Intense Action the New Standard at Hutchinson Raceway Park

By Ami Claussen on 6-20-08

The wind settled as the sun set over Hutchinson Raceway Park, but the drivers were anything but calm on Friday night.

First on the dirt were the Quads, Aaron Fletchall (#07) coming from mid-pack to take the checkered over Jim Hall (#H11).

Rolling out next were the Street Stocks, in two heats. Ralph Stewart (#00) shot up the outside of the front stretch to lead the field to turn one, followed closely by Steve Moore (#56). Dustin Carey (#54) took third from Dickie Koeppen, Jr. (#72) on the inside of four. Stewart claimed the first heat win. Scott Claussen (#4) set the pace in heat two, followed by Zach Slyter (#9Z). Chris Lohrey (#32) had some difficulties early, and left the track. Jon Spencer (#45) cut a right front tire, leaving Claussen and Slyter to finish the race first and second, respectively.

Next up were the Hornets in one heat. Steven Shields (#7) got the jump on the field and led to one as Shelby Stucky (#429) and Mitch Rupert (#66) duked it out side by side over second. Kirby Robe (#1) took the inside on turn two and shuffled Stucky from the third spot as Rupert put the same move on Shields for the lead. Chad Ellis made contact with Shields off the front stretch, Shields smacked the wall at turn one, and Austin Allen (#18) had nowhere to go. The caution came out for debris and damage, and Rupert led the pack back to green, Jeff Herrmann (#17) snagging the third seat from Robe on the inside of turn one. Stucky grabbed the lead coming off two, and held it for the win.

Christner/Christner (#8) led the Cruisers to turn one, Nusser/Kitch (#88) looking for a hole on the outside and settling for second. Arrington/Allen (#Z1) lost a tire on the backstretch, their charge toward the front coming to a crawl. Neill/Neill (#20X) shot to second, followed by McReynolds/McReynolds (#2) for third. Neill/Neill stole the lead on the low groove of the back straightaway and took the checkered.

The AAA Modifieds claimed the track next, in two heats. Tad Davis (#75) and Gary Douglas (#8D) got the battle started at the drop of the green, swapping paint down the front stretch on the way to turn one. Davis had the lead off two, Ray Thiel (#32) looking inside Douglas for second. Douglas held him off, and Davis took the win. Craig Miller (#M11) got the jump on the second-heat field, Jim Pearcy (#48) and Gary Killbourn (#84) side by side over second. Peracy had the spot off turn two, followed by Lincoln Moore (#97) for third. Tommy Miller (#M111) grabbed the fourth spot from Killbourn. Craig Miller snagged the win.

Adam Schrag (#311) grabbed the lead up the outside of the frontstretch as the Super Stock heats got underway. Jeremy Bishop (#03), Bill Narron (#13B), and Aaron Rayl (#1A) tried a three-wide stretch over second, Bishop in the second seat off turn two. Narron had difficulties on the back stretch, bringing out the caution. Schrag led the field back to green, Terry Stubblefield (#5) up to challenge Rayl for the third spot. A second caution for debris put the field nose-to-tail for the restart, Schrag out front and determined to stay there. Stubblefield cleared Bishop for second, and Schrag cleared the checkered. Bob Roberts (#23R), Zach Boor (#B23), and Darren Moses (#42) took the front straightaway three-wide over the lead at the drop of the green, Roberts in the lead off turn one. Moses snapped it up on the inside of turn two, and led the field to the checkered.

Wrapping up the heats were the Outlaw Modifieds in a double run. Travis Govern (#19) got the jump on heat number one, Steve Burch (#11) just behind him. Ryan McAninch (#52) took the low side on Burch for second on turn two, followed by Jerry Phillips (#66) in third. McAninch looked to the inside of Govern off two for the lead, and finally snagged it on turn three of the next lap. McAninch held it for the win. Brendon Gemmill (#G3) took the outside groove and led to turn one, Brent Burkhart (#13) and Jerrod Reimer (#75) hard on his rear deck. Reimer left the track early with troubles, and Brian Casey (#22B) snagged the third spot. Gemmill took the win.

Four Supers fought over the green in the Speedy Cash Dash, Schrag giving Moses a run for his money before Moses took the win and the cash.

The fans claimed the dirt during intermission, the drivers signing both t-shirts and skin as kids and adults alike grabbed their chance to talk to their favorite heat race winner.

Back to the inner track for the Features, the Quads took back the dirt. Fletchall again claimed the lead and ran strong to the win, but the evening was dampened for all the Quads after an accident on the front stretch put one of their own in a Life Team helicopter bound for the emergency room.

The Streets brought the racing back to green, Moore with the pace to turn one followed by Pat McReynolds (#169) and Koeppen, Jr. in a battle over second. Slyter made contact with Claussen on the back stretch, but Claussen held his line. Stewart grabbed third from McReynolds on the inside of turn one, and took turn two three-wide with Moore and Koeppen, Jr. over the lead. Stewart was out front by turn four. Carey challenged McReynolds for fourth, followed by Claussen, who grabbed fourth from Moore as Carey took over the third spot. Carey and Koeppen, Jr. made contact between turns three and four, both went around, and the caution came out. Stewart led the field back to the green, and held for the win.

Ross Harris (#14) set the pace for the Hornet feature, Robe glued to the back bumper of Stucky down the front stretch in a bump-draft for second, Herrmann looking to the outside groove for the same spot. Curtis Littrell (#2.3) and Allen tried to make it three-wide down the back straightaway with Harris, Allen nosed ahead and got sideways in front of the other two, which sent him up on two tires as Harris and Littrell struggled not to flip him. The caution came out, and put the field back to its original line-up. Harris again led to turn one, followed by Stucky. Robe took second on inside of turn four, looked to the inside of Harris on two, but Harris held him off. Littrell challenged Stucky for third, got sideways in front of her on turn three, but Stucky avoided him and Robe, grabbing second. Herrmann snagged the third off turn three, then took second from Stucky on the high side of two. Stucky tried Harris’ inside on turn three for the lead, made contact, and sent her ride into a spin on turn four bringing out the caution. Herrmann had cleared them both before the yellow flag fell, sending him to the front and the checkered.

Mixing it up and having a ball, the Cruiser feature claimed the track. McReynolds/McReynolds got the jump at the green, but Nusser/Kitch was right behind them. Christner/Christner grabbed second on turn two, then repeated the move one lap later for the lead. Arrington/Allen took the outside of Baker/Groth (#10) of turn two for third, and stayed on the move down the back stretch past McReynolds/McReynolds for second. Arrington/Allen challenged Christner/Christner hard for the lead, Christner/Christner fighting hard to keep Arrington/Allen behind them for the win.

Mark Crough (#UF0) led the AAA Mods to the green, Davis and Craig Miller lined up behind him. Scott Miller (#M1) cleared Craig for the third spot as Davis snagged the lead from Crough. Scott Miller went side by side with Crough over second off turn four, Crough in the spot off two. Matt Henke (#10H) slammed the turn one tire barrier and rolled twice, bringing out the red flag for a second of the night. Henke climbed from the car under his own power, the safety workers cleared the track, and Davis took the field back to the green. Scott Miller and Crough battled once more over second, side by side through turn one, contact on turn two, Miller finally ahead for second off four. Davis stayed ahead of the scuffle, and took the checkered.

Boor, Rayl, and David Young (#67) kicked off the Super Stock feature three wide over the lead, Young solid in the number one spot off turn four. Stubblefield took the low side on Boor as Roberts took the high side, three wide on turn three over third, but Moses blew by all of them and claimed the spot himself. Moses shuffled Rayl from second, then displaced Young from the lead on the low side of turn two. Stubblefield and Rayl tangled on off turn one, Schrag barely avoided them as they corrected, and Stubblefield grabbed third with Schrag just behind for fourth. The two sandwiched Young off turn one, Stubblefield keeping Schrag from the second spot. Moses took the win.

The finale of the evening was the Outlaw Mods feature. Burch grabbed the high groove outside Casey, and led off turn two. Casey reversed things in short order, sitting in the lead by the next lap. Burkhart snagged third, with Phillips just behind in fourth. Gemmill looked inside Phillips into turn one, McAninch made it three wide on two, and Phillips was shuffled to fifth. McAninch nosed low on Gemmill, briefly grabbed the third spot, but contact on turn three sent McAninch around. The race stayed green as Reimer and Govern batteld side by side down the front stretch over fourth. Casey shot off the groove on two, white flag lap, allowing Burkhart to draw even, but Casey found his line again down the back straightaway, and grabbed the win.

Don’t miss the TORA vs. NCRA Late Models that will be mixing it up next Friday night!

Racing action kick starts at HRP every Friday night at 8 PM.

See you on the dirt!