(Video Highlights from FloRacing.com)
(6/23/23 – Ben Deatherage) Algers, WA … Corey Day’s supreme reign in the Pacific Northwest remains intact as he collected his second straight win at the Jim Raper Memorial Super Dirt Cup to pocket another $4,100 winner’s check with the NARC 410 Sprint Series.
The Jason Meyers Racing Meyers Constructors/Four C’s Construction #14 KPC seized the lead on lap six and went practically untested the remainder of the 30-lap contest at Skagit Speedway to capture his eighth series win of 2023.
“We set out a goal at the beginning of this year that we wanted to get double-digit wins,” said the now fourteen-time NARC main event winner. “I’ve never done that before, and this is my tenth one this year, and it’s only June, so I didn’t expect that we’re on a roll. I owe it to Shane (Bowers), Jason (Meyers), Preston, HP, Eddie, Stephan, and Kenny, and everyone that works their butt off on the race car.”
Unlike the previous night, stoppages and restarts proved to be a factor in the35-lap main event. Tanner Holmes put his Shane DeWald Trucking/NexGen Diesel Exhaust Fluid #18T KPC in front of the rest of the pack, only to have the field try it again after a caution. Lighting struck twice when the Oregon traveler regained the lead again.
Almost immediately, Holmes would be put under significant pressure. Day motored his way around Holmes on the sixth circuit before dealing with lapped traffic. The yellow flag would fly on lap eight before the rematch between the two could be had.
On the following restart, Day checked out from the competition, but yet again, the field was slowed down, this time for a red flag crash with 12-laps completed. Day hit traffic again on the 17th circuit and cut his way through the tail end of the pack effectively.
The final stoppage would take place with only three laps remaining which set up Day with an open racetrack. He would power his way to the finish line to add to his incredible tally of three-straight NARC and five in his last six starts.
Holmes would finish the race in second, followed by the night’s Williams Roofing Hardcharger Dominic Scelzi. The two-time defending series champ started his Whipple Superchargers/Red Rose Transportation #41 Maxim in 13th and wound up third. Zeb Wise made some late race moves to put the Rayce Rudeen Foundation/Hager Reality Services #26R Maxim in fourth. Washington native Trey Starks completed the top five, in fifth, in the T&C Concepts/Fisher Racing Engines #55 J&J.
“It’s been a much better Dirt Cup for us than last year,” commented Holmes. “I have no complaints about our speed; we’re right where we need to be; we just need to be that one tick better to be with the #14. I felt like my car was good enough; I couldn’t get consistent enough laps to get to him when he got to traffic.”
“We were really good,” stated Scelzi. “I felt we had a really good car last night and a really good car tonight. I feel good, and I feel competitive. The preliminary nights have played out in the #14’s favor, but I think there are a lot of good guys out there, and I think we’re one of them. Jimmy’s got the race car really good, and the guys have been working hard.”
Justyn Cox posted a sixth-place result for Bates-Hamilton Racing, while Justin Sanders gained nine positions successfully to earn seventh and earn the top points position entering Saturday night’s $62,000 to win finale.
The remainder of the top ten include 14th starting Jason Solwold, 17th starter Cole Macedo and D.J. Netto. K
Aussie Karl Hoffmanns had a hard flip in qualifying, Billy Aton took a tumble in the B Main, while Shane Golobic got upside down in the main event. All drivers were uninjured.
Chase Johnson picked off the B-main. Aaron Reutzel earned the ARP Fast Time award, besting the 41-car field in qualifying.
A-FEATURE (30 Laps): 1. 14-Corey Day [2]; 2. 18T-Tanner Holmes [1]; 3. 41-Dominic Scelzi [13]; 4. 26R-Zeb Wise [11]; 5. 55-Trey Starks [10]; 6. 42X-Justyn Cox [7]; 7. 2X-Justin Sanders [16]; 8. 18-Jason Solwold [14]; 9. 21-Cole Macedo [17]; 10. 88N-DJ Netto [8]; 11. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield [9]; 12. 19-Colby Thornhill [4]; 13. 44W-Austen Wheatley [5]; 14. 73-Chase Johnson [21]; 15. 29-Willie Croft [6]; 16. 8-Aaron Reutzel [18]; 17. 69-Bud Kaeding [23]; 18. 21S-Jesse Schlotfeldt [24]; 19. 7-Tyler Thompson [12]; 20. 2L-Logan Forler [20]; 21. 96-Greg Hamilton [22]; 22. 16A-Colby Copeland [15]; 23. 115-Nick Parker [3]; 24. 17W-Shane Golobic [19]