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NSCS to visit Skagit this weekend
Andrew Kunas, NSCS Publicist
ALGER, Wash. – After a successful opening weekend at Grays Harbor Raceway, the Northwest Sprint Challenge Series is now set to run a two-night event at Steve Beitler’s Skagit Speedway, and a very large field of winged 360 sprint cars are expected.
This Friday and Saturday’s events at the 3/10-mile, high-banked bull ring will also be the first on the NSCS schedule to allow non-ASCS legal cars with restrictors to compete. Cars that are not ASCS-legal won’t be able to earn points, but they are welcomed to race with the NSCS this weekend.
Medford’s Roger Crockett will lead the pack to Skagit with the lead in the NSCS point standings (114) after winning the opening event at Grays Harbor in dominating fashion. Crockett is with Henderson Motorsports this season and both have seen success together at Skagit in the past as Crockett won the 1998 Skagit 360 Nationals. Henderson Motorsports would later win three more 360 Nationals and a Dirt Cup with Steve Kent behind the wheel. Crockett will be one of the drivers to beat again this weekend.
Crockett himself has not won at Skagit since taking the preliminary feature in the 1999 Skagit 360 Nationals, but could put an end to his Skagit dry-spell this weekend.
Looking to turn around his luck at Skagit is second place points man Billy Nutter, who struggled in his last visit to Skagit in 2005 when he failed to make the main event. The former Northern Sprint Tour champion out of Central Point, Ore. finished a strong second at the opener at Grays Harbor.
Langley, Brit. Col. driver Travis Rutz, who sits third in the standings with 107 points (one behind Nutter), will be another driver to look out for as he has earned the reputation for being fearless at Skagit. Rutz roared to the win at the Skagit 360 Nationals last year and again dominated in the Kasey Kahne Foundation event a few weeks later. With the spotlight on Skagit again, Rutz could be considered as one of the favorites to win on either night.
Having the run of the night, 18th to fifth, at the opener at Grays Harbor, Henry Van Dam of Enumclaw, Wash. has been hot. Van Dam also has victory at Skagit in weekly competition and another weekly event victory at Grays Harbor to his credit in the last three weeks. Like Rutz and Crockett, Van Dam could be a favorite as well.
Skagit Spedway also has a strong local field of 360 sprint car racers, which include last season’s track champion Steve Kilcup. Jason Bloodgood has run very well also, winning the 360 sprint car main event at Skagit the last two weeks.
Three NSCS rookies currently sit in the top 15 in points, including Jon Farrell at eighth with 83 points. J.J. Dishneau sits 11th with 73 and Evan Funk is 15th with 66. Funk won three main events at Skagit Speedway last season.
Other top NSCS drivers expected to make the journey to Skagit include Oregon’s Brendan Boyce, Idaho’s Shawn Smith, last year’s NST Rookie of the Year Seth Bergman and Robbie Vaughn.
More information on the Northwest Sprint Challenge Series can be seen online at www.racenscs.com and information on Skagit Speedway is available at its own website at www.skagitspeedway.com.
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NSCS events at Skagit Speedway
May 11
May 12
July 27 (Skagit 360 Nationals)
July 28 (Skagit 360 Nationals)
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NSCS Top 20 after 4/28
1. Roger Crockett, 114
2. Billy Nutter, 108
3. Travis Rutz, 107
4. Dale Smith, 102
5. Henry Van Dam, 90
6. Jay Cole, 89
7. Brendan Boyce, 88
8. Jon Farrell, 83
9. J.J. Hickle, 81
10. Shawn Smith, 78
11. J.J. Dishneau, 73
12. Shawn Rice, 69
(tie) Derek Ingalls, 69
(tie) Mitch Olson, 69
15. Evan Funk, 66
16. Seth Bergman, 64
17. Dallas Zuniga, 63
18. Robbie Vaughn, 61
(tie) Adam Main, 61
20. Shane Forte’, 58
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NSCS: The Northwest Sprint Challenge Series
www.racenscs.com
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