By Eric Bunn
(Lebanon, IN) Trey Osborne captured his first victory in K&M Tool and Die Mel Kenyon Midget Series presented by Newton Petroleum Services and Dragon Racing Fuels at Kentuckiana’s Sportsdrome Speedway in a rough and tumble night of racing on the semi-flat quarter mile. Osborne’s run from 5th to the point in the first four laps of the 30-lp feature also earned him the Newton Petroleum Services Hard Charger Award.
Tommy Kouns jumped to the lead in turn one on the first lap by diving around pole sitter Cole Christy. Osborne used his starting position on the inside of the third row to make quick work of Christy and two other cars. He then closed on Kouns, taking the inside line in turns three and four to lead Kouns to the stripe to begin lap five.
The event’s first caution came with contact between Kouns and Logan Huggler in turn three, that left Huggler on a hook and Kouns rejoining the field at the tail. Following the restart Osborne pulled out to a three and four car length lead while the field shuffled and then re-shuffled itself behind him.
The event’s only red flag flew for a spectacular flip by Cole Christy exiting turn four on a lap 28 restart. Christy was examined and released on Saturday night at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis.
Following the restart Ryan Huggler stayed on Osborne’s tail for the remaining two laps, trailing the leader to the checkers by 0.334 second. Kouns, Kameron Gladish and Nathan Foster completed the top five finishers in the 12th race of the K&M Tool and Die Kenyon Midget’s 20 race season.
Ryan Huggler won the night’s 20-lap qualifying race with a dramatic last lap pass of his brother Logan on the back straight.
The K&M Tool and Die Mel Kenyon Midget Series presented by Newton Petroleum Services and Dragon Racing Fuels continues on the semi-banked short tracks when the Series returns to the Tom Wood Group Indianapolis Speedrome on Saturday August 18. The pit gates on Kitley Avenue in Indy will open at 3:30 and the spectator gates open at 4:39. The K&M Kenyon Midgets will qualify at 6:00 and racing will begin at 7:00.