| Saturday, February 2, 2002 | |
| SpeedFest 2002 At USA International Speedway | 
(KNS)Junior Hanley stole the show in the 24-car field of FASCAR Super Late Models and had a majority, or at least a large minority of the fans up in arms by the time he pulled into the Winner's Circle. In a race featuring four cautions in first four laps (removing 7 cars), Hanley led from the outset and withstood the efforts of several drivers to grab the checkers at USA International Speedway Friday night.
The strongest bid to unseat Hanley came from smokin' Billy Bigley Jr. who had to finally call it quits on lap 67 when he just couldn't get any more out of his Monte Carlo. When the 13 cars still running crossed the finish line Junior Hanley was followed by Justin Dawdry, Louie Mechalides, Dan Fredrickson and Steven Howard.
Wayne Anderson, starting in the fourteenth spot, had his night end before making it to turn two on the start when he and Joel Kauffman of LaGrange, Indiana got together for the first caution. Travis Kittleson was out after a crash on the restart, his crews were still putting the number 88 back together at 12:30 in the morning. Another wreck on lap four sent Mike Williams to the garage. Mike Good had been running in the second spot until an altercation on lap 66, when the 66 of Hanley was able to keep his front running position and the flagman sent Good the rear. A vote from the fans would have reversed that decision, when they made clear as Hanley celebrated did his post race interview.
FASCAR Late Models: Jason Boyd started in the seventh spot in the seventeen-car field, took the lead on lap on lap 28 and nobody seriously challenged him afterwards. Second place went to Doug Moff followed by Mike Hovis, Wayne Morris and Larry O'Steen.
FASCAR Modifieds: Twenty-Three cars took the first green flag. Six cautions and two laps later the field was reduced to seventeen cars with Red Vann in the lead. Jerry Symons took the lead on lap 10, and disappeared from the field, easily winning the 30-lap race. Vann took second followed by Steve Hauser Jr., Indiana racer Harold Scott and Jerry Lee Yarbrough.
FASTRUCKS: A huge field of trucks, 35 in all, started the last event of the night. Jimmy Gill got a break when Todd Bontrager's number 8 machine malfunctioned on lap 4 and was able to outrun Kim Sheffler driving the 01 of Larry Moyer. Paul Grynewicz, dragging a swaybar with sparks flying, moved from seventh to take the third spot in the 25-lap event. Steve Arnold and Shawn Icely took fourth and fifth respectively.
USA International will host the FASCAR and FASTRUCK series events again Saturday night with qualifying getting underway at 5:00 PM for the Super Late Models. Features on tap are Super Late Models (125 Laps), Late Models (100 Laps), Modifieds (50 Laps), FASTRUCK Series (25 Laps) and the new EROC Series (35 Laps).
KARNAC.com will have full results and hundreds of photos from SpeedFest 2002 available on Sunday.
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