always good to come home, and it gives me some peace of mind. I like it a lot, and I’ll be honest, we’ve sucked a lot this year so to come out here and win, it’s such a great feeling and a great accomplishment. I’m just excited,” said a nearly breathless Robbie Price, who is the 147th different winner in Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour competition.
Taking the green from the fourth spot, Price chased Jason Solwold for third as Blake Hahn took off with the top spot after an opening lap drag race with Matt Covington. Leaders into traffic on Lap 7, the top two runners closed to a nose to tail battle with both struggling to clear the back-markers. Trying to swing low on a slower car on Lap 13, Hahn made contact and spun. Never coming to a stop, and inadvertent caution was thrown to bring the field single file with Hahn in lining up in fifth.
Handing the lead to Matt Covington, the A-Rock Material No. 95 pulled away in clean air with Robbie Price under fire from Jason Solwold as the pair went slide for slide over the next few laps. Keeping pace at the line over the No. 18, Price began running down Covington who had started to work back into slower traffic. Taking advantage of slower cars, Price took a shot at the lead with Covington answering the challenge. Back and forth through traffic, Covington and Price used the slower cars as picks as Jason Solwold closed with Blake Hahn and Colton Heath in tow.
With the top five nearly under a blanket, Robbie Price took over the top spot on Lap 22. Stalked by Covington, the No. 95 reclaimed the lead on Lap 27, but Covington’s night would fall 10 laps shy of the $15,000 payday as the engine expired on Lap 30.
Putting the lead back in the hands of Robbie Price, the No, 21p took the green with a lapped car between himself and Jason Solwold. Held up by the slower machine, Solwold and Hahn battled for second before the caution flew on Lap 33 for Justyn Cox who spun to a stop in the second turn.
Clearing the No. 18 for second on Lap 35, Hahn trailed by nearly two seconds as the leaders ran all out in clean air. Closing every lap on Price, the leaders hit traffic as the white flag waved with Hahn pulling to the back bumper of Robbie into the third turn. Trying to mount the run off the final turn, Robbie Price would not be denied as he bested Hahn by 0.364 seconds.
Fighting from seventh, 2018 Dirt Cup winner, Seth Bergman ran to third in the closing laps with Jason Solwold settling for fourth. Picking up eight spots for the night’s Hard Charger, Australia’s Scott Bogucki completed the top five in the same car that he went upside down in the night before. Sam Hafertepe, Jr. fought to sixth with Colton Heath in seventh. Travis Jacobson picked up six spots to finish eighth with John Carney II ending his first Dirt Cup in ninth. Devon Borden completed the top ten.
A total of 51 drivers checked in for the 2019 Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup. B-Features were topped by Greg Hamilton and Justin Sanders. No Provisionals were allowed.
The next event for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network is the Fred Brownfield Classic at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash. on Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29. Tickets on sale at http://www.graysharborraceway.com.
For other news, notes, and information on the American Sprint Car Series, from the National Tour to any of the nine Regional Tours that make up ASCS Nation in 2019, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com, follow on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter (@LucasOilASCS).
Race Results:
Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV
Summer Thunder Sprint Series
Skagit Speedway (Alger, Wash.)
48th Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup – Night 3
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Event Count: 51
BMRS B-Feature (Top 3 advance to the A-Feature)
B Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 96-Greg Hamilton, [5]; 2. 56-Justin Youngquist, [1]; 3. 9R-Reece Goetz, [6]; 4. 17W-Harli White, [2]; 5. 6-Breyton Davison, [7]; 6. 14B-Bailey Sucich, [11]; 7. F1-Corbin Fauver, [10]; 8. 17C-Chris Bullock, [14]; 9. 97R-Jason Reed, [12]; 10. 14-Jordon Mallett, [8]; 11. 73-Michael Bollinger, [15]; 12. 54J-Joe Lyon, [9]; 13. 54-Chris Ochs, [13]; 14. (DNF) 57-Jake Helsel, [3]; 15. (DNF) 18T-Tanner Holmes, [4]; (DNS) 22L-Garen Linder, ; (DNS) 2-James Setters, ; (DNS) 29W-Steven James,
B Feature 2 (15 Laps): 1. 8R-Justin Sanders, [2]; 2. 77X-Alex Hill, [1]; 3. 2X-Tucker Doughty, [3]; 4. 17-Cam Smith, [5]; 5. 59-Eric Fisher, [9]; 6. 9A-Luke Didiuk, [7]; 7. 0-Ashleigh Johnson, [10]; 8. 96AU-Andrew Caruana, [12]; 9. 88-Travis Reber, [13]; 10. (DNF) N8-Nate Vaughn, [8]; 11. (DNF) 10L-Brock Lemley, [4]; 12. (DNF) 7-Tyler Thompson, [6]; 13. (DNF) 91C-Chase Goetz, [14]; 14. (DNF) 71-John Stuart, [11]; (DNS) 3-J.J. Hickle, ; (DNS) 41-Aaron Willison, ; (DNS) 23P-Steve Parker,
A-Feature
A Feature (40 Laps): 1. 21P-Robbie Price, [4]; 2. 52-Blake Hahn, [2]; 3. 23-Seth Bergman, [7]; 4. 18-Jason Solwold, [3]; 5. 28-Scott Bogucki, [13]; 6. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, [9]; 7. 33-Colton Heath, [6]; 8. 22X-Travis Jacobson, [14]; 9. J2-John Carney II, [5]; 10. 8-Devon Borden, [10]; 11. 8R-Justin Sanders, [18]; 12. 11-Roger Crockett, [8]; 13. 9R-Reece Goetz, [21]; 14. 96-Greg Hamilton, [17]; 15. 44W-Austen Wheatley, [12]; 16. 8C-Justyn Cox, [15]; 17. 56-Justin Youngquist, [19]; 18. 57C-Chris Schmelzle, [16]; 19. 33S-Lance Sargent, [11]; 20. (DNF) 95-Matt Covington, [1]; 21. (DNF) 77X-Alex Hill, [20]; 22. (DNF) 2X-Tucker Doughty, [22]
Lap Leader(s): Matt Covington 1, 14-21, 27-30; Blake Hahn 2-13, Robbie Price 22-26, 31-40;
Hard Charger: Scott Bogucki +8
Dump Truck Award: Lance Sargent -8
High Point Driver: N/A
Provisional(s): N/A