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Photos by Johns Racing Photos
Allard finishes 9th during tune-up/ Looks to continue recent Dirt Cup success this weekend
By Gary Thomas
Alger, WA – June 16, 2008…Chico’s Jonathan Allard headed to the Great Northwest a week early and came from the back of the field to finish ninth in the annual Dirt Cup tune-up race at the Skagit Speedway this past Saturday night. The Williams Motorsports team had acquired a new engine and wanted to get the bugs worked out of it, as well as get some track time at the wicked fast 3/10 mile clay oval prior to the big event that starts this Thursday.
This weekend will find Allard looking avenge last season’s disappointment when the 37th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup goes green at the Skagit Speedway. After winning the event in 2006 and ’07 Allard came back last year looking to become the first driver to ever win the Dirt Cup three consecutive times.
It was a trying week that saw Allard get upside down in his heat race during both of his prelim night’s, but through all that the Williams Motorsports team was able to work extremely hard and “JA” did his job behind the wheel to go into Saturday sitting atop the event point standings. A second place finish in the A-scramble put Allard on the outside of the front row, but if the weekend wasn’t already crazy enough, the team was forced to make a motor change just after the scramble.
Allard was pushed back into the speedway after the engine swap and then proceeded to get the jump on the field when the green flag waved for the 40 lap main event. He proceeded to lead the field for 34 circuits until an incident with a lap car forced him up out of the racing groove and allowed Brandon Wimmer to sneak by for the lead and eventually the win. Allard crossed the line in second, but it was a very disappointing way to the end the weekend after working so hard for the three-peat.
With the Dirt Cup on the horizon again this weekend Allard is eagerly anticipating a shot at his third Dirt Cup title. “I’ve been waiting all year for the Dirt Cup to come around again so we can try and get a little redemption after how it ended last year,” the former King of California says. “We love running Skagit and the Dirt Cup is one of the biggest events we compete in all season and one we always look forward to. It would mean a lot for myself, Morrie & Katie Williams and this whole team if we could put the car into victory lane on Saturday night and get that 25 grand,” he concluded.
Allard will also be present on Wednesday night at the Haggen Food and Pharmacy Dirt Cup Party. He’ll be on hand for autographs and will also have T-shirts for sale so please come on by to say hi as well as pick up a hand out card.
The 37th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup presented by Camping World RV will go green on Thursday night with the opening round of preliminary competition. Another prelim will follow on Friday before Saturday’s finale that will pay $25,000 to the winner of the 40 lap A-main event. More info can be found at http://www.skagitspeedway.com
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After finishing runner up last year Chico’s Jonathan Allard will look to one better that this weekend at the 37th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup in Washington
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
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