Action at Spartan as Hot as the Weather
By Michelle Sprague

Thirty-four Performance Automotive Northwest Street Stocks timed in for Round 3 of the Street Stock Sunday Slugfest. Dane Long set fast time, with nineteen others timing in under the 15 second mark. Robbie Johnston was shown as the lap one leader, as Ron Heeney charged to the front bringing Kyle Hayden along with him. Lap five saw Corey Davis and Ed Newman Jr. running side by side for fourth as Heeney took over the top spot on the next lap. Heeney continued to lead until lap 20 with Johnston peeking to the low side, while Dane Long sliced his way through the field. Heeney and Johnston ran side by side as Long watched for his opportunity to get around them. Johnston grabbed the lead on lap 23 with Long looking to move into the second position around Heeney. Mission accomplished on lap 26, with Tom Stone and Pat Dent rounding out the top five. Lap 32 saw Long move into the first position ahead of Johnston as Mike Ammerman entered the top five. Caution on lap 35 closed the field up giving Johnston another shot at Long. Johnston got a nose under Long and went to the point on lap 36. At the stripe, it was Johnston, Long, Heeney, Ammerman, and Jim Miller. Heat wins went to Rollie Olney, Jim Miller, Damon Place, and Ed Newman Jr. Last chance winners were Chuck Wilkinson, and Scott Sigman.

Nineteen Short Track Trucks made their way to Spartan Speedway to run their double feature. The first 50-lap feature saw past champion in our Pony Stock division, Kenny Clark, jump out to lead lap one. Clark led until lap five when Joey Shuryan got under him on the restart after a caution. Shuryan got into a lapped car on lap 14 and was sent to the rear, relinquishing the lead to Bob Fruit. Keith Wyncek drove around Fruit on lap 17 and Fruit fought back on lap 20, when Wyncek slipped up the track, allowing Fruit to drive by, bringing Clark along with him for second on lap 25. Wyncek came back to pass Clark for second as Paul Schaffer and Shuryan looked on from the fourth and fifth position. Fruit and Wyncek had opened up some daylight between themselves and Shuryan, now sitting in third by lap 36. Lap 41 brought Wyncek back into the lead to stay followed by Fruit, Schaffer, Justin Clauerty, and Rob Morrison. At the conclusion, it was Wyncek, Fruit, Schaffer, Shuryan, and Rob Morrison. The second 30-lapper was led, at lap one, by Morrison who continued to lead through lap five. Shuryan assumed the lead on lap 10, and was sent back two spots for jumping the start after a caution on lap 12, while Morrison charged into the lead on the restart ahead of Fruit. Shuryan made up for lost time and hurried back into the lead on lap 17 and never looked back. At the checker, it was Shuryan, Fruit, Wyncek, Schaffer, and Morrison.

Nineteen MCR Dwarfs hit the fast ¼-mile for their 25-lap feature. Jumpin’ Junior Gould led the first lap with Jon Wylie, Chad Goff, Eric Hoffman, and Jeff Slayton in hot pursuit. Wylie had chased down Gould by lap 5, and led through lap 19. Hoffman moved underneath Wylie on lap 19 to take over the lead on lap 20. At the line, it was Hoffman, Wylie, Rob Roney, Goff, and Slayton. Joe McManman, Slayton, and Roney tallied heat wins.

Eleven Capitol City Crazies, or Figure 8-ers, timed in for their 25 lap feature and it was one for the record books. The evening was “highlighted” with two, and nearly a third, spectacular crashes at the intersection. Frank Erlenbeck jumped into the lead on lap one and led through lap three, when Ray Derminer and Erlenbeck collided in the intersection, sending both cars careening wildly across the track. Jeff Cummings charged through the pack to lead on the restart and led through lap 11, when Dan Zakrewski and Cummings slammed into each other, neither one backing off upon entering the intersection. They came to rest near the front stretch on Paul’s beloved grass! On the restart, leader Jim Gokee and a slower car nearly collided at the intersection, and once again, Paul’s grass took a beating as Gokee took evasive action. Jerry Atwell assumed the lead with Gokee in second, followed by Butch Morence and Ryan Harold. Wayne Beckner rounded out the top five after 25 exciting laps.