ALGER, Wash. — This week’s 52nd Annual Jim Raper Memorial Super Dirt Cup will feature a familiar name from the midwest in Rudeen Racing’s Zeb Wise.
The event runs June 19-22, with Saturday’s feature paying $62,000 to win.
Wise runs full time with the Kubota High Limit Racing Series, where he currently sits 10th in the overall points standings and 15th in the Midweek Money Series points battle. He has yet to find victory lane but has two top-fives and eight top 10s.
Wise described his season as a rollercoaster thus far.
“It’s been OK,” Wise began. “Obviously, racing with High Limits full time there’s 16 good cars on any given night and that’s just the cars that tour with the series, not counting any locals or Outlaws or anyone else who shows up. Yeah, it’s tough, man, it’s brutal, but we’ve had a very up-and-down year.”
Looking back at last year’s Dirt Cup for Wise, it was a solid three-day event. He finished third on the opening night after starting 12th, fourth on night two after starting 11th and second on the final night after starting fourth.
“Yeah, I’m pumped. I really enjoy Skagit, not just because my car owner owns the track, but it’s just an awesome place,” Wise said. “It races really good. It seems like no matter how the track is, it races well. I’m pumped to get back.
“Obviously, I feel like we had a really good shot at it last year, and I think we will have a better shot at it this year.”
Dirt Cup offers three exciting nights of racing that allow drivers to build points during qualifying, heat racing and features during the weekend which determines their fate for the final night. It’s a format that Wise enjoys.
“Really, the way I approach it is just to put together two solid nights,” Wise said. “You don’t necessarily have to go out there and win both nights, obviously you want to, you want to win anytime you’re on the race track…if you can get through the first two nights with two solid finishes and solid points nights to put yourself in position, then you’re in a great spot come Saturday.”