5/12/2025
Owosso Speedway
Hard Fought Victories Highlight Mother’s Day Event at Owosso
A series of tough races highlighted the Mother’s Day Weekend Celebration at Owosso Speedway. With scrappy, exciting races in between tough crashes and mechanical failures dotting the program.
The Main Events of the night began with the Valley Truck Center Modifieds. 30 drivers would check in for the night. Indiana driver Jordan Gatton started outside of 2023 Street Stock Track Champion Ron Hart, with Gatton getting to the front. Gatton is a somewhat unfamiliar name to Owosso Speedway fans, but he made sure they found out who he was. With numerous former Champions coming up to try to challenge for victory. In the end Gatton would hold off the challenges and take his first ever Owosso Speedway victory. Defending Champion Aaron Taylor was second, with 2023 Champion David McManus third, 2012 Champion Nick Clemens fourth, and Terry Trost completed to top five. Heat races were won by Austin May, Dale Spencer, Steven Pelky, and Nick Clemens. Dale Spencer won the B Feature, while Lonnie Saumier set the mark in qualifying for the second straight race, turning a 15.205. Saumier was offered the Kimball Midwest Challenge, in which he was offered a $100 bonus to start at the back of the field for the feature event and would get the bonus if he was able to win. Saumier declined so the pot grows to $200 for this Saturday night.
The Michigan Paving and Materials All-American Trucks made their 2025 debut. Darren Burton showed strong speed all day long through heat races and qualifying and would back it up with a barn storming drive to the front of the field. Burton ended 2024 on a hot streak and had full intentions on continuing that momentum forward into 2025. Burton would make it to the front after multiple two, three, and four wide fights. He would go onto win the opening night feature over Mark Wilcox, reigning Rookie of the Year Charles Hamilton, Jim Gokee Jr., and Jim Gokee Sr. Mark Wilcox and Darren Burton took heat race victories with Burton also locking in fast qualifier honors with a near-record lap of 17.970.
The Aldermans Kubota Late Model Sportsman had a hard fought race, which was unfortunately punctuated by several cautions, making the 40-lap feature an endurance contest for the template body cars. 2023 Track Champion Jon Beach and Two-time JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Champion Dan Leeck would put on an instant classic, racing side by side restart after restart. The two drivers raced hard and clean for almost the entirety of the marathon event. Eventually Beach would win out, taking the victory over Leeck. The Jack family dominated the back end of the top five with Tanner, Brent, and Hunter completing the top five. Heat races were won by Conner Johnson, Cole Munson, and Cody Hawn. Beach was quickest in qualifying with a 15.347.
The Flory Crane Rental Sport Compacts would see continued domination from Matthew Elsey Jr. Fresh off of a victory the night before on the west side of Michigan at the Kalamazoo Speedway, Elsey Jr. decided to make it a weekend sweep for his team, as he drove to the front of the field. It was not an easy march to the front, as Elsey Jr. had to contend with Defending Champion Damian Watters for several laps. Unfortunately, Watters would be sidelined late in the race by a mechanical failure. This would allow Elsey Jr. and his father Matt Elsey Sr. to share a 1-2 finish. Chris Elwell came in third with Dan Freed and Gabe Rusnell completing the top five. Heats were won by Louie Lohrke, Zane Cruz, Madison Orta, Chris Elwell, and Elsey Jr. Zane Cruz picked up victory in the B Feature, while Elsey Jr. set the mark in qualifying with a 17.091.
Submitted By: Chris Fobbe