ALGER, Washington — Janicki Industries night at Skagit Speedway saw two point's battles decided and one points battle get a lot closer. In the Associated Asphalt 410 Sprints, Eric Fisher looked destined to pick up his first career victory as he was a rocket ship for the first portion of the race in his JnR Paving #59 XXX. While Fisher set the pace, Colton Heath methodically worked his way into the second position in the Sanford Tire #5x XXX. Around lap 19, Fisher jumped the cushion in turn two, throwing him off rhythm and allowing Heath to close the gap. Following a yellow on lap 22, Heath dove hard underneath Fisher coming out of turn four and put a major league slide job on him, capturing the lead and the victory just a few laps later, his third of the year in the division. The race win brought Heath to within 19 points of division leader Jesse Whitney who finished third in his Precise Machining #88 Eagle. Quick time was Jayme Barnes in the LAW Motorsports #33 XXX. Heat race wins went to Barnes and Rick Fauver in the Reynolds / Fauver Racing #F1 XXX.
Mike Melwicks grabbed his second main event win in a row in the Budweiser 360 Sprints, catching and passing Alan Munn on lap 23 to score the win this week from his eighth place starting spot in his CSA Transportation #2 Maxim. Evan Funk pushed hard and got around Munn on the final lap to score second in the Performance RC #18 Rocket. Munn held on for third in his Munn Construction #42 XXX. Melwicks was also fast time on the night. Heat winners were Rod Perkins in the Classic Rock 92.9 #69 XXX and Danny Kirkpatrick in the K&B Racing #5x XXX. Looking at the point's battle, Brock Lemley stretched his lead to almost 100 points, virtually securing the points championship with two races to go.
In the Cook Road Shell Sportsman Sprints, Lyle Woods ran wire to wire for the victory in his K&B Racing #12k Becker just one week after putting the car on its lid. Kelsey Carpenter finished second in his Dri-Eaz #27c XXX, stretching his point lead to almost 100 points as well, putting him almost out of reach ala Lemley. Third went to Marc Schutte in the Rudy Blumenhagen owned #72 XXX. Heat race wins went to Glen Reinstra in the Right Way Plumbing #13gr XXX, Dave Mead in the Hilander Well Service #3m Eagle, and Bill Rude in the North Cascade Ford #33 Eagle.
It was a raging battle in the Outlaw Hornet main that had the spectators captivated. Freddy Vela jumped to an early lead with Chris Erickson (piloting the car Cory Swatzina is usually in) hot in tow. As the race wore on, Vela and Erickson would go door panel to door panel for the lead, exchanging the point multiple times between laps 9 -13. On the exit of corner four on lap 13, Erickson slid his car up into the groove Vela was using, slamming the door shut on Freddy as he jetted away for the win. Vela would hang on for second, with Tyler Ketchum running third. Heat wins went to Ashley Lewellen and Don Ward.
Skagit Speedway is back in action next weekend with Military Night at the track. Simply show your military id and receive free entrance to the races! Gates open at 530 with racing to follow. For ticket information, log on to www.skagitspeedway.com
Results
Budweiser 360 Sprints
Fast Time - Mike Melwicks 11.738
Heat 1 - Rod Perkins, Alan Munn, Evan Funk, Melwicks, Logan Forler, Steve James, Clayton Sibly, Bud Ashe
Heat 2 - Danny Kirkpatrick, Brock Lemley, Jared Peterson, Shane Broers, Devin Madonia, Mike Harris, DJ Kosa, Paul Hopkins
Main - Mike Melwicks, Funk, Munn, Forler, Kirkpatrick, Harris, Madonia, Peterson, James, Kosa, Lemley, Perkins, Sibley, Broers, Ashe
Lap Leaders - Munn 1-22 Melwicks 23-25
Outlaw Hornets
Heat 1 - Don Ward, Brian Michelson, Tyler Ketchum, Freddy Vela, Travis Meins, Ken Higby, Ben Gunderson, James Bundy, Larry Kwik, Stanley Secor, Brandy Solver, Grumpy the Mechanics Wife
Heat 2 - Ashley Lewellen, Vance Hibbard, Rick Young, Chris Erickson, Howard Vos, Jon Edwards, Jerry Birdsey Jr, Wade Swatzina, Terry Graul, Matt Ploeg, Dopey the Mechanic
Main - Chris Erickson, Vela, Ketchum, Ward, Lewellen, Higby, Edwards, Swatzina, Vos, Birdsey Jr, Gunderson, Dopey, Graul, Kwik, Ploeg, Hibbard, Meins, Michelson, Solver, Young, Grumpy, Bundy, Secor
Lap Leaders - Vela 1-9 Erickson 10 Vela 11 Erickson 13-17
Associated Asphalt 410 Sprints
Fast Time - Jayme Barnes 11.099
Heat 1 - Barnes, Brock Lemley, Jason Solwold, Rick Ziehl, Kevin Smith, Josh Edson, Travis Rutz
Heat 2 - Rick Fauver, Eric Fisher, Colton Heath, Jesse Whitney, Travis Jacobson, Kelleigh Johnson, Nick Engberg
Main - Colton Heath, Fisher, Whitney, Solwold, Barnes, Fauver, Ziehl, Edson, Lemley, Engberg, Johnson, Jacobson, Smith
Lap Leaders - Fisher 1-22 Heath 23-25
Cook Road Shell Sportsman Sprints
Heat 1 - Glen Reinstra, Cale Brooke, Lyle Woods, Marc Schutte, Matt Van Der sys, Ray Parker, Rob Schroder
Heat 2 - Dave Mead, Michael Bollinger, Devin Barnes, Luke Didiuk, Paul Burdick, Nick Dunham
Heat 3 - Bill Rude, Kelsey Carpenter, Curtis Clark, Dylan Dunham, Barry Martinez, Ron Butler
Main - Lyle Woods, Carpenter, Schutte, Bollinger, Van Der Sys, Burdick, Didiuk, Reinstra, Parker, N.Dunham, Barnes, D.Dunham, Butler, Schroder, Clark, Martinez, Brooke, Mead, Rude
Lap Leaders - Woods 1-20
