Howland captures Kinross late model feature

Having moved his way up through the ranks of the Kinross Speedway, Mark Howland is now making a name for himself in the late model division.

The former factory stock champion and Modified Shootout winner captured his second career late model feature on Friday night.

Local product George Wilson made his debut at the track this season in his #67 late model and captured the four car dash. Rick Ellis finished third in the late model feature.

The following is a full recap of action from Friday night's show provided by Kinross Speedway's Gerry Liscumb Jr.

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Howland pulls through for 2nd career Late Model Feature Win

In the first full season of racing action at the Kinross Speedway (1996), he won the highly competitive Factory Stock Division track championship.

Five years later he topped a strong 22-car Modified field to win the 1st Annual Open Wheel Modified Shootout on his home track.

Fast-forward to 2004 and Rudyard, MICHIGAN's Mark Howland (59) was looking to prove once again, he is one to reckon with at the ¼ mile in Kinross, now while behind the wheel of a Late Model car.

The Late Model division qualifying would see Dave Vansloten (33) set fast time for the 4th consecutive week, this time around in 13.880 seconds.

Howland would mark a personal best breaking into the 13-second bracket for the first time with his Sam Bohling-owned ride, with a time of 13.960.

The four-car dash win would go to George Wilson (67) on his first trip to the track in 2004, while Vansloten would come to win the 10-lap heat race.

Howland would take the brides-maid position in both of those respective races.

When the 25-lap feature rolled out onto the Speedway, Rick Ellis (5) and Dennis Aho (75) occupied the front row.

Ellis would lead the field for the first lap around the Speedway before Nick Guerriero (4) would overtake him for that position on lap 2.

With the pressure beginning to build, Guerriero would run a fine line holding off the charges of Howland and Vansloten who were up to 2nd and third respectively by lap 11.

A change for the lead wouldn't occur until lap 15 when Howland made the move to the inside coming out of 4 and into the top spot.

That is a spot he was unwilling to give away as Howland would drive to his 2nd career feature win behind the wheel of a Late Model.

Vansloten and Ellis rounded out the top three positions.

Factory Stock qualifying on night #4 would see every car within 4/10s of a second of each other.

Jerry Ball (8) was the fastest circling the ¼ mile in 15.480 seconds.

Cecil Piche (88) took the four car dash honors before going 2-for-2 on the night with a victory in the 10-lap heat race.

Seven cars would take the green for the division's final race of the night, one less than expected after mechanical problems would force Pee Wee Fountain (50) to remain pit side.

Paul Fox (36) grabbed the early lead in this highly touted race before the yellow flag would fly on lap 3.

When the action resumed Ball would take his 6th starting position into the lead while bringing with him his row mate, Kevin Johnson (37).

It wouldn't be long before your top 4 cars were bunched up with no room for error. The battle up-front continued right until the checker flag flew with Ball taking his 1st feature win of the season.

Piche, with a last lap pass would claim 2nd while Johnson, Josh Ware (7) and Fox capped off your top 5 positions.

The Pure Stock division saw a repeat fast qualifier when Ray Golladay Jr. (20) topped the field with a time of 16.890 seconds.

Second year driver Rich Huyck (27) won the four car dash in his first appearance in that elite race while Bill Cryderman (61) would claim the Australian Pursuit victory.

Art Lavigne (60), would grab his first checker flag of the year in Heat race #1 while Cryderman came back to win his 2nd race of the night in heat #2.

Lavigne and Gerald Cartright (7) would pace the field to the green flag of their 25-lap feature event.

After leading lap 1, Cartright would relinquish that position over to Cryderman, as the Soo, MICHIGAN native was looking to grab his second consecutive feature event.

It would appear he was on the right track as the 9-year race veteran was successful in holding off the likes of Barry Glenn (55) and Al Odbert III (32) until lap 16 when Glenn took the high-side to the 1st place position.

The checker flag would come down with Glenn taking the win followed by Cryderman, Golladay Jr., Ray Golladay (20), Randy Miller (73), Odbert III, Larry Young Jr. (25), Chuck Johnson (5), Terry Johnson (11) and Lavigne capping off the top 10 positions.

The largest-field of Four Cylinders would make their way to Kinross on this night, as 24 of the entertaining cars would check into the pits.

Eric Sherlund (79) would set the mark for fast time with a lap of 18.020 seconds.

Chris Brady (17) won the four-car dash while the Cary Orsborne (69) and Jake Marcinkowski (04) would grab their first career Kinross Speedway checker flags in Australian Pursuit #1 and #2 respectively.

The 10-lap heat races would see Steve Stec (13) and John Clawson (35) take the wins.

Twenty-cars would roll out for the feature event with Roger Tarr (5) and Brandy Clawson (36) occupying your front row.

In what was guaranteed to be an entertaining affair, the drivers of this division would once again prove themselves.

Despite the number of cars the race would see 9 lead changes, 6 lapped cars and only 1 caution flag throughout the full 25-laps.

After holding the lead on two separate occasions earlier in the race Clawson would make the final pass needed on lap 23 for the feature win. Sherlund and Brady took the final podium positions.

The racing action returns to the Kinross Speedway this coming Friday, June 18th with a full 4-in-1 show of Late Models, Factory Stocks, Pure Stocks and 4-Cylinders. There will also be an Intermission Mud Run by the Dafter Lions Club.

Of note, the Speedway is offering Canadian money at Par for admission to the main grandstand.

Along with that promotion, we are happy to announce this week as a Father's Day Special. Every father will be receiving a $2 discount of their admission ticket.

Time trials begin at 6 p.m. with racing action to follow at 7:30 p.m.

Take exit 378 off the I-75 and follow the signs to the Chippewa County Fairgrounds.

For more information check us out online at www.kinrossspeedway.com or contact us by phone at 906-647-3405.

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PHOTO: Late Model feature winner Mark Howland. (Photo courtesy of Rod Aubertin of www.saultracers.com)