Auto Racing -- Kent Claims Dirt Cup -- Race Had Mad Dash To Finish

ALGER, Skagit County - Steve Kent took the lead at the start, avoided potential problems with lapped traffic and held off Randy Hannagan in winning his first Super Dirt Cup sprint-car race at Skagit Speedway last night.

Kent, 34, of Fresno, Calif., driving a high groove, beat the low-riding Hannagan, of San Jose, Calif., out of Turn 4 on the last lap and won a drag race to the finish of the 40-lap A main event, a victory worth $14,000.

Brent Kaeding of Campbell, Calif., was third and six-time Dirt Cup champion Jimmy Sills of Placerville, Calif., was fourth. Alan Munn of Granite Falls was the top finisher among Skagit regulars in fifth place.

"The start was all important," said Kent, whose best previous Dirt Cup finish was second last year. "The only thing I had to deal with after that was lapped traffic."

Lapped traffic and Hannagan, who at 26 is considered a rising star on Northern California's competitive sprint-car circuit.

"I thought I was going to get him," said Hannagan, who might have been the happiest runnerup in Dirt Cup history. "This was our first appearance up here. We've never been north of Chico."

Defending champion Tim Green, a three-time Dirt Cup winner from San Jose who started next to Kent on the front row, was running in second place when he dropped out of the race after being penalized to the back of the pack for violating Skagit's half-car-length "gapping" rule.

Green, said track promoter Fred Brownfield, was more than two car lengths behind Kent on a restart following a yellow-flag caution period. The rule is designed to prevent drivers from using a slingshot technique on restarts.

Green declined comment.

Highlighting the preliminary events was Darrell Hanestad's comeback victory in the wreck-marred, 20-lap C main that featured five red-flag incidents and one yellow-flag caution period. It took 43 minutes to complete the race.

Hansestad, of San Lorenzo, Calif., was involved in a three-car tangle at the start of the race that left him tipped over on his side and his car's overhead wing damaged beyond repair.

Driver Marc Huson of Bothell loaned Hansestad a wing and crewmen from several cars began installing it as the field resumed racing. But before a lap could be completed, a front-stretch accident involving Dennis Armey of Sedro-Woolley and Leo Voight of Marysville brought out red flag No. 2.

Voight was taken to a Sedro-Woolley hospital after his car became airborne, soared over a guard rail and slammed into the pit wall next to Turn 1, scattering crew members who were watching the race. A hospital spokesperson said later that Voigt was undergoing knee surgery.

The delay of several minutes gave those working on Hanestad's car time to complete installation of the wing and he resumed racing.

Subsequent red flags flew when Phil Silvo of Bellingham did a slot half roll while coming out of Turn 4, Bo Mann of Monroe did a slow flip over an inside berm on the homestretch after tangling with Mike Hubert of Anderson, Calif., and Tyson Cross of Langley, B.C., did a half roll in a front-stretch tangle with Steve Tupper of Everett.

Hanestad and C main runnerup Jay Smith of Arlington moved up to the 25-lap B main, but neither was a factor as Kevin Pylant of Santa Cruz, Calif., scored a wire-to-wire victory.

Dale Smith of Cottage Grove, Ore., won the last-chance race. In a best-of-three match race involving San Jose, Calif., rivals, Hannagan, Friday's top qualifier, beat Green, Thursday's top qualifier, two to one.