5/7/2017
Freedom Factory
Kerrivan, Caylor taste victory at Desoto Speedway
Kerrivan, Caylor taste victory at Desoto Speedway
By SCOTT LOCKWOOD
Photo by Julie Bartam
Desoto Speedway
The last time the Modified Minis raced at Desoto Speedway three weeks ago, Mike Kerrivan saw his chance at victory go up in smoke just a couple of laps from the finish. During Saturday night’s return engagement, Kerrivan made sure a mechanical gremlin wouldn’t keep him out of the winner’s circle again. Instead of coming up just short this time, Kerrivan took the lead at the outset of the 50-lap feature that was part of Desoto’s May Madness and took a green-to-checker victory that erased the memory of that heartbreaking loss Kerrivan and Jeff Firestine quickly separated themselves from the rest of the pack in the opening laps of the main event. Even as the pair worked their way through lapped traffic, Firestine was never more than a couple of car lengths away from Kerrivan’s rear bumper over the first 30 laps. Firestine used lapped traffic to get close to Kerrivan in the closing laps but wasn’t able to make the move for the win as Kerrivan completed his dominating performance.
“This feels really good,” Kerrivan said. “My spotter kept saying that Jeff doesn’t have anything for you...but I think Jeff was just sandbagging a little. This defintely makes up for last time.”
Dave Davis, who won that 50-lap feature three weeks ago, rounded out the podium
Jason Batram took the lead at the green flag of the 50-lap Take Aim Gun Range Street Stock feature with Mike Rowland and Bobby Huffstutler in tow for the first several laps. After making contact with the backstretch wall on the opening lap Kenny Gibson began a march to the front of the field. He worked his way up to third on lap 20 and was quickly closing on Rowland for the second spot when the caution flew for Dave Bowman’s spin at the halfway point. Gibson and Danny Caylor both got by Rowland on the restart. A couple of laps later Caylor dove under Gibson for second place and set his sights on Bartram at the front of the field. Caylor had closed to within a car length when Lee Hobbs spun to bring out the caution on lap 30. Caylor used the high line to his advantage and shot past Bartram into the lead on what would be the final restart. As Caylor and Bartram drove away from the rest of the field, Todd Brown began working his way toward the front. He got by Rowland and Donnie Powers and eventually passed Gibson for third with five laps to go. Bartram and Brown didn’t have anything for Caylor in the final laps as Caylor drove to his first feature win of the season at Desoto Speedway. Gibson and Powers rounded out the top five.
Sherry Best and Dennis Koselak led the field to the green for the 20-lap Pure Stock feature. Before the field could complete the first lap Best’s car lost a right rear tire and crashed. Gerald Fossa was also collected in the incident. When the race resumed Koselak and Darrin Ellis ran side-by-side for the lead for the entire length of the race. The pair traded the top spot at the line several times over the course of the event, but Koselak was able to edge Ellis for the victory by less than a car length at the checkered flag.
In other action Saturday night, Laura Mammina took the lead from Jacob Wozniak early in the 25-lap Mini Stock feature and drove on to her third victory of the year; and Kyle Case won a 15-lap Trophy Dash feature that saw three different leaders in the first five laps.
Next week Desoto Speedway will host the Q Auto and Injury Desoto Pro Trucks Triple Crown race 1, Pure Stocks and the Desoto Enduro Series.
5-6-2017
DESOTO SPEEDWAY RACE RESULTS
Street Stock
- 7 Danny Caylor
- 73 Jason Bartram
- 23b Todd Brown
- 23G Kenny Gibson
- 4 Donnie Powers
- 11 Travis Barfield
- 52 Mike Rowland
- 64 Dave Bowman
- 33 Ronnie Brook Jr.
10.40 Scott Finch -
- Jimmy Jackson
- 74 Bobby Huffstatler
- 124 Lee Hobbs
- 67 Jimmy Best DNS
Pure Stock
- 43 Dennis Koselak
- 71 Darrin Ellis
- 6 Marvin Cavy
- 71b Charles Butterfield
- 27 Gerald Fossa
- 3 Sherry Best
- 51 Troy Smith D.N.S.
Modified Mini
- 45 Mike Kerrivan
- 89 Jeff Firestine
- 6d Dave Davis
- 60 Marshall Parr
- 67 Josh Smith
- 77 Rachelle Rudolph
- 00 Dustin Eckerson
- 2 Jimmy Wood
- 6f Jimmy Frazier
Mini Stock
1, 77 Laura Mammina
2. 57w Jacob Wozniak
3. 37f Chris Falkner
4. 01 Doug Radley
5. 42 Anne Osborne
6. 37v James Volk
7. 18 Fred Wilson
8. 8 Rodney Wingate
9. 68 Steve James
10. 14 Michael Meeks
Trophy Dash
- 61 Kyle Case
- 68 Steve James
- 14 Michael Meeks
- 37v James Volk
- 01 Doug Radley
- 37 Chris Falkner
- 31 Gator Volk
Submitted By: Linda Jericka