This message was edited on
June 16, 2008 at
07:14:26 PM by Gary Thomas
California teams set for annual trip to Skagit Speedway for 37th Dirt Cup
By Gary Thomas
Alger, Washington – June 16, 2008…One of the biggest 410 sprint car events on the West Coast is fast approaching with the 37th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup set to go green this weekend on June 19, 20 and 21. The three-night show presented by Camping World RV will once again hand out a solid $25,000 to the winner of Saturday’s 40 lap main event and packs a $150,000 purse for the overall event.
When it comes to non-World of Outlaw sanctioned winged sprint car racing, the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup is basically the “Knoxville Nationals” of the west as it packs one of the biggest purses around and routinely attracts the best teams and drivers from up and down the left coast. The atmosphere and competition level during the event is also second to none, which just adds to the excitement.
The actual racing at the Dirt Cup doesn’t kick off until Thursday June 19, but the event will get a jump start with the annual Haggen Dirt Cup Party held on Wednesday June 18 at the Haggen Food and Pharmacy in Burlington. The party is held from 4pm to 7pm and features a live band, as well as sprint cars on display, drivers signing autographs, vendor booths, driver interviews, local radio stations broadcasting live and more.
The Haggen Dirt Cup Party has become an annual treat to get the competitive juices flowing for the next three night’s of no-holds-barred racing on the Skagit Speedway 3/10 mile clay oval, which is promoted by Steve Beitler. The track has seen a number of improvements over the last handful of years including a widening of the straight-aways and corners this past off-season, as well as an alteration in the banking pattern that should make the racing better than ever.
A number of California’s top sprint car drivers and teams are expected to make the annual trek up I-5 to the Skagit Speedway for the 37th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup this week. Leading the way will be current Golden State Challenge Series point leader and two-time Dirt Cup champion Jonathan Allard. Last season the Chico driver came within six laps of becoming the first driver to win the Dirt Cup three straight times in the more than 30 year history of the event. Allard led the field from his front row starting spot for 34 of the 40 laps before an incident in lapped traffic took away his chance at history.
The driver of the Morrie & Katie Williams owned No. 0 has come back this year to lead the GSC point standings for much of the season as he tries to become just the third driver in series history to win multiple King of California titles. Allard currently holds a 51 point lead in the series standings with just seven races left till the season ends at Silver Dollar Speedway in late July. The 31 year-old won his first Dirt Cup in 2005 and backed it up in ’06 with another victory. Last year he finished runner-up at the event despite getting upside down during his heat race on both prelim nights, as well as having to make an engine change just before Saturday’s A-main.
Three-time Dirt Cup champion and 13-time King of California Brent Kaeding of Campbell will be looking to put his machine near the front of the field this weekend. Kaeding last season finished fourth on the final night of the Dirt Cup, which marked his best run in a few years after finishes of 15th and 20th the previous two seasons. The driver of the Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 was recently inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and comes into the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup sitting eighth in the Golden State Challenge Series standings. Kaeding goes into the weekend winless on the season however, and would certainly like to breakthrough at the $25,000 to win event.
One of the heavy favorites heading into the weekend is former King of California Tim Kaeding. The San Jose charger has had a strong season in ‘08 by winning a total of five main events and scoring a number of top five finishes over the course of the year. Last season “TK” drove the Kevin Rudeen No. 26 at the Dirt Cup and had a tough week following a hard crash during the B-main on opening night. This year he comes into the event aboard the potent Tom Rolfe Racing No. 10 and looks to have his best shot yet at picking up his first Dirt Cup crown. The 29 year-old scored his career best Dirt Cup finish in ’06 when he finished runner-up in the 40 lap finale.
Some of the most excitement at the 37th annual Dirt Cup should be turned in by Los Angeles throttle-masher Tyler Walker. The always colorful driver should be at his best on the high-banked, scary fast Skagit Speedway clay as he competes aboard the always fast NMI Industrial Contractors No. 24 sprinter. Walker has driven the green machine to a number of strong runs this season including three wins with the Golden State Challenge Series. He currently ranks second in the GSC standings and has definitely brought up the entertainment level on a weekly basis. Walker has been in position to win a number of races this season and a few have gotten away from him, but a win at the Dirt Cup would no doubt make up for those.
Campbell’s Bud Kaeding will return to the Dirt Cup after finishing 10th in last season’s 40 lap finale while driving for Northwest car owner Kevin Rudeen. This year Kaeding will compete at the event aboard his own BK Motorsports No. 29 sprinter as he shoots for his first Dirt Cup victory. So far this year the 28 year-old has picked up one 410 victory and sits third in the Golden State Challenge Series points. He also currently leads the 360 standings at the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville where he has won twice this season.
Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs will look to build on his impressive performance at last years Dirt Cup as he is set for his second appearance in the event. The 21 year-old dominated the opening prelim last season, en route to picking up his first career winged sprint car victory and was running solidly around the top five on Saturday when he was involved in accident not of his making. Suggs comes into the Dirt Cup following some tough finishes recently and will look to get back on track at the Skagit Speedway 3/10 mile clay oval.
Former two-time Civil War Series champion Mike Henry will make his maiden Skagit Speedway voyage for the Dirt Cup. The exciting racer from Sacramento goes into this weekend sitting fourth in the Golden State Challenge Series standings, in what is his first season competing full-time with the tour. Henry’s driving style should also be a great fit at the Skagit Speedway clay and he’s expected to have extra help with expert tuner Brian Sperry at his side during the Dirt Cup as he competes in the World Environmental No. 93.
Another top driver will be Loomis resident Kyle Hirst who wheels the potent Gary Perkins Motorsports No. 6. The 20 year-old has had a consistent season aboard the GP Development machine as he’s racing wherever and whenever he wants and hasn’t been chasing points this year. Hirst has picked up a pair of wins in ’08, as well as five top five’s in seven starts at Silver Dollar Speedway and a trio of top five’s with the Golden State Challenge Series. Last season he was involved in a scary crash at the Dirt Cup and will look to rebound this weekend at the event.
Rio Vista’s Dan Simpson will be another driver making his first trip to the Skagit Speedway this weekend. The 64 year-old driver recently picked up his first career Golden State Challenge Series heat race win, which came at the tight, high-banked Placerville Speedway.
These California drivers and more will take on some of the best the Northwest has to offer including Roger Crockett, Jason Solwold, Barry Martinez, Travis Rutz, Seth Bergman, Taylor Malsam, Colton Heath, Aaron Fell, Brock Lemley and many more.
Three-night advance reserved tickets are on sale for only $70 and can be acquired by calling (360) 724-3567 or at the ticket window during race days. The front gate will open at 5:30 each night with racing getting underway at approximately 7. More info on the 37th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup presented by Camping World RV can be found at http://www.skagitspeedway.com and http://www.nwracetalk.com
Up next- Following the Dirt Cup the Golden State Challenge Series will be right back at it with point competition resuming on Saturday June 28 with the annual Pombo/Sargent Classic at the Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare. Reserved tickets are available by contacting (559) 688-0909
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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