Sports - Motor Sports

POSTED: Saturday, Jun. 20, 2009

MOTORSPORTS: Marysville driver wins second straight Dirt Cup title

ALGER - For the second year in row the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup title belongs to Marysville's Jayme Barnes.

This time, though, it was thanks in large part to more than a little good fortune.

Barnes played cat-and-mouse with Tyler Walker for most of the night in the A Main at Skagit Speedway on Saturday, June 20 until Walker's left rear tire went flat during stoppage on the 35th lap. Barnes had to survive three more restarts, including a red flag refueling stop, and a hard-charging Tim and Bud Kaeding to win the $25,000 check.

"I did get a little lucky out there with Tyler," Barnes said. "You never want to win that way."

Barnes joins an elite group of two time winners and an even more elite group of two-time winners with local ties. The last to do so was current NASCAR star Kasey Kahne.

"Last week we weren't really sure we were going to be here," Barnes said. "But my guys really worked hard to make this happen."

It was also a good day for the Kaeding's. Along with Tim and Bud, Brent Kaeding finished fourth, coming all the way up after qualifying from the B Main.

"Jayme drove a heck of a race," Tim Kaeding said.

Jared Ridge started the B Main from the inside pole position and finished with the checkered flag, holding off a hard charging Barry Martinez over the final two laps to move on to the A Main. Ridge had to overcome four restarts, including a red flag when Danielle Huson and Chadd Noland went into the wall coming out of the fourth turn, to win the race.

Joining Ridge in the main event were Martinez, Wayne Johnson, Marc Duperron, Brent Kaeding, Noland, Kyle Larson, and Eric Fisher. To make the top 8, Fisher worked his way up from 14th and made a dramatic pass late in the race to secure a berth.

As for Huson, who was running in fourth place before the accident, she limped off the track after spending a moment in an ambulance. She and Noland had some tense words in the pit after the race.

In the C Main event, Nick Engberg led from start to finish and advanced to the B Main event. Engberg ran mostly unchallenged after a quick start and navigated easily through lap traffic to hold on to first. Joining him in the B Main were Brent Bjork, Colton Heath, and Toni Lutar.

Dirt Cup results

Saturday, June 20

A Main

1. Jayme Barnes; 2. Tim Kaeding; 3. Bud Kaeding; 4. Brent Kaeding; 5. Jason Solwold; 6. Jonathon Allard; 7. Travis Rutz; 8. Peter Murphy; 9. Jesse Whitney; 10. Shane Stewart; 11. Chad Hillier; 12. Kyle Hirst; 13. Eric Fisher; 14. Brock Lemley; 15. Rick Fauver; 16. Tyler Walker; 17. Roger Crocket; 18. Tommy Tarleton; 19. Jared Ridge; 20. Marc Duperron; 21. Kyle Larson; 22. Chadd Noland; 23. Barry Martinez; 24. Wayne Johnson

B Main

1. Jared Ridge; 2. Barry Martinez; 3. Wayne Johnson; 4. Marc Duperron; 5. Brent Kaeding; 6. Chadd Noland; 7. Kyle Larson; 8. Eric Fisher; 9. Mitch Olson; 10. Chris Scmellze; 11. Zach Zimmerly; 12. Toni Lutar; 13. Nick Engberg; 14. Brent Bjork; 15. Cory Chamberlain; 16. Steve Kilcup; 17.Colton Heath; 18. Jeff Hodgson; 19. Danielle Huson

C Main

1. Nick Engberg; 2. Brent Bjork; 3. Colton Heath; 4. Toni Lutar; 5. Glenn Borden; 6. Kevin Smith; 7. Kelleigh Johnson; 8. Ryan Benoit; 9. Chad Groves

A Scramble

1. Tyler Walker; 2. Jayme Barnes; 3. Roger Crockett; 4. Tommy Tarleton; 5. Peter Murphy

B Scramble

1. Jared Ridge; 2. Barry Martinez; 3. Danielle Huson; 4. Marc Duperron; 5. Jeff Hodgson; 6. Brent Kaeding

C Scramble

1. Brent Bjork; 2. Nick Engberg; 3. Kevin Smith; 4. Glenn Borden; 5. Kelleigh Johnson