By: Spartan correspondent, Michelle Sprague
Chris Hettinger, of Dryden, took the 75 lap Andrews Chevrolet Super Late Model win over Jimmy Gallagher on Sunday, August 8th at the Spartan Speedway. Hettinger took the lead on lap five, after the first and second place cars tangled on the front stretch. Both were sent to the rear and had to work their way back up through the field. Hettinger and Jon McNett brought the field down for the restart and ran side by side for a number of laps until Hettinger was able to take the lead for good. Cautions plagued the field of cars and Hettinger was able to capitalize on every restart. Logan Beckwith came within striking distance on lap 32 but spun, relinquishing second place to Gallagher. Hettinger was able to put some distance between himself and Gallagher, while Stehouwer had his hands full fending off Doug Finley. After 75 laps, it was Hettinger with his first win in a late model (Hettinger runs the Wingless Sprint series at Spartan on alternating Friday nights). Gallagher, Stehouwer, Finley and McNett rounded out the top five.
Flint’s Chad Lamson took both the Pure Stock and the Pure Stock Figure 8 win for the evening. Lamson made his run to the front, when the green flag dropped for the Pure Stock feature, wasting no time from the rear of the field. Lamson sat fourth by lap two and took the lead on lap five. Lamson opened up a huge lead over the field, leaving Andrew Burton to run solo in second. Tony Williams and Charles Davis battled for third, while Ken Dollarhite got around Ricky Dinius for fifth. Mark Carson got around Dollarhite to take away the fifth position with four laps to go. At the stripe, it was Lamson, Burton, Williams, Davis and Carson. Burton and Dollarhite each took heat wins. Lamson also took the 15-lap Figure 8 feature win finishing ahead of Burton, Williams, John Hitsman and Ricky Dinius.
George Garza found his way back to the Corrigan Oil Winner’s Circle, after a dry spell. Garza took the B-feature win for the Boss Snow Equipment Pony Stock division. Garza took the lead, when Brad Harbenski was issued a speeding ticket and got around both Scott Rumsey and Ken Dollarhite on the lap three restart. Garza never looked back, as the remainder of the 20-lap race ran caution-free. Scott Spahr, Dollarhite, Mike Westphal, and, rookie, R.J. Miller came home in the top five. Todd Metz Jr. took the A-feature win, overcoming mechanical problems from earlier in the evening. Darell Taylor took the early lead as Edson Rowley III, Metz Jr. and Wayne Beckner Jr. nipped at his heels. Metz got around Rowley for second and went to work on the veteran, Taylor. Metz took the lead on lap seven while Patrick Denison jumped into the thick of things behind Metz. Beckner made his move around Denison for second on lap nine, then reeled in Metz, challenged for the lead from the high side, but couldn’t make it stick. At the checkered, it was Metz Jr., Beckner, Denison, Rowley and Taylor. Joe Bates and Darrell Taylor won their heats. Rich Roberts scored the Pony Stock Figure 8 win when Figure 8 specialist, Edson Rowley, and George Garza were involved in crash that brought out the red flag. Joe Bates was leading at the time of the crash, and with six laps to go, sat dead in the water just off of turn one of the Figure 8 course, handing the lead and the win over to Roberts. Dollarhite, Denison, Todd Metz Sr. and Mike Westphal came home second through fifth, respectively.
