by
Kelly Hart
It was an opening night to remember with sunny skies and
warm temperatures to start the evening. A good field of cars graced the racing
surface at ASA Member Track Skagit Speedway with first night wins by Brock
Lemley, Trevor Turnbull, Derek Roberts and Rick Young.
Setting fast time in the 410 Sprints was Chad Hillier with a
great early season clocking of 11.026. The track record is 10.872 and any lap
near the ten second mark is astonishing especially early in the season. Heat
race wins went to Brock Lemley and Eric Fisher. Lemley got by Travis Jacobson
on the start of the 410 main and was never led. It is the second straight win
for Lemley in the Bob and Lori Scott 7s car.
The 360 Sprints were led by youngster Justin Youngquist
timing in with an 11.883 qualifying mark. The first heat of the night saw Steve
James flip in turn 3 on the third lap as the engine of race leader Brian
Kirkpatrick expired. That handed the lead to Trevor Turnbull who held on for the
win. Alan Munn won the second heat by a full straightaway over Michael Harris
and Kelsey Carpenter. Munn led the first 4 laps of the main before Turnbull
passed for the lead on the 4th lap. Turnbull led the remaining laps
for the win with Michael Harris and Kelsey Carpenter giving chase. The race saw
two yellow flags and one red. The red coming on lap 12 when Colton Akerstrom
flipped hard in turn 3.
Sportsman heat races were won by Derek Roberts, Bill Rude, and
Steve Parker, all former Sportsman Sprint champions. In the 20-lap feature Tyler
Fox led Stephen Reeves to the stripe on the start and led the first 8 laps
before Roberts cleared him in traffic on lap 9. Roberts and Fox dueled in and
out of traffic with Fox rim riding to a second place finish.
A good field of Outlaw Hornets saw last year’s Hornet Nationals
Champion Rick Young start things off in 2012 with the first heat race win. Matt
Powers won the second heat race. In the main, Tom Warner led the first 13 laps
before a flat right front did him in. Young forced the issue down low and took
over the front spot leading the last 3 laps for the win.
RESULTS:
410 Sprints
Fast time: Chad
Hillier 11.026
Heat 1: Brock Lemley, Barry Martinez, Chad Hillier, Jesse Whitney,
Josh Edson
Heat 2: Eric Fisher, Mike Melwicks, Jonathan Jorgenson,
Travis Jacobson, Liam Ryan
Main: Brock Lemley, Jacobson, Hillier, Martinez, Turnbull,
Jorgenson, Alec Covert, Edson, Fisher, Whitney, Ryan
Lap leader: Lemley 1-25
Hard Charger Award: Trevor Turnbull +5
360 Sprints
Fast time: Justin
Youngquist 11.883
Heat 1: Trevor Turnbull, Cam Smith, Justin Youngquist, Luke
Didiuk, Shane Valiant
Heat 2: Alan Munn, Michael Harris, Kelsey Carpenter, Danny
Kirkpatrick, Jonathan Jorgenson
Main: Trevor Turnbull, Harris, Carpenter, Munn, Bud Ashe,
Didiuk, Jason Bloodgood, Randy Price, Matt Jensen, Jorgenson, Akerstrom, Smith,
Youngquist
Lap leaders – Munn 1-4, Turnbull 5-25
Hard Charger Award: Bloodgood +6
Sportsman Sprints:
Heat 1: Derek Roberts, Wes Tyra, Martin Koetje, Zach McCabe,
Ashley Lewellen
Heat 2: Bill Rude, Tyler Fox, Cory Swatzina, Dave Mead,
Clayton Sibley
Heat 3: Steve Parker, Stephen Reeves, Rob Schroder, Dylan Dunham,
Curtis Clark
Main: Derek Roberts, Tyler Fox, Swatzina, Schroder, Parker,
Sibley, Gunderson, Koetje, Cale Brooke, Victoria Cantu, Dave Mead, Dunham, Ray
Parker, Reeves, Rude, Clark, Wes Tyra, Paul Hopkins, Zach McCabe
Lap leaders: Fox 1-8,
Roberts 9-20
Hard Charger Award: Ben Gunderson +12
Outlaw Hornets
Heat 1: Rick Young, Tom Warner, Wade Swatzina, Matt Ploeg,
Patrick Adams
Heat 2: Matt Powers, Greg Hibma, Cliff Ballenger, Clint Mein,
Jon Edwards
Main: Rick Young, Wade Swatzina, Hibma, Powers, Ploeg, Adams,
Ballenger, Warner, Bren Futrelle, Becky Boudreau, Terry Graul, Tina Thibert, Stephanie
Bailey, Meins, Edwards, Mark Toth, Howard Vos
Lap leaders: Warner 1-13, Young 14-17
Hard Charger Award: Rick Young +4