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Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer Jeff Bloom
Wins the Auto Value Super Sprints Feature at the Big "O" By Matt Prieur / Chris Fobbe - Owosso Speedway Ovid, Michigan (Saturday, July 3, 2010): The Fourth of July Holiday Weekend was celebrated in style at the Owosso Speedway as Fireworks on and off the race track headlined our great nation's 234th birthday on Saturday, July 3rd with the traditional yearly appearance of the Fire Breathing, Winged Warriors of the Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints Series. After a successful Fourth of July Holiday Weekend Celebration Day I at Owosso's sister track to the Northeast, the Dixie Motor Speedway in Birch Run, Michigan, on Friday, July 2nd, the Winners for Day II at the Big "O" were; Jeff Bloom - Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints, Tony Basalone - Shiawassee Shores Pro Stocks, Bob Robinson - Shattuck Specialty Advertising, and 14-year-old Kyle Crump - Okemos Auto Service. The second race in two nights for the Three Rivers, Michigan based Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints Series highlighted the Holiday Weekend of racing excitement at the Big "O" as their 30-lap Feature saw Kevin Feeney and Kyle Flint lead the star studded field to Chief Starter for the Series, Tony Postma's green flag. Flint beat Feeney to the first corner to take the early lead while the rest of the field jockeyed for position. Flint set a torrid early pace before Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame driver, Jeff Bloom began working his way towards the front from his inside fifth row starting spot. Soon Bloom was in second and quickly reeled in Flint and the battle for the lead was on. On lap 10, Bloom drove by the early race leader and in turn pulled away from him and the rest of the field. In the meantime, Feature Winner from the previous night at Owosso's sister track to the Northeast, the Dixie Motor Speedway, Ryan Litt and Fast Qualifier as well as Three-Time Defending Series Champion, Jason Blonde were methodically picking their way through the field and were soon in second and third. Blonde managed to motor by Litt and set his sights on Bloom but ran out of time in the caution free event as Bloom in his Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway Chevrolet would lead the remainder of the race, which only took a little over Seven Minutes, and the Bangor, Michigan legend will stop his open wheeled Sprint Car in the D-L Auto Sales victory lane after scoring the Feature Win. Blonde settled for second while Litt, Jimmy McCune, and Flint were the Top Five. Troy DeCaire finished sixth as another Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame driver, Hank Lower was seventh over Feeney, Swain, and Mike Astrauskas wrapped up the Top 10. Earlier in the afternoon, Blonde set fast time around the 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked paved oval with a lap measured at a 12.790, just 0.225 Seconds off the Track Record set back on August 6th, 2005 when Former Series Champion Cameron Dodson turned a 12.565 which is also the All-Time Track Record at the Big "O". Litt, Bloom, and the third Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame driver in the field, Bill Tyler won the Heat Races. It was also announced earlier in the evening that the Fire Breathing, Winged Warriors will return to the Big "O" for their second and final appearance of the 2010 Racing Season on Saturday, August 14th. They'll be joining the Drive Train Specialists Modifieds, Shiawassee Shores Pro Stocks, Shattuck Specialty Advertising Pure Stocks, and the Okemos Auto Service Sport Stocks for a Gigantic Five in One Show! The Shiawassee Shores Pro Stocks rolled out after the Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints for their 25-lap Feature as 2006 Track Champion Mark Ragsdale and Rookie Duane Call brought the field down to Guest Chief Starter, Todd Setterington's green flag and it would be the two front row starters remaining side by side for the opening set of laps while the rest of the field maneuvered for position behind them. Billy Hagon, who alternates driving the #51 Economy Print and Graphics Pontiac for Area 51 Motorsports with veteran Dave Buswell during the season, motored by the front row to grab the lead for himself on lap five and he brought a quartet of past Track Champions with him. The four drivers chasing Hagon were in Defending Track Champion Tony Basalone, 2008 Track Champion and Fast Qualifier, Leo Smith, 2005 Track Champion and Current Points Leader, Tom Stone and Defending Track Champion and Current Points Leader at Owosso's sister track to the Northeast, Dixie Motor Speedway, Don Riley. Basalone struck first as he took the lead on lap 15 and brought the rest of the former Champions with him. Smith pulled up along-side Basalone and the two previous Track Champions at the Big "O" waged a side by side war all around the 3/8s mile with Smith utilizing the inside lane and Basalone up high between the second and third grooves. Smith took the lead on lap 22 only to lose it two laps later on the white flag lap to Basalone. Smith tried in vain to again pull up along-side Basalone but bobbled coming out of turn two and Basalone took off and the Gaines, Michigan veteran in his Ken Lee Well Drilling Chevrolet would score his second Feature Win of the 2010 racing season. Settling for second was Smith with Riley, Hagon, and Jim Severn finishing off the Top Five. Ragsdale hung on for sixth over Stone, who spun with eight laps to go and recovered to finish seventh. Eric Olsen was eighth over Current Rookie of the Year Points Leader, the now 15-year-old Travis Skarvi as Call completed the Top 10. Earlier in the afternoon, Smith would collect his Third Fast Qualifier Award of the 2010 Racing Season as he went a 17.312 around the 3/8s mile high-banks while Skarvi and Stone scored Heat Race Wins. Up next was the 20-lap Feature for the Shattuck Specialty Advertising Pure Stocks with the front row of 2009 Rookie of the Year Ron Hart and Rookie Bob Elliott starting on the front row for the second week in a row and it was Hart pacing the field early on with the drivers behind him figuring out their strategies for the Feature. Current Points Leader and last week's Feature Winner, Bob Robinson who started seventh, charged his way up to Hart's back bumper and like déjà vu from a weekend ago, Robinson would grab the lead on lap nine and almost immediately began pulling away from the rest of the field. Rick Gokee Sr., and Fast Qualifier Kevin Adkins soon found themselves in second and third respectively and began chasing down Robinson. Only one caution slowed things down with four laps to go and on the restart, Both Gokee Sr., and Adkins threw everything they had at Robinson, but the Midland, Michigan veteran wouldn't be denied on this night. Robinson, in his Columbia Pipe and Supply Chevrolet would hold off all challenges to win his Second Feature in a row and Third Overall of the 2010 campaign and extend his points lead in the process heading into the lone weekend off coming up on Saturday, July 10th with a healthy point's lead. Gokee Sr., fought off Adkins for the runner-up spot as Adkins settled for third. Rookie Gary Pelky was fourth as a second rookie, Elliott finished a career high fifth. Hart was sixth as Doug Church, 17-year-old Dale Spencer, a regular in the Okemos Auto Service Sport Stocks made his Pure Stocks debut and grabbed eighth. George Harris and Ricky Moore were the Top 10. In Qualifying held earlier in the day, Kevin Adkins won his Second Fast Qualifier Award of the 2010 Racing Season as he toured the 3/8s mile at a 19.588 with Gary Dabney and Gokee Sr., collecting Heat Race victories. The final race of the Fourth of July Holiday Celebration Day II was the Okemos Auto Service Sport Stocks 20-lap Feature as Scott Rodgers and his nephew, 18-year-old Timmy Rodgers starting on the front row. A major pile-up occurred on the opening lap taking out four contenders in 13-year-old (soon to be 14 on July 5th) Amber Slagle, two 16-year-old's Joey Rodgers and Matt Vainner, and Brian Beckner. All four collided heading into turns three and four with both Slagle and Vainner, the Points Leader coming into the night, flying over the top of the turns and head on into the adjacent catch fence and corn field located behind the corners. Rodgers slammed into the retaining wall in turn four, and Beckner, who had been fighting an ailing machine all night long, suffered damage as well and pulled off. All four drivers were ok, but all were done for the evening. Coming into the night, Vainner was First, Beckner was Third, Rodgers was Fourth, and Slagle was Fifth in the Season Long Points Chase, so the consequences of the accident and resulting carnage was huge after all was said and done with Four of the Top Five in the 2010 Title Chase all knocked out of the Feature before the first lap was completed. On the restart, Timmy Rodgers, Joey's older brother would lead the opening five laps before 14-year-old Kyle Crump, the Rookie of the Year Points Leader who came into the night Third in the season long points chase, flew by on lap six. The teenager then set a torrid pace the remainder of the event opening up as much as a full straightaway on the second place Rodgers. There was no denying Crump on this night as the Brighton, Michigan teenager in his Little Wings Aviary Dodge would cruise to his Second Feature Win of the season and in the process, not only leads the Freshman title chase, but takes over the Overall Points Lead as well! Timmy Rodgers finished a career high second while Fast Qualifier, 15-year-old Billy Luckhurst scored the final podium position in third. Steve Workman finished fourth over Scott Rodgers the Top Five. Randy Kretzinger was sixth while Bill McBride and Osen DeBarr were seventh and eighth. Slagle and Joey Rodgers were credited with the final two spots that made up the Top 10. Earlier in the afternoon in Qualifying, Luckhurst won his Third Fast Qualifier Award of the year as the 15-year-old went a 20.005. McBride and Joey Rodgers picked up Heat Race triumphs. Up next on Saturday, July 10th it's Fast Track Promotion Inc., Hot Summer Nights at the Races featuring the return of the Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Late Models and the second and final appearance of the Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Michigan Legends Series Presented by Z-Max Lubricants. This will be the first appearance for the Pro Late Models since June 12th as the co-headlining division within the Weekly Local Racing Series returns with a vengeance and continue their chase for the 2010 Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Late Models Track Championship. The Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Michigan Legends Series Presented by Z-Max Lubricants are back for their second and final appearance as in their first appearance on June 12th, 14-year-old Loren Short collected his first career Feature Win within the Howell, Michigan based series. Also on the card will be the Shiawassee Shores Pro Stocks and Okemos Auto Service Sport Stocks. The Shattuck Specialty Advertising Pure Stocks get their one and only night off of the 2010 Racing Season while the Drive Train Specialists Modifieds are on vacation until Saturday, July 31st. Ticket Prices for Saturday, July 10th are: Adults (17-59) $12.00 - Seniors (60 and Over): $10.00 - Students (9-16) $8.00 - 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. |
