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Four in a row for 16-year-old Marq Eaton in Sport Stocks on Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club Night at Owosso Speedway

Friday June 5, 2009

 

By: Chris Fobbe and Matt Prieur – Owosso Speedway

Ovid, Michigan (Saturday May 30, 2009): The Michigan Auto Racing Fan
Club returned to the Owosso Speedway for the first time since the 2006
season on Saturday, May 30th as all M.A.R.F.C. members got into the
grandstands for free while it was also Kids Bike Night at the Ovid,
Michigan speed plant as kids in attendance were given the chance to
take home a brand new bike!

A strong field of Drive Train Specialists Pro Late Models were on hand
for their 30-lap feature event as Mark Pettit and Rookie of the Year
Points Leader, Jim Hardy were on the front row. For the opening half
of the race, Hardy and Pettit would trade the lead back and forth
several times as they toured the 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked paved
oval. 2007 Pro Late Models Track Champion, Mark Welch, who won the
previous night over at Dixie Motor Speedway, was able to poke his nose
in on the battle, and when a caution came out on lap 14, Welch found
himself in the lead as Pettit was the cause of the caution, spinning
in turn two, and Hardy would have to pull off to replace a flat tire.

Welch wouldn’t look back on the restart but he did have to fend off
the advances of Three-Time Track Champion, Tom Hoose who was making
his first appearance of the season. Welch was determined though and
fended off the fellow Fenton, Michigan veteran and steered his
Scooter’s Bar and Grill Chevrolet into victory lane for the second
time of the weekend as well as his second Feature win at the Big “O”
in 2009, and third Overall Feature Win of the season.

Hoose settled for second while Mark Klein came home third in the lone
Dodge in the field. Leo Smith was a solid fourth and new points
leader, Ed Young Jr. rounded out the top five. Jason Felver, the last
feature winner from two weekends ago, was sixth as Pettit recovered
for a seventh place showing ahead of Defending Track Champion, Dave
Bigos. Hardy finished ninth and Chris Lupien rounded out the Top 10.
Young Jr., in a Template Bodied Ford Fusion complete with a Crate
Engine was the fast qualifier for the night with a 16.090 to become
the first driver in Owosso Speedway History to win a Fast Qualifier
Award with a Crate Engine in a Weekly Division, while Pettit and Welch
took the heat race wins.

A very strong field of RacingPartSales.com Pure Stocks were set for
their 20-lap feature event. Joyce Derminer and Leroy Whitaker sat on
the front row and it would be Whitaker going to the high side and
using the momentum up top to lead the opening two laps. Jim Gokee, the
king of the Carnage Nationals back on April 18th when he won Three
separate events that night, would have something to say though as the
Owosso, Michigan veteran slipped past Whitaker to take the lead on Lap
Three. Eric Spencer would maneuver his way up to the front and
challenge Gokee for second, but it would be to no avail as Gokee in
his Kevin’s Body Shop and Towing Chevrolet went on to take his first
feature win of the season.

Spencer was able to maintain second with Green River, Wyoming visitor
and former Owosso Speedway Pure Stocks competitor from the 2005-2006
seasons, Bill Adkins taking home third over Defending Track Champion
and Brother, Kevin Adkins. Current Points Leader and winner of the
last Two Features prior to this night, Jimmy Stratton completing the
Top Five.

Pat Standley, the winner of the Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club Helmet
Bag for his dedication and loyalty to the Owosso Speedway, finished
sixth while Derminer was seventh over Cam Hiltz, fresh off his first
career feature win in the Bombers division at the Dixie Motor Speedway
the night before, and making his Big “O” debut. Whitaker and Steve
Good rounded out the Top 10. Stratton was the fast qualifier for the
fourth straight time in four nights with a 19.269 while Chris Wood and
Gokee brought home heat race wins

The visiting stars of the Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Michigan
Legends Series were on hand for Day II of the Michigan Spring
Regionals. Gary Joppich started on the pole, however rookie John
Warden would be the one to lead the opening lap, getting past Joppich
down the back stretch. Michigan Legends Series Points Leader coming
into the weekend, Matt Todd would take control on lap two, but
defending Michigan Legends Series Champion Chance Rice, the previous
nights winner at the Dixie Motor Speedway, would be right on Todd’s
back bumper.

These two drivers would be all over each other as the laps dwindled.
Rice tried every move in his arsenal, but it was not to be on this
night, as Todd from Canton, Michigan would hang on and steer his
Plymouth Airgas Ford into victory lane for his second series Feature
Win of the season. Rice had to settle for second while Tyler Rycenga,
who finished second at Dixie the previous night, backed that finish up
with a solid third place run. Two-time Series Champion, Levi Rouster
was fourth and Tony Monge rounded out the Top Five.

Ben Rouster was sixth and was followed by the Mahoney Brothers,
Brandon and Cody in seventh and eighth respectively. John Warden
maintained ninth and Joppich rounded out the Top 10. The Michigan
Legends Series normally do not Qualify and Draw for their Heat Race
Starting Positions, which in turn determine the Feature Line-Up. Tony
Monge and Levi Rouster took the two heat races. The Auto Value /
Bumper to Bumper Michigan Legends Series returns to Owosso Speedway on
Saturday, June 27th for the Michigan Summer Regionals Day II.

To complete the night, 15-year-old Joey Rodgers was the one at the
head of the field for the 20-lap Fast Track Promotions Sport Stock
feature and he would lead the opening lap before his older brother,
17-year-old Tim Rodgers would get by to lead Lap Two. The elder
Rodgers Brothers’ lead would be short-lived however as Toledo, Ohio
visitor, Jim Hammond took over the top spot on Lap Four.

13-year-old Danny Crawford soon found himself on Hammond’s back bumper
and after a thrilling side by side battle, Crawford would grab the
lead himself at the halfway point of the race. While Crawford and
Hammond continued to battle, 16-year-old Marq Eaton, the man to beat
all season long, patiently worked his way up to the two leaders from
the rear of the field. Eaton passed Hammond on Lap 12 and soon
afterwards, the Michigan Center, Michigan teenager pulled up
along-side Crawford and the two teens went at it all over the 3/8s
mile. Eaton would finally take the lead after an epic battle with
Crawford on Lap 17 and not look back and in the end, steered his
Heeney’s Garage Dodge into victory lane for the fourth time in four
tries! Crawford finished a career high second while Hammond, Shaun
Conner, and 2008 Rookie of the Year, J.T. Leach completed the Top Five.

15-year-old Harley Smith, the daughter of two-time Pro Late Model
Track Champion Jimmy D. Smith, finished sixth in her stock car racing
debut while Tim Rodgers, Scott Rodgers, Gary Sanfilippo, and Bill
McBride would round out the Top 10. Eaton shattered his own track
record for the second week in a row as he toured the Ovid, Michigan
speed plant at a 19.737 breaking his previous record, which was a
19.895 while Sanfilippo and Crawford won heat races.

This upcoming Saturday night at the Owosso Speedway is the Owosso
Curwood Festival Kids Carnival of Fun Night. Kids who show up dressed
in costume will be admitted for free in the general admission side as
there will be all sorts of games, prizes, and fun for our younger fans
of the Big “O” As for the racing on the track, the Wieland Contracting
Modifieds return to action as part of there rotating schedule. Also
the Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Stocks return after a week
off. Joining them will be the RacingPartSales.com Pure Stocks, and
Fast Track Promotions Sport Stocks.

Every Saturday night, the Pit Gates will open at “High Noon”
12:00p.m., with Rotating Practice beginning at 2:00p.m. The Grandstand
Gates Open at 4:00p.m., with Qualifying going at 5:00p.m. Racing is
set for 7:00p.m. The Drive Train Specialists Pro Late Models and
Wieland Contracting Modifieds will alternate weekends throughout the
2009 racing season as the headlining division during the Weekly Local
Racing Series Racing Programs on Saturday nights.

The next event for the Pro Late Models will be on Saturday, June 13th
on Ladies Night at the Big “O” The only nights where the Pro Late
Models and Modifieds will be in action on the same night will be
during the 2009 Season Championships on September 12th and the 14th
annual Owosso Fall Nationals Weekend on September 25-27th.

For Ticket Prices and more information, please call: 1 (989) 834-5948,
1 (810) 965-6698, 0r 1 (989) 709-6113.. You can also log onto the
website as well by going to: www.owossospeedway.com So come out and
watch racings’ Past, Present, and Future Collide, only at the Owosso
Speedway!

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This report was provided by an outside PR source and posted by Kim DeHaven.

 

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