Several local drivers tackle Kinross Speedpark

Another record car turnout of fifty plus cars made for exciting racing right up until the 11:00 p.m. curfew at Kinross Speedpark Friday night.

The 4 Car Dashes were all won from cars starting in the front row. Tim Aho won the Late Model Dash, Paul Fox won in his Factory Stock, Billy Cryderman won the Pure Stock Dash, and John Mayer took first with his 4 cylinder.

The Pure Stock Australian Pursuit saw first time racer John Gamelin starting in the front and building a tremendous lead before being black flagged for breaking the 1/4 second rule. The win went to Ray Golladay Sr. who started in the seventh position.

Adam Gardner went from eighth to first in the 4 Cylinder Pursuit and held off the only other remaining car of Don Dangler for the victory.

The first of two Late Model heats had George Wilson moving through the pack and taking the victory. Kevin Jackson ran a very strong second. Michael Gold and Denny Aho fought for the third position with Gold taking the spot.

The Factory Stock heat race had Jared Nightlinger leading all the laps for the win. Paul Fox finished second and Pee Wee Fountain third.

The first Pure Stock heat race had a great battle between Nicole Rader and Randy Touchtone. Rader led early before Touchtone made a nice pass on the inside for the lead. Rader drove hard into turn one on the last lap and spun Touchtone, taking him out of contention for the win. After taking her victory lap with the checkered flag, track officials decided to take away the victory and award the win to Randy Touchtone. Chris Brady moved into second, and Tony Rankin third.

The second Pure Stock heat race had Ray Golladay Sr. building a nice lead and cruising to the victory. Mike Babcock was second, and Randy Miller third.

The 4 Cylinder heat races were very exciting as Kaye Eddington went from fifth to the lead on the first lap. Adam Gardner worked his way from the back starting position into the lead and the victory. Eddington finished second, with Daryl Hill third.

The second 4 Cylinder heat had Dean Eggart getting a great jump on the start and going from sixth to first by the flag stand and holding off a charging John Gardner for the victory. Ron Etcher finished third.

The last race before intermission was the second Late Model heat race. Jordan Sims took over the car Michael Gold ran in the first heat and started at the tail of the field. Kevin Jackson got the lead early and never gave it up. The entire field ran in a tight pack for the entire race and put on a great show. Chris Furkey had mechanical problems and dropped from the race early. Sam Bohling and Denny Aho finished second and third respectfully.

Intermission included two "Hot Dog Races" with Kaye Eddington facing off against Brandy Clawson, and Larry Young Jr. battling against John Clawson. Contestants started the race with about a fifty foot sprint to their waiting cars, had to buckle in and put on their helmets, race two laps around the Speedpark, and stop at the finish line. At this time, they were to each eat a hot dog and drink a pop, before jumping on a waiting bicycle and peddling a last lap to the finish.

Brandy won by about five bike lengths over Kaye in the first race. John had a strong finish and took the win in the second race. Each winner has an opportunity to pick a challenger and face off at an upcoming race.

The Late Model cars took to the track for the first feature of the evening. Six cars got together on the first lap, bringing out the caution flag. Tim Aho had some damage to the front of his car and could not make the restart. Kevin Jackson was the leader when Jordan Sims and Mark Howland touched causing them both to spin. After the restart, George Wilson moved into the lead and built about a four second lead before Sims and Howland got together a second time, bringing out another yellow. George Wilson jumped the restart and was sent to the back of the pack. Kevin Jackson took over the lead and held off a hard driving Wilson for his first feature win of the season. Wilson finished second, and Rick Leonard third.

The Factory Stock feature had some bumping and banging and a couple cautions. Jared Nightlinger led early before leaving the track with a flat tire. Josh Ware was sent to the pits early after being involved in both of the yellows. Paul Fox survived an early spin and took the victory. Pee Wee Fountain finished second, and Jared Nightlinger third.

The Pure Stock Feature started with fifteen cars and had Nicole Rader holding off several challenges and leading many laps. John Gamelin, about to be lapped, tried to move out of the way of the leaders and took a wild ride down the front straightaway on top of the cement barrier, bringing out the yellow. He kept the car on two wheels and came to a stop on the outside of the front straightaway. After his car was removed from the track, officials noticed a large amount of fluids around the track and decided to call the race because of time constraints. Nicole Rader was the winner, with Barry Glenn second, and Larry Young Jr. third.

The last feature of the evening was the 4 Cylinders. They lined up fourteen cars for twenty five laps with fifteen minutes of racing left before curfew. The drivers did a tremendous job and ran caution free the entire race. John Gardner came all the way from the tail end of the pack to take the victory. He survived a hard hit by Ron Etcher on the last turn and won by a bumper length over Etcher. Adam Gardner finished third.

Racing action resumes again this Friday at Kinross Speedpark. For more information, log onto www.kinrossspeedpark.com.

(Submitted by Steve Lawson)