Martinez, Kirkpatrick extend leads at Skagit Speedway
Published 12:11 am Sunday, July 13, 2008
ALGER, Wash. — A pair of division leaders led the distance en route to Victory Lane on Saturday’s Midseason Championship night presented by Les Schwab at Skagit Speedway.
Barry Martinez went flag-to-flag to win the 25-lap Outlaw 410 sprint main.
Starting on the pole, Martinez shot into the early lead in his Artisan Homes No. 66, pacing Colton Heath by up to eight car lengths on the three-tenths mile clay oval. Heath, driving the XXX No. 7o, closed the gap by lap 10 with the aid of lapped traffic, but Martinez was too strong.
With his right rear planted hard on the cushion, Martinez kept Heath at bay, picking up another win and stretching his points lead. Heath finished second, and Eric Fisher was third in the J&R Paving No. 59. Martinez also won the scramble.
Budweiser 360 Sprint driver’s point leader Brian Kirkpatrick scored his first career victory in the division, beating Cory Chamberlain into turn 1 on the opening lap and never looking back.
Piloting his Jet City Equipment No. 5K, Kirkpatrick got the jump on Chamberlain on the initial green flag, then dove hard to the bottom of turn 1, forcing Chamberlain to get off the gas. Chamberlain, driving the Classic Rock 92.9 No. 69, would close the gap in traffic a few times, but could never get a strong enough run on Kirkpatrick to make a pass.
The win was Kirkpatrick’s first, just two weeks after father Danny Kirkpatrick scored his first win. Chamberlain finished second with Alan Munn bringing the Munn Construction No. 42 home third. Chamberlain won the scramble.
In the Cook Road Shell Sportsman Sprints, Kelsey Carpenter inherited the lead on lap 17 when race leader Devin Madonia’s rear end broke. Carpenter then led the final three laps in his Action Cleaning No. 79K, recording his fourth victory of the year.
Second went to Kyle Oman in the Louis Auto Glass No. 6K and Bill Rude in the Zip Tune No. 33 finished third. Madonia won the scramble.
Ben Gunderson held off Cory Swatzina for the victory in the Wilson Auto Brokers Outlaw Hornets main, beating more than 30 other drivers. After losing a few positions on the initial start, Gunderson battled his way back around point leader Rick Young, Tyler Ketchum and Ken Higby to take the lead on lap 5. Gunderson then withstood the pressure applied by Swatzina to take home the victory. Third place went to Higby. Gunderson also won the scramble.
Skagit Speedway is off next weekend for Deming Speedway’s Clay Cup Nationals. Racing resumes on July 26 with the Outlaw 410 Sprints, Budweiser 360 Sprints, Cook Road Shell Sportsman Sprints and Wilson Auto Brokers Outlaw Hornets. For ticket information, visit www.skagitspeedway.com
Skagit Speedway results
Saturday, July 12 at Alger, Wash.
Outlaw 410 Sprints
Scramble – Barry Martinez, Colton Heath, Travis Rutz, Josh Dewitt, Nick Engberg, Steve Kilcup
A Main – Barry Martinez, Heath, Eric Fisher, Jesse Whitney, Engberg, Brandon Harkness, Josh Edson, Kilcup, Derek Holmwood, Kevin Smith, Cameron Smith, Dewitt, Alec Covert, Rutz
Budweiser 360 Sprints
Scramble – Cory Chamberlain, Brian Kirkpatrick, Alan Munn, Danny Kirkpatrick, Jason Cocking, Mack Brown
A Main – Brian Kirkpatrick, Chamberlain, Munn, D.Kirkpatrick, Cocking, Jason Bloodgood, Brown, Jon Farrell, Shane Broers, Bud Ashe, Blake Cook, Steve Parker, Lyle Woods, Chuck Ashe, Michael Harris
Cook Road Shell Sportsman Sprints
Scramble – Devin Madonia, Kelsey Carpenter, Steve James, Kyle Oman, Marc Schutte, Bill Rude
A Main – Kelsey Carpenter, Oman, Rude, Schutte, Devin Barnes, Paul Burdick, James, Jared Zimmerman, Matt Van Der Sys, Dave Mead, Mark Richmond, Madonia, Ryan Ringhouse, Cale Brooke, Curtis Clark, Todd Rork
Wilson Auto Brokers Outlaw Hornets
Scramble – Ben Gunderson, Tyler Ketchum, Ken Higby, Rick Young, Freddy Vela, Karl Dahl
A Main – Ben Gunderson, Cory Swatzina, Higby, Young, Vela, Randy Geary, Travis Meins, Bobby Collins, Alan Holtzheimer, Don Ward, Marshall Corbell, Steve Peters, Howard Vos, Stacy Day, Adam Holtrop, Gary Rice, Wendy Johnson, Ronda Eszlinger, Tom Warner, Glen Reinstra, Greg Hibma, James Bundy, Chris Kelly, Jon Edwards, James Sims, Dean Ruddle, Ketchum
