Hidy Brothers Photo Finish at Spartan Speedway
Finally Mother Nature gave Spartan Speedway a break on Northside Service Mid- Season Championship Night, with picture perfect skies and great side by side racing in all the Carquest Racing Series Classes.
The Performance NW Street Stocks had a very excited feature winner in Landon Hidy as he beat out brother Ben by less than an inch in a spectacular photo finish. This could be the beginning of things to come as the duo battles it out for the 2004 Track Championship. Randy Squires took the early lead from his pole position until lap 5 when Pat Dent took over. Dent stretched his lead as Mark Valasquez worked his way up to 2nd with the Hidy brothers in tow. Dent's large lead was eliminated on lap 13 and the restart had the Hidy Brothers both getting by to set the stage for a great late race battle. Ben Hidy went to the outside of Landon for the lead just as a caution flew on lap 22, setting up a 3 lap shootout for the win. Ben was determined to take a shot for the win and jumped to the outside on lap 23 and both drivers held their line and went side by side to the finish as Landon took the photo finish win over Ben. Dent was 3rd followed by Joe Barnhart's best run of the season in 4th and Valasquez's season best 5th. The Hidy Brothers cleaned house as they tied for the Lost Tiger Tattoos Hard Charger Award.
Butch Morance was the RaceFan.Com heat race winner and Mark Smith took home the fast heat. Ben Hidy set fast time for the 19-car field with a quick lap of 14.359.
The racy little ¼ mile was holding plenty of side-by-side racing as the Comcast Cablevision Super Late Models put on a show of their own as the 50-lap feature event had heavy racing through out the pack as surprise visitor,Tom Hernley Jr. tried to hold off the weekly regulars for the win. Hernley Jr. held the point until Harry Foote Jr. took over the lead with 8 laps to go as the veteran driver used the elusive outside lane to gain his 2nd victory of the season. The veterans seemed to be on fire this night as Dave Stehouwer worked the outside groove to perfection also and brought home 2nd place as Doug Finley nipped Hernley Jr. at the stripe in a photo finish for 3rd. Jeff Hackworth rounded out the top 5. Rookie, A.J. Foote was the Hidy's Towing Hard Charger in only his 2nd race at the speedway, finishing 10th from his 15th starting spot.
Garry Duram was a first time winner in heat one as Jimmy Gallagher and Jeff Hackworth were other heat winners. Evan Barrett won the RaceFan.Com Semi-Feature over Lee Taylor. Tom Fedewa set quick time for the 23-car field with a lap time of 13.033.
Not to be outdone, it was the WIBM AM1450 Michigan Modifieds turn to show what they could do as the front row of Harry Parish and Jim Butler went side-by side for the lead for the first twelve laps as second row starters, Bud Perry and Chris Ozanich shadowed the leaders in their own side-by-side race for 3rd. Parrish finally took the point on lap 12 as Butler just couldn't hold the outside groove any longer. Perry on the inside then forced Butler back to 3rd and set his sites on Parrish for the lead. Fast qualifier, Larry Wallace was challenging Ozanich for 4th on lap 14 when the two got together sending Wallace to the rear and Ozanich maintaining 4th. Perry got by Parrish for the lead on the restart and went on for the win over Parrish, Butler, Ozanich and Dick LaPratt. Kyle Hicks, Earl Miles and Nyle Weiler were victorious in the heat races and Mike Wells won the RaceFan.Com Semi-Feature event. Larry Wallace was fast qualifier with a 13.752 lap time for the 26-car field.
The always entertaining B&L Truck Caps Pony Stocks had double features with wild four wide racing action all over the track in both feature events. In the make up feature, Trei Duebel was on a mission as he took the lead on lap two from his 8th starting spot. Duebel stretched to over a half a lap lead as Russel Potter settled into 2nd place. The race for 3rd was heating up between Bruce Jones and Julie Abbott when the two got together out of turn 2 and allowed Kenny Clark to sneak though. Potter picked up a late race push and fell back to 6th as Clark finished 2nd followed by Abbott 3rd, Harlan Oleski 4th in his first ever feature event and Jones 5th. Kenny Clark was the Dande Signs & Designs Hard Charger finishing 2nd from his 12th starting spot. The second feature event had a very tough time getting started as everybody headed to the front on the first lap causing a couple restarts and finally a single file restart led by Nate Hinder. Jimmy Scavarda was quickly working his way to the front and took the lead as Hinder received a speeding ticket for racing under his qualifying time. Trei Duebel was still hot after his feature win and was working on Scavarda for the lead when the caution flew on lap 16 sending Duebel to the rear for racing in the infield dirt. Abbott took over second and on the last lap tapped Scavarda in turn three, spinning both cars and allowing 3rd place Clark to look like the winner. But the Checkered flag never waived , setting up a one lap race to the finish. Scavarda was given the lead back with Abbott being sent to the rear. As the restart, Scavarda's tire went flat, but he was able to fend off Clark's challenge to take the win. Jerry Garland finished a season best 3rd, followed by John Ward and Harlan Oleski.
Nate Hinder and Trei Duebel were heat race winners with Hinder winning the WhoWon.Com / Valvoline Cup Award. Trei Deubel set his first fast time of the year with a 16.759 lap for the 19-car field.
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