Limaland Motorsports Park

7/4/2015

Limaland Motorsports Park

Griffith Rolls on Firecracker Friday

(7/3/15) – The eve of Independence Day for America saw the return of racing to Limaland Motorsports Park following the wettest month in history during June. Full fields of race cars converged including the much anticipated Sprint car show on The Night Before the Bob Reynolds Memorial.

Twenty competitors came together for the start of the Firecracker Friday Sprint car feature. Although Michigan’s Caleb Griffith would proceed to make it his personal playground, the driver of the yellow #33M entry would have to earn the eventual triumph.

Griffith benefited from winning the pole starting position following his heat race success and he made the most of the preferred front row perch. A red flag condition following the opening lap was the only delay for Griffith as he led the field for the remaining 24 circuits of the 25 lap feature.

Griffith took his machine to the top of the dry and slick racing surface and went largely unchallenged for the first half of the event. At about the middle of the race, the leaders encountered lapped traffic and that’s when Griffith had to earn his $2,000 prize. He carved out a masterful driving effort by using every inch of the ¼-mile oval while at the same time holding off an equally spirited challenge from Gary Taylor.

“I must have not drunk enough water today as I haven’t felt the best since we got here today,” revealed Griffith on the front straight winner’s circle. “The lapped cars were tough tonight and Gary (Taylor) was hungry. Getting through traffic was real tough and at the same time Gary was closing on me. I sort of got lucky and just kept rolling.” It was Griffith’s first win of the season at the track and only his second all-time. The result qualifies him for the season ending Reineke King of the Quarter Mile races.

The 20-lap feature for the K & N UMP Modifieds saw point’s leader Todd Sherman on the tail of the starting grid. The three-time 2015 winner had a damaged car after a heat race collision and had to come from last to second in the B-Main to get into the final. With Lima’s Jeff Koz only four points behind Sherman entering the nights racing, the first year full-time Modified racer took full advantage of Sherman’s adversity.

Koz bolted to the lead at the start from his outside front row position and showed the same successful racing form that gave him a first-career win earlier this season in June. He nearly checked-out on the field while hugging the outside wall through the opening 12 laps. Indiana veteran Randy Lines started third and stayed near the front although didn’t really threaten Koz until a thrilling three-lap dash for the checkers.
Koz’s dominance was seriously threatened as the race was slowed considerably with a series of caution periods as drivers struggling somewhat on the dry slick track. After a final restart on lap number 18, Lines went to the inside of Koz and briefly pulled ahead in the corners. It appeared as those Koz might let the lead slip away near the end of the race. With two laps remaining, Lines bobbled his #18L car coming out of turn four and that’s all it took for Koz to roll onto the checkered flag.

“We had a pretty good race car and I was trying to keep it out of the rough on the top,” said a relieved Jeff Koz. “I wanted to make the others work on the bottom to get around me and I knew that would be tough for them. The car got tight late in the race and Randy (Lines) started slicing and dicing and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hang on or not.”

The Budweiser Thunderstocks 15-lap feature was next up on the program and Fostoria, Ohio veteran Shawn Valenti was poised to become the evening’s third winner after starting on the pole. He and point’s leader Tony Anderson have ruled the division for the past half dozen features and tonight would be no different. Valenti led from the start, but similar to the Modifieds previously he would have to endure a series of caution flags before a thrilling final four laps.

Tony Anderson hammered to the inside of Valenti and nearly made it successful as he pulled alongside the pole sitter. With the fans on the edge of their seats, another white flag lap duel developed between the two stock car aces, with Valenti winning by a nose at the line.

“I saw Tony after a couple of the earlier restarts diving his nose to the inside,” noted Valenti. “He’s tough and is definitely the guy to beat in this class. On the last restart, my car took off bouncing, I hit the hole wrong, but was able to gather it back in three and four. Luckily it ended up working for me.” It was his second win of the season and 19th of his career.

Limaland Motorsports Park returns to action on Wednesday, July 15, with the Ohio Logistics 27th Annual Brad Doty Classic presented by Racing Optics, featuring the World of Outlaws Sprints. Pit Gates open at 3:00 p.m. with Grandstands at 4 p.m. Qualifying is on tap at 6:30 and Race Time at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now. Call 419-998-3199.

All the latest news and information about America’s premier quarter-mile dirt track can be found at www.limaland.com.

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