Go to content Go to navigation Go to recent PR reports Go to search

Bill Luckhurst, Jimmy Stratton, and Mother Nature win on Curwood Festival Night at the Big "O"

Sunday June 7, 2009

 

By: Chris Fobbe and Matt Prieur – Owosso Speedway

Ovid, Michigan (Saturday, June 6, 2009): With overcast skies and a
cool spring breeze, the cars and stars of the Owosso Speedway were all
set to do battle on the 3/8s (0.375) mile high banks of the historic
Ovid, Michigan oval. Strong fields in all four divisions were on hand
for the Curwood Festival Kids Carnival of Fun Night at the Big “O.”

A stout field of Wieland Contracting Modifieds were in attendance as
Laci Donnert was the man who was on point for the start of the 30-lap
feature event. Jeff Reamer, the outside front row starter proved to
the power of the outside groove and would use that groove to get past
Donnert to lead lap one. Donnert would keep Reamer in sights, until
making use of a lapped car, to slip past Reamer to take the lead back
on lap six.

The first of two turning points of the race occurred on lap 11 when
10-time overall and six-time defending Track Champion, Bill Luckhurst
and veteran Scott Lamp collided in turns three and four, to bring out
the caution. Lamp made use of the “tap-out” rule, taking
responsibility for the incident and would tag onto the rear of the
field, placing Luckhurst back in his fourth position.

On the restart Luckhurst quickly made his way by Steve Bates Jr. and
set his sights on the top pair of Donnert and Reamer, and the trio
would begin a battle of epic proportions around the high banks.
Disaster would strike as the second and most crucial turning point of
the race occurred on lap 21, when leader Donnert blew an oil line
going into turn one, resulting in a massive pile-up in turns one and
two, involving a total of seven cars.

Once the dust settled, Donnert was finished for the evening, as was
points leader Todd Matheson, while Reamer pitted for repairs,
restarting at the rear of the field. This would hand the lead to
Luckhurst, and the Ovid, Michigan veteran would make no mistakes over
the final nine laps, giving the driver of the Corrigan Oil Chevrolet
his first win of the season.

Fast qualifier, 19-year old Travis Eddy would get past Bates Jr. for
second, while Bates Jr. settled for third. 2002 Pro Stock Track
Champion Mark Abee was fourth, while 1999 Pro Stock Track Champion
Steve Rollins rounded out the top five. Terry Trost, Hard Charger of
the race Mike Piette from 16th. Lamp, after battling his way back
from the rear would finish eighth over Dave Christensen and Rod Laney,
ninth and tenth respectively. Eddy was fast qualifier for the second
time in two tries with a lap of 16.119, while Laney and Abee took the
heat race wins.

The RacingPartSales.com Pure Stocks would be the second feature to hit
the track for their 20-lap feature event. Rick Gokee Sr. and 2008
Rookie of the Year Hurley Adkins would be your front row. With
transmission issues plaguing him, Gokee Sr. would drop back quickly,
handing the lead to Adkins, who would lead the opening handful for laps.

Current points leader Jimmy Stratton, who started seventh, would
swiftly work his way through the field, and on lap six he would find
his way around Adkins to take the lead. Eric Spencer worked his way to
Stratton’s bumper, and would try every trick in his book to find a way
around Stratton, but the driver of the Muffler Man of Flint Chevrolet
would not be denied, as the Lennon, Michigan pilot went on to win his
third feature of the 2009 season and extend his points lead.

Spencer would come home second for the second week in a row, while Pat
Standley, last week’s feature winner Jim Gokee, and defending Track
Champion Kevin Adkins would complete the top five. Chris Wood came
home sixth as Hurley Adkins faded to seventh. Ricky Moore earned the
Hard Charger award, finishing eighth from the rear of the field. Joyce
Derminer and Jerry Lupien rounded out the top 10. Stratton would set
fast time for the fifth time in five starts, with a lap of 19.436.
While Derminer and Jim Gokee would claim the heat race wins.

As the Fast Track Promotions Sport Stocks 20-lap feature got under
way, Mother Nature made her presence known, dropping a torrent of rain
showers and forcing officials to cancel the rest of the evenings
program, which also included the Affordable Tire and Service Center
Pro Stocks 25-lap feature.

Earlier in the evening, 16-year old point leader Marq Eaton would set
the fast lap for the Fast Track Promotions Sport Stocks with a 19.986,
while 17-year old Tim Rodgers and 13-year old Daniel Crawford took
heat race wins. In the Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Stocks,
2005 Track Champion Tom Stone set fast time for the first time this
season with a lap of 16.998, just 0.120 seconds off of the track
record, as Jordan Harvey and Chris Stearns won the heat races.

Next Saturday night, June 13, will be Ladies Night at the Big “O”
featuring the first of three appearances of the Midwest Classic Racers
(M.C.R.) Dwarf Car Series, along with the return of the Drive Train
Specialists Pro Late Models, in accordance with the rotating schedule
with the Modifieds. Also on the card will be the Affordable Tire and
Service Center Pro Stocks and Fast Track Promotions Sport Stocks. The
Modifieds and Pure Stocks have the evening off.

For more information about the 2009 racing season at Owosso Speedway,
please call: 1 (989) 834-5948, 1 (810) 965-6698, or 1 (989) 709-6113.
You can also log onto the website as well at: www.owossospeedway.com

Do you want the chance to win a free Frontstretch T-Shirt, and are you really good at talking about NASCAR? Well, we have the perfect opportunity for you. Our staff will be giving away a free T-Shirt to the reader who makes the best post in our Frontstretch Forum between now and the end of the season. So, what makes a good post? It’s pretty hard to impress us, but here are some things we are looking for:

Does your post spark passionate reactions from other readers? Are you commenting on meaningful NASCAR-related events? Do your posts have substance? In other words, “Dale Jr. is the best driver ever” or “Danica Patrick is hot” will not cut it.

So go to the Frontstretch Forums, post early, post often, and post well! We’ll announce the winner following the final race of the season at Homestead.

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

 

©2000 - 2008 Kim DeHaven and Frontstetch.com. Thanks for visiting the Frontstretch!