8/23/2018
Laird Raceway
Aug 23 Highlights - Porpealia Gets a Couple Checkers
Racenight Highlights – August 23, 2018
We had excellent weather for our 5th racenight of the season. The days are getting a bit shorter as we approach the end of summer, but the evening was still warm. We also had a moon that was nearly full come up during the evening. Many times a full moon at the track brings with it some mayhem, but this night it was quite the opposite. We had a fast moving race program with a fewer than normal amount of caution flags. Drivers hadn’t raced at the track for 3 weeks due to a cancellation of our August 16th show and for the most part they showed patience and professionalism.
After our qualifying session and a pre-race driver meeting in the pits, the night’s programme began with Annette Bouchard once again doing a great job of singing the national anthems, followed by Four Car Dashes in the Factory Four, Michigan Modified, Factory Stock and Super Late Model divisions, in that order.
NORTHERN FENCING SUPER LATE MODELS
There were 8 Super Late Models out for the qualifying session. Dustin Jackson in the #61 was fast qualifier with a time of 14.263 seconds around the 1/3 mile. Shawn Ritchie was out but was unable to complete a qualifying lap and wasn’t out for the rest of the evening. Zak St. John was out for his first time this season, driving the unnumbered “Minions” car that has been driven by a few different drivers through this season.
Dan Byrnes, who qualified third, didn’t make it out for their fast car dash, putting fifth place qualifier Rob Hiiemaa into the dash. Hiiemaa finished on top after the 4 lap race, followed by Josh Ware, Dustin Jackson, and Jake Irwin.
In the Late Model Heat, 7 cars were out for 10 laps. Ron Raynor and Rob Hiiemaa started in the front row. Raynor led the first lap, then Hiiemaa took the lead for a couple laps, then Raynor regained the lead through lap 8. On lap 9 Raynor was passed by Josh Ware who had started the race at the back. Ware led the last two laps to take the win. Raynor finished 2nd, Hiiemaa 3rd, Jackson 4th, Jake Irwin 5th, Byrnes 6th, and St. John 7th.
In their 20 lap feature, Byrnes didn’t make it out, dropping the field down to 6 cars. Caution popped out on the first lap, with St. John spinning. The race was restarted and then went full length without another caution. Hiiemaa led the first four laps of the race, but quickly had Ware battling him for the lead. Ware got by on lap 5, Raynor was running third at this point. Dustin Jackson moved up a couple of positions as the race progressed and moved past Hiiemaa on lap 15. Drivers raced out the last 5 laps without a change in positions. Ware took the checkers, Jackson 2nd, Hiiemaa 3rd, Raynor 4th, St. John 5th, and Irwin 6th.
SUPERIOR TRUCK REPAIR MICHIGAN MODIFIEDS
In the Michigan Modified division, 7 cars qualified, with Josh Ware #7 having the best qualifying time of 14.906 seconds. The field included first time driver Donny Davidson in the #7 black and white car, and A.J. Daniels in the sharp looking #21x out for his first run this season.
In the fast car dash, fast qualifier Ware wasn’t out. Mark Porpealia started out front and led all laps of the 4 lapper to take the checkered flag. Behind him Mark Laakso and Daniels traded places a couple times, with Laakso finishing 2nd. Daniels 3rd, and Kevin Oicle 4th. This was Porpealia’s first checked flag in the Modified division.
Later, 6 cars were out for the 10 lap heat; Ware was still missing in the starting lineup. Porpealia once again started at the front. Daniels and Oicle were trading places in second trying to get past Porpealia. On lap 8, Daniels spun coming out of corner 4 to bring out the caution. Daniels restarted at the back. Porpealia continued to lead, with Oicle and Mark Laakso working behind trading places for second. The race ended with Porpealia once again taking the checkered flag. Laakso took second, Oicle 3rd, Michael Carbone 4th, Daniels 5th, and Donny Davidson 6th.
In the modified feature, Ware was out, as was Sean Sykes, driving the #40+ for the first time. Sykes was late arriving at the track, missing qualifying and the heat managed to do some hot laps during intermission. Michael Carbone and AJ Daniels started front row in the feature. Daniels had the lead for the first four laps of the 20 lap race, then was passed by Ware, who had once again moved up from the back of the pack. The yellow flag flew on lap 12 after Davidson slowed on the track, then exited. On the restart, it looked like Ware, leading, checked up a bit around corner 3 & 4 causing an accordion effect that saw three cars behind piling into each other; Daniels spun in front, with Oicle and Laakso into each other behind him. All three cars involved were able to restart. Daniels restarted second behind ware, with Oicle and Laakso behind them. On lap 17 Laakso took over third from Oicle. Ware took 1st place, Daniels 2nd, Laakso 3rd, Oicle 4th, Porpealia 5th, Michael Carbone 6th, and Sykes 7th a lap down.
NORTHLAND AUTOBODY FACTORY STOCKS
Jarritt Varcoe was the fast qualifier for the night in the Factory Stock division. In their 4 car dash. Gerry Ross snagged the win, Jamie Fox 2nd, Varcoe 3rd, and Buddy Palahnuk 4th.
The four in the dash were joined by Jon Diodati for a 10 lap heat. The race ran fast and clean. Ross started out front and stayed that way until the end for the win. Fox moved up into 2nd from a 4th place start, Varcoe finished 3rd, Palahnuk 4th and Diodati 5th.
The 20 lap Factory Stock Feature also ran caution free and clean. Palahnuk didn’t make it out. This time Varcoe took the early lead and continued on for the win. Fox and Ross duked it out behind for a few laps, with Ross eventually taking 2nd. Fox finished 3rd, and Diodati 4th.
GREAT LAKES BUS TOURS FACTORY FOURS
Anthony Mannarino was the fast qualifier for the night. We had a new driver in the division, Kaleb Foster was driving #17 for the first time. The young man did well. In the 4 car dash, Mannarino took the win, followed by Rob Wagner 2nd, Jack Lannigan 3rd, and Foster 4th. The 8 lap caution free heat showed the same results.
In the 15 lap feature, Wagner led the entire race to take the win, with Mannarino in close pursuit for 2nd. Lannigan finished 3rd and Foster 4th.
A photo gallery for the night can be viewed on our website at http://superiorinternationalmotorplex.myracepass.com/gallery/?g=15385
OUR NEXT RACENIGHT will be announced soon. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
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Article Credit: Tom Stephenson