6/17/2025
Owosso Speedway
Father’s Day Weekend Winners: Jack, Whetzel, Burton, and Elsey!
A great crowd and an awesome field of cars would converge at the Owosso Speedway in celebration of Father’s Day weekend.
The Flory Crane Rentals Sport Compacts brought an amazing field of 44 cars to the track to compete for glory. Matthew Elsey Jr. would try to charge to the front of the field in the initial laps, but would be boxed in a few times in his attempts to get to the front. Allowing his Dad Matt Elsey Sr. and Defending Track Champion Damian Watters to try to fight it out at the front of the field. While those two would duke it out, it would allow Elsey Jr. to work his way around, and then drive to a third victory in as many starts for the Otsego, Michigan driver. His Dad Elsey Sr. would finish second, over 2023 Champion Nicholas Murdock, Watters, and Randy Moore completing the top five. Heat race wins went to Dustin Workman, Riley Jernigan, Doug Peters, Oliver Kuchar, Damian Watters, and Ryan Cords. Jacob Newman won the B Feature. Elsey Jr was fast qualifier with a 16.883 (79.96MPH). Elsey Jr. also was the hard charger for the feature.
The Spence Brothers Construction Street Stocks would put on a barn burner of a feature event that would see fast cars and hard hitting action. Tanner Tallarico would take advantage of a deep invert to lead the opening laps of the race, before being overtaken by Johnny Hayden with a smooth pass for the top spot. Hayden would lead to handfuls of laps himself, but Scott Whetzel, still searching for his first victory of the season, would wrestle the lead away. While there were some physical battles to stay up there, Whetzel would hang on, claiming his first victory of the season. In victory lane, an emotional Whetzel proclaimed this to be his last season behind the wheel. Bobby Stremme made it an Indiana 1-2 taking second place honors over former Track Champion Tom Stone. Tim Lahar, in a car held together with duct tape after an early incident recovered for fourth, while Defending Track Champion Jeff Owens completed the top five. Tallarico, Hayden, and Stone took heat race honors. Owens was fast qualifier with a 16.032 (84.21 MPH). Whetzel was also the hard charger.
The Aldermans Kubota Late Model Sportsman would be the next feature event of the evening. Nate Walton, after a strong run the previous week, would look impressive in the early running of the event, leading the opening 25 laps! Walton looked to be in good position, until a caution would tighten the field back up. Off of the restart, Brent Jack, the opening night feature winner, would capitalize and wrestle the lead away. Jack would manage the lead the remainder of the way hanging on for a second victory of the season. Brandon Barcus drove a great race to come home in the runner-up position. Walton held on for third, with Cody Hawn and Tanner Jack completing the top five. Heat winners were Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer Ron Allen, Tim Aho, Zach Johnson, and Douglas Litogot. Tim Aho won the B Feature. Hunter Jack was fast qualifier with a 15.327 (88.08 MPH). Brent Jack and Connor Johnson tied for hard charger honors, both getting the bonus.
The Michigan Paving and Materials All-American Trucks would close out the night with a consistent program for the Tailgate Titans. They would go caution free as Darren Burton once again went from the back to the front. For the second time this year, the drive to the front would have a little extra meaning to it for Burton, as he claimed his second $300 bonus courtesy of the Kimball Midwest Challenge. Burton elected to take the tail of the field and came back to win, resetting the Challenge to $100 to be on the line this Saturday. But with that, Burton would claim his fifth straight Owosso Feature win, and make it a weekend sweep after picking up victory the night before at the Birch Run Speedway. Mark Wilcox would make it to second place for the second race in a row, as Defending Champion Greg Long III finished third. Charles Hamilton and Greg Long Jr. completed the top five. Heats were claimed by Brian Dougherty and Matthew Wilcox. Burton was fast qualifier and hard charger, turning a 17.942 (75.24 MPH).
Submitted By: Chris Fobbe
