Kinross crowns mid-season champions

The Kinross Speedway held their mid-season championship this past Friday night with 55 cars line-up pitside for the event.

Action was racey on the night with a blown engine causing tricky track conditions and local stock four driver Sebastian Servant, who emerged from the car under his own power, flipping onto his roof in feature action.

The following is a full text press release from the Kinross Speedway:

****************************** Mid-Season Champions crowned on action-packed night at Kinross

By Gerry Liscumb Jr.

The stage was set for an action-packed night this past Friday night at the Kinross Speedway, as the ¼ mile facility was prepped for their 2004 Mid-Season Championships.

With a stellar 55-car field down pitside and another boisterous and healthy grandstand crowd, the green flag would drop on perhaps the most exciting night of racing so far this season.

Qualifying efforts would be somewhat hindered on this night as many drivers would clock-in their slowest times of the season after a blown engine during hotlaps would make track conditions tricky.

Some good would remain after blowing the engine for Factory Stock driver Josh Ware (7), as despite not competing on the night he would still sit in third place in the divisions standings following the night's events.

Bill Cryderman (61) would set fast time in the Pure Stock division, with a qualifying effort of 17.05 seconds.

Mike Vansloten (77) would capture the four-car dash win while Tim Gregory (21) and Barry Glenn (55) would find victory lane in Australian Pursuits one and two.

Gregory and Glenn would reel in their second wins of the night after capturing their respective heat races.

All seventeen-cars would roll out for their 25-lap Mid-Season Championship feature event.

Newcomer Nick Pangburn (2) and Rick Orsborne (5Y) would make up your front row when they came down to the green flag.

Rich Huyck (27) would lead lap 1 before Gregory would take his 8th starting position to the front of the pack to lead lap 2.

The former 4-Cylinder pilot (Gregory) was having a stellar performance, holding off the wily veterans until lap 21 when Ben Huyck (28) would lead the field for one circuit around the ¼ mile.

On lap 22, the silent-gunner and current point leader Barry Glenn would overtake the lead after starting dead last in this event.

He would be untouched the final 3 laps to go on to his 3rd consecutive feature win. B. Huyck, Gregory, Chuck Johnson (5R) and Ray Golladay Jr. (22C) capped off the top 5 positions.

Twenty-two cars would qualify in the Four Cylinder Division and Eric Sherlund (79) would set the top mark coming in at 18.240 seconds.

John Clawson (35) would take home the division's opening race in the four car dash.

Don Etcher (1) and Norman Kuczenski (34) would both garner their first checker flags of the year in their respective Australian Pursuit.

Chris Brady (17) won heat race #3 with Etcher and Kuczenski both making return appearances to victory lane in heat race one and two.

The Mid-Season Championship feature would see 23 cars make their way out onto the ¼ mile with Tyler Evoy (89) and Tyler Gage (50) making up your front row.

Gage would lead the opening lap around the Speedway before the red flag would fall on the ¼ mile for the first time in the 2004 season on lap 2.

After some congested traffic exited turn 2, a number of cars came together that would result in Sault, ONTARIO native Sebastien Servant (24) ending up on his roof just off the asphalt surface.

Track safety crews made their way out and thankfully the driver was safe and sound after exiting the car on his own power.

When action resumed Cary Orsborne (69) led the pack until lap 10 when Eric Sherlund (79) and Clawson, who sit 1st and 2nd in the point standings made their way to the front.

A three-way battle between those two drivers along with Brady would evolve over the remainder of this race seeing Clawson take the win followed by Sherlund and Brady. Etcher, Kuczenski, Will Odbert (23T) and John Mayer (9) were your top 5.

The "Pink Panther" Cecil Piche was fast qualifier in the Factory Stock division with a lap of 15.470 seconds.

Kevin Johnson (37) won the four car dash before repeating with a win in the 10-lap heat race.

Seven-cars would line-up for their Mid-Season Feature event and what a dandy it was set to be. A mere 3 tenths of a second separated your top 6 cars during qualifying earlier in the night.

Dave Devine (4) and Jared Nightlinger (48) made-up your front row when they came to the green flag.

Devine was able set the pace until lap 4 when Trout Lake, MICHIGAN driver Jerry Ball (8) would take the lead. Ball would lead the race up until lap 20 when Johnson would make the pass after being flanked on the back bumper of your leader all race long.

The battle would continue but nothing would be able to stop the sweep for Johnson as he took his 4th feature win of the year and third checkered flag of the night. Ball and Piche capped off your top 3 cars.

For the first time in the 2004 season, Dave Vansloten (33) would be unseeded as fast qualifier in the Late Model division.

This week Mark Howland (59) would set the time to beat with a lap of 14.030 seconds.

Nick Guerriero (4) continued his very successful rookie season by grabbing the win in the four-car dash before returning to victory lane in the heat race.

Soo, Ontario pilot and Late Model rookie Jeremy VanHoek (51) would be parked inside the experienced veteran Dennis Aho (75) to start the divisions Mid-Season Championship feature event.

VanHoek would lead his first-ever feature lap at Kinross before being overtaken by Guerriero on lap 2.

Guerriero and Howland would swap the lead 6-times over the next 12 laps before a few caution flags would allow Howland to inherit the lead after patiently biding his time.

That would pay off as the long-time Kinross driver would hold off a late charge of Dave Vansloten for his 2nd feature win of the season. Vansloten, Guerriero, Aho and VanHoek rounded out the top 5.

The speed, competition and excitement returns to this Northern Michigan facility this coming Friday, July 16th with another full 4-in-1 show of Late Models, Factory Stocks, Pure Stocks and Four Cylinders sponsored by Soo Collision.

Qualifying is at 6 p.m. with racing action at 7:30 p.m.

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

Until the next green flag flies at the track where "Action is the Attraction!" … the Kinross Speedway!

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PHOTO: Aerial view of the Kinross Speedway.