Dirt Cup Champ Barnes Letting History Sink In

Andrew Kunas

ALGER, Wash. - Jayme Barnes stood outside his race trailer in the very early hours Sunday morning. He was told and asked: “Local drivers to win Dirt Cup; Fontes, Burrow, Kahne and Barnes. How does that sound?”

Barnes was taken aback for a moment, then finally responded in an unusually soft voice.

“That sounds good,” the new Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup champion, usually a little cocky, said humbly about what he had just accomplished.

He was letting it all sink in. He drove the race of his life and made Skagit Speedway history Saturday, becoming just the fourth Washington driver in 37 years to win Skagit’s crown jewel event. He put himself in exclusive company, the few Evergreen State drivers who won an event long dominated by out-of-state drivers, especially from California, which has won 24 Dirt Cups.

What was even more special for the Everett driver and the local fans of more than 6,000 who were on hand at Skagit Speedway on Saturday was Jayme’s victory coming in local equipment, his own in this case. While fans were thrilled with future NASCAR superstar Kasey Kahne’s victories in 2002 and 2003, his first win came in a car from the eastern part of the country and the next came in a car based in California. The last time a local driver won in local equipment was Bobby Burrow’s still popular victory in 1992. The only other Washington driver to win the Dirt Cup was Ross Fontes, who won the inaugural event in 1972 when it was a three-track, three-night points deal.

“I wanted to be the first one since Burrow so bad,” said Barnes, still showing off the big check for $25,000 handed to him by track owner Steve Beitler. “We’ve got some of the best drivers and cars in the country here. It makes it so tough, so it feels so good.” More

BARNES WINS NIGHT ONE OF DIRT CUP AT SKAGIT SPEEDWAY

(Alger, WA) by Kelly Hart

Jayme Barnes is rapidly gaining a reputation as a big race racer. On the opening night of the 2008 Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup presented by Camping World RV at Skagit Speedway Barnes won the 30-lap Feature event passing 6 cars from his inside 4th row starting position for the win. Mitch Olson started outside front row surrounded by the Kaeding clan, Bud Kaeding on the pole and Tim and Brent Kaeding behind in row two. Olson led the first 6 laps when Tim Kaeding took over the lead. Kaeding led the 7th through 10th laps before Barnes slid up in front of him coming out of turn 4 and into the lead on lap 11. From there on it was all Barnes, fending off some serious challenges from Kaeding who would not back off. On the final corner of the last lap Barnes got caught up in slower traffic and bounced off the turn 4 wall, as Kaeding closed Barnes jumped on the gas and took the checkered flag.