Spencer Wins $1300 in Mini Stock 75 at Putnam County Speedway
By Tera Gunter
A 75 lap, $1200 to win race was on the card Saturday night, with the Speedway offering an extra $100 if the race was won on American Racer tires. Twenty-one mini stock racers answered the call on a hot summer night at the 3/8 mile banked clay oval.
Blake Spencer, the current point leader, lined up on the front row beside Ryan Van Sickle. Spencer took the lead as Jay Farris and Keith Briggs dueled on the first lap. Briggs fell into place behind Van Sickle as Farris’ car gave him his first hint that all was not well under the hood.
Briggs placed challenges on Van Sickle, passing Van Sickle before he got loose a few laps later. Quickly recovering, Briggs lost a few positions as Josh Leth and Danny Vogel, Jr. flew up into contention. Spencer gained a good lead, lapping the last place car on lap 15 as Ricky Reidel gained on Leth and moved into place behind Spencer.
Art Souther moved up to duel with Vogel, passing Vogel at one point. Vogel took his position back before his car blew two laps later. Spencer maintained his lead over Reidel, Souther, Briggs, and Leth before Briggs flew too high in turn 4 and lost 3 positions.
A few laps later, something went horribly wrong as Leth’s car flipped over on the front-stretch and sustained a couple of very hard hits. The race was red flagged as rescue and track officials helped a shaken Leth from his vehicle.
Racers made their mid-race fuel stop in the infield at the restart and as the race resumed, Spencer once again took the lead. Spencer gained a good lead with Souther in second as attrition claimed a good part of the field. By lap 62, Souther was off track as Chris Heaney, Van Sickle, Joey Brinson, and Randy Strehle chased Spencer.
Spencer suffered a flat tire on lap 65, exited for the pit and came back out to the rear of the field at the restart. By lap 68, Spencer overtook Heaney on the front stretch to take the lead. Van Sickle passed Heaney a few laps later as a jubilant Spencer led Van Sickle, Heaney, Strehle, and Brinson to Victory Lane.
Grady Christian, last week’s Street Stock winner, took the lead in this week’s feature. Kevin Mills, the current point leader, duked it out with Jared Cooper before moving up to challenge Christian.
Cooper continued to place challenges on Mills as Mills gained ground on Christian. Mills overtook Christian out of turn four before the rear end of his car broke in turn 2. The restart saw Christian in the lead as an exciting battle shaped up between Cooper and Marc Kinley. Richard Adams and Floyd Martin, Sr. dueled for position behind Cooper with Martin winning that right.
A caution tightened the field back up as Kinley challenged Chrisitan while holding off a hard charging Cooper, who in turn held off Adams before Kinley got loose out of turn 2. Cooper moved up to battle Christian and both racers thoroughly entertained the fans as they battled for the lead, often running side by side.
Christian pulled away from Cooper on the last lap before he hit the front stretch wall out of turn 4. As Cooper and Kinley wrecked in turn 4, Christian slid down the wall to barely take the checkered flag over Adams, Martin, and Ricky Cooper.
Fans and racers alike were glad to see the safe and sound return of Mark Prewitt a couple of weeks ago from Afghanistan, and were even more glad to see him back where he belongs, in the familiar white #111 modified. Prewitt ran the heat race but due to mechanical issues, was unable to compete in the feature race.
The modified division had a hard act to follow after such an exciting street stock finish, but the mod squad stepped up to the plate. Garland Spangler took the lead before Roger Crouse showed his mettle and took the lead out of turn 2. Jason Lowe moved second out of turn 4 before a caution for Dalton Zehr and Mike Tripp placed Lowe back behind Spangler. Lowe took second again on the restart and set off after Crouse. Jamie Carter moved up into contention, challenging Spangler, with Spangler holding Carter off before Carter passed Spangler and Buddy Rohn moved into place behind Carter.
Crouse, Lowe, and Carter gained a good lead over the field before Carter suffered car problems and exited on lap 12. Tripp moved up to challenge Spangler with Spangler holding Tripp off for a while. A restart late in the race after a caution allowed Lowe to close in on Crouse with Crouse holding Lowe off to take the checkered over Lowe, Tripp, Spangler, and Rohn.
Bruce Birkett and Michael Tovet lined up in the front row in the hobby stock feature with Tovet taking the lead. David Miller, Jr. and Ron Frank moved up into contention with Frank challenging Miller and snatching second from Miller. Miller challenged Frank before he spun in turn 4. David Dowling, Jr. showed his mettle as he moved up to pass Frank on the restart and set off after Tovet.
As Tovet gained a good lead on the field, Miller began working his way back up. As William Martin and Craig Alexander ran side by side on the backstretch, Miller dove low to pass both Martin and Alexander. By lap 14, Miller was challenging Frank for the third position. Miller placed several challenges on Frank with Frank holding his own as Tovet led Dowling, Frank, Miller, and Martin to the checkered flag.
Casey Slaton and John Stacy had the front row in the box stock feature but at the green flag drop, it was every man for himself as all racers flew down the front stretch bunched up. The lead position was swapped between Slaton and Jack Miller before Dean moved into the lead out of turn 4.
Tallie Lewis moved into second and Shawn Pawlak pulled into third. Lewis challenged Dean with Dean holding onto his position before he spun in turn 2. Placed to the rear, Dean began moving to the front again to challenge Lewis for the lead. Dean placed hard challenges on Lewis for several laps before Lewis led Dean, Pawlak, Slaton, and James Smith under the checkered flag.
Racing resumes on Saturday, August 19th, 7:30pm, with a Spectator Race on the card and Duval County Citizen’s general admission $2.00! Visit the speedway’s website at www.putnamcountyspeedway.com for more information, or call the track at 386-649-5210.
