RESULTS 8/29/09

Posted on 8/30/2009 by -

( Alger , WA ) 8/29/09 by Kelly Hart

Heading into Saturday night's Foothills Toyota Tundra Racing Series action at ASA Sanctioned Skagit Speedway, Jesse Whitney was locked into a tightening point battle with Colton Heath for the title in the Associated Asphalt 410 Sprints. At the end of the night with Heath watching from the grandstands and Whitney garnering the checkered flag the point battle has widened heading into Championship Night coming up September 19th. Also picking off Main Event wins were red-hot Mike Melwicks in the Budweiser 360's, Kelsey Carpenter in the Cook Road Shell Sportsman Sprints and Ken Higby in the Outlaw Hornets.

Visiting driver Robbie Farr of Australia clicked off the fast lap of the evening in time trials with an 11.217 trip around the 3/10th mile high banked clay oval for the Associated Asphalt 410 Sprints. Winning the Heat Races were Mitch Olson and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series leading Rookie point leader Tayler Malsam. Entering the night with a 19-point lead Whitney and Heath found themselves on the front row for the A-Main. On the initial start Whitney and Heath banged wheels coming out of turn 4 and the start was called back. The second attempt was good and Whitney ran off early for the lead. Into traffic quickly Heath started to reel Whitney in and would pass him with a slick inside move between turn 3 and 4 driving the car on a straight line and halving the corner to take over the top spot. The first yellow flag came out on the seventh lap for a slowing Kelleigh Johnson heading down the front straightaway. One of the cars slowing up to avoid Johnson was Farr who clipped the wheel of another car and spun to the infield on the front stretch sending him to the back of the pack. Heath held the lead on the restart until the tenth lap when his car lost power bringing out the second caution. Back to the front was Whitney who never was challenged the rest of the way.

In a race that featured 4 yellows and single red flag, much of the passing was taking place in the back of the pack where 11th starting Eric Fisher again impressed the crowd with a run forward to the 4th spot. In front of him were third finishing Jason Solwold from his seventh starting spot, and Malsam the runner-up spot from 4th.

The Budweiser 360 Sprint division has been dominated lately by former 410 champion Mike Melwicks who won his third straight 25-lap Main Event on a night when Skagit Speedway was honoring the U.S. Military. Melwicks stalked race long leader Rod Perkins for the first 21 laps keeping the veteran within shouting distance in heavy traffic. Perkins seemed to slip a little coming off of turn two when Melwicks shot through the opening for the lead. After crossing the stripe for the 22nd lap, a yellow flag came out for a slowing Shane Broers. On the restart Melwicks showed his speed cruising out to a 1.223 second win three laps later. Perkins closed the gap on point leader Brock Lemley who missed the main event with mechanical problems. Rounding out the top five were Seth Bergman fresh off the ASCS National Tour, Cory Chamberlain and Malsam doing double duty on the evening.

One of the more stellar seasons by any competitor in Skagit Speedway history is coming to a close for defending Cook Road Shell Sportsman Sprint Champion Kelsey Carpenter. Carpenter used the invert of 8 to start on the front row and lead all 20 laps for his 9th win of the season. Second year driver Devin Barnes, last weeks winner Lyle Woods, Marcus Schutte and Paul Burdick rounded out the top 5. Schutte and Nick Dunham won the Heat Races.

There were 24 Outlaw Hornets filling the hive on Trans-Ocean Night. Teams struggled to find solid footing all night long and there were plenty of chills and spills as well as yellows and reds. Don Ward and Thomas Warner won the Heat Races. Ken Higby was the Main Event winner passing Wade Swatzina late in the race for the win in heavy traffic. Swatzina had taken over the the top spot from Freddy Vela 11 laps into the fray. The top five finishers were Higby, Vela, James Bundy, Swatzina and defending class champion Ben Gunderson.

Skagit Speedway welcomes the Dirtcar I-5 Late Models and Western AllStars along with the Outlaw Hornets on Thursday September 3rd, right before the 2009 Edition of the World of Outlaws come to town Friday and Saturday September 4th and 5th.


RESULTS 8/29/09



ASSOCIATED ASPHALT 410 SPRINTS

FAST TIME: ROBBIE FARR 11.217

HEAT 1: MITCH OLSON, JESSE WHITNEY, JASON SOLWOLD, RICK FAUVER,KEVIN SMITH

HEAT 2: TAYLER MALSAM, COLTON HEATH, ROBBIE FARR, NICK ENGBERG, JONATHAN ALLARD

MAIN: JESSE WHITNEY, MALSAM, SOLWOLD, ERIC FISHER, OLSON, SMITH, JOSH EDSON, ZACH ZIMMERLY, KELLEIGH JOHNSON, ALLARD, ENGBERG, FAUVER, FARR, HEATH

LAP LEADERS: WHITNEY 1-5, HEATH 6-10, WHITNEY 11-25



BUDWEISER 360 SPRINTS

FAST TIME: EVAN FUNK 11.858

HEAT 1: ROD PERKINS, CORY CHAMBERLAIN, FUNK, TAYLER MALSAM, SHANE BROERS

HEAT 2: DANNY KIRKPATRICK, BRIAN KIRKPATRICK, LOGAN FORLER, JARED PETERSON, BUD ASHE

HEAT 3: MIKE MELWICKS, MICHAEL HARRIS, SETH BERGMAN, JASON BLOODGOOD, STEVE TUPPER

MAIN: MIKE MELWICKS, PERKINS, BERGMAN, CHAMBERLAIN, MALSAM, PETERSON, STEVE PARKER, ALAN MUNN, BUD ASHE, STEVE JAMES, DJ KOSA, SHANE BROERS, B. KIRKPATRICK, D. KIRKPATRICK, BLOODGOOD, LOGAN FORLER, TUPPER, PAUL HOPKINS, MICHAEL HARRIS, FUNK

LAP LEADERS: PERKINS 1-20, MELWICK 21-25



COOK ROAD SHELL SPORTSMAN SPRINTS

HEAT 1: MARCUS SCHUTTE, DAVE MEAD, RAY PARKER, DEVIN BARNES, MATT VANDERSYS

HEAT 2: NICK DUNHAM, PAUL BURDICK, LYLE WOODS, KELSEY CARPENTER, LUKE DIDIUK

MAIN: KELSEY CARPENTER, BARNES, WOODS, SCHUTTE, BURDICK, MICHAEL BOLLINGER, BILL RUDE, N.DUNHAM, MEAD, DYLAN DUNHAM, CALE BROOKE, RON BUTLER, GLENN REINSTRA, CURTIS CLARK, PARKER, TRAVIS CARPENTER, DIDIUK, VANDERSYS

LAP LEADERS: CARPENTER 1-20



OUTLAW HORNETS

HEAT 1: DON WARD, KEN HIGBY, WADE SWATZINA, FREDDY VELA, DOPEY THE MECHANIC

HEAT 2: 89 THOMAS WARNER, JAMES BUNDY, TYLER KETCHUM, HOWARD VOS, LARRY KWIK

MAIN: KEN HIGBY, VELA, BUNDY, W.SWATZINA, BEN GUNDERSON, CORY SWATZINA, VOS, WARD, RICK YOUNG, KETCHUM, JON EDWARDS, TERRY GRAUL, ASHLEY LEWELLEN, MATT PLOEG, KEVIN EVANS, LARRY KWIK, KALEB HART, BRIAN MICHELSON, DOPEY, JERRY BIRDSEY JR., VANCE HIBBARD, WARNER, THE ROOKIE

LAP LEADERS: VELA 1-12, SWATZINA 13-15, HIGBY 16-17

Additional Photos