7/2/2019
Laird Raceway
Racenight Recap for Friday June 28, 2019
Our season opener was originally scheduled for June 21, but had to be postponed due to track and grounds flooding. We squeaked a date into our season schedule and held it a week late on the evening of Friday June 28th. We had cooperation from the weather gods, with partly cloudy skies and seasonal temperatures.
After some hot laps, the evening got started with qualifying in four divisions. Although there were no major incidents, there were a higher than normal number of spinouts through the night with a “green” and slippery track, and some cars and drivers getting their first workout of the season.
NAPA Auto Parts Modified Division
We have a new sponsor for the modified division, thanks goes out to NAPA Auto Parts! Qualifying for the evening got started with 7 Modifieds out to qualify. Fast time was set by #28 Mark Porpealia at 15.282 seconds around the 1/3 mile oval.
The fast car dash lineup was #01 John Ross, #84 Mark Laakso, #21 Jake Irwin, & #28 Mark Porpealia. After 4 quick laps, Ross took the checkers, Laakso 2nd, Porpealia 3rd, and Irwin 4th.
In the Modified heat, there were two additional cars to those that qualified earlier, to bring the total in the heat to 9. A few cautions flew during the race. The first caution was before the first lap was completed as Porpealia spun out at the beginning of the backstretch. There was a complete restart. The #23G of Jim Gort Jr. brought out the second caution as he spun up corner 1 into the dirt at the top of corner 2. Gort was able to restart. During the caution #71 of Jay McCoy left the track, as did #21 of Jake Irwin. Gort brought out another caution, spinning in corner 4. Gort left the track, as well as #83 of Sean Sykes leaving 5 cars of the original 9. Yet another caution was out with a spin by Maitland in corner 2, Maitland stayed on. At the finish, Laakso took top honours, followed by Ross, Porpealia, Maitland , and #4 Michael Carbone.
The mod feature was a 40 lap event with 7 of the 9 mods in the pits starting. Missing were Gort, and McCoy. Caution was out at the beginning of lap 2. Sean Sykes had started inside front in the race, as he came up the frontstretch at the end of lap 1, he was racing against Maitland on the outside. Meanwhile Irwin had made a hard run inside of Sykes up the track and had Sykes door as they entered corner 1. Irwin was pinched down and hammered on the binders and touched Sykes, who then got into the tail of Maitland who ended up spun on corner 2. Sykes was sent to the back for the restart.
After the caution, Laakso restarted inside front. After a couple completed laps, Sykes left the track, and Laakso began to overrun his qualifying time by more than a ¼ second (quarter second rule) and was shown the black flag. As the field were completing lap 7, Laakso saw the black in the hand of flagman Ron Schmidt and on the backstretch moved up the track and slowed down to exit. John Ross got pinched up the track and there was a shower of sparks from his car bringing out the caution. Ross restarted at the front, but within a couple laps he too was shown the black for breaking the quarter second rule and exited the track. On lap 14, caution flew as Maitland spun out on the exit of corner 4. Maitland was unable to get the car restarted and left the track, leaving Irwin, Porpealia, and Carbone. Irwin led the next couple laps then Porpealia spun out of corner 4 bringing out the caution on lap 17. On the restart, Irwin led for a couple laps then as they were coming down the backstretch, Irwin left just enough room for Porpealia to try and get in coming into corner 4. Porpealia’s right front tire rubbed with Irwins left rear and Irwin squealed his tires up the corner but saved it. Porpealia took the lead away on lap 20, for for the last 20 laps, Irwin couldn’t catch up for a pass. Porpealia took the win, Irwin 2nd, and Carbone 3rd.
Service Rentals Factory Stock Division
Five cars were out to qualify in the Service Rentals Factory Stocks. Buddy Palahnuk in the #26 had the fast qualifying time of 16.186 seconds.
The 4 lap fast car dash was won by #51 Jamie Fox, followed by #01 Jerry Ross, and #52 Jon Diodati. #26 Buddy Plahnuk left a lap or two in with a car problem.
The Factory Stock heat consisted of 5 cars for an 8 lap race. Rookie in the division, Rob Wagner, was driving a red #88, starting at the back. Rob left the race early with a car issue. At the end of the 8 laps, it was Ross that took the checkered flag, followed by Fox, Palahnuk, and Diodati.
The Factory Stock Feature was a 20 lap event, with five cars. Jerry Ross & Jamie Fox started at the front. Ross led the first two laps, Fox the third lap, then Ross regained the lead for the next couple. By lap 6, Pahlanuk got past Fox, then the caution came out when Fox spun on corner 2 like he was on ice. Fox restarted at the rear. After the restart, Palahnuk led a single lap, then the lead was taken over again by Ross who held it to the end to take the checkers. Palahnuk finished 2nd , Fox 3rd, Diodati 4th, and Rob Wagner 5th – Wagner left the track on lap 14.
More cars are expected in the division in upcoming race nights.
Northern Fencing Super Late Model Division
Seven cars qualified for the night in the Super Late Model division, including rookie Gerald Archer who was driving the #94 for the night. Dan Byrnes in the #46 was fast qualifier with a time of 14.623 seconds. Jake Irwin in the #21 was driving “double duty” during the night, running a second car in the modified division.
In the four car dash, Irwin took the win, Byrnes was 2nd, #61 Dustin Jackson 3rd, and #100 Ron Raynor Jr. 4th.
All seven qualifiers were out for the Late Model Heat. Jackson was at the pole, with Irwin outside. On the first lap, Irwin went “squirrely” going up the front stretch, it looked like he was going to lose control but somehow saved it and continued. A few laps in though, Irwin lost it with a spin out of corner 4 to bring out the first caution. Jackson had maintained the lead until this point, and had Byrnes beside him on the restart. Byrnes got by to take the lead from Jackson. Caution came out again a few laps later with Raynor, in 4th, attempting to get past #50 Rob Hiiemaa on the inside. The cars might have touched and Raynor spun out towards the end of the backstretch into the start of corner 3. Byrnes and Jackson restarted at the front. The race continued with Byrnes out front, then on the last lap, caution was out one more time because Archer had car problems and had slowed down on the backstretch, possibly with a blown oil line. During the caution, officials spotted oil on the track and called the race one lap short so track maintenance could clean up and we could go to intermission. Byrnes had the win, Jackson 2nd, Hiiemaa 3rd, Irwin 4th, the #3 of Shawn Ritchie was 5th, Raynor 6th, and Archer 7th.
In the feature, 6 cars took to the track. Archer was missing. Jackson decided to start scratch as his car was running on 7 cylinders. Raynor and Irwin started at the front. Raynor retained the lead for the first two laps, then was passed by Byrnes. Byrnes started to open up some space. Raynor had Hiiemaa challenging on the outside for a few laps, then the pair both gave it a bit too much on the pedal on the front stretch, both fishtailed and they slammed together. Hiiemaa completed the pass for second. On lap 12, Ritchie spun out of corner 4, into the infield mud bringing out a caution.
While Ritchie was getting a push out, the breaker for the infield track floodlights flipped and the lights went out. It takes about 20 minutes for the lights to cool and come back on and since it was already past 10pm officials decided to call it a night. So next week we will have twin features in the Late Model division.
The feature winner was declared as Byrnes, Hiiemaa will get points for 2nd, Raynor 3rd, Jackson had moved up to 4th, Irwin 5th, and Ritchie 6th.
Atomic Blonde Factory Fours
The Factory Four division drivers only got to race once during the evening. They didn’t have a qualifying session, and therefore no fast car dash. Their feature was set to run right after the Late Model Feature, but since the lights went out during the Late model feature, they didn’t get to run.
Four Factory Fours showed up for the evening, three of which are rookies; Jason Kern was driving the #12, (previously owned by Anthony Mannarino), Ben Cushley was driving the #37 (Ben did a previous season at Kinross, but this is his first time at Laird), and Kayla Kurnell was driving the green #88 previously driven by her step-dad, Rob Wagner. Andrew Premo was the only veteran driver, driving the #59. Also added to the mix was Randy Larrett driving #72. Larrett’s car is actually an Enduro car he has set up. It doesn’t meet the rules of the Factory Four class as it has an engine with a double overhead cam. He was allowed to race with the others just to get some seat time and have some fun but doesn't qualify for points or payouts.
In their 8 lap heat, five cars came up on track, but before the race started the #37 of Cushley left the track. Kern had the pole, with Premo on the outside. Premo led the first couple laps over Kern, then on lap 3 Premo went a bit high going down the backstretch and Kern moved inside and made a pass around corner 3 & 4 and up the front stretch. In corner 1, Kurnell and Premo might have rubbed and Premo spun into corner 2, while Kurnell was low on the track almost in the grass exiting corner 2. Caution came out and both left the track leaving only Kern and Larrett. Shortly after the restart, Larrett took over the lead and ran ahead to take the checkers. Kern was 2nd a few car lengths back.
Intermission & Other Activities
Just prior to intermission, during a break in the action for a track cleanup, 6 year old Reed Gort brought out his Mini-wedge car to display to the crowd. Reed made a few runs up and down part of the front stretch. Read more about the mini wedges elsewhere in this program.
During intermission, fans enjoyed a quick School Bus Race featuring five busses.
The winner of the Soo Junior Greyhounds girls Bantam A hockey team 50/50 draw was Randy Foster who took home $670.
This week, Friday July 5, we will have dual Late Model Features. Hope to see you there!
Article Credit: Tom Stephenson
Submitted By: Tom Stephenson
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