By: Spartan correspondent, Michelle Sprague
It had been a bit of a dry spell for Lansing’s Doug Finley, but Finley found himself in the Corrigan Oil Winner’s Circle, at the Spartan Speedway, for his win in the Andrew’s Chevrolet Super Late Model division. At the green, Evan Barrett took command and with Finley, Dewitt’s Jon McNett, Dimondale’s Jimmy Gallagher, and Eaton Rapids Doc Dutton in tow. Barrett gave Finley a couple of looks to the low side, as Barrett would slide up the track a bit coming out of turn four. McNett and Gallagher were running third and fourth, when Barrett spun, on his own, relinquishing the lead to Finley. Finley never looked back, putting major real estate between himself and McNett. Gallagher came home third, in spite of a heat race crash that could have knocked the point leader out of contention for the evening. Fellow competitors worked for over an hour on the car, and Gallagher made the feature, scoring precious points that might have been lost toward the season championship. At the line, it was Finley, McNett, Gallagher, Muskegon’s Dave Stehouwer, and Barrett. McNett took the heat win for the division.
Lansing’s Chris Ozanich led the charge, on the start for the Valvoline Instant Oil Change Modified division, working the high line, but Eaton Rapids’ Jason Parish made the pass for the lead on the inside, leaving Ohio’s Bud Perry to decide who to follow through. Perry opted to follow Parish and the duo broke away from the pack, leaving Vermontville’s Leroy Ellis, Ozanich, and Corunna’s Larry Wallace to battle for position. Parish and Perry were running nose to tail when they ran up on a lapped car. Parish chose the high side, while Perry dove down low, sandwiching the lapped car between them, running three-wide going into turn four. That maneuver didn’t turn out so well, as Parish’s evening ended with damage to the left rear of the car. Caution closed the field up behind Perry, with Ellis, Ozanich, Wallace and Battle Creek’s Dusty Carl ready to take a run at Perry. At the line, it was Perry, Ellis, Ozanich, Wallace, and Carl. John Mamula, of Okemos, and Parish both won their heats.
The Performance Automotive NW Sportsmans saw East Lansing’s Jack Koone Jr. and Charlotte’s Dane Long fight tooth and nail for the win in the division. There will be sheet metal repair in both shops this week, in preparation for season championships on the 22nd. Leslie’s Nate Moon took the early lead, with Koone on the move. Koone took the lead, with Leslie’s Damon Place running in second. Long made his way around Place, with Holt’s Jimmy Scavarda closing on Place. Mason’s Scott Sigman continued his march to the front, while Koone and Long battled for the lead, getting together coming off of turn four. Long gained the advantage as a caution for debris came out, giving Long the lead for good. Scavarda and Moon got together bringing out another caution, moving Stokbridge’s Bubber Patrick and Sigman into the top five. On the restart, Koone was unable to catch Long, and after 25 laps, it was Long, Koone, Place, Sigman, and Patrick. Scavarda tallied the heat win.
Lansing’s Ian Schafer led the Pure Stock division down to the green and held the lead for two laps before Dimondale’s Spencer Drake took command and went on to win the 15-lap feature. Dale Wagner, of Springport, battled Charlotte’s Marc Childers for second, with Childers coming out on top. Dimondale’s Steve Orta ran in fourth, while Schafer came home in fifth. Wagner took the heat win.
The Boss Snow Equipment Pony Stock division saw a mad scramble to lead lap one, with cars running three- and four-wide through the turns. Lansing’s Brian Beckner was able to break away from the pack, as Eaton Rapid’s Joe Bates, Jackson’s Edson Rowley III and Gregory’s Jeremy LaFontaine made their move to the front. Rowley caught Beckner on lap eight, with LaFontaine scooting around Beckner as well. Lansing’s Wayne Beckner Jr. jumped into the mix, with Dan Gokee and Lex Jarecki, both of Lansing, moving into the top five. W. Beckner, Jarecki and Gokee battled for the third position, while Rowley held off LaFontaine for the win. At the checker, it was Rowley, LaFontaine, W. Beckner Jr., Jarecki, and Gokee. Bates and Patrick Denison, bot of Eaton Rapids, took home wins in their heats.
Please join us on August 22nd, as the 2008 racing season winds down, with Season Championship Night. Each division title will be decided on this last night of point racing.
