By T.J. Buffenbarger
(August 2, 2022) — It is amazing how many things can change in just a week’s time. Proof of this is evident when following the Great Lakes Super Sprints series coming off their most recent weekend of competition.
Danny Sams III from North Port, Florida seemed to have the lead in the 2022 GLSS point standings under control leading into Friday at I-96 Speedway and Saturday at Fremont Speedway. Sams had a solid point night on Friday finishing in fourth spot, but Saturday things turned upside down, literally.
Sams was caught up in a heat race crash ending upside down. Unable to make repairs to continue Sams holds a slim eight-point lead over Dustin Daggett, only 18 markers up on third place Max Stambaugh, and 39 points ahead of Phil Gressman in fourth.
Everyone near the top of the GLSS standings has seemingly experienced some sort of moment that has major points implications. Stambaugh spun out of second position going for the win at I-96 Speedway in May, Daggett caught a rut at Butler and did everything but turn over. Gressman and Stambaugh have been remarkable consistent but haven’t made it to victory lane in GLSS competition yet.
Gregg Dalman, who’s driving skills seem to age like fine wine, is not entirely out of the mix as well as enough mistakes coming down the stretch from the lead quartet combined with Dalman rolling the bottom as summer heats up could make the 2022 GLSS championship wide open coming into August.
Moreover, throw into the mix the shift in venues to Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio Saturday of Labor Day weekend co-sanctioned by the National Racing Alliance. These group of front running cars for GLSS will now have to contend with a 249-mile trip to Attica after racing at Hartford Motor Speedway in Hartford, Michigan on Friday instead of the 137-mile jaunt north to Crystal. Attica will also draw the full contingent of front runners with NRA into the mix and could jumble the point standings in the penultimate round.
Tuesday morning just before this column was posted it was announced GLSS will compete at Hartford Motor Speedway on Friday August 12th to fill a gap that opened up on Hartford’s schedule.
I mentioned at the beginning of the year that GLSS was one of the most compelling sprint car series to follow in 2022 and had the potential to produce one of the most exciting seasons we have seen in the Great Lakes region. Moving into August that seems to be holding true in regard to the 2022 GLSS point championship.
Notes
• The Must See Racing Sprint Car Series produced an entertaining feature event Saturday at Berlin Raceway with London, Ontario’s Ryan Litt charging from 10th starting position for the victory. Litt is in the heart of 360 sprint car country but stayed the course including sitting out two years due to not being able to cross the border due to the pandemic, with that patience paying off with Saturday’s victory.
• Joshua Turner picked a good time to collect his second feature victory of the 2022 season with the purse at Butler Motor Speedway being bumped up to $2,500 to win courtesy of Pells Tire Service, who is known to be a staunch sprint car supporter locally and nationally.
• Jimmy McCune is still recovering from burns suffered during a sprint car race at Butler Motor Speeway. McCune is recovering from the burns to his feet and ankles at the University of Michigan medical center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• Shelby Yeaples has made the jump from the lightning sprint division up to full size sprint cars. Yeaples is the fiancée of sprint car driver Tylar Rankin. Yeaples made her third full size sprint car start Saturday at Butler.
Nearly $3,000 dollars was raised by passing the helmet on Saturday at Butler with long time sprint car supporter NEFCO doubling that amount to make it $6,000 dollars. We are still working on a definitive address to send get well wishes to McCune. Typically, a story like this would have received more coverage, but due to yours truly being somewhat off the grid up north the week it happened the incident didn’t get as much coverage as it should have. Of course, we send out best wishes to McCune for a speedy recovery.
• Another busy weekend of sprint car racing is on tap in Michigan as GLSS heads north for their only appearance this season at Mt. Pleasant Speedway in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan before heading east to the Silver Bullet Speedway in Owendale. The Illini Midgets make their one and only Michigan appearance Saturday at M-40 Speedway in Jones Michigan while Butler Motor Speedway has their regular offering of winged 410 sprint cars on Saturday.