Kil-Kare Speedway
1166Dayton-Xenia Road
Xenia, Ohio 45485
937 429-2961
 
Powell Ends Dry Spell
Claims Kil-Kare Opener
 
by Jerry Wahl
 
Xenia, Oh (4/8) - Franklin's Virgil Powell was one happy driver Friday night as Kil-Kare Speedway opened the new season with a program of NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series events.
  After a frustrating 2004 season which earned him the "Hard Luck Driver of the Year" award the Franklin native hopes this year will be a winning one. And if Friday nights results are an indication of what is to be expected he just might be right as he captured the 30 lap Late Model feature, his first since July 25, 2003.
  Riverside's Ronnie Simpson and Beavercreek's Russ Bobb brought the field to the line to start the event with Simpson taking command with last years opening night winner Ricky Bates moving into second with Bobb third.
  The trio ran that way the first three laps but the green and yellow #78 of Powell was on the move as he moved into second on lap six and six laps later he moved out front dropping Simpson back to second. Seventh place starter Tony Brunke was on the move in his usual outside passing style as he closed in on Simpson and not far behind them was Bates, Mike Miller and last years champ Sam Heckman.
  Powell had put some distance between he and Simpson but in the closing laps Powells pace seemed to slow enabling Simpson to move almost up to his rear bumper to claim second behind winner Powell. Brunke was third with Bates fourth and Miller fifth.
 
 
The E-Mod feature turned out to be a battle before many time track champions Mike Carroll and Dick Dunlevy Jr.
  Gordon Watson Jr. and Derek Barnett started on the front row with Barnett being black flagged on the first lap due to excessive smoking with Watson showing as the leader the next time around. Young Watson continued to lead with Shawn Strobe second but the vets were on the prowl.
  First here came Carroll to drop Watson to second and then came Dunlevy, dropping Watson to third and the stage was set for a showdown between the two, Carroll and Dunlevy. Dunlevy made an inside pass on lap fifteen to take the lead which he maintained to the checker with Carroll not far behind in second.  Second year driver Mike Broaddus was third with Watson fourth and Dave Spencer claimed fifth.
 
In the Mini Stocks/Sports Trucks the trucks may have been superior in the early going of their feature but when the checker waved it was Beavercreek's Kenny Snyder in his Mustang picking up the win.
  Shawn Sparkman led the first three laps with defending champ Eddie Flora right behind along with Gary Eaton Jr. and Chuck Weaver. As they went three wide into turn one trying to catch Sparkman Eddie Flora came out the leader followed by Weaver and Snyder sailed into third.
  Flora continued to lead but Snyder was setting him up for a pass and that he did on lap sixteen to claim the win with Flora second, Eaton third, Sparkman fourth, and Matt Potter fifth.
 
 
  For awhile in the Pure Stocks it looked as if Xenia's Tom Williams would start this season just like last year by claiming the opening night feature, but his luck gave out. Williams lead the first seventeen laps, holding off the challenges of Mike South Jr. but with only three laps to go his car dropped off the pace.
  Heath White had moved up to third and all of a sudden with Williams slowing, White shot around South to take the lead and win as Williams limped home tenth. South was second with Jamie Sites third, Bill Burba fourth, and rookie Shane Williams who moved up from the compacts was fifth.
  Frank McCubbin Jr. started the Compact season in winning form as he claimed the win over Brett Boykin and defending champ Tim Haerr. Troy Patterson was fourth and Dave Lecocq was fifth.
  Next Friday night the E-Mods will be featured in a 40 lap $600 to win feature along with the Late Models, Mini Stocks/Sports Trucks, Pure Stocks, and Compacts with the gates opening at 6 p.m. and racing at 8 p.m.
 
Late Models
Fast time - Tony Brunke 14.363
  Feature (30 laps) - Virgil Powell, Ronnie Simpson, Tony Brunke, Ricky Bates, Mike Miller, Sam Heckman, Dave Brandenburg, Russ Bobb, Les Miller, Don Mahaffey
 
E-Mods
Fast time - Mike Carroll 13.984
 Feature (30 laps) - Dick Dunlevy Jr., Mike Carroll, Mike Broaddus, Gordon Watson, Dave Spencer, Shawn Stroble, Terry Humphrey, Kim Dill, Jason Mahaffey, Jason Dennis, Rodney Kreush, Barrett Tamasovich, Charlie Davis, Derek Barnette
 
Mini Stocks/Sports Trucks
Fast time - Chuck Weaver 13.946 (NTR)
 Feature (20 laps) - Kenny Snyder, Eddie Flora, Gary Eaton Jr., Shawn Sparkman, Matt Potter, John Morris, Chuck Weaver
 
PURE STOCKS
Fast time - Jamie Sites 15.146
 Feature (20 laps) - Heath White, Mike South Jr., Jamie Sites, Bill Burba, Shane Williams, Shawn Stansell, Jeff Marsh, Derrick Louderback, Bret Clark, Tom Williams, Dan Suffron, Marvin Amburgy, Mel McMullen, Mike South Sr., Duane Bohrer, Matt McCarty, Tony Cottrill
 
Compacts
 Feature (15 laps) - Frank McCubbin Jr., Brett Boykin, Tim Haerr, Troy Patterson, Dave Lecocq, Allen Campbell, Bo Hoelscher, Don Page, Randy Walton, Bob Mills, Marvin Amburgy