The Kinross Speedway entered its 2nd last points night of the season this past Friday night as part of the Chippewa County Fair. With a season high-crowd in attendance the drivers battled it out for the yearly bragging rights and title of Chippewa County Fair Champion. All 4 divisions would see close racing action all night long including the final powder puff of the 2003 season.
Mike Porcaro (15) would set fast time in the Pure Stock division with a time of 16.83 seconds. Porcaro was behind the wheel of a new ride on this night as he would revive Hurricane Harry's former #4 factory stock and bring it back to it's old stomping grounds here in Kinross.
Bob Laphew (99) was the winner of the 4-car dash before Joe Addison (43) would win his first-ever race at the Kinross Speedway in the Australian Pursuit.
Addison would go 2-for-2 taking home heat #1 before youngster Larry Young Jr. (25) would grab the chequered flag in his respective heat race.
Addison and Richard Huyck (27) would pace the field to the green flag for their 35-lap main event. Addison, a native of Soo, Ontario, would grab the lead out of the first turn and look to make room between himself and the rest of the field. The first caution-flag would fly on lap 7 when Porcaro would tag the front stretch wall and would have to retire pit side. On the restart Addison would see Ray Golladay Jr. (20) and Bill Cryderman (61) on his back bumper. A 2nd caution flag would fly on lap 21 that would eventually see Young Jr. and Barry Glenn (55) both receiving the black flag for the actions down trackside.
Lap 22 would continue to see Addison your leader with Golladay Jr. close behind but now Ben Huyck (28) was up to third dropping Cryderman to 4th. Your leader would be challenged on a number of occasions to the outside but the battle became evident for the 2nd place position.
The laps would wind down with Addison going 3-for-3 on the night while taking his 1st career feature win at Kinross. Huyck made the pass for 2nd on the final lap while Golladay Jr., Ray Golladay (22) and Cryderman made up your top 5.
Your current Factory Stock track record holder, Kevin Johnson (37) was the fastest of the field of 8 coming in under the lights at 15.540.
Jerry Ball (8) took the four-car dash while Soo, Michigan's Josh Ware (7) won the Australian Pursuit.
Jason Praysner (5) took home the 10-lap heat race.
Paul Fox (36) and Ware made up your front row for their Chippewa County Fair Feature race. The first lap would see Ware as your leader as the 3-year race veteran was looking to grab his first feature win of the year. Dave Devine (4) was sitting comfortably in 2nd place on lap 5 before Praysner would make the pass for that position.
Ware would hold off Praysner until lap 10 when the 2nd place point sitter would take the high side of the Speedway out to the lead coming out of turn 4. That dropped Ware to 2nd and Devine to 3rd.
Devine would have quite a distance to close to attempt to grab the 2nd place position but he would be able to do it and make the pass with just 10 laps to go.
As the remaining cars battled it out while Praysner was extending his lead in 1st place. The chequered flag would fly with Praysner grabbing the win followed by Devine, Ball, Johnson, Ware, Cecil Piche (88), Mark Beaudoin (74) and Paul Fox.
With the win Praysner, grabbed a slim 10-point lead in the division heading into Season Championship night at the speedway.
The 2nd half of the season at Kinross has seen some very tight competition created in the 4-Cylinder division. Fair night would see a couple drivers return after a few weeks absence to bolster the division's car count.
Jared Nightlinger (48) was the fast qualifier bringing his '93 Chevy Cavalier around the ¼ mile in 18.02 seconds along with setting a new track record.
John Clawson (35) won the 4-car dash while Tim Gregory (25) would grab chequered flag honours in the Australian Pursuit.
Clawson made a return trip to Victory Lane in the 10-lap heat race.
Troy Pace (23), making his debut at Kinross, and Barry Williams (24) were your front row when the green flag dropped.
Chris Brady (17) would waste no time taking the lead on lap 1 with his yellow and black mustang.
By lap 5 your top 3 qualifiers were sitting in 1st, 2nd, 3rd as Mayer lead the pack followed by Nightlinger and Clawson. 19 hundredths of a second separated these three cars and that little bit of time kept them all bunched up on the ¼ mile.
Lap 9 would see Clawson drop Nightlinger back to third only to see the Hessel, MI youngster take the position back 3 laps later.
Eric Sherlund (25) driving Tim Gregory's regular ride to keep up in points, had made his way up to 4th in this unfamiliar car by the ½ way mark.
The top three positions would not see a change as they were bunched up coming across the line with Mayer grabbing the win. Nightlinger and Clawson were second and third respectively.
The Super Late Model division would see 8 cars down pit side on this night with Dave Vansloten your fast qualifier with a time of 13.81.
Donnie Varcoe Jr. (94) won the four-car dash while title-contender Tim Aho (27) took the heat race win.
Dennis Aho (75) and Todd Jackson (21) would make-up your front row after Dan Shumbarger (75X) and Sam Bohling (45) had opted to start scratch in the night's events.
Jackson grabbed the lead on lap 1 and would be able to hold onto it through a few early cautions.
Lap 3 would see Tim Aho tag the rear of the field while a mere 2 laps later Varcoe Jr. would be labelled the reason for the caution, that would see Shumbarger have to retire pit side, and he would now tag the rear with his #94 car.
After the early race melee's had subsided T. Aho would be your leader and would hold onto that position through lap 10.
Bohling would be the first car to retire pit side with problems on lap 12 only to return 10 laps later.
Your leader (T. Aho) would take a spin on lap 13 and that would see Varcoe Jr. tag the rear of the field once again.
One lap following the restart Vansloten would make the pass for the lead on the inside coming down the front straightaway.
Another caution would fly on lap 21 and this yellow flag period would see three cars head pit side only to return with the yellow still on the Speedway. Varcoe Jr. would have to be taken pit side via the hook due to what was later found out to be steering problems with his 94 car.
This caution period gave D. Aho the 2nd place position and the veteran driver would be able to hold off the hard charges for that position as Vansloten took the chequered flag down the stretch. Jackson rounded out the top 3.
The final race of the night was round 3 of our Powder Puff races at the Speedway. Denise Shute (8) and Erin Beaudoin (74) would put on a clinic, as these women are no strangers to the ¼ mile here at Kinross. Shute would take the win followed by Beaudoin and Nikki Odbert in third.
The racing action resumes with our 2003 season championship night this coming Saturday, September 6th.