Eddie Hoffman Wins Michigan 100 over a stout ASA Late Model Northern Series field!

by Matt Prieur / Chris Fobbe - Owosso Speedway
The cars and stars of America's Premiere Template Bodied / Crate Motor Series, the Lexington, Michigan based ASA Late Model Northern Series invaded one of their home state tracks, the Owosso Speedway on Saturday, August 7th for their eighth race of the 2010 racing season; the Michigan 100.

A capacity crowd jam packed the historic 69-year-old Ovid, Michigan speed plant and the Big Winners of the night were; Eddie Hoffman - ASA Late Model Northern Series, Tom Hoose - Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Late Models, Don Riley - Shiawassee Shores Pro Stocks, and Jimmy Stratton - Shattuck Specialty Advertising Pure Stocks.

The first Feature of the night was for Owosso's co-headlining division within the Weekly Local Racing Series; The Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Late Models as the first of two sets of Late Models on the same night saw Four-Time Track Champion Tom Hoose and 2008 Rookie of the Year Ryan Etchison lead the starting field to Chief Starter, Jeremy Slayden's green flag to begin their 30-lap main event.

Hoose would grab the early lead while the rest of the pack settled into a rhythm. Current Points Leader, Mark Welch, quickly worked his way up to second place from his sixth starting position and was soon on Welch's back bumper and the two crafty veterans slowly pulled away to battle.

Just two cautions briefly slowed the pace and on each restart, Hoose and Welch would pull away from the rest of the field. Ed Doutre Jr., was in third as he had a battle of his own going on with Etchison and Jimmy O. Smith. But all the while Hoose and Welch pulled away from the duels behind them and were going to settle their own score.

Welch looked high and low trying to figure out a way around Hoose, who was making his first appearance of 2010 and first race in over a year since a horrible car accident that involved him and his wife. The Fenton, Michigan driver in his Wal-Built Performance Chevrolet showed no ill effects from that off the track incident and fight off Welch and lead all 30 laps to score the very emotional win!

The great crowd on hand gave him a standing ovation for his efforts! Welch settled for second, but the 2007 Track Champion extended his points lead with just three points nights remaining for the Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Late Models.

Doutre Jr., the Three-Time Defending Track Champion at Owosso's sister track to the Northeast, Dixie Motor Speedway, made his first appearance at the Big "O" in 2010 count with a third place showing over Smith and Etchison, who completed the Top Five.

Current Rookie of the Year Points Leader, 17-year-old Jimmy Novak, who was one of several drivers doing Double Duty during the night, finished sixth after starting 13th while John Forsythe Jr., 2008 Track Champion Dave Bigos, Mark Pettit, and Russ Cords finished off the Top 10.

Earlier in the afternoon, Two-Time and Defending Track Champion, Ed Young Jr., another Double Duty Driver, won his third Affordable Tire and Service Center Fast Qualifier award of the 2010 racing season as he toured the 3/8s mile oval at a 16.388 while Novak, Ryan Inman, and Doutre Jr., won the Heat Races.

As the sun slowly set in the distance, the Shiawassee Shores Pro Stocks rolled out next for their 25-lap Feature and the front row of Eric Olsen and Billy Hagon led the starting field to the D-L Auto Sales start / finish line to begin their main event. Hagon would pace the field. Two quick cautions slowed things down, and on each restart, Hagon, who splits time in the car throughout the year with veteran, Dave Buswell, would try to pull away from the field.

Hagon continued to lead until Don Riley, the Current Points Leader and Defending Track Champion at Owosso's sister track to the Northeast, Dixie Motor Speedway, grabbed the led for himself on lap 10. As Riley tried to pull away from the field, Fast Qualifier Jim Severn began his charge to the front from his seventh starting spot. With five laps to go, Severn took over second and tried in vain to reel in Riley.

By that point however, Riley had built up a comfortable lead. Severn did cut the lead down somewhat but ran out of time as Riley in his Stevens Cycle Sales Chevrolet would have enough of a cushion to give him his fourth Feature Win of the 2010 racing season. Combined with his six Feature triumphs at Dixie, that's 10 Features so far this season between the two tracks!

Severn settled for second with Hagon coming home third over 2005 Track Champion Tom Stone, and Current Points Leader and Defending Track Champion, Tony Basalone finishing off the Top Five. Dennis Roys grabbed sixth ahead of Olsen, Kevin Dobis, Dr. Richard Neely, and Rich Gagner rounded out the Top 10.

In preliminary action, Severn won his first Shiawassee Shores Fast Qualifier award of the year as he tripped the clocks at a 17.270 as Dobis and Hagon scored the Heat Race triumphs.

The final Feature of the night before the cars and stars of the ASA Late Model Northern Series came out was the 20-lap Shattuck Specialty Advertising Pure Stocks Feature as the front row consisted of Chris Wood and Leroy Whitaker. Whitaker led the first two laps before Defending Track Champion Jimmy Stratton, in only his second appearance of the season, took over the top spot on lap three.

Stratton brought Current Points Leader Bob Robinson with him and Robinson, who earlier in the day already won his third Fast Qualifier award and scored his Heat Race win, was looking to score the "Hat Trick" for the night and pressured Stratton throughout the remainder of the event.

Just two quick cautions for harmless spins briefly slowed the pace and on each restart, Stratton and Robinson would check out and settle things on their own. Robinson looked high and low trying to figure out a way around the reigning Track Champion as several times he tried to inside lane to maneuver around Stratton.

However, Stratton in his Muffler Man of Flint Chevrolet was up to the challenge each and every time as the Lennon, Michigan driver, who got a late start to his 2010 racing season, made the wait worthwhile as he collected his first Feature Win of the season after a hard fought battle with Robinson.

Robinson finished second but extended his points lead with his Runner-Up showing while Rick Gokee Sr., Whitaker, and Kevin Adkins who started 16th after jumping into his Father, Hurley Adkins ride, completed the Top Five. Patrick Dent made his first appearance in four seasons count with a sixth place showing over a slew of Rookies including Steve Pelky II, Current Rookie of the Year Points Leader Gary Pelky, Bob Elliott, and 12-year-old Vinnie Miller wrapped up the Top 10.

In Qualifying, Robinson won his third Shattuck Specialty Advertising Fast Qualifier award of the season with a 19.351 and won his Heat Race. The other two Heat Races were won by Ron Hart and Dent.

After an On-Track Autograph Session and some Spirited Driver Introductions followed by the traditional "Wave Lap" made famous Nationwide at the Big "O", the cars and stars of the ASA Late Model Northern Series lined up for their eighth race of the 2010 racing season, the Michigan 100 to close out the night at the Ovid, Michigan speed plant.

The 21-car field would be led to Chief Starter, Tom Powell's green flag by a stout front row of 16-year-old Rookie, Seth Moody and Two-Time and Defending Track Champion in the tracks' Pro Late Models division, Ed Young Jr., who was making his ASA Late Model Northern Series debut. After the front row remained side by side, it would be Young Jr., leading his first career laps in his first career traveling series start.

Young Jr., would lead the first four laps before Current Series Points Leader and 2008 Series Champion, Eddie Hoffman maneuvered around the outside of Young Jr., and the two drivers were side by side going down the backstretch into turns three and four working on lap five.

All of a sudden, AR Bodies Fast Qualifier and Series Rookie of the Year Points Leader, 14-year-old Erik Jones, the 2009 Pro Stocks Rookie of the Year at the Big "O" from near-by Byron, Michigan made a daring move for the lead from his sixth starting spot as Young Jr., and Hoffman were side by side, Jones made it three-wide going into turn three and came out of turn four and down to the D-L Auto Sales start / finish line as the new leader to the roar of the great crowd on hand!

Hoffman managed to drive around Young Jr., to grab second place with Leo Smith, a regular in the tracks Affordable Tire and Service Center Pro Late Models division and serving as a teammate to Jones for the evening, also got by Young Jr., to grab third place and in turn, he tried to reel in Hoffman for second.

The most serious incident of the night occurred on lap 17 when Mike Staszak slammed the turn two tire barrier just beyond the entrance and exit to the track! He was ok, but his car was destroyed and he was done for the night. During the caution, Jones suddenly slowed and came to a stop in turn four and was unable to fire his car back up!

He would be pushed off and was done for the night due to a broker Fuel Pump! This gave the lead to Hoffman who had Smith still on his back bumper, but now the duo was battling for the lead! On the ensuing restart, Hoffman steadily pulled away from the track favorite from near-by Corunna, Michigan, a former competitor in the ARCA Racing Series and making his ASA Late Model Northern Series debut.

Hoffman opened up a one and a quarter second lead over Smith and the rest of the pack while 2009 Series Rookie of the Year, Josh Nelms, who lost a motor during Practice, was behind the wheel of Hoffman's back-up LisaThomasSalon.com Ford Fusion, had quietly worked his way up to the last podium position in third and was soon on Smith's back bumper when the final caution flew on lap 80 setting up the final 20 laps.

On that final restart, Nelms caught Smith napping at the start and drove by the new crowd favorite to take over second spot and set his sights on his teammate for the weekend, Hoffman. Soon the two T.K. Racing Fords would pull away from Smith and the rest of the field.

Nelms never got close enough to apply pressure to Hoffman who would go on and lead the final 83 laps and the Wheaton, Illinois veteran, one of the most accomplished drivers in the United States, would add an Owosso Speedway Feature Win to his long and impressive resume and would steer his LisaThomasSalon.com Ford into victory lane after winning his second Series Feature of the year and extend his points lead in the process in an effort to become the first repeat champion in the series' eight-year history!

Nelms and Smith would join Hoffman on the podium after finishing second and third respectively. Canadian Jordan Sims finished fourth ahead of Kyle Hayden, the Current Points Leader at near-by Auto City Speedway in that tracks Super Stocks division, who started 15th, would finish second for the second consecutive year in a row in ASA Late Model Northern Series competition at Owosso Speedway!

17-year-old Rookie, Trevor Dassow came home a career high sixth while Jesse Saunders, who came into the night second in the points and was forced to start at the rear of the 21-car field due to an Impound Violation and a Pit Stop later in the race, worked his way back to seventh.

Moody finished eighth with Bob Varney in his Next Generation Chevrolet Camaro template body utilized in the Lexington, Michigan series' companion series, the Sunoco National Tour, was ninth over 16-year-old Jared Marks, who wrapped up the Top 10.

Earlier in the afternoon, Jones won his second AR Bodies Fast Qualifier award of the season as he toured the 3/8s mile at a lap measured at a 15.605. The Track Record remains intact and is held by 2008 Sunoco National Tour Champion, Peter Cozzolino who went a 15.285 back on August 18th, 2007.

The next race for the ASA Late Model Northern Series is set for Friday, August 20th at Owosso's sister track to the Northeast, the Dixie Motor Speedway in Birch Run, Michigan for the running of the Bob Cross Memorial 100.