Friday, July 28, 2006
Dusen, Wilbern and Smith all Winners at Winston Motor Speedway
Winston Motor Speedway ended the month of July with some of the best racing this season. Word is traveling fast throughout the state about the two and three abreast racing that is able to take place every Friday Night. Steady crowds and car counts have made it a very entertaining season thus far. Four out of the six classes had winners who started their main events outside of the top five. Passing has become the norm instead of the exception for the 2006 season.
In the Late Model division Tom Sprague Jr was the top gun for much of the Main event. Sprague held the point for the first twenty laps and through three cautions and their restarts. Kevin Nelson was in the runner-up position during his reign up front. With five laps to go fans witnessed some of the best high side driving of the season by Tom Dusen. On the last caution restart of the feature event Dusen flew by both Sprague and Nelson to take the lead. Nelson immediately followed Dusen to the high grove to get by Sprague for second but could not real in Dusen. Dusen’s win would be his second of the season. Sprague held off a hard charging Brian McQueen for third. The hard charge of the event belonged to Rich Neiser who came from eighteenth place starting spot to fifth. Heat races were won by Eddie Reyes and McQueen. Sprague won the Dash. Nelson was the fastest in Time Trials.
The Michigan Modifieds put on one of the best Main event races of the season. With five laps to go drivers were side-by-side three rows deep. Derek Poland held the point but Rich Neiser, Mike Wilbern, and Nate Bostrom were all applying pressure. An outside move by Wilbern got him by Neiser for second with four laps to go. Wilbern then used the low grove to grab the lead from Poland with two laps left. Wilbern’s eighth place starting position was not a detriment as he motored to his sixth feature event of the season. Poland settled for second. Nate Bostrom powered his way to a third place finish ahead of Neiser and Fast Qualifier Andy Sprague. Heat Races were won by Ray Wiggers and Neiser. Wilbern won the Dash event.
Sportsman driver Chad Weinrick was three laps away from picking up his first feature event win at Winston. Until Sportsman points leader Greg Smith inside pass coming down the front stretch Weinrick had dominated the event. Smith’s patience and track experience from his sixth place starting position paid off for his ninth win of the season and padded his lead at the top of the standings. Weinrick held off Mike Lynn for second. Bud Stenman and Bean Falbe completed the top five. Heat race honors went to Steinman and Mike Anderson. Lynn won the Dash event. Weinrick tripped the clock as the fastest Sportsman in Qualifying.
A heated battle between Jamie Lorenz and Mike Epplett had the fans on their feet much of the event. Epplett got inside of Lorenz coming out of turn four and thought he had cleared Lorenz. Contact between Epplett’s right rear quarter panel and Lorenz’s left front steered Epplett into the wall and showed why Epplett is the Points leader for the Bomber Division. Epplett made one of the best saves of the year, bouncing of the wall and straightening out his car as he entered turn one. Epplett finished strong and picked up his fifth feature win of the season from his sixth place starting position. Lorenz was second over Sadie Klien, Tony Weinrick and Nathan Walton. Heat winners included Lorenz and Walton. Weinrick took Dash honors. Tim Jeffries was the fastest in Time Trials.
Mini Stock Driver Mark Farber was the best in the field for the four-cylinder division. Farber led every lap to take his sixth Feature win of the season. Zak Rounds, Jared Guinn and Carl McCann completed the run down. McCann won the Heat race. Guinn took Dash race honors. Guinn was the fast Qualifier.
In the Young Gun division Kiley Kennedy stopped Blake Meyering’s consecutive win streak at six. Kennedy led from start to finish. Kennedy’s win was her second of the season. Meyering was glued to Kennedy’s’ bumper at the finish line. Eric Harrald was third followed by Adam Spencer and Heat race winner Tyler Wagner. Meyering swept the Dash and Qualifying events.
A busy weekend takes place to start the month of August at Winston Motor Speedway. Friday August 4th will be six exciting classes of racing. Saturday August 5th the Lakeshore Demo Derby cars will be in action for part of their Summer Slam Series. For the best in Family Entertainment along the Lakeshore make your way to Winston Motor Speedway.
