I-96 SPEEDWAY
MAY 7, 2011

Curtis Roberts Scores $1,500 Payday in Late Models at I-96 Speedway

by Matt Prieur
LAKE ODESSA, Mich (May 7) - The headliners for the evening at I-96 Speedway were the Tinney Automotive UMP Late Models who rolled out for their Feature and it would be Tom Sprague Jr., and Ben Hidy scheduled to start on the front row. However on the wave lap, Hidy lost a left front tire and had to be towed to the pits. He returned moments later and started at the rear of the field.

So it ended up being Sprague Jr., and Rich Neiser leading the field to Chief Starter, Tim Beebe’s green flag and on lap one, Neiser, who won the feature the previous night at Winston Motor Speedway, spun coming out of turn four to bring out the caution flag. Curtis Roberts, who like Neiser, won a feature 24 hours earlier, only at Mt. Pleasant Speedway. Would take the lead while Sprague Jr., ducked in behind him.

Roberts tried to lose Sprague Jr., and the rest of the field in lapped traffic and soon Brandon Thirlby and Sammy Epling caught up to Sprague Jr., and the battle was on for second through fourth while Roberts slowly pulled away from the rest of the pack. In the end, Roberts would overcome one final restart with six laps to go and the Coleman, Michigan veteran in his Superior Metal Recycling Ford would walk away with his first I-96 feature of the season and second victory of the weekend.

New points leader, Sprague Jr., finished second with Thirlby, Epling, and two-time and defending track champion Eric Spangler, who started 17th after having to make the show through the B Main for the second week in a row, wrapped up the top five. Dan Hubbell finished sixth while Phil Ausra, Dave Hartman, Billy Bray, and Hidy finished off the top 10. Thirlby, Roberts, and Neiser scored qualifier heat race wins while Hartman took the B Main victory and transferred to the feature along-with Spangler, John Grega, David Hilliker, and new rookie points leader Kathy Jarvis.

A-Main
1 6 9 Curtis Roberts / Coleman, MI
2 1 21 Tom Sprague Jr. / Muskegon, MI
3 9 m14 Brandon Thirlby / Traverse City, MI
4 7 29 Sammy Epling / Perry, MI
5 16 27 Eric Spangler / Lake City, MI
6 11 32 Dan Hubbell / Hastings, MI
7 12 15 Phil Ausra / Dowagiac, MI
8 15 12 Dave Hartman / Howard City, MI
9 4 94 Billy Bray / Spring Lake, MI
10 2 97 Ben Hidy / Grand Ledge, MI
11 18 30 Kathy Jarvis ® / Park City, UT
12 17 21h David Hilliker / Midland, MI
13 3 87 Rich Neiser / Fruitport, MI
14 5 0x Zack Olger / St. Johns, MI
15 14 54 Chris Nash / Kalamazoo, MI
16 10 73 Jason Wiley ® – Fenwick, MI
17 8 23v Ryan VanderVeen / Six Lakes, MI
18 13 0p Kris Patterson Jr. / St. Johns, MI
 
Lap Leaders: 9 Curtis Roberts 1-30
Cautions: 5
Time of Race: 19 Minutes, 35.382 Seconds
DID NOT START: 13 Scott Baker, 71 John Grega
 
Heat 1 Results
1 m14 Brandon Thirlby
2 29 Sammy Epling
3 21 Tom Sprague Jr.
4 73 Jason Wiley ®
5 15 Phil Ausra
6 12 Dave Hartman
7 2 Bry Sloan
8 89 Luke Tominski
9 c4 Zach Calkins ®
 
Heat 2 Results
1 9 Curtis Roberts
2 0x Zack Olger
3 94 Billy Bray
4 13 Scott Baker
5 0p Kris Patterson Jr.
6 71 John Grega
7 32h Luke Hubbell
8 91 Adam Thrush
 
Heat 3 Results (Top 5 Transfer)
1 87 Rich Neiser
2 23v Ryan VanderVeen
3 97 Ben Hidy
4 32 Dan Hubbell
5 54 Chris Nash
6 21d David Hilliker
7 30 Kathy Jarvis ®
8 27 Eric Spangler
 
B Main (Top 5 Transfer)
1 12 Dave Hartman
2 27 Eric Spangler
3 71 John Grega
4 21d David Hilliker
5 30 Kathy Jarvis ®
6 32h Luke Hubbell
7 89 Luke Tominski
DNS 2 Bry Sloan
DNS c4 Zach Calkins ®
DNS 91 Adam Thrush