Matt Miller takes first checkers of year at Clinton County Raceway

Twenty-three Shore Auto Parts sprints checked in to Clinton County Raceway on a hot and muggy night. Scott Lutz and Matt Miller would lead the field down to the green flag but it didn’t take long for the yellow as ninth place starter Bill Jones Jr found himself facing the wrong way on a one-way street. The field quickly reloaded and fired off with Miller taking over the top spot. Matt Heimbach wasted no time as he glued himself right to the back bumper of Miller. As those two battled for the top spot. Bob Howard began his steady climb towards the front from his sixth place starting spot. The field would slow again on lap six for a spin involving rookie contender Bill Freeman. On the restart Bob Howard jumped into second and the two started running side by side for the lead. Matt Heimbach rode in second looking for any type of daylight to squeeze through. With the top three running right on top of each other, ’08 feature winners Blaine Heimbach and Neil Petock began to join the leaders as they worked their way up from the eleventh and twelfth place starting spots. At half way Chuck Roan who came from fifteenth to fourth began battling Blaine Heimbach for third. With all of the leaders right on top of each other it didn’t take long to run out of racetrack as contact between Roan’s machine and Heimbach’s sent Blaine towards the infield where he would need a tow to the pits. On the restart Miller would once again have control of the field with Howard shadowing his every move. With five laps to go Roan once again found trouble, as he would tangle with Neil Petock. Petock was able to make it to the pits to change a flat while Roan would need the hook, as his run through the field would come to an end. On the restart the great battle up front would continue as both Howard and Miller were looking for their first win of the year. The field would slow one more time for a spin involving Freeman coming off turn four. This would set up a three-lap dash to the finish. Miller once again held the lead and both Howard and Matt Heimbach would do everything they could do to get around him, but it wasn’t meant to be as Miller drove the wheels off to pick of his first win of the season at Clinton County. Howard would once again have to settle for second, Matt Heimbach was third, Scott Lutz finished off a solid run for fourth, with Jeff Taylor taking home fifth. George Suprick finally seems to be getting the gremlins out of his car as he had a steady run for sixth, Matt Horst seventh, Daryl Stimeling eighth, Andy Haus ninth, and Jeff Weaver rounding out the top ten.

The A&A Auto Parts Pro Stock took to the track for their feature even and nearly ran it caution free. The class is still down a few cars after that massive wreck a few weeks ago but the drivers still continued to put on a great show. The field was only slowed twice, once for a spin involving Arliss Rhinehart and a mechanical failure on the Brandon Glen machine. Terry Shedden who has seen the checkers time and time again only to have the win fall through his fingers would once again suffer heartbreak as he would lead the entire race, except for the last hundred yards as twelfth place starter and last weeks feature winner Denny Fourney would slide around the outside to take the win. Cliff Berry continued his consistency as he turned in a third place finish, John Bouse had a solid run for fourth and Rich Fye grabbed fifth. Dave Riddell nabbed sixth, Arliss Rhinehart rebounded for seventh, Jim Berry eighth, Todd Williams ninth, and John Myers tenth.

The Ron Enders and Son’s 270 Micros, just like their big brother sprints, continue to put on a wild show every week. The hard luck award has to go to John Roberts. Roberts suffered engine trouble two weeks again and had things going well in his heat until he would find himself upside down. He was ok and went to the pits to make repairs. Roberts would make it back for the feature but he didn’t shake his bad luck. While running with Jim Welshans the two would come together and both would go flipping in turn two. Both drivers were ok but finished for the night. Brian Kishbaugh has been a force in the in the micro division as he picked up another win. Scott Kishbaugh finished second, with hard charging Mike Schuckers getting third. Schuckers was gaining on the leaders but due to his win last week he had to start twelfth and ran out of time. Tom Tice was fourth and Mike Koehler finished fifth. John Rechel was sixth, Justin Jordan was seventh, Tylor Cochran eighth, Sierra Weaver ninth, and Bill Frederick rounded out the top ten.

In the Randy’s Auto Repair 4-Cylinder division Eric Palski would lead the field down to the green flag as he was looking to shake his season long misfortune. Last week Palski would finish the night on his roof, as he was involved in the lap one wreck. This time Palski would jump into the lead and hold until the halfway point when Brad Myers would begin to challenge for the top spot. The lead was swapped back and forth until Palski would suffer disappointment again as he had to head pit side with a flat left rear. Brad Myers would then go on to win with Jason Rafter coming up to take second. Doug Darby grabbed third, Sterling Kepner finished off a steady run for fourth, and Zach Laubsher taking fifth. Evan Palski came across the line sixth, Dave Flook seventh, Heather Marr eighth, Todd English ninth, and Larry Beachel tenth.

Clinton County Raceway will once again be back in action next Friday night with the Crate Sportsmans making their only appearance of the season. Also joining them will be the Shore Auto Parts Sprints, A&A Auto Parts Pro Stocks, along with the Randy’s Auto Repair 4-Cylinders. Gates open at 5 with racing at 7:30.