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Results 7-23-2016

Auto City Outdoor Event Center 7/23/2016

So the heat was turned up at Auto City this past Saturday as there was plenty of action on the half mile as well as the quarter mile. The start time was pushed back a bit to let the sun set more and give the drivers a little bit of a break from the heat. With four classes being on the schedule, qualifying ran long as Bryan Thompson (#07) in the pure stock division blew his motor on the front stretch and put fluid down around turn one. After the safety crew got the track near ready, the MTS Lane Automotive Sprints came out to work in the oil dry. All was set then to finish up qualifying for the MCR Dwarf cars, the Mini-Cups, the Herald Pure Stocks and the Sprints.

The racing started out with the Midwest Classic Racers (MCR) Dwarf Cars hitting the quarter mile first with their heat races. These Dwarf Cars are 5/8 scale models of vintage cars from 1928 to 1948 and are powered by 4 cylinder motorcycle engines between 750cc and 1250cc. Stephen Bobeck in the #07 had fast time. The first heat race went to the #35 car of Ed LaRoe Jr. with the second heat going to the #28 car of John Furnas.

Next up was the Mini Cup heats and being 18 of these cars were on hand, it broke down to 3 heat races on the half mile. These ½ scale NASCAR style bodied cars can reach speeds up to 100 mph on Auto City’s big ½ mile track. In fact, the drivers consider Auto City as their Daytona of the series. Fast time was the #42 of Tyler Minix. The first heat win was the point’s leader Jarred Pritchett in the #1 car. Second heat went to the #15 of Jay Woosley and third heat winner was the #57 of Bob Hile.

The Herald Pure Stocks took to the ¼ mile for their heats next. Hank Keenan took off leading the first few laps in the #90 of the first heat, but as the competitors worked their way up, it was Bree Norfleet getting her second heat win this season. But she did it in style as coming out of turn four, she got loose and crossed the finish line almost completely sideways heading into the infield.

The fast heat ended up with fast qualifier (16.25 his best yet) Tony Williams in the #97 coming home with the checkereds.

Then next on the schedule was the MTS Lane Automotive Sprints. In the first heat is was the #5 of Don Dietsch crossing the finish line for the win. The second heat went to the #88 of Jimmy McCune, who was the feature winner last time out at Auto City for the MTS Sprints Mid-Season Championship.

After a brief intermission it was onto the feature races. And it was the Mini Cups hitting the ½ mile first. After the 25 laps were complete and a lot of action, passing and drafting (yes, these cars can draft), it was the fast qualifier, the #42 of Tyler Minix coming home with the win over the #23 of Chad Weber and in third was early leader Jay Woosley in the #15.

The MCR Dwarf car feature followed and it was again, the #28 of John Furnas taking his second checkered flag of the night. Beating out fast qualifier Stephan Bobeck in the #07 and Eric Hoffman in the #97x.

The MTS Lane Automotive Sprint feature was next and it as a fast and action packed race. But it was Doug Dietsch out of Vicksburg, MI. in the #0 car taking the win. Finishing second in a very heated side by side battle was the #88 of Jimmy McCune over the #12 car of John Turnbull Jr.

So that left the last race of the night to the Herald Pure stocks. Well this race was interesting to say the least with all kinds of action throughout the field. Fast qualifier Tony Williams started in the fourth position due to the inversion. There was a surprise late arrival of Lonnie Saumier Jr. (#15), a former multi track champion in the pure stock division, making his first appearance this year at Auto City, so he had to start at the back of the pack. There was plenty of side by side racing up at the front and even three, trying for four wide racing making it exciting for all. Tony Williams was taking the high side trying to get around Andrew Burton in the #05, J.D. James Clayton in the #55, Bruce Dutton in the #19, Josh Delong (who again was subbing for Randy Clayton Jr. in the #54 car) to challenge for the lead, that made for the three wide racing to get very interesting. But as everyone jockeyed for position, the results after the 25 laps coming across the finish line were; Andrew Burton, Tony Williams and J.D. Clayton…BUT, as the saying goes “it’s not over till it’s over” as after the top 5 cars did not pass tech and the FINAL results were: the #54 of Josh Delong getting the win, second was awarded to the #87 of Shane Fogarty, third place to the #1 of Bree Norfleet, fourth place to the #3w of Jeff West and finishing in the top five was Brent Mars in the #27.

Coming to Auto City this Saturday, July 30^th will be the Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Sprint series along with the Herald Pure Stocks, the Auto City Figure 8’s and “Kiddie Stocks”. So come on out and see the fire breathing, high flying, tire smoking sprints on the ½ mile and the pures on the ¼ mile and the AC8s’ crossing the “X”…see you at the City this Saturday!!!

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