ALGER, Wash. — The Coach Corral Season Championships at Skagit Speedway capped off an exciting 2008, with Barry Martinez, Brian Kirkpatrick, Kelsey Carpenter and Ben Gunderson earning titles.
Martinez won his second career championship in the Yourgreengoods.com Outlaw 410 Sprints. Colton Heath jumped to the lead on the outset of the 25-lap feature, racing to a solid advantage as the laps went by. All looked to be well in hand for Heath until something went sour in the Oudman Motorsports No. 7o, ending his evening and his run at the points leader Martinez.
Travis Rutz inherited the lead in his Rudeen Racing 326 after getting by Martinez on lap 13, and went on to take the checkered flag, capping off a successful 2008 campaign. Martinez brought home his Artisan Homes No. 66 second to secure his second career title. Eric Fisher ended his rookie campaign by finishing the main third is the JnR Paving No. 59. Heath won the scramble.
Brian Kirkpatrick ended 2008 with a bang, leading all 25 laps of the Budweiser 360 Sprints main en route to securing his first career season championship aboard his Jet City Rentals No. 5k. Cory Chamberlain ran second in the Classic Rock 92.9 Fm No. 69. Third was Alan Munn in the Munn Construction No. 42. Munn also won the scramble.
Kelsey Carpenter won his first career Cook Road Shell Sportsman Sprint championship and the main event, edging Marc Schutte off the 4th corner and beating him to the line by one one-hundreth of a second in the Action Cleaning No. 79k. Schutte led the entire way until the final stripe aboard his Fastenal sponsored No. 72. Bill Rude capped his rookie season in the Sportsman by finishing third in his Zip Tune No. 33. Schutte won the dash.
Ben Gunderson had the Wilson Auto Brokers Outlaw Hornet championship locked up heading into the final points race of 2008, but that didn’t prevent the second-year driver from racing hard on Saturday night. Cory Swatzina took the lead on lap 6 from Ken Higby then navigated lapped traffic with Greg Hibma and Gunderson right on his tail all the way to the final flag on lap 17. Gunderson won the scramble.
Skagit Speedway wraps up the 2008 race season next Saturday night with the Wilson Auto Brokers Hornet Nationals and Demo Derby, followed on Sunday by a 200-lap enduro. Ticket pricing for Saturday night is available on the speedway Website, www.skagitspeedway.com. Admission Sunday is free.
Yourgreengoods.com Outlaw 410 Sprints
Scramble – Colton Heath, Barry Martinez, Nick Engberg, Seth Bergman, Josh Dewitt, Travis Rutz
A Main – Travis Rutz, Barry Martinez, Eric Fisher, Jason Solwold, Jesse Whitney,
Kevin Smith, Josh Edson, Nick Engberg, Brock Lemley, Cameron Smith, Colton Heath, Derek Holmwood, Seth Bergman, Kelleigh Johnson, Josh Dewitt
Season Champion – Barry Martinez
Budweiser 360 Sprints
Scramble – Alan Munn, Brian Kirkpatrick, Danny Kirkpatrick, Cory Chamberlain, Michael Harris, Mack Brown
A Main – Brian Kirkpatrick, Cory Chamberlain, Alan Munn, Shane Broers, Michael Harris, Jason Bloodgood, Mack Brown, Steven Hendrickson, Bud Ashe, Danny Kirkpatrick, Jared Peterson, Danielle Huson, Steve Parker
Season Champion – Brian Kirkpatrick
Cook Road Shell Sportsman Sprints
Scramble – Marc Schutte, Kelsey Carpenter, Bill Rude, Devin Madonia, Kyle Oman, Steve James
A Main – Kelsey Carpenter, Marc Schutte, Bill Rude, Kyle Oman, Lyle Woods, Steve James, Devin Barnes, Jared Zimmerman, Ryan Nootenboom, Dave Mead, Paul Burdick, Chuck Ashe, Curtis Clark, Nick Dunham, Devin Madonia
Season Champion – Kelsey Carpenter
Wilson Auto Brokers Outlaw Hornets
Scramble – Ben Gunderson, Ken Higby, Cory Swatzina, Tyler Ketchum, Freddy Vela, Rick Young
A Main – Cory Swatzina, Greg Hibma, Ben Gunderson, Freddy Vela, Tyler Ketchum, Howard Vos, Rick Young, Marshall Corbell, Karl Dahl, Don Ward, Wendy Johnson, Ashley Lewellen, Randy Geary, Stacy Day, Bobby Collins, Gary Rice, Jerry Birdsey Jr, James Sims, Ken Higby, Jon Edwards, Clayton Sibley, Eric Vickery
Season Champion – Ben Gunderson
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