The Super Pro Series made its way to the big 3/8-mile at Springport Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 20th. This series featuring template bodies and crate engines does not fail to please with their two-wide racing. Sixteen drivers made the field for their 75-lap feature. Shaun ?Bubba? Whitney set fast time in qualifying with a 15.388. Greg Nienhouse and Jim Davis started on the front row, with a pack of hot shoes right on their tails. Nienhouse grabbed the lead on lap one with Rob Buckley glued to his bumper. Tommy Cook jumped to the outside from his eighth starting position and made the line work for him as he picked off cars, one by one. Mark Kortz was biding his time as Cook made his way around him, on the outside, on lap four. Cook cruised into the lead on lap 12, bringing Kortz along with him into second. Buckley used that high groove as well to make his way around Nienhouse for third, but Whitney snuck under both and took away the third spot. Lap 20 saw Kortz challenging Cook for the lead, followed by Whitney, Buckley, and Gary Bischak. Kortz made his way around Cook, with Whitney tagging along. Buckley was going after Cook on lap 30, when Jim Davis brought out the caution for a fire under his hood. On the restart, it was Buckley once again leaning on Cook, when Cook pulled into the pit on lap 32. Kortz was checking out on the field when Bischak experienced problems, bringing out the caution on lap 34. On the restart, it was Kortz, Whitney, Buckley, Mike Kugler, and Justin Kazmar making up the top five. By lap 45, Kortz opened up his lead on the field, with Whitney, Buckley, and Kugler given some breathing room between themselves. Kortz continued to dominate for the remaining 30 laps, while Buckley reeled in Whitney and challenged for the second position on lap 69. Buckley got caught up in lapped traffic and had to back off, but jumped right back on Whitney on lap 73, using the second groove. Buckley spoiled Whitney?s second place finish on lap 74, and at the line it was Kortz, Buckley, Whitney, Kugler, and Kazmar. Terry Bogusz, John Long, Steve Shlater, Mike Tutino, and Brian Bauman rounded out the top ten.

The Performance Automotive NW Street Stocks looked like they were graduating from the school of hard knocks. Fourteen drivers timed in for their 25-lap feature which proved hard to be hard on the equipment! Two drivers, Matt Kirchen and Ian Sprague peeled off after the green flag with mechanical difficulties, while two others were unable to make call for the start of the feature. Corey Davis and Jeremy Lutz made up the front row, with Davis shown as the lap one leader. Walt Obrinske Jr. worked his way into second around Lutz as Scott Sigman worked the high side on his way to the front. Tom Stone was on his way up from the rear of the field and was sitting in fourth by lap seven. A front stretch altercation between Dan Lewis and Steve Pelky, sent Pelky barrel-rolling down the front stretch, coming to rest at the start of turn one. On the restart after the red flag, there were only eight cars left in competition. It was Davis trying to outrun Stone at the drop of the green, with Stone taking charge on lap 10. Stone ran away from the pack while back in the field, it was Lutz, Sigman and Chuck Wilkinson battling for position. The trio came into turn four three-wide on lap 14 and continued so down the front stretch, only to take each other out coming out of turn one. Then there were five! On the restart, it was Stone, Davis, Obrinske Jr., Sigman, and Randy Ewing. Sigman retired to the pit leaving Obrinske to work on Davis using the outside on lap 20. Davis was able to outrun Obrinske in the front and back stretch, but Obrinske could out muscle him in the turns. Obrinske made his way into second on lap 24. At the stripe, it was Stone, Obrinske Jr.,Davis, and R. Ewing. Wilkinson and Stone won their heats.

The new Pure Stock division added another competitor, Doug Patrick. He joins Brian Jenks and Wayne ?Daniel? Parkhurst in our entry level division. Brian Jenks scored the heat win and also took the feature win by grabbing the lead from Parkhurst on lap two.

The Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Bandaleros also ran an exhibition feature. This is a great entry level series for the youngster who might be interested in jumping up to a Legend car. Four competitors ran a heat and an eight lap feature, both of which were won by Scott Menlen. Second place went to Damon Jones, third to Zack Dunsmore, and fourth to Jake Dunsmore. Looking good kids!

The Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Series MI Legends returned and it could have been called a Rouster weekend. Nineteen Legends hit the track for their 25-lap feature with Billy Simmons and Barry Hartwell sitting first on the grid. Ben Rouster overtook the lap one leader, Billy Simmons, on lap two and never looked back. By lap 20, he had opened up a pretty good lead over Jerry Warden, Simmons, Ryan Meldrum, and Daniel Russell. Caution for a blown engine and subsequent fire closed the gap for the restart. Warden was able to keep Rouster in his crosshairs, but Rouster crossed the line ahead of Warden, followed by Simmons, Meldrum, and Levi Rouster. Ben also won the feature Friday night at Spartan Speedway, this the Rouster weekend! L. Rouster, Meldrum, and Randy Gallagher Jr. won their heats.

Please join us Sat., May 27th for Olivet Night, when all Olivet residents will receive ½ off general admission price with proof of residency. Featured divisions are the MI Modifieds, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, and MCR Dwarfs. Hope to see you at the races!