By: Spartan correspondent, Michelle Sprague

    Holt’s Hometown Festival hosted Season Championship Night, along with Lipari Foods, and five new champions were crowned in each of the divisions, with no defending champions in the bunch.

   Dewitt’s Jon McNett won the battle in the Andrew’s Chevrolet Super Late Model division, but Dimondale’s Jimmy Gallagher won the war, coming home as the 2008 SLM champion. McNett led from wire to wire over Lansing’s Doug Finley, Gallagher, Muskegon’s Dave Stehouwer, and Jackson’s Evan Barrett. Gallagher had to post a sixth place finish or higher, simply ran in third, keeping himself out of trouble, to clinch the title for his first trip to the Corrigan Oil Winner’s Circle as SLM champion. Finley and Jackson’s Dale Lewis took heat wins.

   Once again, the point leader took the win for the Valvoline Instant Oil Change Modified division, with Vermontville’s Leroy Ellis winning his first ever championship. Coming into the evening, Ellis and Lansing’s Chris Ozanich were separated by merely eight points. Ozanich, by virtue of his heat race finish, gained two points on Ellis, but Ellis took the lead, when the green flag waved, and won, hands down, over Ozanich. Okemos’s Ron Parish, Perry Davenport and Dan Loughan, both of Charlotte, rounded out the top five. Davenport and Mason’s Rob Newman won their heats.

   The Performance Automotive NW Sportsmans saw East Lansing’s Jack Koone Jr. bring home the hardware, un-seating 3-time track champion Dane Long, securing his title as 2008 track champion. Koone had Mason’s Scott Sigman glued to his bumper for most of the 25-lap feature, with Long looking high and low for a way around Sigman. At the stripe, it was Koone, Sigman, Long, Holt’s Jimmy Scavarda, and Leslie’s Damon Place. Scavarda tallied the heat win.

   Spencer Drake, of Dimondale, earned his first championship title in 2008 for the Pure Stock division. Charlotte’s Marc Childers had a stellar run, trying to keep Drake in his sights. Dansville’s Mark Carson, Dimondale’s Steve Orta, and Mason’s Joe Sharp rounded out the top five. Carson won the heat for the evening.

   Boss Snow Equipment Pony Stocks saw Jackson’s Edson Rowley III take the crown as the 2008 champion. It wasn’t exactly a cake walk for Rowley, as Lansing’s Wayne Beckner Jr. challenged Rowley for the lead at the halfway point, while Gregory’s Jeremy LaFontaine and Lansing’s Lex Jarecki were knocking on the door. Jarecki threaded the needle, running three-wide with Beckner Jr. and Rowley, to take the win, earning a trip to the Corrigan Oil Winner’s Circle. LaFontaine slipped around Rowley as well to come home second, while Rowley, Beckner Jr., and Eaton Rapid’s Patrick Denison rounded out the top five. LaFontaine and Jarecki scored heat wins for the evening.

   Please join us at the Spartan Speedway on Friday, August 29th for a different breed of show, featuring the Wolverine Outlaw Midgets, MCR Dwarfs, Legends, VROA Mods, and the Bandoleros. Sunday, August 31st, is Poor Paul’s Harvest 275, featuring the Andrew’s Chvrolet Super Late Models, Valvoline Instant Oil Change Modifieds, Performance Automotive NW Sportsmans, Pure Stocks, Boss Snow Equipment Pony Stocks, and Pony Stock Figure 8’s. September 5th is Fun Night, featuring the return of the School Bus Figure 8’s and “Run What You Brung” for the divisions, along with Powderpuff races. Check out the website, www.spartanspeedway.com, for gate times and pricing. As always, we’ll see you at the races!