Dusen, Wilbern and Welch Garner Honors at Winston Motor Speedway

Friday, May 19 2006

Dusen, Wilbern and Welch Garner Honors at Winston Motor Speedway

Winston Motor Speedway returned to racing Friday May 19th after a week off. Cold temperatures and steady rains have been the norm of late. Fans welcomed a sunny but cool evening to get their fill of some great racing action. Close finishes were the agenda of the night as two and three abreast racing continues to impress the fans and have the Winston Motor Speedway drivers excited to be at the track every Friday night.Muskegon Late Model driver Tom Dusen saw his stock rise in the point standings. Dusen put on a dominating performance leading every lap of the late model feature. Dusen used the high line the entire event to pick up his first feature win of the season. Point’s leader Kevin Nelson had terrible luck with a last place finish. A flat tire on lap one saw him take a huge hit in the standings. There was one highlight for the Nelson family as son Kevin Nelson Jr. made his way to a second place finish coming all the way from his eighth place starting position. Ed Reyes, Matt Pickard and Carl Ries rounded out the top five. Heat races were won by Dan McCormick and Nelson Jr. The Dash event was won by Dusen. The fastest in Time Trials was Nelson.

Michigan Modified driver John McCaul dominated the entire event, but it was not enough to win. McCaul had cruised out front for nineteen laps with no one in sight. That all changed in the final two turns. Fast Qualifier Mike Wilbern never lifted off throttle for the last 200 yards nipping McCaul by a foot. Wilbern’s impressive run brought out a standing ovation for his efforts and aided his cause at the top of the point standings. McCaul’s second place finish in the main event was also combined with a Heat race and Dash event wins. Andy Sprague, Rich Neiser and Derek Poland completed the top five. Matt Sprague was also a Heat Race winner.

Sportsman Drivers Mike Lynn, Mike Welch and Greg Smith had the crowd on their feet for the last three laps of their main event. Welch and Smith had battled for ten laps far out front of the field until a caution with three laps to go brought Mike Lynn into the picture. All three drivers did their best to grab the point, but it was going to be Welch celebrating in victory lane. Welch had the drive of his career holding off Lynn to the inside and Smith to the outside. You cold have thrown a blanket over all three at the finish line. Welch’s win was a popular one as he beat last top gun Lynn and four-time Sportsman track champion Greg Smith for the win. Jamie Gilmore and Rob Sternberg completed the top five. Bud Steinman and Chad Weinrick were heat race winners. Smith won the Dash race. Sternberg tripped the clock as the fastest Sportsman.

Bomber driver Stan Dodds did not let a poor qualifying time and his eleventh place starting position in the main event over shadow his performance in the feature. Dodds hustled his way through the filed in the early going. A caution for Nathon Walton’s car being pole vaulted through the air because of a broken rear end was the caution that Dodds needed to complete his mission. With four laps to go Dodds was within striking distance. Dodds pass of Eric Wadkins with three laps to go was for the win. Wadkins did hold on to second by fighting off the hard charges of Mike Eplett and Jerry Fairchild. Angie Gilmore completed the top five. Dodds and Tim Jeffiries took checkered flags for Heat Race wins. Fairchild was the Dash Winner. Epplett was the fastest in Qualifying.

Mini Stock Driver Mark Farber raced his way into the winner’s circle twice during the evening. Farber started out the evening with a Heat race win and stayed in his rhythm for the main event. Once out front of the Main event Farber was able to hit all his marks to pick up the win. Stephen Thebo’s finished in the second spot followed by Carl McCann, Joe McCormick, and Jared Guinn. The fastest in Time Trials was McCann. Guinn was the Heat race winner. Young Gun driver Blake Meyering continues to be the man to beat. Meyering’s pass of Kiley Kennedy with three laps to go proved to be the move of the race. The win for Meyering was his third of the season. Kiley Kennedy was second followed by her younger sister Desiree Kennedy. The fourth and fifth positions belonged to Jordan Praay and Tyler Wagner. Praay was the Heat race winner. Wagner won the Dash. Meyering was the fastest in Time Trials.

Winston Motor Speedway returns next Friday night May 26th with a full program of racing and excitement. For the best in Family Entertainment along the Lakeshore make your way to Winston Motor Speedway.