From TJ Buffenbarger
Lake Odessa, MI — (7/24-25/1999) — Frankie Kerr had to wait until Sunday afternoon to run the feature at the New 96 Speedway after a large thunderstorm washed out racing just before the main on Saturday night. Kerr in his Stan Shoff owned J&J/Kistler Chevy powered car passed Dean Jacobs on lap 15 and was able to hold off Jacobs and Joey Saldana.
“Dean got a jump on the moisture being on the bottom, and he slipped up on the bottom and I got by”, said Kerr after the feature. Kerr also thanked his family, his owner Stan Shoff, and all of the fans that came out to watch the feature on Sunday afternoon.
Dean Jacobs was on the Butler Built Hot Seat Poll Position with Kerr on the front row for the 30-lap main event. Jacobs got a run on the inside going into the first turn and led the first half of the event. Behind him Kerr and Saldana were battling hard for the second position. When the leaders hit lapped traffic, Jacobs was held up some, while Kerr and Saldana were gaining just a bit on the leader. Saldana made a move on Kerr during lap four going three wide with the lapped car of Lisa Ward. Saldana came close to the infield guardrail and had to slow up, and allowed Kerr to gain some distance.
Back further in the pack the driver making the best run from the back was young Kasey Kahne in the Kelly Kahne owned Don Ott Chevy powered Maxim Chassis. Kahne was able to up from his 10th starting positions to sixth by lap seven working the middle of the race track. By lap 12 Kahne passed Jarrod Hull to move into the top five.
On lap 14 Dean Jacobs was locked to the bottom in lapped traffic, and Kerr was able to get free and move up right behind the leader. Going down the backstrech Kerr put his nose under Dean Jacobs as was able to take the lead in turns three and four. Five laps later Saldana was also able to get around Jacobs and began his persuit of Kerr. On lap 20 Dave Freed made contact with another car and spun into the infield guardrail to bring out the only caution during the feature. Freed was able to restart the event.
After the restart Kerr had some lapped cars between himself and Saldana. Kerr pulled away, but quickly Saldana, Jacobs, and Kasey Kahne who moved into the fourth position were right together on the race track. Kerr was able to hold on though during the last few laps to win the feature over Saldana, Jacobs, Kahne, and Hull. Paul McMahan, Lance DeWease from the 11th position took home the Simpson Lucky 7 award, Danny Smith, Jason Statler, and Greg Wilson rounded out the top ten.
Paul McMahan set quick time with a lap of 16.873 seconds. Kenny Jacobs won the United Expressline heat race, while Greg Litten won the Southwest Expressline heat, Danny Smith won the Southwest Glass heat race, and Joey Saldana took home the United Specialties heat race. Kerr won the KSE Racing products dash, while Brian Carlson won the United Expressline B-Main event.
In the IMCA Modified division, Buzz Lawerence started on the front row and led all 20-laps to win his first feature in two seasons. Lawerence was followed by Mike Harding, Brad Roberts, Shannon Fisk, and Rick Stout. John Eash, Joe Baker, Tim Stemler, and Harding won the heat races, while Jake Meyerink won the B-Main event.
Next week at the New 96 Speedway the regular Open Sprints return with IMCA Modifieds and Street Stocks. Then in two weeks the AMA Grand National Motorcycles roar into the New 96 Speedway for their only Michigan appearance for the 1999 season. The New 96 Speedway is located of Interstate 96 exit 64 on Porland Road in beautiful Lake Odessa, Michigan.
Summary:
All Star Sprints
Time Trials: 1. Paul McMahan, Johnson U2, 16.873; 2. Joey Saldana, Mox 17, 17.391; 3. Brett Mann, Mann 19, 17.402; 4. Greg Wilson, Hampshire 63, 17.447; 5. Frankie Kerr, Shoff 23s, 17.459; 6. Dean Jacobs, 17.463; 7. Jarrod Hull, Webb 51, 17.471; 8. Byron Reed, Reed 5, 17.623; 9. Rodney Duncan, Harrison 22, 17.643; 10. Butch Schroeder, Daugherty 7, 17.681; 11. Steve Suever, Suever 36s, 17.683; 12. Kasey Kahne, Kahne 23, 17.708; 13. Lance DeWease, Hartz 88, 17.740; 14. Jason Statler, Statler 00, 17.847; 15. Danny Smith, Ashworth 92, 17.856; 16. Brian Carlson, Carlson 18, 18.054; 17. Charlie Baker, Baker 1C, 18.082; 18. Norman Carpenter, Carpenter C49, 18.241; 19. Brian Ellenberger, Ellenberger 20, 18.262; 20. Mark Stemen, Stemen 17s, 18.360; 21. Kenny Jacobs, Jacobs 6, 18.454;
22. Greg Litten, Litten 12, 18.467; 23. Todd Wohlford, Wohlford 0, 18.501; 24. Van Gurley, Jr., Bible 22B, 18.516; 25. Dave Freed. Freed 8F, 18.587; 26. Greg Wheeler, Wheeler 16c, 18.608; 27. Jason Dukes, Dukes 3, 18.878; 28. Mike Stemler, Stemler 22X, 19.024; 29. Joe Conway, Conway 11C, 19.250; 30. Mason Robertson, Robertson 19R, 19.339; 31. Keith Love, Love 77L, 19.568; 32. John Ivy, Smith 2+ 19.569; 33. Lisa Ward, Hot Rod Shop 49, 20.401; 34. Jim Damon, Damon 50, 20.631.
United Expressline Heat Race: K. Jacobs, McMahan, Duncan, DeWease, Kerr, Freed, Baker, Conway, Ward
Southwest Expressline Heat Race: Litten, Statler, D. Jacobs, Schroeder, Sandana, Wheeler, Robertson, Damon, Carpenter
Southwest Glass Heat Race: Smith, Hull, Wohlford, Mann, Ellenberter, Suever, Dukes, Love
United Specialties Heat Race: Stemen, Kahne, Wilson, Reed, Gurley, Carlson, Iby, Stemler
Commercial Truck and Trailer Dash: Kerr, Saldana, D. Jacobs, Hull, Wilson, McMahan
United Expressline B-Main: Carlson, Dukes, Baker, Freed, Suever, Robertson, Stemler, Wheeler, Love, Conway, Damon, Ward, Carpenter
A-Main: Kerr, Saldana, D. Jacobs, Kahne, Hull, McMahan, DeWease, Smith, Statler, Wilson, K. Jacobs, Schroeder, Duncan, Ellenberger, Stemen, Baker, Wohlford, Carlson, Gurley, Stemler, Freed, Litten, Mann, Ward
IMCA Modifieds:
Heat 1: John Eash, Buzz Lawerence, Brad Roberts, Rick Stout, Jake Meyerink, Doug VanderWoude, Harry Plushnik, Dave Holcomb
Heat 2: Joe Baker, Jason Seeley, Shannon Fisk, Gordie Petrie, Mike Beliell, Bruce West, Randy Ruesink, Dan Hubble
Heat 3: Tim Stemler, Brook Brasington, Jeff Roodvoets, Mike Stencel, Gary VanderMark, Darrell Price, Mike Miller, Dan Rogers
Heat 4: Mike Harding, John McClure, Greg Hoppes, Joe Norder, Todd Feutz, Mike Grasman, Gabe High, Frank Ward
B-Main: Meyerink, VanderMark, Price, Miller, Ward, West, Grasman, Hubble, Ruesink, Fetuz
A-Main: Lawerence, Harding, Roberts, Fisk, Stout, Stemler, Hoppes, Brasington, Roodvoets, Price, Meyerink, Baker, VanderMark, McClure, Miller, Seeley, Stencel, Norder, Petrie, Eash
Photo Gallery
