Results - August 4, 2007

"Encore 60" Caution-free
at Springport

Thirteen Pony Stock competitors returned to the high-banked 3/8-mile oval of Springport, for a second shot at a 60-lap, mandatory green flag pit stop, race. The race, called the "Encore 60" got its name, in part, because it was a second chance for Pony Stock drivers to run another 60-lap race, and test the skill of their pit crew. Meijer donated a pallet of Encore Cola, and each person in attendance received a free can of pop, thus the "Encore" carried a dual meaning. Eaton Rapid’s Dennis O'Neil won the four car dash, while Jim Misner, of Lansing took the heat win. Fraser’s Darren Bohne set fast time for the evening, and secured the pole position for the start of the race. Dan Gokee, of Lansing started outside pole, and when the green flag waved, Bohne took off like a shot, jumping out to a huge lead over Jackson’s Edson Rowley III. Bohne opted to pit as soon as the tenth lap had been run, handing the lead over to Rowley. Gregory's Jerry LaFontaine, O'Neil, Gokee, and Lansing's Lex Jarecki were running in the top five. Munith's Eric Weinman and Steve Wrenn took their mandatory stop on lap 12, with Lex Jarecki, of Lansing, making lap 18 his magic number. Rowley began to fade, as LaFontaine took over the top spot. Keith Holden, of Ovid, found his way into the top five, as more competitors took the opportunity to pit. Gokee made his stop on lap 21, bringing Bohne back into the top five behind Holden. By lap 25, only four cars were left to make their pit stops, O'Neil, LaFontaine, Rowley, and Holden. LaFontaine pulled on to pit road on lap 27, moving Steve Wrenn, of Charlotte, up into the top five. Holden took his mandatory pit stop on lap 42, followed closely, on lap 46, by Rowley, leaving O'Neil as the sole car on the lead lap. O'Neil made the final pit top of the evening on lap 49, moving Rowley, whose pit crew executed a phenomenal stop, putting Rowley out into the lead, followed by O'Neil, whose team also gave him speedy service. Bohne experienced mechanical problems, pulling the car into the pit and calling it a night. O'Neil tried to catch Rowley for a shot at the lead, but ran out of laps, as Rowley crossed the stripe, with all 60 laps having been run caution-free. O'Neil, Wrenn, Jarecki, and LaFontaine rounded out the top five.

Mike Ammerman, of Mason, set fast time for the Sportsman division, with Linden's Tom Stone and Okemos' Steve Oberst right on his heels. Onondaga's Jerry Schroll Jr. and Martin French, of Charlotte, sat on the front row, and brought the attrition-plagued field down to the green. Stone drove straight up the middle of the pack and into the lead on lap one, bringing Ammerman and Oberst along with him. Stone and Ammerman broke away from the pack, running nose to tail, leaving Oberst to try to reel them in. Nate Hinderer, of Chelsea, was running a solid fourth, with French in fifth. Lap 13 saw Ammerman fade a bit, as Al Williams broke into the top five ahead of French. As the checker dropped, it was Stone, Ammerman, Oberst, Hinderer, Williams, Schroll, and French. Tom Stone took the heat win as well.

The Pure Stock division is solidly in place at the Springport Motor Speedway, with 12 competitors taking times for the evening's 20-lap feature. Four car dash winner, Rich Kinch, of Jackson, also set fast time for the evening. Derek Lacey, of Swartz Creek, took the heat win. Adam Gusey, of Charlotte, and Doug Patrick, of Grass Lake, brought the field down for the start of their feature, with Lacey shown as the lap one leader. Ian Schafer, of Lansing, took the lead on the next lap, as Jackson's Jeremy Lutz picked his way up through the pack, bringing Kinch along with him. Jon Smith, of Spring Arbor joined Lutz and Kinch up front, and the trio ran away from the field by lap seven. Schafer and Patrick McNamara, of Grass Lake, battled for fifth, on lap 13. Kinch slowed with mechanical problems, on lap 18, and came to a stop after completing the 19th lap. Out of harms way, the race continued, and Lutz took another trip to the Engine Pro Winner's Circle. Smith, Schafer, McNamara, and Aaron Spearling, of Otisville, rounded out the top five. McNamara was awarded the win for the FWD portion of the division.

Tim Phillips continued his domination of the Super Mini Cup division, as he went on to win his third straight race in a week. Phillips, Jim DeBaecke, Dave Taylor, Ed Welch and John Dewey ran in a tight little pack by lap sixteen, with Phillips able to drive away on lap nineteen. Taylor and DeBaecke battled for second, while the race was on between Dewey and Welch for fourth. At the line, it was Phillips, DeBaecke, Taylor, Dewey, and Welch. Dewey and Phillips tallied wins in their heats.

Please join us each and every Saturday night for exciting racing action at the Springport Motor Speedway. August 11th, features our regular divisions, along with the Vintage Modifieds, on Participant Appreciation Night. August 18th features the Super Mini Cups plus MCR Dwarfs, Pony Stocks and Sportsmans. Check out the Springport Motor Speedway website at springportmotorspeedway.com for event, ticket, and gate time information. As always, we’ll see you at the races!

Mini Cup Qualifying

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