Young Jr. captures first Kinross feature

The celebratory mood that encompassed fans and drivers from both sides of the border this holiday weekend was nothing compared the one you would find in Victory Lane this past Friday night at the Kinross Speedway.

In a reflection of the highly-competitve field of cars the fast ¼ mile has been home to, the racing action would bring new winners to the promised land once again on Week 7. It's becoming a weekly affair and something everyone is definitely getting used.

The fireworks would begin to fly in the qualifying when the Pure Stock Division would take to the track. After setting fast time 5 of the 6 previous nights, Newberry, Michigan's Chuck Johnson (5) would set a new track record for his respective division, coming in under the lights in 16.520 seconds.

Barry Glenn (55) looked to continue his trek to a top 3 position in the standings by taking the checkered flag in the four car dash. Chris Brady (7) won the Australian Pursuit. Glenn would take his second flag of the night by winning heat race #1 after starting dead last, while Bill Cryderman (61) won his respective race, heat race #2.

Then it was time for the Soo Collision "Firecracker 40" main event. Seventeen-cars would roll out of the pits set to do battle for 40-laps while duking it out for the $200 top prize.

Ken VanDusen (18) and Nicole Rader (57) would set the pace by brining the field down to the drop of the green flag. Brady would lead lap 1 before Randy Miller would take his "Bounty Hunter" nicknamed #37 car into the lead after starting inside row 3.

Miller, a Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan native, was looking for his 2nd career feature win, and first of the 2005 season.

It didn't take long before the he had some heavy hitters knocking on his door as by lap 10 Glenn and Larry Young Jr. (25) had worked their way up to 2nd and third respectively. Just one lap later Miller would begin to negotiate his way methodically through lapped traffic.

The front of the pack would remain bunched up as each and every driver was looking to gain a spot on the cue of another's mistake. The first caution flag of the race did not occur until lap 26 and that would bunch the field up once again.

By lap 30, Young Jr. was working the high-side of the Speedway and was credited with 2nd at the line. Your top three cars were as close as anyone could expect and Junior was now looking to use that high-lane right to get to the front.

The hard-work would finally pay off as he was able to get enough bite on lap 38 to make the complete pass and into the lead.

The final 2 laps would prove exciting but no one would retake the lead as one of the youngest drivers in the field, Young Jr., would hold on to grab his first feature win in his 6-year career along with the new points lead in the division.

Young Jr. also became the 5th different feature winner in 7 weeks of competition in this division. Miller, Glenn, Norm Miller (73) and Johnson made up your top 5 positions.

The Factory Stock Division would see two-cars qualify with identical times that would later prove to be the fastest of the night. Both Pee Wee Fountain (50) and Todd Jackson (W5) set the marker with laps of 15.220 seconds. Fountain would receive the nod for the top spot after taking to the track to qualify before Jackson.

Cecil Piche (88) won the four car dash while 2004 Track Champion Kevin Johnson (37) grabbed the win in the 10-lap heat race.

The full field would make it out for their feature event with Josh Ware (7) and Mike Vansloten (53) holding the first two spots on the starting grid.

Ware, who won the feature event one-week prior, would waste no time by pulling slightly away from his closest competitors.

For the first 5 laps Jared Nightlinger (48) sat in 2nd but he would later lose that position after a lap 6 caution flag that would see Paul Fox (36) head pitside with mechanical problems. A caution just one lap later would result in Fountain tagging the rear.

When the race would restart it took no time for Jackson to find his way from outside row 3 and now on the back bumper of Ware's sharp-looking truck. Lap 9 would see Jackson power his machine up to the front and become your new leader.

Positions would continue to be swapped back and fourth over the coming laps and with five laps to go Johnson and Fountain were running 2nd and third. A caution on the last lap would see Johnson tag the rear of the field.

The green and white flags would come out together and all it would take is 4 turns as Jackson was back in the winner's circle once again. Fountain, Ware, Vansloten, Nightlinger, Johnson, Paul Fox (32), Piche and Fox made up the remainder of the field.

The fastest cars at Kinross, the Late Models, would only see 1 driver bring it down into the 13-second bracket on this night when Mark Howland (33) set fast time with a lap of 13.930 seconds.

Howland won the four-car dash after making a last lap pass on Tim Aho (75R) and would later take the top spot away from Dennis Aho (75) for the win in the 10-lap heat race.

The feature win went to Howland while Mark Beaudoin and Tim Aho finished second and third, respectively.

A couple of newcomers would make their first starts of the season in the Four Cylinder Division as this class continued to provide the largest car-count at the Speedway.

Dean Eggart (88) would top the 18 cars that qualified with a lap of 18.030 seconds. Eggart would back that up with a win in the four car dash while Brandy Clawson (35) won Australian Pursuit #2.

Australian Pursuit #1 had special significance on the night as Mike Piche (12), brother of FS competitor Cecil Piche, would wheel his 4-cylinder truck to his first-career checkered flag. That performance was not to be outdone as he came back to win his respective heat race as well. Clawson and Eggart won their respective heat races.

Nineteen cars rolled out of the pits for their feature event. With time now playing a factor this race was becoming a race against the clocks on how far they would make of the originally scheduled 25-laps.

A caution on lap 5 would force track officials drop the checkered flag as the 11 p.m. curfew had came and gone after on-track cleanup was done.

Through all of this Brandy Clawson (35) was credited with the win, while newcomer Justin Derusha (5), Piche, Tony Rankin (17) and Ron Etcher (27) were given the top 5 positions after that was the way they passed the start/finish line on the last completed lap.

The 2005 season continues to march forward as we now slide into the 8th night of competition.

This coming Friday, July 8th features a full show as we bring you our Mid-Season Championship races.

There will be two draws for ½ a pig courtesy of Fletcher Creek Farms and Pigs R Us and it is also Rookie Flagman Night. Additionally it is St. Igncace, Mackinaw City, Mackinaw Island, Allenville and Moran Good Neighbour Night.

Everything gets started with qualifying at 6 p.m. and racing to follow at 7:30 p.m.

To get to the track take exit 378 off the I-75 and follow the signs to the Fairgrounds.

For more information check out www.kinrossspeedway.com.

(PHOTO: Larry Young Jr. All photos courtesy of Rod Aubertin of www.saultracers.com)