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14-year-old Kyle Crump continues amazing Rookie
Year in Sport Stocks at the Big "O" By Matt Prieur / Chris Fobbe - Owosso Speedway Ovid, Michigan (Saturday, July 10, 2010): The Owosso speedway in Ovid, Michigan was packed with hot racing action and excitement on Saturday, July 10th as it was Fast Track Promotion Inc., Hot Summer Nights at the Races featuring the return of the Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Late Models, who were back after taking a mini vacation. Also on the card was the second and final appearance of the Howell, Michigan based Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Michigan Legends Series Presented by Z-Max Lubricants as the 5/8s scales retro Chevrolet and Fords put on a great show for the near capacity crowd on the 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked paved oval. Even a One Hour and 20 Minute Rain Delay during the heat races couldn't stop the Big "O" from completing the nights' festivities as the Winners on this night were; Mark Welch - Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Late Models, Matt Todd - Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Michigan Legends Series Presented by Z-Max Lubricants, Dave Buswell - Shiawassee Shores Pro Stocks, and Kyle Crump - Okemos Auto Service Sport Stocks. After a three-week break from the 2010 schedule, the Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Late Models were back in action as their 20-car / 30-lap Feature was led to Chief Starter Jeremy Sladen's green flag by 2008 Rookie of the Year Ryan Etchison and 2008 Track Champion Dave Bigos and they would remain side by side for the first lap. Contact between the two sent Etchison sliding through the still wet infield grass bringing out the first of five cautions of the race. Both drivers were sent to the rear of the field after neither driver "Tapped Out". This gave the lead to Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer and Three-Time Super Late Models Track Champion, Tim Felver. Felver would pace the field with Two-Time and Defending Track Champion Ed Young Jr., stalking him from behind. Soon 2007 Track Champion Mark Welch joined the battle and the trio tried to pull away from the rest of the field when the caution came out on lap nine for Kyle Murphy, who slid off the backstretch and ended up in the cornfield behind Turn Three. He was ok, but done for the night. During the red flag, Felver started his machine up and pulled into the pit area as it was determined he was having engine troubles and he was done for the night! This gave the lead to Young Jr., while placing Welch right on his back bumper. On the restart, Welch searched high and low for a way around the reigning champion and on lap 16, Welch found a path and took the lead away from Young Jr. Despite a valiant effort on the part of Young Jr., to retake the top spot, Welch was determined to fight him off and the Fenton, Michigan veteran in his Scooter's Bar and Grill Chevrolet would win his Second straight Feature of the 2010 racing season and with the win, takes over the Points Lead in the chase for the 2010 Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Late Models Track Championship. Young Jr., settled for second with Leo Smith, Jason Felver, and Rookie of the Year Points Leader, 17-year-old Jimmy Novak completed the Top Five. Dan Leeck, who started 17th, finishes sixth while Pat Zorn, John Forsythe Jr., Jimmy O. Smith, and Etchison, who went to the back of the field on lap one, came back to finish off the Top 10. Earlier in the afternoon, Young Jr., won his second Affordable Tire and Service Center Fast Qualifier Award of the season with a lap measured at a 16.144 over the 20-car field while Leeck, Forsythe Jr., and Welch scored Heat Race triumphs. The traveling stars of the Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Michigan Legends Series Presented by Z-Max Lubricants rolled out next for their 30-lap Feature with 14-year-old Guy Fire and Two-Time Series Champion John Turnbull Jr., starting on the front row. Turnbull Jr., led the first laps before Matt Todd drove by on lap two to take the lead away. Todd would never get too far away from the rest of the field as soon after getting by Turnbull Jr., 18-year-old Tyler Rycenga and 14-year-old Loren Short also drove by and both began to challenge Todd for the top spot. Rycenga was in search of his first Feature Win while Short was looking to sweep the two scheduled Michigan Legends Series races at the Big "O" Throughout the race though, Todd was determined to fight off his competition and the Canton, Michigan pilot in his Plymouth Airgas Ford would fight off the onslaught of challenges to collect the Feature Win and move closer to Series Points Leader, Levi Rouster in the bid for the 2010 Series Championship. Rycenga held off Short for second while Short fended off Levi Rouster as Sean MacPherson were the Top Five. Ben Rouster finished sixth while Turnbull Jr., Tony Monge, Guy Fire, and Trenton Besgrove were the Top 10. The Michigan Legends Series do not Qualify as they draw for their starting positions in their Heat Races with those results determining the starting line-up for their Feature later in the evening. L. Rouster and Rycenga won the Heat Races. The Okemos Auto Service Sport Stocks 20-lap Feature was up next with Rookies Osen DeBarr and 13-year-old Rachel Carpenter leading the field to the D-L Auto Sales start / finish line and it would be Carpenter leading the way. She would pace the first three laps until Scott Rodgers drove by on lap four. Just a single caution flew on lap three when DeBarr's machine came to rest leading into turn three on the backstretch. On the restart, Rodgers lead was short lived when his nephew, 16-year-old Joey Rodgers took the lead away from his Uncle and tried to pull away from the rest of the field. Another 16-year-old, Marisa Jones, who was making her first appearance of the season at the Big "O" and first appearance since the 2009 Owosso Fall Nationals, took second spot away from the elder Rodgers and soon was on the fellow 16-year-old's back bumper. Soon afterwards, 14-year-old Kyle Crump joined the duo up front. Crump, the Overall Points Leader as well as the Rookie of the Year Points Leader, picked off Jones first with five laps to go, and then on lap 17, drove by Rodgers to take the lead and from their, it was all Crump as the 14-year-old Brighton, Michigan Rookie Sensation in his Little Wings Aviary Dodge continued his masterful first season ever behind the wheel of a full sized stock car by winning his second straight and third overall Feature Win of 2010 and extended both of his points leads in the process! Joey Rodgers held off Jones for second as Jones had her hands full with 15-year-old Billy Luckhurst who finished fourth while 14-year-old Amber Slagle wrapped up the Top Five. 16-year-old Matt Vainner was sixth while Carpenter, Scott Rodgers, 13-year-old Lexy Smith in her stock car racing debut, and Adam Whitaker rounded out the Top 10. Crump won his first Okemos Auto Service Fast Qualifier Award of the season as he toured the 3/8s mile at a 20.012 as Jones and J. Rodgers scored Heat Race victories. To complete the night, the Shiawassee Shores Pro Stocks were up next as the front row consisted of 16-year-old Rookie Harley Smith and 80-year-old Dr. Richard Neely and that front row led the field down to the D-L Auto Sales start / finish line to start their 25-lap Feature. Smith led the first lap but was soon overtaken by Rookie of the Year Points Leader, 15-year-old Travis Skarvi on the next lap. The Freshman point's leader in his unsponsored machine had a wealth of experience behind him and on lap six, Dave Buswell would streak by the teenager and take the lead for himself and soon others followed. Defending Track Champion Tony Basalone, who won last weeks Feature, was looking to make it two in a row as he rocketed his way through the field from his 11th starting position and was soon glued to Buswell's back bumper. 2006 Track Champion Mark Ragsdale was also in the thick of things and never let the top two cars stray too far out in front. Basalone tried every trick in his arsenal to get around the crafty veteran Buswell but when all was said and done, Buswell made sure it was going to be his night as the Swartz Creek, Michigan veteran in his Economy Print and Graphic Pontiac would win his first career Owosso Speedway Feature and first overall since the 1997 season! Basalone settled for second but the night was not a total loss as he takes over the points lead in the chase for the 2010 Shiawassee Shores Pro Stocks Track Championship! Ragsdale was third while Jim Severn and John Forsythe III were the Top Five. Points Leader coming into the night, Tom Stone finished sixth while Eric Olsen, Skarvi, Chris Begg, and Kevin Dobis finished off the Top 10. Stone won his fourth Shiawassee Shores Fast Qualifier Award earlier in the day with a 17.269 while Dobis, Ragsdale, and Dennis Roys won the Heat Races. The next race on the 2010 Calendar is THIS Saturday, July 17th and it will be one of the most highly anticipated races of the 2010 racing season with the return of the high-powered Outlaw Bodied Super Late Models for Round I of the Big "O" Duels Series and the triumphant return of the North VS South Shootout 100! Some of the biggest, baddest, and brightest super stars in the country will invade the 69-year-old speed plant led by 2009 Heritage 100 Winner, Mike Luberda Jr., who'll have to fight off the likes of Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer and Three-Time Super Late Model Track Champion, Tim Felver. A host of others including Ovid's own Jimmy Gallagher, Three-Time Super Late Models Track Champion, Dan Krzywosinski, Two-Time Super Late Model Track Champion, Jon McNett, 18-year-old Chad Finley from near-by DeWitt, Michigan and part of the Brad Keselowski Driver Development Program, as well as Dakota Carlson, Scott Hantz, Steve Needles, Mike Root, Terry Senneker, Johnny VanDoorn, and more are all expected. The Big "O" Duels Series is a brand new mini-series for the Outlaw Bodied Super Late Models as the return of one of the most storied and tradition laden races in Michigan; The North VS South Shootout 100 begins a two-race mini series that will bring together some of the best drivers from around the Midwest and Canada as they challenge the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked paved oval in two grueling century grinds. The second leg of the Big "O" Duels Series will be on Saturday, September 18th for the 2nd annual Heritage 100. In addition, the North VS South Shootout 100 completes the BIGGEST Weekend of the 2010 Racing Season in the Midwest for Super Late Models as the night before on Friday, July 16th, they'll be at Owosso's sister track to the Northeast, the Dixie Motor Speedway in Birch Run, Michigan for the second jewel within the Dixie Cup Triple Crown Series and the running of the 47th annual Dixie Classic 100. At the Big "O" and also on the card will be the Shiawassee Shores Pro Stocks as well as the Shattuck Specialty Advertising Pure Stocks who return after their lone weekend off of the 2010 racing season. The Okemos Auto Service Sport Stocks will complete the action packed night of racing. The Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Late Models catch up with the Bi-Weekly Rotating Schedule and are off until Saturday, July 24th while the Drive Train Specialists Modifieds remain on vacation until Saturday, July 31st. Ticket Prices for Saturday, July 17th are: Adults (17-59) $20.00 - Seniors (60 and Over): $18.00 - Students (9-16) $15.00 - Kids (8 and Under) FREE - Pit Passes $25.00. The Pit Gates AND Grandstands BOTH open at "High Noon" 12:00p.m., every Saturday as Fans get the chance to spend the entire day at the track by tailgating in the parking lot, watching Practice and enjoying a great day at the races. Practice Starts at 2:00p.m., with Qualifying starting at 5:00p.m. Racing gets the green flag at 7:00p.m. For more information about the 2010 racing season, please call: 1 (989) 834-5948, 1 (810) 965-6698, or 1 (989) 395-0933. You can also go to the website as well at: www.owossospeedway.com So come on out every Saturday Night to the track where Legends are Born, Stars Shine, and Young Lions Roar, only at the Owosso Speedway. |
