5/6/2024
Owosso Speedway
Big Car Counts and Big Action at Owosso Speedway
109 cars packed the pit area for a beautiful night of racing at the Owosso Speedway. Just the second night of the season and already packed fields of cars helped to make the racing on the track even more exciting with full or near full fields in all classes!
The M&K Truck Centers Late Model Sportsman would make their 2024 debut with a barn burner of a 40-lap feature. Zach Johnson would start on the pole, but the battle of the race would be between fast qualifier Buddy Head and Defending Track Champion Jon Beach. The two veteran racers would have a fun but physical battle at the front of the field with both drivers going back and forth for several laps. Eventually Beach would have to give way, and Head would take the opening round for the Late Model Sportsman. Brandon Barcus took advantage of a shuffle in a battle for second to pass several cars all at once to get the runner up spot. Beach was third, with Clarity Patton and 2023 Rookie of the Year Matt Hogan completing the top five, after revisions to the final order in post race technical inspection which saw Hunter and Tanner Jack excluded from the results for infractions. Canadian Jay Palumbo and Barcus took heat race wins, while Head was fast qualifier with a 15.341. Head also was the recipient of the Hard Charger award from the race, advancing 10 positions from his starting spot.
A full field of Flory Crane Rental Sport Compacts would line up for their 25-lap feature. Managing traffic was the name of the game in this one, as Damian Watters found out the hard way! Watters had wrestled the lead away from Pat Dent and looked to be on his way to victory, but tangled with a car going a lap down, forcing him to the pit area to replace a flat tire, handing the lead back to Dent. However, this also put Dent within striking distance of Bryson Hosner! Hosner and Dent would battle side by side for several laps before Hosner was able to push his way fully to the front. He would then go on to take the victory! Dent was second with Defending Champion Nicholas Murdock in third. Fast qualifier Bobbi Jo Jernigan was fourth, with Damian Watters recovering to get a top five finish. Chad Baker won the B-Main, with heat race victories going to Dustin Workman, Jeff Asmus, Mike Westphal, and Bryson Hosner. Bobbi Jo Jernigan was fast qualifier with a 17.466, while she and Braydyn Loop would both pick up Hard Charger honors, each advancing five positions from the initial start.
Another full field of cars lined up for the 50-lap Valley Truck Center Modifieds feature. Last years Rookie of the Year Billy Luckhurst would line up on the pole with Midwest Modifieds Tour ace Buddy Gray starting alongside. Luckhurst put up what may have been his most impressive performance behind the wheel of a Modified yet as he lead the opening 20 laps. Luckhurst would be overtaken by Matt Dimit in his first appearance of the season. After some rough luck at Owosso in 2023, the Fort Wayne, Indiana driver was out for redemption. And he would find it, driving away from the field once he got to the front of the caution free affair. Buddy Gray held on for a 1-2 sweet by the Midwest Modified Tour regulars. Jerame Jaroniewski had a career night in third, with Defending Champion David McManus, and Luckhurst completing the top five. Bob Bauer would win the B-Main, with Nick Larabee, Curtis Spencer, Austin Kryta, and Corey Finley picking up heat race wins. Tim Lahar was fast qualifier with a 15.12. The Modifieds were the class chosen for the Kimball Midwest Challenge in which the fast qualifier of a randomly selected division can elect to start at the tail of the feature for a rolling bonus. Lahar declined so the bonus now increases to $300 for this Saturday. Nick Lechota received the 10 bonus points as the Hard Charger, advancing six positions from his starting spot.
The Michigan Paving All-American Trucks saw another intense battle at the front of the field. Junior Gokee and Greg Long III would duke it out over the victory for the majority of the event. Long, however would get free of Gokee and go on to drive off into the sunset, becoming 2024’s first repeat feature winner. Cameron DeLong finished second after missing qualifying due to attending his high school prom! Gokee was third, with Greg Long Jr., and Mark Wilcox completing the top five. Jeremy Neph, Mark Wilcox, and Junior Gokee picking up the heat race wins, while Greg Long III set a new track record in qualifying, turning an 18.255 to best the 21 truck field. Cameron DeLong would get the Hard Charger bonus, advancing 19 spots.
The MacAllister Rental Pure Stocks were the final event of the night, but as usual they were well worth the wait! Anthony Williams, in his first start of the season, led the early laps, and held off many of the heavy hitters. But Landon Hidy and Dan Gokee would take Williams three-wide, forcing the Flint, Michigan driver out of the lead. From there an amazing battle took place with almost the entire top 10 in contention for the lead. A caution would level the playing field, and thanks to the Owosso Option, Williams would restart outside of Gokee on the front row. Soon after the restart, Five-time and Defending Champion Lonnie Saumier would shoot the gap in the center and take the lead. Jordan Lechota would eventually run down Saumier, but it was not to be as Saumier took his first win of 2024. Lechota was second, with Dan Gokee third over Jason Spencer. Jim Miller Jr. recovered to finish fifth after having to go to the tail for running over the choose box, inheriting a top five position after Kyle Callahan was excluded for an infraction in post race inspection. Dan Gokee and Jordan Lechota won heats, while Miller was fast time with an 18.030. Saumier received the bonus points for the Hard Charger award, moving up seven spots from his original position.
Submitted By: Chris Fobbe
