@OhswekenSpdway • OHSWEKEN, ON – 114 drivers signed in to race in Media Night presented by Bradshaw Brothers on Friday. Mikey Kruchka, Ryan Hunsinger, Wyatt Van Wart, Jon Janssens, and Wayde Thorne visited Mobil 1 Victory Lane.
KOOL KIDZ-CORR/PAK 360 SPRINT CARS (22 entries): Mikey Kruchka, Glenn Styres, and Dain Naida turned the second half of the 360 Sprint Car A-Feature into a spectacular race, officially trading the lead 5 times in the last 8 laps.
The 20 lap race began with Naida taking the lead, with Dylan Westbrook settling into second, followed by Kruchka, Jim Huppunen, and Kyle Patrick. Behind them, 14th starter Styres passed 8 cars in the first 2 laps. The running order remained static until Westbrook spun in turn four with 7 laps complete. While Westbrook was able to keep moving and restart 7th, Tyler Hendricks was not and brought out the yellow flag.
PHOTOS:
1. 360 Sprint Car winner #01 Mikey Kruchka (Dale Calnan/ImageFactor Media)
2. #01 Mikey Kruchka and #17x Dain Naida race side-by-side exiting turn two (Dale Calnan/ImageFactor Media)
3. Crate Sprint Car winner #43h Ryan Hunsinger (Dale Calnan/ImageFactor Media)
4. Thunder Stock winner #04 Wyatt Van Wart (Dale Calnan/ImageFactor Media)
5. Mini Stock winner #66 Jon Janssens (Dale Calnan/ImageFactor Media)
6. Bomber winner #6 Wayde Thorne (Dale Calnan/ImageFactor Media).
Kruchka saw a chance to take the lead erased after the restart when John Burbridge, Jr. crashed hard on the frontstretch. Burbridge climbed from his machine uninjured, saying he felt something break before the crash.
Styres moved to third when the race started again, but the pace slowed again just before halfway when Derek Jonathan made contact with the wall in turn two. The stage was then set for the fireworks to come, as the three contenders restarted nose-to-tail.
Trading positions multiple times each lap, Kruchka had the lead at the start/finish line on laps 12 and 16, while Naida got back into the lead in between. Styres threw several slide jobs at Naida and Kruchka before taking the lead on lap 17 and opening a small gap. Meanwhile, Westbrook and Mitch Brown were drawing close to the top 3 as well. Kruchka got around Naida on lap 18 and set his sights on catching Styres, but it seemed to be and impending win for Styres.
Kruchka was still trying to get around a lapped car when the white flag flew, but Styres was forced to check up behind Curtis Gartly exiting turn two, and Kruchka pounced. Styres stayed high behind Gartly entering turn three, and Kruchka dove low to put a slide job on both and emerge with the win in his first Ohsweken start of the season. Styres settled for the runner-up spot, followed by Naida, Westbrook, and Brown.
Heat race wins went to Jim Huppunen, Dylan Westbrook, and Conor Mahoney, while Dain Naida won the Ackland Insurance Top Gun Award. Jake Brown continues to lead both the 360 Sprint Car championship standings and Rookie of the Year standings.
STRICKLAND’S GMC CRATE SPRINT CARS (15 entries): Ryan Hunsinger’s dominance of the Crate Sprint Car division continued with his third consecutive A-Feature win to open the season. Josh Shantz led the first lap before Hunsinger took the lead for the remainder of the 20 lap distance.
Hunsinger opened a large lead while Shantz fell into a joust for the runner-up spot with Holly Porter and Aaron Turkey, but the lead shrunk significantly in the closing laps. Shantz made up a lot of ground while Hunsinger negotiated traffic and tried the outside groove. Hunsinger held on for the win by 0.564 seconds over Shantz, followed by Turkey, Porter, and Jesse McDonald.
Heat race wins went to Brad Herron and Holly Porter, while Jesse McDonald claimed the Ackland Insurance Top Gun Award. Ryan Hunsinger’s Crate Sprint Car championship points lead expanded to 24 markers over Rookie of the Year standings leader Jesse McDonald.
AFFORDABLE TOWING & RECOVERY THUNDER STOCKS (26 entries): Carnage ensued on the first lap of the Thunder Stock A-Feature when Jeremy May and Logan Shwedyk collided and collected at least 8 other cars. Points leader and opening night winner Dave Bailey, and week two winner Ryan Dinning were among those collected. Bailey – who eventually finished 6th – and other drivers used several ensuing yellow flags to go to the pits for repairs, but Dinning was among those who were done for the night.
Jim Lampman held the top spot through several yellow flags, with Karl Sault squeezing to Lampman’s inside several times and trading some paint. While Lampman and Sault fought for real estate close to the inside wall, Wyatt Van Wart drove past both of them on lap 17 and held on to take the win over Jason Lungaro, Sault, Dale Gyokery, and Lampman.
Heat race wins went to Kacey Huffman, Jim Lampman, and Dale Gyokery. Dave Bailey holds a slim 2 point margin over Dale Gyokery in the Thunder Stock championship points standings, while Jason Lungaro has the Rookie of the Year standings lead.
HRW AUTOMOTIVE MINI STOCKS (36 entries): Chris Ryckman made a huge move on the first lap as the Mini Stock field fanned out three and four wide. Ryckman then held the lead until Jon Janssens got around him with three laps remaining in the non-stop 15 lap A-Feature.
Janssens took his first win of the season, while Ryckman settled for the runner-up spot, followed by Brandon Crumbie, Lane Zardo, and Jonathan Ayrton. Heat race wins went to Trevor Young, Brandon Crumbie, and Brandon Janssens, while Patrick Abrahamsson won the B-Feature. Jon Janssens holds a 3 points margin in the Mini Stock championship points standings over brother Brandon, while Brandon Crumbie is the Rookie of the Year leader.
GALE’S AUTO AFTERMARKET BOMBERS (15 entries): Dustin Longboat saw his first Bomber A-Feature win dissolve while when Wayde Thorne got by while Longboat was negotiating through slower traffic. Thorne took his second consecutive win, while Longboat settled for the runner-up spot ahead of brother Paul, Jerry Burnham, and Gillian Hils. Heat race wins went to Gillian Hils and Jerry Burnham. Wayde Thorne holds the Bomber Championship points lead over Paul Longboat, while Joey Wilcox leads the Rookie of the Year chase.
———————————————————–
UP NEXT @ OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY:
Friday, June 10 – Rochester Knighthawks Lacrosse Club Presents:
PST vs. Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak & Hot Rod Cruise Night
– Patriot Sprint Tour vs. Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars 25
– Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars 20
– Affordable Towing & Recovery Thunder Stocks 20
– HRW Automotive Mini Stocks 15
– Gale’s Auto Aftermarket 12
———————————————————–
TICKETS PLEASE!
Reserve your seats NOW for the Burger Barn Northern Crate Nationals, Arrow Express Six Nations Showdown featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, and 12th annual Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals weekend. Call 519 717-0023 or visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com for more information about Special Event Tickets, Gift Certificates, Season Tickets, Parking Passes, Pit Passes, Memberships, and more.
Ohsweken Speedway thanks the following partners for their support: Arrow Express, Kool Kidz Ice & Water, Corr/Pak Merchandising Inc., Renway Energy, Case IH O’Neil’s Farm Equipment, Hoosier Tire Canada, EPIC Racewear, McDonald’s Restaurants of Paris & Brantford, Ackland Insurance, Strickland’s GMC, Mobil 1, Burger Barn, Pinty’s Delicious Foods, Creative Edge Signs & Graphics, Insta-Insulation, Affordable Towing & Recovery, HRW Automotive, and Gale’s Auto Aftermarket.
Discussion about this post