Post by George Keen on Aug 16, 2009 16:39:12 GMT -4
For ALL Feature Winner Photos, please contact Bob Taylor of Taylored
Art Photography at: www.tayloredart.biz
15-year-old Harley Smith wins her first career Sport Stocks Feature at
Owosso Speedway.
By Matt Prieur and Chris Fobbe - Owosso Speedway
Ovid, Michigan (Saturday, August 15, 2009): It was Shiawassee County
Fair Night I / College Night at the Owosso Speedway on Saturday,
August 15th as a great field of cars were on hand and put on a great
show in front of a boisterous and spirited crowd who came out after
two consecutive weekends of rainouts.
The Wieland Contracting Modifieds were up first for the night as Chris
Ozanich and two-time Super Late Models Track Champion, Jon McNett led
the 20-car field to the green flag for there 30-lap feature. Ozanich
was able to beat McNett to the first corner to grab the early lead
while the rest of the pack behind them jockeyed for position.
10-time overall and six-time defending track champion, Bill Luckhurst,
who started sixth, quickly worked his way up to second place behind
Ozanich and the battle was on for the lead. Luckhurst grabbed the lead
away on lap seven and began pulling away from the rest of the field as
the field clicked off laps at a rapid rate.
Fast Qualifier, Travis Eddy, who started eighth, fought his way up to
second spot after passing Ozanich at the halfway marker of the race
and tried in vain to reel in Luckhurst, who at this point had built up
nearly a full straightaway lead on the field. A caution with five laps
to go placed Eddy right on Luckhurst's back bumper setting up a five
lap shootout.
As the green waved, Eddy surprisingly went to the inside of Luckhurst
instead of trying to take away Luckhurst's chances at his patented
third groove. Eddy was strong on the inside however despite Luckhurst,
the current points leader, being up in his favored groove and the two
drivers battled side by side as the crowd was on there feet.
With the white flag in the air, Eddy briefly took the lead as
Luckhurst scrambled to rebuild momentum up on the high side, which he
was able to do as the Ovid, Michigan veteran has done so many times,
wound up his machine around the outside groove and Luckhurst drove his
Jet's Pizza of Owosso Chevrolet around the outside and just nipped
Eddy at the start / finish line by less than a foot to win his third
feature of the season.
Eddy settled for second while Ozanich claimed the last podium position
in third. Steve Bates Jr., and Todd Matheson completed the top five.
Scott Lamp claimed sixth ahead of Laci Donnert, Sonny Coito, Jeff
Reamer, and 15-year-old Kenton Taylor, the current rookie of the year
points leader, finished off the top 10.
Eddy won his fourth fast qualifier award of the season as he toured
the 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked paved oval at a 16.191 beating out
the 21-car field. Gregg Campbell, Donnert, and Bates Jr., picked up
heat race wins.
The traveling stars of the RaceStatus.com Midwest Classic Racers
(M.C.R.) Dwarf Cars Series made there second of three appearances of
the 2009 racing season as Nick Shanks and Todd Getz started on the
front row. Inside second row starter, Landon Hidy drove underneath the
front row and stole the lead away before the first lap was completed.
Hidy set a torrid pace in the first half of the 25-lap feature while a
couple of former series champions Jon Wylie and Eric Hoffman as well
as perennial favorite from near-by DeWitt, Michigan, Craig Curtis all
made there way to the front of the pack and began to attack Hidy.
Wylie, a two-time series champion (2002 and 2005) worked his way by
Hidy on lap 14 bringing Curtis and Hoffman with him. The trio then
pulled away from the rest of the field all trying to outwit each other
throughout the remainder of the race.
After all was said and done however, it would by Wylie standing in
victory lane as the Fowlerville, Michigan veteran in his Wylie Soft
Water Chevrolet hung on to score his second series feature win in a
row to go with his win just six days earlier at Owosso's sister track
to the East, Dixie Motor Speedway back on Sunday, August 9th.
Curtis finished second while Hoffman kept the third position. Hidy,
Shanks, Mike Arnott, Dave Wylie, Troy Hoffman, Rick Ayers, and Pat
Bobek finished out the top 10. Wylie's feature win completed the hat
trick for him as he was also the fast qualifier over the 17-car field
with a 16.553 and also won his heat. Jerry Olson won the other heat.
The third and final appearance of the season for the RaceStatus.com
M.C.R. Dwarf Cars Series at Owosso Speedway is part of Day III of the
14th annual Owosso Fall Nationals, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,
September 25-26-27th. The Dwarf Cars will be part of Carnage Nationals
II on the Sunday portion of the season ending weekend.
In the Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Stocks, the 25-lap
feature saw 2008 Rookie of the Year, Eric Olsen and 17-year-old Andrew
Clark start on the front row and it would be Olsen beating Clark to
the first corner to take over the early lead.
The inside lane quickly made short work of Clark in the early going as
John Forsythe III, who started on the inside of the second row,
quickly glued himself to Olsen's back bumper and on lap six, would
take the lead away from the sophomore driver.
Forsythe III, the reigning Owosso Fall Nationals Pro Stocks Champion,
who has had a miserable 2009 season and has missed the last two months
of the season, wasn't to be denied this time around as the driver of
the Nick's Transmissions Ford Fusion was finally able to avoid the
gremlins that has plagued his 2009 campaign and in this race, a
serious charge by veteran, Tony Basalone.
The New Lothrop, Michigan pilot would bring home his first feature win
of the season over Basalone who finished a solid second over Chet
Allen while 13-year-old Erik Jones, the new rookie of the year points
leader, finished fourth. Tom Stone was shown fifth as Olsen, Jordan
Harvey, Mark Ragsdale, Dr. Richard Neely, and Bill Hagon rounded out
the top 10.
Current points leader, Leo Smith, the defending track champion, who
was the first car out of the feature due to an expired engine, set
fast time for the seventh time this year with a 17.237 over the 16-car
field while Jeff McGeathy and Clark brought home heat race wins.
The final feature of the night was the 20-lap Fast Track Promotions
Sport Stocks feature with 14-year-old Billy Luckhurst, the son of
former Modifieds and Pro Stocks driver, Phil Luckhurst, and the nephew
of Modifieds Feature Winner from earlier in the evening, Bill
Luckhurst and current points leader, Shaun Conner bringing the field
down to the green.
Conner led the opening lap before Toledo, Ohio ace, Jim Hammond, who
makes the 2 1/2 hour trip North every Saturday night to compete at
the Big "O", grabbed the lead away from Conner on lap two. Darren
Wright followed Hammond around Conner and challenged Hammond for the
lead.
Wright and Hammond got together on lap four resulting in Wright going
to the rear of the field and Hammond pitting to change a flat tire. He
restarted at the rear of the field. This gave the lead to 15-year-old
Matt Vainner who pulled away from the rest of the pack and was setting
a torrid pace around the 3/8s mile.
Behind Vainner, Conner and 15-year-old Harley Smith were battling for
the runner-up spot when the caution flew on lap 14. Vainner, who
qualified fifth, was clocked three consecutive laps at three tenths
under his qualifying time, and thus becoming the first driver this
season to be sent to the rear of the field due to the "break out"
rule. This gave the lead back to Conner with Smith on his back bumper.
On the restart, Smith wasted no time and challenge Conner for the
lead. The 15-year-old rookie driver from near-by Corunna, Michigan
made her move count on lap 15 as she took the lead away from Conner
and would hold of the current points leader and a late charge from
Hammond, who had worked his way back up to the front as the laps
counted down.
Smith would lead the remainder of the feature and would took the
checkered flag first to the roar of the partisan crowd and would pull
her Monster Energy Drink Chevrolet into victory lane after winning her
first career feature in just her seventh career start! In the process,
the young lady, the daughter of two-time Pro Late Models Track
Champion, Jimmy D. Smith, also took over the rookie of the year points
lead after her first win!
Conner finished second, but was able to extend his points lead in the
chase for the 2009 Sport Stocks Track Championship over Hammond, who
moved into second place in the points with his third place finish in
the feature. Russ Potter finished fourth as Vainner worked his way
back up to fifth.
Wright made his way back to sixth as Bill McBride, Patrick McNamara,
15-year-old Joey Rodgers and his older brother, 17-year-old Tim
Rodgers completed the top 10. Potter set fast time for the second time
this season with a 20.024 while McNamara and Vainner won heat races.
The next race on the 2009 calendar is on Saturday, August 22nd as the
Short Track Trucks.com Challenge Series returns to the Big "O" after a
five-year absence as the Livonia, Michigan based series will make
their first appearance since 2004 on Shiawassee County Fair Night II /
Autograph and Picture Night II.
In addition, three of Owosso's Weekly Local Racing Series divisions
will also be in action as the Drive Train Specialists Pro Late Models
return after a lengthy three-week vacation while the Affordable Tire
and Service Center Pro Stocks and RacingPartSales.com Pure Stocks will
also be on hand as part of a great night of racing.
For all fans who were able to enjoy the Shiawassee County Fair, bring
in your 2009 Shiawassee County Fair Pass and get a family of four (4)
into the races for just $20.00. Also at intermission, the fans in the
grandstands will get a chance to go out onto the track and meet and
greet there favorite car and star during the autograph session.
The ShortTrackTrucks.com Challenge Series began in 2003 and has grown
to become one of the premier Trucks racing series in the Midwest. The
Trucks have made one previous race at the Owosso back on June 12, 2004.
Three-time Series Champion, Joey Shuryan set fast time and established
the track record with a lap of 17.285. He would then go on to take the
feature win, his second of six that season en route to his first of
three Series Championships with the series. For More information on
the ShortTrackTrucks.com Challenge Series, visit their website at:
www.shorttracktrucks.com
For Saturday, August 22nd, Pit Gates open at "High Noon" 12:00p.m.,
Rotating Practice begins at 2:00p.m., while the Grandstand Gates swing
open at 4:00p.m. Qualifying starts at 5:00p.m., and Racing is set for
7:00p.m.
General Admission Prices for Saturday, August 22nd are: Adults
(18-59): $12.00 - Seniors (60 and Up): $10.00 - Students (9-16): $8.00
- Kids (8 and Under) are always FREE. Pit Passes are $25.00.
For more information, please call: 1 (989) 834-5948, 1 (810) 965-6698,
or 1 (989) 395-0933. You can also log onto the website as well at:
www.owossospeedway.com So come out to the track where Legends are
Born, Stars Shine, and Young Lions Roar, only at the Owosso Speedway.
Art Photography at: www.tayloredart.biz
15-year-old Harley Smith wins her first career Sport Stocks Feature at
Owosso Speedway.
By Matt Prieur and Chris Fobbe - Owosso Speedway
Ovid, Michigan (Saturday, August 15, 2009): It was Shiawassee County
Fair Night I / College Night at the Owosso Speedway on Saturday,
August 15th as a great field of cars were on hand and put on a great
show in front of a boisterous and spirited crowd who came out after
two consecutive weekends of rainouts.
The Wieland Contracting Modifieds were up first for the night as Chris
Ozanich and two-time Super Late Models Track Champion, Jon McNett led
the 20-car field to the green flag for there 30-lap feature. Ozanich
was able to beat McNett to the first corner to grab the early lead
while the rest of the pack behind them jockeyed for position.
10-time overall and six-time defending track champion, Bill Luckhurst,
who started sixth, quickly worked his way up to second place behind
Ozanich and the battle was on for the lead. Luckhurst grabbed the lead
away on lap seven and began pulling away from the rest of the field as
the field clicked off laps at a rapid rate.
Fast Qualifier, Travis Eddy, who started eighth, fought his way up to
second spot after passing Ozanich at the halfway marker of the race
and tried in vain to reel in Luckhurst, who at this point had built up
nearly a full straightaway lead on the field. A caution with five laps
to go placed Eddy right on Luckhurst's back bumper setting up a five
lap shootout.
As the green waved, Eddy surprisingly went to the inside of Luckhurst
instead of trying to take away Luckhurst's chances at his patented
third groove. Eddy was strong on the inside however despite Luckhurst,
the current points leader, being up in his favored groove and the two
drivers battled side by side as the crowd was on there feet.
With the white flag in the air, Eddy briefly took the lead as
Luckhurst scrambled to rebuild momentum up on the high side, which he
was able to do as the Ovid, Michigan veteran has done so many times,
wound up his machine around the outside groove and Luckhurst drove his
Jet's Pizza of Owosso Chevrolet around the outside and just nipped
Eddy at the start / finish line by less than a foot to win his third
feature of the season.
Eddy settled for second while Ozanich claimed the last podium position
in third. Steve Bates Jr., and Todd Matheson completed the top five.
Scott Lamp claimed sixth ahead of Laci Donnert, Sonny Coito, Jeff
Reamer, and 15-year-old Kenton Taylor, the current rookie of the year
points leader, finished off the top 10.
Eddy won his fourth fast qualifier award of the season as he toured
the 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked paved oval at a 16.191 beating out
the 21-car field. Gregg Campbell, Donnert, and Bates Jr., picked up
heat race wins.
The traveling stars of the RaceStatus.com Midwest Classic Racers
(M.C.R.) Dwarf Cars Series made there second of three appearances of
the 2009 racing season as Nick Shanks and Todd Getz started on the
front row. Inside second row starter, Landon Hidy drove underneath the
front row and stole the lead away before the first lap was completed.
Hidy set a torrid pace in the first half of the 25-lap feature while a
couple of former series champions Jon Wylie and Eric Hoffman as well
as perennial favorite from near-by DeWitt, Michigan, Craig Curtis all
made there way to the front of the pack and began to attack Hidy.
Wylie, a two-time series champion (2002 and 2005) worked his way by
Hidy on lap 14 bringing Curtis and Hoffman with him. The trio then
pulled away from the rest of the field all trying to outwit each other
throughout the remainder of the race.
After all was said and done however, it would by Wylie standing in
victory lane as the Fowlerville, Michigan veteran in his Wylie Soft
Water Chevrolet hung on to score his second series feature win in a
row to go with his win just six days earlier at Owosso's sister track
to the East, Dixie Motor Speedway back on Sunday, August 9th.
Curtis finished second while Hoffman kept the third position. Hidy,
Shanks, Mike Arnott, Dave Wylie, Troy Hoffman, Rick Ayers, and Pat
Bobek finished out the top 10. Wylie's feature win completed the hat
trick for him as he was also the fast qualifier over the 17-car field
with a 16.553 and also won his heat. Jerry Olson won the other heat.
The third and final appearance of the season for the RaceStatus.com
M.C.R. Dwarf Cars Series at Owosso Speedway is part of Day III of the
14th annual Owosso Fall Nationals, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,
September 25-26-27th. The Dwarf Cars will be part of Carnage Nationals
II on the Sunday portion of the season ending weekend.
In the Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Stocks, the 25-lap
feature saw 2008 Rookie of the Year, Eric Olsen and 17-year-old Andrew
Clark start on the front row and it would be Olsen beating Clark to
the first corner to take over the early lead.
The inside lane quickly made short work of Clark in the early going as
John Forsythe III, who started on the inside of the second row,
quickly glued himself to Olsen's back bumper and on lap six, would
take the lead away from the sophomore driver.
Forsythe III, the reigning Owosso Fall Nationals Pro Stocks Champion,
who has had a miserable 2009 season and has missed the last two months
of the season, wasn't to be denied this time around as the driver of
the Nick's Transmissions Ford Fusion was finally able to avoid the
gremlins that has plagued his 2009 campaign and in this race, a
serious charge by veteran, Tony Basalone.
The New Lothrop, Michigan pilot would bring home his first feature win
of the season over Basalone who finished a solid second over Chet
Allen while 13-year-old Erik Jones, the new rookie of the year points
leader, finished fourth. Tom Stone was shown fifth as Olsen, Jordan
Harvey, Mark Ragsdale, Dr. Richard Neely, and Bill Hagon rounded out
the top 10.
Current points leader, Leo Smith, the defending track champion, who
was the first car out of the feature due to an expired engine, set
fast time for the seventh time this year with a 17.237 over the 16-car
field while Jeff McGeathy and Clark brought home heat race wins.
The final feature of the night was the 20-lap Fast Track Promotions
Sport Stocks feature with 14-year-old Billy Luckhurst, the son of
former Modifieds and Pro Stocks driver, Phil Luckhurst, and the nephew
of Modifieds Feature Winner from earlier in the evening, Bill
Luckhurst and current points leader, Shaun Conner bringing the field
down to the green.
Conner led the opening lap before Toledo, Ohio ace, Jim Hammond, who
makes the 2 1/2 hour trip North every Saturday night to compete at
the Big "O", grabbed the lead away from Conner on lap two. Darren
Wright followed Hammond around Conner and challenged Hammond for the
lead.
Wright and Hammond got together on lap four resulting in Wright going
to the rear of the field and Hammond pitting to change a flat tire. He
restarted at the rear of the field. This gave the lead to 15-year-old
Matt Vainner who pulled away from the rest of the pack and was setting
a torrid pace around the 3/8s mile.
Behind Vainner, Conner and 15-year-old Harley Smith were battling for
the runner-up spot when the caution flew on lap 14. Vainner, who
qualified fifth, was clocked three consecutive laps at three tenths
under his qualifying time, and thus becoming the first driver this
season to be sent to the rear of the field due to the "break out"
rule. This gave the lead back to Conner with Smith on his back bumper.
On the restart, Smith wasted no time and challenge Conner for the
lead. The 15-year-old rookie driver from near-by Corunna, Michigan
made her move count on lap 15 as she took the lead away from Conner
and would hold of the current points leader and a late charge from
Hammond, who had worked his way back up to the front as the laps
counted down.
Smith would lead the remainder of the feature and would took the
checkered flag first to the roar of the partisan crowd and would pull
her Monster Energy Drink Chevrolet into victory lane after winning her
first career feature in just her seventh career start! In the process,
the young lady, the daughter of two-time Pro Late Models Track
Champion, Jimmy D. Smith, also took over the rookie of the year points
lead after her first win!
Conner finished second, but was able to extend his points lead in the
chase for the 2009 Sport Stocks Track Championship over Hammond, who
moved into second place in the points with his third place finish in
the feature. Russ Potter finished fourth as Vainner worked his way
back up to fifth.
Wright made his way back to sixth as Bill McBride, Patrick McNamara,
15-year-old Joey Rodgers and his older brother, 17-year-old Tim
Rodgers completed the top 10. Potter set fast time for the second time
this season with a 20.024 while McNamara and Vainner won heat races.
The next race on the 2009 calendar is on Saturday, August 22nd as the
Short Track Trucks.com Challenge Series returns to the Big "O" after a
five-year absence as the Livonia, Michigan based series will make
their first appearance since 2004 on Shiawassee County Fair Night II /
Autograph and Picture Night II.
In addition, three of Owosso's Weekly Local Racing Series divisions
will also be in action as the Drive Train Specialists Pro Late Models
return after a lengthy three-week vacation while the Affordable Tire
and Service Center Pro Stocks and RacingPartSales.com Pure Stocks will
also be on hand as part of a great night of racing.
For all fans who were able to enjoy the Shiawassee County Fair, bring
in your 2009 Shiawassee County Fair Pass and get a family of four (4)
into the races for just $20.00. Also at intermission, the fans in the
grandstands will get a chance to go out onto the track and meet and
greet there favorite car and star during the autograph session.
The ShortTrackTrucks.com Challenge Series began in 2003 and has grown
to become one of the premier Trucks racing series in the Midwest. The
Trucks have made one previous race at the Owosso back on June 12, 2004.
Three-time Series Champion, Joey Shuryan set fast time and established
the track record with a lap of 17.285. He would then go on to take the
feature win, his second of six that season en route to his first of
three Series Championships with the series. For More information on
the ShortTrackTrucks.com Challenge Series, visit their website at:
www.shorttracktrucks.com
For Saturday, August 22nd, Pit Gates open at "High Noon" 12:00p.m.,
Rotating Practice begins at 2:00p.m., while the Grandstand Gates swing
open at 4:00p.m. Qualifying starts at 5:00p.m., and Racing is set for
7:00p.m.
General Admission Prices for Saturday, August 22nd are: Adults
(18-59): $12.00 - Seniors (60 and Up): $10.00 - Students (9-16): $8.00
- Kids (8 and Under) are always FREE. Pit Passes are $25.00.
For more information, please call: 1 (989) 834-5948, 1 (810) 965-6698,
or 1 (989) 395-0933. You can also log onto the website as well at:
www.owossospeedway.com So come out to the track where Legends are
Born, Stars Shine, and Young Lions Roar, only at the Owosso Speedway.