From Bob Fricke, Mike Campbell photo
For 75 years there has been high-level competitive motorsports on the exact location that presently marks Limaland Motorsports Park. Track officials honored that remarkable tradition with the running of the 75th Anniversary races on July 23 and the action that developed was in keeping with the great legacy of racing. It took three proven performers to prevail in the face of tough competitive fields and a near record warm day of temperatures.
The Engine Pro NRA Sprint Invaders were back at Limaland following two nights of racing last weekend at the Eldora Speedway Kings Royal event. Although former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart won both features at his own race track, the surname Stewart was able to stay at the front of the pack this week with defending series champion JR Stewart smoking the field following an early race caution period.
Pole starter Hud Horton controlled the opening race action until fifth year driver Jared Horstman got above the cushion and rattled the front straight wall through four laps. The restart saw Stewart, outside row two starter, stormed to the top and blow past Horton to take the lead. Despite the quality of the field, Stewart literally checked out on the competition with his dominating run.
There was some exciting action behind Stewart with fellow front row starter Ron Blair, NRA point’s leader Butch Schroeder and Tim Hunter racing in a pack for the final ten circuits. Blair took the runner-up position and Hunter moved from a fifth row start to the third and final podium finish.
“The track was really fast tonight,” said the beaming Stewart after his 2nd NRA win and first at Limaland this season. “All we had to do was get into the lead and run like heck. You just have to make sure lapped cars are keeping their lines. I was told I had a big lead, but you drive like Butch (Schroeder) was right behind me. We changed a couple of shocks since hot laps and that was all we’ve done to the car tonight.”
Limaland Motorsports Park – 7/23/2010
Homeland Technology Night
NRA Sprints
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 6S-Jr Stewart; 2. 28H-Hud Horton; 3. 34-Luke Hall; 4. 6-Mike Dussel; 5. 11-Tim Allison; 6. 18-Todd Heuerman; 7. 5W-Jeff Williams; 8. 48-Tommy Kerce
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. B20-Butch Schroeder; 2. 6Z-Zach Ames; 3. 22D-Randy Hannagan; 4. 4J-Bob Gehr Jr.; 5. 37-Mike Dunlap; 6. 2-Brent Gehr; 7. 32M-Derek Hastings; 8. 10J-Jarrod Delong
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 35-Ron Blair; 2. 17-Jared Horstman; 3. 7C-Tim Hunter; 4. 2M-Ethan Hoy; 5. 4B-Andrew Bowsher; 6. 21-Traviis Hery; 7. 1W-Kent Wolters; 8. 7K-Kyle Sauder
B-Main – (10 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 5W-Jeff Williams; 2. 18-Todd Heuerman; 3. 7K-Kyle Sauder; 4. 1W-Kent Wolters; 5. 2-Brent Gehr; 6. 10J-Jarrod Delong; 7. 48-Tommy Kerce; 8. 32M-Derek Hastings; 9. 21-Traviis Hery
A-Main – (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 6S-Jr Stewart[4]; 2. 35-Ron Blair[2]; 3. 7C-Tim Hunter[9]; 4. 34-Luke Hall[7]; 5. B20-Butch Schroeder[3]; 6. 6-Mike Dussel[10]; 7. 22D-Randy Hannagan[8]; 8. 28H-Hud Horton[1]; 9. 7K-Kyle Sauder[18]; 10. 5W-Jeff Williams[16]; 11. 11-Tim Allison[13]; 12. 18-Todd Heuerman[17]; 13. 1W-Kent Wolters[19]; 14. 6Z-Zach Ames[5]; 15. 37-Mike Dunlap[14]; 16. 4J-Bob Gehr Jr.[11]; 17. 2-Brent Gehr[20]; 18. 2M-Ethan Hoy[12]; 19. 17-Jared Horstman[6]; 20. 4B-Andrew Bowsher[15]