From Randy Worrell
ORRVILLE – Not often do the results match the hype in today’s sporting world. But perfect spring weather, coupled with an ultra-fast Wayne County Speedway, turned the opening night of its first Fast Five racing program of the 2023 season into “five fantastic finishes” on Saturday at the 3-8-mile oval near Orrville.
Defending Pine Tree Towing and Recovery Sprint Car champion Henry Malcuit wowed the large crowd with a late-race pass to pick up the victory in the first of four visits from Aaron Fry’s FAST Series $3,000-to-win headliner.
Although Malcuit paced the 20-car A-main – from a stout 31-car FAST field – from his outside pole slot, it was anything but easy for the familiar Sugarcreek Cartage No. 70. Jordan Ryan, Danny Sams, and Brandon Spithaler kept within 10 car lengths early in the event before Ryan suffered from mechanical gremlins sending the former WCS winner to the Gentry Dumpster Rental Hot Pit work area.
Spithaler, however, grabbed the top spot nearing lap 20, with Malcuit, Sams, Tyler Street, Ricky Peterson, Trey Jacobs, Tyler Gunn and Danny Mumaw in tow. With just two laps remaining, though, Malcuit ducked under Spithaler in turn 2 and sped away with his second FAST series victory in as many years.
“I wasn’t sure how many laps were left, but I got a run under (Brandon) and tried to hit my marks the last few laps,” said Malcuit. “These guys are so fast and so good, but I’ve turned a lot of laps around this place. It feels good to get the first win of the season.”
BOX SCORE
FAST On Dirt
Wayne County Speedway
April 15, 2023
ARP Fasteners Qualifying
Flight A: 1. 38-Logan Wagner 14.82, 2. 24D-Danny Sams 14.92, 3. 22s-Brandon Spithaler 15.02, 4. 38K-Chris Myers 15.06, 5. 2-Ricky Peterson 15.21, 6. 4*-Tyler Street 15.22, 7. 19-Sean Rayhall 15.32, 8. 81-Lee Jacobs 15.53, 9. 17-Reece Saldana 15.54, 10. 7DK-Dylan Kingan 15.61, 11. 5-Jeremy Weaver 15.79, 12. 7-Troy Kingan 15.96, 13. 57N-Tyler Newhart 16.40, 14. 33-Shane O’Banion 16.42, 15. 98-Robert Robenalt 17.02, 16. 11j-James Moore 17.17
Flight B: 1. 70-Henry Malcuit 14.89, 2. 25r-Jordan Ryan 14.89, 3. 91-Tyler Gunn 14.94, 4. 9-Trey Jacobs 14.96, 5. 15-Mitch Harble 15.22, 6. 78-Justin Clark 15.27, 7. 16-Danny Mumaw 15.44, 8. 23jr-Jack Sodeman Jr 15.51, 9. 6-Bob Felmlee 15.59, 10. 12-Kasey Jedrzejek 15.68, 11. 55+-McKenna Haase 16.01, 12. 2-Joe Adorjan16.34, 13. 10-Justin Adams 16.42, 14. 187-Tyler Wiles 17.26, 15. 22r-Ryan Fredericks
NAPA of Fremont – Heat 1: 1. 2-Peterson(2) ; 2. 22s-Spithaler(3) ; 3. 19-Rayhall(1) ; 4. 5-Weaver(6) ; 5. 38-Wagner(4) ; 6. 17-Saldana(5) ; 7. 98-Robenalt(😎 ; 8. 57N-Newhart(7)
Outsider’s Merchandise & Apparel – Heat 2: 1. 4*-Street(2) ; 2. 81-L.Jacobs(1) ; 3. 24D-Sams(4) ; 4. 38K-Myers(3) ; 5. 7DK-D.Kingan(5) ; 6. 7-T.Kingan(6) ; 7. 33-O’Banion(7) ; 8. 11j-Moore(😎
Elizabeth Gardner Photography – Heat 3: 1. 91-Gunn(3) ; 2. 16-Mumaw(1) ; 3. 70-Malcuit(4) ; 4. 15-Harble(2) ; 5. 55+-Haase(6) ; 6. 6-Felmlee(5) ; 7. 10-Adams(7) ; 8. 22r-Fredericks(😎
E A Home Supply – Heat 4: 1. 9-T.Jacobs(3) ; 2. 78-Clark(2) ; 3. 25r-Ryan(4) ; 4. 23jr-Sodeman(1) ; 5. 12-Jedrzejek(5) ; 6. 2-Adorjan(6) ; 7. 187-Wiles(7)
MSD Ignitions – B Main: 1. 55+-Haase(3) ; 2. 7DK-D.Kingan(2) ; 3. 17-Saldana(5) ; 4. 38-Wagner(1) ; 5. 6-Felmee(7) ; 6. 7-T.Kingan(6)
Ti22 Performance – A Main: 1. 70-Malcuit ; 2. 22s-Spithaler ; 3. 24D-Sams ; 4. 4*-Street ; 5. 9-T.Jacobs ; 6. 91-Gunn ; 7. 2-Peterson ; 8. 16-Mumaw ; 9. 81-L.Jacobs ; 10.19-Rayhall ; 11. 23jr-Sodeman ; 12. 6-Felmlee ; 13. 5-Weaver ; 14. 17-Saldana ; 15. 15-Harble ; 16. 7-T.Kingan ; 17. 38K-Myers ; 18. 55+-Haase ; 19. 78-Clark ; 20. 38-Wagner ; 21. 7DK-D.Kingan ; 22. 25r-Ryan
Hard Charger: 6 – Bob Felmlee +9
Hard Luck: 78 – Justin Clark