2nd.... Almost a Win!
Wayland NY- We went into this season feeling very
good about our chances after the schooling and changes we made to the car. Thursday night it all proved to be correct. Kyle
started his heat race last in the 9th spot and finished 2nd in hot pursuit of Lacki who won. As they say "ran out of
laps".
For the feature Kyle was lucky enough to draw the
pole. This is good but Dick Batron pulled the outside pull. Dick Barton has raced late models for years and has won many big
dollar shows. With that saide Kyle knew he was going to have to run a mistake free race even to have a chance.
The two drives set off side by side with Barton taking the lead to complete lap 1. Kyle did the smart thing and tucked in
behind him while the two set sail on the field. By lap 10 the pair had a good straightaway lead on third and were into lapped
traffic. Kyle kept pace nicely closing the 4-5 car length gap ever so slightly only to see Barton gain it back. By about lap
15 the one and only caution came out and took away the half track lead the guys had built up. On the restart it was the Dick
and Kyle show again with third place Blair very close. As the laps wound down it was clear Kyle was catching Barton. As the
took the white flag Kyle was there. Remember it is one thing to catch and another to pass. Going down the back straightaway
the two were side by side each running their preferred line. As the came out of turn four for the checkered flag it was a
drag race with Barton winning by a nose.
This was one
of the best dirt races I've ever seen, and I've seen a bunch. If you want to see some exciting races you need to watch
these crate late models. Remember the engines are sealed and the same so the speed is gained by car setup and the driver.
It has nothing to do with the amount of money you can spend. Great racing!!!
Next up McKean July 5th for a Fastrak Regional race. Then we are looking at doing the three nights at Dog Hollow, Mercer,
and Tri City the weekend of the 11th.
