Place and Fletcher Take First Feature Wins At Spartan
Matco Tools brought the classic car show and burn-out contest to a packed Spartan Speedway on another fantastic Friday night. The Metro Ford Super Late Models 40 lap feature had a 9-car invert putting Jeff Finley and Chris Place on the starting front row. These two put on a great battle as both went side-by-side until the first caution on lap 6 for a spin by Jon McNett. Points Leader, Dave Stehower, Bill Heeney Jr. and John Ledwidge were all collected trying to avoid the spun car of McNett. Place took the lead on the restart and was never headed as he watch the heated battles going on behind him as Stan Perry got loose in turn 2 allowing John Dunivion and Jack Landis to get by for 4th. Landis and Dunivion waged a great race for the position for the entire race until Landis made a nice move as the lead group encountered lapped traffic down the backstretch. It was Place's night as he went on to take his first ever Super Late Model feature over Jeff Finley 2nd, rookie sensation; Jeff Hackworth 3rd, Landis 4th and Dunivion 5th. Place also made it his first ever double win night by taking the fast heat win. Chuck Garrision and Bill Heeney Jr. took the other heats and Heeney Jr. returned to claim the semi-feature event. Doug Finley set fast time with a lap of 13:109 for the 26 Metro Ford Super Late Models.
The Michigan Modfieds had the lowest invert this year with a 4-car invert putting Jim Butler and Terry Goldberg on the front row. Butler took the early lead as Goldberg collected the frontstretch wall, thus ending his night with suspension damage. The complete restart had Butler, Larry Wallace and Gary Sherman dicing for the lead until lap 8 when Sherman took the point. The leaders ran a quick paced event as Lee Taylor and Clint Heinz ran side-by-side for 6th until Taylor finally took the position 5 laps later. Harry Parish followed Taylor and then they worked each other for over 11 laps until Parish finally took the 6th spot from Taylor. Sherman set a blistering pace and lapped all but 9 cars on his way to the win. Butler held on to 2nd, but was 1/2 of a lap back as the checkered fell. Wallace, Bud Perry and Dan Logan rounded out the top 5. Brian Heeney, Rob Everley and Lee Taylor won heats and Mike Logan claimed the 16-car semi feature. The 33-car Michigan Modified field was lead in qualifying by Gary Sherman with a time of 13:557.
The Performance NW Street Stocks had a 14-car invert that set up an all rookie front row, with John Ward and Rob Patrick leading the start. Patrick took the early lead as 2nd place in points, Brad Moore lost an engine on the first lap. Patrick was running his best race of the year as he held the point until Pat Dent took over with 6 laps remaining. Dent was the quick car on the track as he went 3 wide with Howard McDonough and John Ward for 3rd on lap 11. A caution with 10 lap to go erased Patricks lead and allowed Dent the break he needed. Dent picked off Mike Heavens for 3rd then took 2nd from Jeff Houghton and finally got by Patrick to take his 2nd win in as many nights at the speedway. Houghton held on for 2nd as point's leader, Rob Martin made a nice run to 3rd from his 14th starting spot. Patrick held on for 4th followed by Heavens in 5th. Jamie Fueguer, Donnie"The Bandit" Austin and Mike McEwen took the heat wins and Landon Hidy won the semi feature. Brad Moore lead the 30-car qualifiers with a lap of 14:467. The Make-up feature was won by Rob Marten, followed by Brad Moore, Mike Heavens, Ken Clingan and Stan Lambert.
The Post-Net Pony Stocks had their largest field this year as 16-cars took the green for their feature event. Jeri Munn took the early lead until lap 3 when Robert Fletcher took over. Chris Van Gorden and Julie Abbott were the cars on the move as they up to 2nd and 3rnbsp lap 5. 2 laps later, Abbott took the point and looked to be on the way for the win when she pulled into the infield ending her night. Fletcher reclaimed the lead until VanGorden and Bo Smith used the inside lane to take over the front 2 spots. Trie Dubel and Kyle Ballard were racing hard for 4th when the leaders came upon the lapped car of Norv Stockell. Smith was tagged by VanGorden coming out of turn 2 on the last lap as it sent him into the backstretch wall. Both drivers nights were over as they headed to the pits. The one lap restart had Fletcher holding off the hard charging Deubel and Cathy Clingan to cliam his first ever victory. Ballard and Missy Bishop rounded out the top 5. MIke Sairls and Julie Abbott took the heat wins and Cathy Clingan set fast time at 16:790.
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