With all the talk about declining car counts and rough conditions at McKean County Raceway, your editor decided to check it out.  I was rewarded with some of the best side-by-side dirt track action this season, with the Late Model Winner coming all the way from thirteenth on the grid.  This track has the sense to realize that the fans pay to see passing rather then "freight-train" racing.  The Late Model field was not full, 17 cars started the feature, but it was a quality field and the racing was superb.  Super Stocks, Sportsmen, and Street Stocks did have a full field with the Super Stocks putting on really great racing.  The best feature of the evening for side-by-side action was the Street Stocks with the leaders racing 2-wide through the first fourteen laps before the winner finally achieved an advantage.  I was impressed at the action of the second place finisher, Justin Tatlow, as he came by to congratulate the winner, Andy Michael, after a really hard-fought victory.  Below are some photos of the evening's action.

All photos by Jay Pees

Three-wide through turn three for the Supers with Duston Croft in 5x and Steve Dixon in 50 sandwiching the 71 car.

Steve Dixon in 50 dives under the 22.

Heat winner Todd Hansen

This is for the lead!

Not sure who the driver is on the outside or the middle but the eventual feature winner Jeremy Wonderling works low heading into turn four.

More three-wide in turn four.

Heat and feature winner Jeremy Wonderling.

Bill Holmes leads the #12 through turn three.

Heat Winner A J Young

Travis Asel tries to get by on the low side of former champion Jeff Hoffman.

Asel runs low while Bob Close charges on the high side.

Two-time 2005 winner Doug Ricotta races Rick Isadore in the 9.

2004 Champion Todd Andrews in Victory Lane after his heat.

The veteran Al Brewer works low to Ed Carley.

Mike Wonderling leads John Lacki and Dutch Davies.

The Rookie Jason DuPont in Victory Lane.

Randy Hall leads Tim Peterson through turn three.

Here Hall starts the pass on Ryan Bright for the win.

Ed Carley high with Greg Oakes low.

Trouble starts in the street stock heat.

And continues as more cars get to the scene.

Until finally, everybody appears to get straightened out.  However, the 02 came to a halt and was done for the event.

Here trouble is brewing at the end of the back straight among the leads...

continuing into turn three...

with Rich "Critter" Hemphill being forced into the infield.

Eric Ensell won the B-Main for the Sportsman cars.

Benji White won the Street Stock B-Main.

He should be retired, but Ron Baker continues to be a crowd favorite in his #74, here racing with Butch Peters.

Supers go round in turn three.

More cars enter the mess.

Jeremy Wonderling in Victory Lane after the Super Stock feature.

Andy Michael gets another Street Stock Win.

Bob Close charges through the field from his thirteenth starting position.

Long-time veteran Dave Lundgren races through turn three.

Brent Rhebergen and Chad Ruhlman.

Dave Lundgren races low to Doug Ricotta.

Close carried the left front past the flagstand every lap in a display that the fans love.

Past the double checkers yet another time.

Bob Close in Victory Lane again.

John Lacki had another solid run.

The pass for the lead came when Hall swung to the outside of early leader Dan Stives, who wound up second.

Randy Hall waves to the fans after his Sportsman win.