By: Spartan correspondent, Michelle Sprague
Sixteen Valvoline Instant Oil Change Modifieds lined up for their MOD 50 on Beacon Sales and Service “Dodge Night” at the Spartan Speedway on June 12th. Chris Ozanich immediately took the lead from his outside pole starting position over Dick Maurer, Bill Butler, Jon Mamula and Dan Logan. Ozanich, Maurer and Logan broke away from the pack with Ozanich and Maurer running door-handle to door-handle for four laps. Maurer took the lead from Ozanich on lap seven, while back in the pack “Lightening” Leroy Ellis had worked his way into the top five sitting in fourth. Maurer opened up a pretty good lead over Ozanich, who had Ellis and Logan breathing down his neck by lap 14. Ellis dove under Ozanich for second on lap 16 and tried to reel in Maurer for the lead. Ellis caught Maurer on lap 20, while Perry Davenport had methodically picked off cars to find himself in fourth behind Butler. Ellis tried both the high and low side for 17 laps, looking for a way around Maurer for the lead. Maurer opened the door on lap 37 giving Ellis the opportunity to slip around him for the lead. The battle for second between Ozanich and Davenport raged side-by-side for 12 laps, and on lap 43, the only caution of the 50-lapper waved, when Maurer and Ozanich got together, ending the evening for both. The caution closed up the field behind Ellis, exactly what Davenport needed to have a shot at the lead. On the restart, Logan went after Davenport for second while Earl Miles, fresh off a heat and Australian Pursuit win, went to work on Butler on the high side for fourth. As laps wound down, Ellis checked out on the field and at the checker it was “Lightening” Leroy Ellis, Davenport, Logan, Butler, and Miles. Ozanich also took a heat win for the evening.
Ron Heeney made his second appearance at the Spartan Speedway pay off, taking the win in both the Performance Automotive NW Sportsman heat and feature. Jimmy Scavarda and Heeney ran nose to tail for the first 10 laps of the 25-lap feature before Heeney got around Scavarda for the lead. Dane Long reeled in Scavarda catching him on lap 20. Long made his signature move on the outside, went to work on Scavarda and drove around him on lap 23 for second. Matt Kirchen had a rearview mirror full of Scott Sigman, as Damon Place struggled in fifth with an ill-handling race car. At the stripe, it was Heeney, Long, Scavarda, Kirchen and Sigman.
It looked like Patrick Denison was on the way to his first Boss Snow Equipment Pony Stock feature win, but Edson Rowley III snatched it from his grasp by making a pass on the outside, on lap 19, to take the 20-lap feature win. Brian Beckner had a stellar run, briefly taking the lead from Denison on laps 11 and 12 but came home in third just ahead of Todd Metz Jr. and Wayne Beckner Jr. Denison won both a heat and the Australian Pursuit and Rowley took a heat win as well.
Jordan and Nick Lechota flexed their collective muscle, finishing first and second respectively in the Spartan Speedway Pure Stock 20-lap feature. Matt Childers took the lead on the start, but the Lechotas took over the top two spots on lap four. The duo battled for lap after lap with Nick not able to find a way around his brother for the lead. Ian Schafer held down the third spot, while Dan Lewis and Jake Pearson rounded out the top five. Jordan also took home the heat win.
Please join us at the Spartan Speedway on Mason Chamber of Commerce Night, Sunday, June 21st, for a special show sponsored by Performance Automotive NW featuring the “Stan Perry Late Model 75” for the Andrews Chevrolet Super Late Model division, along with a “Slugfest” for Performance Automotive NW Sportsmans. The Spartan Speedway Pure Stocks and Boss Snow Equipment Pony Stocks will be running Figure 8’s in both divisions. Special show pricing will apply with racing beginning at 6 PM. Check out the website at www.spartanspeedway.com for more information. Friday, June 26th, is Mid-Season Championship Night for all five regular divisions. As always, we’ll see you at the races!
