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It was apparent to all in attendance that the drivers showed up, ready to race, on opening night
at the Springport Motor Speedway. After three days of rain, the weather broke and sunny skies
prevailed (until a stray cloud floated by and let loose with a brief rain shower.)
April 28th was very much anticipated, because up until a few short months ago, it was uncertain if there would be a 2007 racing season at all. Maurice Randall took the situation in hand and leased the track for the entire season. The season at Springport won't disappoint race fans in the area, as he has lined up some very special events for the season. Check out the schedule of events on the Springport Motor Speedway website. SMS would like to welcome Engine Pro, Comp Cams, and SpeedPro on board as new track sponsors. Over forty cars found their way to the season opener, with probably half again as many waiting, in local race shops, to be completed. Numbers will continue to grow as drivers button up final preparations on their race cars.
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Fast action down the back straightaway in the Sportsman division feature - Bob Cantine Photo |
Seven Sportsman (formerly known as Street Stocks) took to the track, with late arrival, Mike "The Hammer" Ammerman proving that it only takes one lap, in an untested race car, to clinch fast time with a 17.096. |
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Matt Kirchen and Dan Lewis scored wins in the first heats of the 2007 season, with Ammerman
showing the way just three laps into the feature, as he made his way around early leader
Kirchen. Martin French made the hard right into the pit on lap 8, while Lewis pulled alongside
Ammerman's left rear fender on lap 15, just as something in Lewis's car let go, ending his bid
for a win. Corey Davis exited the track with problems during the caution, leaving Ammerman,
Kirchen and Jerry Schroll Jr. to vie for the win. Ammerman cruised to the easy win and earned
a trip to the Engine Pro Winners Circle over Kirchen and Schroll.
Ten Pure Stocks lined up for their 20-lap feature, with Spencer Drake and Ian Schafer making up the front row. At the drop of the green, Russ Potter made the charge from seventh position to take the lead on lap two. Drake and Steve "Big Daddy" Orta battled for position, as Potter drove away from the field. |
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Eventual rear wheel drive winner Matt Patrick (#25) making a defensive move to avoid the spinning defending Pure Stock Champion, Daniel Parkhurst - Bob Cantine Photo |
By lap 13, Matt Patrick pulled up on Orta's bumper and made the pass on lap 14. Patrick went to work on Drake by lap 15 and the two jockeyed for position as Potter checked out. |
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At the line, it was Russ Potter III as the FWD winner, and Matt Patrick was awarded the RWD win.
Drake and Potter III tallied heat wins.
The largest division of the evening was the always exciting Pony Stocks. Thirteen ponies lined up for their 20-lap feature, with TJ Conroy buried mid-pack by virtue of setting fast time. At the start, it was Bill McBride and Tim Sorrow bringing the field down to the green. TJ Conroy blasted his way around the leaders, to take the lead on lap two, from his eighth starting position. Conroy then ran away from the field, leaving Dennis ONeil, Jacob Newman, Jerry LaFontaine, and Sorrow to battle for position. By lap 10, TJ had pulled out to a commanding lead, while O'Neil and Newman worked on each other for second. Newman made the pass on O'Neil, for second, on lap 12, while TJ made short work of the rear of the field, putting cars a lap down. As the checkered flag waved, only five cars remained on the lead lap.
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The Pony Stocks sailing under the new flagpole - Bob Cantine Photo |
TJ took the win, followed by Newman, ONeil, John Conroy, and Rich Roberts. While in the Engine Pro Winners Circle, TJ Conroy dedicated his win to Jacob Newman's grandpa, Art Newman, who recently passed away. |
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One of the traveling series that have decided to make Springport their home track is the Vintage Racing Organization of America, with Steve Fuller being the first to enter the Engine Pro Winner's Circle, to kick off the 2007 racing season by winning the first heat race of the evening. Michael Becker also won his heat, with Tim Martin grabbing the feature win away from Bob Martin, on lap 13, and by driving away from the field. Caution on lap 22 closed the field up, but Martin was able to out run Don Deyman for the win. Something unique to the Springport Motor Speedway is the "Community Racing Challenge", directed by Patrick McNamara. On this evening, local media celebrities jumped into six stock cars to compete against one another for their favorite charity. |
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The CRC drivers head down the back straightaway - Bob Cantine Photo |
Sydney Hawkins of K105.3, TV-53's Hondo Carpenter, Chris Iott of the Jackson Citizen Patriot, TV-10's Chris Holman, Todd Klaassen from FOX 47, and the Detroit News.coms Doug Guthrie were strapped in to run for 10 laps to benefit their favorite charity. |
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In the end, it was Klaassen holding off Guthrie, Iott, and Hawkins for the win.
Check out more stories and photos about the CRC races. As always, we hope to see you at the races! |
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1. 95 Rich Warnes 16.987 2. 20 Don Deyman 17.319 3. 76 Tim Martin 17.405 4. 42 Mike Becker 17.475 5. 3 Lou Caposey 17.478 6. 00 Nate Bennett 17.490 7. 82 Rob Parker 17.500 8. 86 Bob Martin 17.608 9. 74 Steve Fuller 17.947 10. 41 Max Wirebaugh 18.480 11. 17 Don Smith 38.254 12. 80 Fred Otterbein --- 13. 47 Larry Molohan ---
Steve Fuller wins the very first race in 2007 at Springport Motor Speedway in the Vintage Modified Heat Race #1 - Bob Cantine photo |
1. 74 Steve Fuller 2. 82 Rob Parker 3. 86 Bob Martin 4. 41 Max Wirebaugh 5. 17 Don Smith
Mike Becker wins heat race #2 for the Vintage Modifieds - Bob Cantine photo |
1. 42 Mike Becker 2. 3 Lou Caposey 3. 76 Tim Martin 4. 20 Don Deyman 5. 95 Rich Warnes
Tim Martin visits the Engine Pro Winner's Circle after capturing the first VROA Vintage Modified feature for 2007 - Bob Cantine photo |
1. 76 Tim Martin 2. 20 Don Deyman 3. 82 Rob Parker 4. 42 Mike Becker 5. 95 Rich Warnes 6. 17 Don Smith 7. 86 Bob Martin 8. 74 Steve Fuller 9. 41 Max Wirebaugh 10. 3 Lou Caposey DNS 00 Nate Bennett DNS 80 Fred Otterbein DNS 47 Larry Molohan
1. 16 Mike Ammerman 17.096 2. 36 Matt Kirchen 17.646 3. 5 Corey Davis 18.146 4. 02 Martin French 18.730 5. 76 Dennis Rockey 19.228 6. 2x4 Jerry Schroll, Jr 23.232 7. 70 Dan Lewis ---
Matt Kirchen in the Engine Pro Winner's Circle after winning heat race #1 in the Sportsman division - Bob Cantine photo |
1. 36 Matt Kirchen 2. 02 Martin French 3. 2x4 Jerry Schroll, Jr
Dan Lewis wins the second heat race for the fast Sportsman division - Bob Cantine photo |
1. 70 Dan Lewis 2. 5 Corey Davis 3. 76 Dennis Rockey
Mike "The Hammer" Ammerman in the Engine Pro Winner's Circle after capturing the Sportsman feature - Bob Cantine photo |
1. 16 Mike Ammerman 2. 36 Matt Kirchen 3. 2x4 Jerry Schroll, Jr 4. 70 Dan Lewis 5. 5 Corey Davis 6. 76 Dennis Rockey 7. 02 Martin French
Qualifying
1. x10 Russ Potter III 20.392 FWD 2. 13 Daniel Parkhurst 20.493 RWD * 3. 10 Russ Potter IV 20.558 FWD 4. 25 Matt Patrick 21.090 RWD 5. 51 Doug Patrick 20.948 RWD 6. 28 Spencer Drake 21.003 RWD 7. 76 Craig Rockey 21.051 RWD 8. 32 Steve Orta 21.199 RWD 9. 30 Ian Schafer 21.530 RWD 10. 99 Chuck Ewing, Jr 22.589 RWD * Fast qualifier in RWD class
Spencer Drake gets his first win at Springport Motor Speedway after capturing heat race #1 in the Pure Stock division - Bob Cantine photo |
1. 28 Spencer Drake RWD 2. 13 Daniel Parkhurst RWD 3. 76 Craig Rockey RWD 4. 99 Chuck Ewing, Jr RWD 5. 25 Matt Patrick RWD
The elder of the two Russ Potters wins heat race #2 in the Pure Stock division - Bob Cantine photo |
1. x10 Russ Potter III FWD 2. 10 Russ Potter IV FWD 3. 32 Steve Orta RWD * 4. 51 Doug Patrick RWD 5. 30 Ian Schafer RWD * Heat winner in RWD class
Russ Potter IV visits the Engine Pro Winner's Circle with his win in the front wheel drive portion of the Pure Stock division and takes the overall win - Bob Cantine photo
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1. 10 Russ Potter IV FWD 2. 25 Matt Patrick RWD * 3. 32 Steve Orta RWD 4. 28 Spencer Drake RWD 5. 94 Doug Guthrie FWD 6. 99 Chuck Ewing, Jr RWD 7. 51 Doug Patrick RWD 8. 30 Ian Schafer RWD 9. 13 Daniel Parkhurst RWD DNS x10 Russ Potter III FWD * Winner of RWD class
1. 17x T. J. Conroy 19.841 2. 97 Jacob Newman 20.311 3. 99 Brent McCort 20.635 4. 95 Dennis O'Neil 20.747 5. 94 Steve Wrenn 20.921 6. 5 Rich Roberts 21.267 7. 007 Ashley Passick 21.379 8. 14 Jerry LaFontaine 21.395 9. 12 Tim Sorrow 21.402 10. 66 John Conroy --- 11. 80 Bill McBride --- 12. 48 Josh Sattler --- 13. 44 Trent Jenson ---
T. J. Conroy led his Dad, John Conroy across the stripe to win heat race #1 in the Pony Stock division - Bob Cantine photo |
1. 17x T. J. Conroy 2. 66 John Conroy 3. 007 Ashley Passick 4. 12 Tim Sorrow 5. 44 Trent Jenson 6. 94 Steve Wrenn 7. 99 Brent McCort
After winning the Pony Stock heat race #2, Jacob Newman takes an emotional victory lap for his grandpa, Art Newman, who recently passed away - Bob Cantine photo |
1. 97 Jacob Newman 2. 14 Jerry LaFontaine 3. 5 Rich Roberts 4. 95 Dennis O'Neil 5. 48 Josh Sattler 6. 80 Bill McBride
2005 Pony Stock Champion, T. J. Conroy wins the Pony Stock feature - Bob Cantine photo |
1. 17x T. J. Conroy 2. 97 Jacob Newman 3. 95 Dennis O'Neil 4. 66 John Conroy 5. 5 Rich Roberts 6. 14 Jerry LaFontaine 7. 12 Tim Sorrow 8. 94 Steve Wrenn 9. 99 Brent McCort 10. 48 Josh Sattler 11. 80 Bill McBride 12. 007 Ashley Passick 13. 44 Trent Jenson
