STRETCH RUN AT LAIRD

As the mid-season season champions have been crowned, the racers are gearing up for the stretch run.

All five divisions at Laird International Raceway crowned mid-season champions on Thursday night. If that wasn't incentive enough, the drivers were also focused on the season point totals and some interesting division battles are heating up.

Terry McClelland continued his climb up the leaderboard in the late model class while Rob Sartini and George Wilson continue to battle neck and neck while slowing climbing away from the opposition in the super stock division.

McClelland gained some valuable points by winning both late model heat races. Heading into the race, McClelland trailed leader Rick Leonard by 25 points. Mike Gold was declared the mid-season champion for his victory in the feature race.

All feature race winners in each division received a trophy symbolic of the championship.

Sartini and Wilson continued the most heated battle thus far in the points standings at Laird. Sartini was the super stock leader heading in with 247 points while Wilson is on his bumper with 244, far ahead of the rest of the field.

But things could change when points are released this weekend as Wilson won a heat and a feature while Sartini won the other heat.

Factory stock leader parker Brocklebank had another strong outing capturing the feature win along with the second heat. Rob Ritrovato won heats one and three while David Slingsby won the fourth heat.

Barry Glenn is looking to pull closer to pure stock leader Ray Golladay as Glenn won the second heat and the feature. American Bill Cryderman won the opening heat.

Cory Diotte swept the stock four-cylinder class by winning the heat and the feature. Diotte was leading the points race by 38 heading into action. Racing continues next Thursday at Laird beginning at 7 p.m.