DEMING - The Clay Cup championship has been contested 12 times in the 600cc division, and there have been 12 different champions.
Heath Duinkerken pulled off about as close to a repeat winner as the race has ever seen on Saturday, July 21, during the 29th Annual Clay Cup Nationals at Deming Speedway.
Duinkerken, who is a Duinkerken Racing teammate of 2011 winner Michael Faccinto, claimed the 600 title, as he led the entire way and pulled away from hard-charging Jared Peterson.
The California driver, who is a Tulsa Shootout winner, plans to donate half of his $7,500 winner's check to Autism Speaks.
Liam Ryan, a 16-year-old from Langley B.C., who finished third in the 600 feature, led the entire 1,200 feature to claim his first Clay Cup title earlier in the night.
Though Aaron Fell, who started alongside Ryan on the front row of the 1,200 feature, managed to put intermittent pressure on Ryan during the first half of the race, he overcooked Turn 1 on lap 21, bringing the back end of his car around. As he backed it toward the fence, he collected every other car in the field but Ryan, Jared Gundersen, Jason Bloodgood and Eric Drake. Included in the accident was three-time defending Clay Cup 1,200 champion Brock Lemley, who ended up on his side.
It only took Lemley and Fell eight laps to work their way up to fourth and fifth, respectively, when Kyle Kenoyer flipped down the front stretch on the 30th lap to bring out the red flag with 10 laps to go.
Lemley quickly took third from Bloodgood and pulled off a beautiful move from the high side of Turn 2 and appeared ready to pass Gundersen, but Wade Spreckelmeyer's spin in Turn 3 brought out the caution and a near disaster for Lemley.
With four laps to go, Ryan pulled away by nearly half a straightaway to claim the victory and the $5,000 winner's purse. Gundersen held off Lemley for second, while Fell came home fourth.
Ryan didn't have long to celebrate, as he immediately had to strap into his 600 machine, where he also was starting on the front row, this time on the outside of Duinkerken. Just like Ryan did in the 1,200, Duinkerken jumped out to an early advantage. Ryan wasn't able to close the gap until Duinkerken got into lapped traffic 10 laps in.
Peterson was the early mover, sliding up two spots by splitting a pair of cars on the first corner to move to fourth.
Third-place Brayden Planko came to a stop on the front straightaway with a broken shake 13 laps in, bringing out the caution and putting Ryan back on Duinkerken's bumper.
But Peterson, who was the Thursday night feature winner, got around Ryan for second by working lower than just about everybody else on the track.
As Duinkerken started working his way through lapped traffic, Peterson was able to close the gap, but Peterson found three lapped cars between himself and Duinkerken's rear end on a lap 32 restart. He also found himself without a right-side panel on his nose wing.
That proved to be all that Duinkerken needed to claim his first Clay Cup title, as he won by about a straightaway.
Duinkerken's teammate Dylan Black finished fourth, while Koen Shaw came home fifth. Faccinto came home seventh, while younger brother Mitchell finished ninth, giving Team Green four cars in the top 10.
Shaun Holtorf held off a last-lap challenge from Trent Carter to win a 600 B-Main he led from start to finish.
"It started pretty slick off early on, but I think we're going to be able to dial it in for the A-Main," Holtorf said after the B-Main.
Austin Sheridan put good pressure on Madison Hess for the final transition spot to the feature, as he was able to work the high groove in Turns 1 and 2 to perfection. But he appeared to push that advantage a little too hard on a lap-14 restart and spun, collecting the back half of the field, bringing out a black flag and sending Sheridan to the back of the field.
But on the restart, Dustin O'Brien, who had assumed the seventh spot after Sheridan's accident, spun between Turns 1 and 2, putting JR Thomas on Hess' rear. But Hess held off Thomas, giving a fist pump as he took the checkered flag with a sixth-place finish and a berth in the feature.
It turned out that Thomas also made the feature, as Landon Hurst, who had finished fourth on the track, was disqualified for his car being too light in post-race inspection.
Holtorf, Carter, Hess and Thomas were joined in the transfer positions by third-place Blake Brigge and fourth-place Spud Allen.
Pole sitter Bryce Volpa went wire-to-wire to claim the 600 C-Main and transfer up. He was joined by second-place Mike Schott and third-place Derek Torkelson, who each passed Clay Cup legend Stan Yockey on laps 8 and 9, respectively, to end the California driver's hopes of moving forward.
Ryan beat Fell 2-1 in a physical 1,200 match race that matched the top two qualifiers from Thursday and Friday's preliminary races, but Ryan came up short against Heath Duinkerken in the 600 match race.
Reach David Rasbach at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or 360-715-2286.
29TH CLAY CUP NATIONALS
Saturday's results
At Deming Speedway
600cc
A-Main (40 laps): 1. (79) Heath Duinkerken; 2. (9p) Jared Peterson; 3. (87) Liam Ryan; 4. (21b) Dylan Black; 5. (88) Koen Shaw; 6. (76) Chase Schmidt; 7. (1F) Michael Faccinto; 8. (10j) Cory Eliason; 9. (4) Mitchell Faccinto; 10. (519) Shaun Holtorf; 11. (40) Madison Hess; 12. (12a) Spud Allen; 13. (2) Ryan Reeves; 14. (9t) JR Thomas; 15. (23) Jacob Brown; 16. (76m) Kyle Mitchell; 17. (13c) Trent Carter; DNF (66) Blake Brigge; DNF (8) Kiwi Alexander; DNF (00) Brayden Planko.
B-Main (20 laps, top six advance): 1. (519) Shaun Holtorf; 2. (13c) Trent Carter; 3. (66) Blake Brigge; 4. (12a) Spud Allen; 5. (40) Madison Hess; 6. (9t) JR Thomas; 7. (47) Derek Torkelson; 8. (92) Kyler Shaw; 9. (56k) Kelly Mauck; 10. (78) Joe Constance; 11. (1) Austin Sheridan; 12. (71) Dustin O'Brien; 13. (Mike Schott); DNF (11) Greg Tourond; DNF (29J) Dougie James; DNF (10) Brock Lemley; DNF (8v) Bryce Volpa; DQ (179) Landon Hurst.
C-Main (15 laps, top three advance): 1. (8v) Bryce Volpa; 2. (22) Mike Schott; 3. (47) Derek Torkelson; 4. (7) Stan Yockey; 5. (13h) Brad Hannum; 6. (38) Alex Gauthier; 7. (9) Chase Goetz; 8. (14) Keith Wickard; 9. (N8) Nate Vaughn; 10. (83c) Jarid Kunkle; 11. (12s) Hayden Schmidt; 12. (45) Jerrod Saddler; 13. (17x) Kevin Wilkinson; 14. (5D) Annie DeRemer; 15. (29o) Alden Ostrom; 16. (18E) Jon Engler; 17. (1w) Jared Gundersen; DNF (96) Greg Hamilton; DNF (C17) Cory Samuelson.
Preliminary points (best night from Thursday and Friday): 1. (79) Heath Duinkerken 714; 2. (87) Liam Ryan 711; 3. (00) Brayden Planko 705; 4. (4) Mitchell Faccinto 704; 5. (21b) Dylan Black 703; 6. (88) Koen Shaw 703; 7. (76) Chase Schmidt 702; 8. (9p) Jared Peterson 697; 9. (2) Ryan Reeves 696; 10. (1F) Michael Faccinto 694; 11. (8) Kiwi Alexander 688; 12. (23) Jacob Brown 685; 13. (10j) Cory Eliason 683; 14. (76m) Kyle Mitchell 682; 15. (66) Blake Brigge 681; 16. (519) Shaun Holtorf 681; 17. (12a) Spud Allen 680; 18. (92) Kyler Shaw 678; 19. (13c) Trent Carter 678; 20. (179) Landon Hurst 678; 21. (71) Dustin O'Brien 677; 22. (40) Madison Hess 677; 23. (1) Austin Sheridan 675; 24. (9t) JR Thomas 674; 25. (78) Joe Constance 674; 26. (56k) Kelly Mauck 674; 27. (29J) Dougie James 674; 28. (11) Greg Tourond 668; 29. (10) Brock Lemley 663; 30. (21) Phil Schemenauer 663; 31. (8v) Bryce Volpa 653; 32. (7) Stan Yockey 650; 33. (22) Mike Schott 646; 34. (21p) Robbie Price 639; 35. (13) Brad Hannum 637; 36. (47) Derek Torkelson 632; 37. (C17) Cory Samuelson 630; 38. (9) Chase Goetz 630; 39. (14) Keith Wickard 629; 40 (17x) Kevin Wilkinson 625; 41. (N8) Nate Vaughn 622; 42. (29o) Alden Ostrom 622; 43. (18E) Jon Engler 620; 44. (38) Alex Gauthier 620; 45. (8r) Rachel Westmoreland 619; 46. (96) Greg Hamilton 619; 47. (83c) Jarid Kunkle 613; 48. (5D) Annie DeRemer 611; 49. (12s) Hayden Schmidt 609; 50. (45) Jerrod Saddler 601; 51. (1w) Jared Gundersen 599; 52. (71s) Mike Severson 488.
1,200cc
A-Main (40 laps): 1. (87) Liam Ryan; 2. (7) Jared Gundersen; 3. (10) Brock Lemley; 4. (15) Aaron Fell; 5. (6) Jason Bloodgood; 6. (22) Eric Drake; 7. (9) Clennon Holloway; 8. (10s) Forest Metcalfe; 9. (11m) Dwayne Mackey; 10. (13) Steven Hendrickson; 11. (11) Brad Davison; 12. (2sp) Wade Spreckelmeyer; DNF (09) Tyson Cross; DNF (98K) Kyle Kenoyer; DNF (55) Tony Helsel; DNF (16z) Zach Keefe.
Preliminary points (best night from Thursday and Friday): 1. (87) Liam Ryan 714; 2. (15) Aaron Fell 708; 3. 7 Jared Gundersen 703; 4. (13) Steven Hendrickson 701; 5. (10) Brock Lemley 699; 6. (6) Jason Bloodgood 696; 7. (2sp) Wade Spreckelmeyer 694; 8. (9) Clennon Holloway 692; 9. (10s) Forest Metcalfe 692; 10. (22) Eric Drake 688; 11. (98K) Kyle Kenoyer 688; 12. (09) Tyson Cross 686; 13. (11m) Dwayne Mackey 686; 14. (11) Brad Davison 685; 15. (16z) Zach Keefe 673; 16. (55) Tony Helsel 673.
CLAY CUP CHAMPIONS
1,200cc
2012: Liam Ryan
2011: Brock Lemley
2010: Brock Lemley
2009: Brock Lemley
2008: Derek Holmwood
2007: Aaron Fell
2006: Brock Lemley
2005: Eric Fisher
2004: Brock Lemley
2003: Kiel Vaillant
2002: Ron Cox
2001: Danny Bullock
2000: Stan Yockey
1999: Danny Bullock
1998: Greg Bragg
1997: Reg Vaillant
1996: Reg Vaillant
1995: Harold Holz
1994: Harold Holz
1993: Jim Carter
1992: Fred Holz
1991: Eric Rossi
1990: Reg Vaillant
1989: Darren Massie
1988: Mark Holz
1987: Reg Vaillant
1986: Darcy Vaillant
1985: Harry Styker
1984: Ray Campbell
600cc
2012: Heath Duinkerken
2011: Michael Faccinto
2010: Reece Goetz
2009: Colton Heath
2008: Logan Forler
2007: Jared Peterson
2006: Cory Eliason
2005: Ben Hogarth
2004: Kyle Johnson
2003: Stan Yockey
2002: Brian Gard
2001: Rob Grice
Reach DAVID RASBACH at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2271.
