Engberg, Carpenter thrill fans at Skagit Speedway

By Kaleb Hart, Skagit Speedway (8/8/09)

ALGER, Wash. — Fans of high speeds were in for a treat on Ladies Night at Skagit Speedway. Round 15 of the Foothills Toyota Tundra Racing Series saw Nick Engberg win his first 410 main event in impressive fashion.

In the Associated Asphalt 410s, Engberg used a lap 9 restart to blast underneath race leader Brock Lemley en route to his first 410 win and second win overall of 2009 in his Dri-Eaz #4 XXX. After blasting around the track in heat race action running lap times in the 11.3s, Engberg ratcheted up his game, clipping off a fast lap of 11.291 in race action. Second was Brock Lemley in the Haling Seafood #40 XXX, third Jason Solwold in the Shark Racing Engines #73 Maxim. Jesse Whitney set quick time in the Precise Machining #88 Eagle. Heat race wins went to Engberg and Eric Fisher in the JnR Paving #59 XXX.

Kelsey Carpenter raced his way to an astounding seventh main event win in the Cook Road Shell Sportsman Sprints. After race leader Curtis Clark tangled with a lapped car as he completed the 9th lap, Carpenter inherited the lead and ran away from the field, stretching his points lead with his division leading seventh win in the Dri-Eaz sponsored #27c XXX. Glen Reinstra grabbed a season best second place finish in his Right Way Plumbing #13gr XXX. Third was Bill Rude in his North Cascade Ford #33 Eagle. Heat race wins went to Rude and Marc Schutte in the Rudy Blumenhagen owned #72 XXX. Carpenter set quick time.

The Ford Focus Midgets made their second appearance of 2009 at Skagit Speedway and it was Dustin O’Brien hitting paydirt in his first career midget race picking up the main event win, leading all 15 laps. Seth Hespe finished second with Gaylon Stewart taking third. Hespe won the heat race.

The Deming Speedway Mini Sprints made their first appearance of 2009 at Skagit Speedway, and when the dust cleared, Jason Bloodgood stood triumphant in the Lemley family owned #10 1200cc sprint after leading all 20 laps. 12 Mini sprints from the 1200 and 600 division made the trek down, showcasing the exciting action they put on every Friday night. Heat race wins went to Glen Nichols and Marc Cozza.

In the Outlaw Hornet division, Travis Meins piloted yet another different car to victory lane, this time taking the Ben Gunderson owned #68 to the win, leading all 20 laps without challenge. His teammate Freddy Vela took second, with Tyler Ketchum grabbing third. Meins has garnered a reputation as a “super sub”, now having driven eight different hornets to victory lane in the five seasons of the classes’ existence. Heat race wins went to Vela and Ken Higby.

Next week is Jon &Kate +8 night at Skagit Speedway. Grab your spouse and up to eight kids under the age of 15 and get into the track for just $35! For ticket information, log on to www.skagitspeedway.com.

Skagit Speedway Results 8/8/09

Associated Asphalt 410s

Fast Time – Jesse Whitney 11.745

Heat 1 – Eric Fisher, Barry Martinez, Whitney, Rick Fauver, Colton Heath, Kevin Smith, Josh Edson

Heat 2 – Nick Engberg, Travis Jacobson, Jason Solwold, Brock Lemley, Cam Smith, Kelleigh Johnson

Main – Nick Engberg, Lemley, Solwold, Whitney, Martinez, Jacobson, Fauver, Rick Ziehl, Heath, C.Smith, Johnson, Edson, Fisher, K.Smith

Lap Leaders – Lemley 1-8 Engberg 9-25

Cook Road Shell Sportsman Sprints

Fast Time – Kelsey Carpenter 13.577

Heat 1 – Marc Schutte, Carpenter, Michael Bollinger, Curtis Clark, Paul Burdick, Lyle Woods, Ray Parker, Luke Didiuk, Nick Dunham

Heat 2 – Bill Rude, Matt Van Der Sys, Devin Barnes, Glen Reinstra, Mark Richmond, Dave Mead, Cale Brooke, Ron Butler

Main – Kelsey Carpenter, Reinstra, Rude, Van Der Sys, Schutte, Woods, Bollinger, Barnes, Burdick, Parker, Didiuk, Brooke, Dunham, Butler, Richmond, Mead, Clark

Lap Leaders – Clark 1-8 Carpenter 9-20

Ford Focus Midgets

Heat 1 – Seth Hespe, Dustin O’Brien, Gaylon Stewart, Todd Hartmann, Annika Johanson, Bailey Studer, Trey Starks

Main – Dustin O’Brien, Hespe, Stewart, Starks, Hartmann, Johanson, Studer

Lap Leaders – O’Brien 1-15

Outlaw Hornets

Heat 1 – Ken Higby, Dopey The Mechanic, Don Ward, Ashley Lewellen, James Bundy, Jon Edwards, Wade Swatzina, Brian Michelson, Terry Graul

Heat 2 – Freddy Vela, Travis Meins, Tyler Ketchum, Howard Vos, Jerry Birdsey Jr, Rick Young, Kenny Harris, Matt Ploeg, Cory Swatzina

Main – Travis Meins, Vela, Ketchum, Ward, C.Swatzina, Higby, Dopey, W.Swatzina, Young, Lewellen, Edwards, Harris, Vos, Ploeg, Graul, Bundy, Michelson, Birdsey Jr

Lap Leaders – Meins 1-20

Mini Sprints

Heat 1 – Glen Nichols, Shaun Holtorf, Garrett Lemley, Gary Anderson, Brock Lemley

Heat 2 – Marc Cozza, Jason Bloodgood, Dave Black, Derek Roberts, John Grinder, Ed Luke

Main – Jason Bloodgood, Cozza, Black, G.Lemley, Grinder, Eric Turner, Luke, Roberts, Nichols, Holtorf, Anderson

Lap Leaders – Bloodgood 1-20