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NAMARS Midgets: A.J. Davis Returns in Triumph to Toledo

18 May 1998

By LES MESZAROS

TOLEDO, OH: Looming over the 25 lap NAMARS Auto Value midget feature Sunday night was a fiery crash almost 2 years to the day earlier that sidelined the career of A.J. Davis for nearly a year. Davis returned in triumph as he stared the beast right in the eye and sent him away with his tail between his legs. Davis, of Spartanburg, SC, won the 25 lap feature and dominated the entire evening as he became the fifth different winner on the NAMARS circuit this year and out of five races the fourth first time NAMARS winner. Davis was driving the Margaret Owen Stealth chassis and Autocraft engine.

When the green flag waved it was Kevin Besecker to the lead. Dick St. John took second on lap 2 but A.J. Davis was flying through the field at the speed of light. On lap 6, it was Davis to the inside of turn 3 and into the lead past Besecker. Davis quickly opened up a lead on Besecker and Jim Hettinger was into second 2 laps later. Davis was running a very strong race as he whipped around the speedway at a tremendous clip. Three cautions put Jim Hettinger right on his tail but each time the green returned Davis pulled away with ease.

No one was up to challenging Hettinger either as he Davis were both in cruise control. Nick Fornoro made a tremendous run starting dead last in a 22-car field moving all the way to third but the engine failed just 4 laps from the end. There was no denying Davis as he roared under the checkered flag first followed by a distant Hettinger in second. Completing the top five were Saturday night feature winner Ronnie Johncox, Kevin Besecker and Jason Setser.

Davis set fast time with a lap of 15.71 the second fastest midget lap ever recorded at Toledo Speedway. Davis also won his heat race and Matt Westfall won the other heat. Jason Setser took the victory in the Semi-Feature. While Jim Hettinger won the special 6 lap fast dash for the 6 fastest qualifiers.

NAMARS NOTES: Next Sunday, May 24 NAMARS will be at the Spartan Speedway in Mason, MI.......Kevin Besecker had a top five finish and really works hard at getting the most out of his equipment.......Lou Cicconi was in from Aston, PA but broke and made and early exit along with Randy Dailey and Don Moore......Larry Gibson hit the wall in his qualifying attempt and was done for the night......Twenty-eight midgets in the pits at Toledo.

The summary:

Qualifications: 1. A.J. Davis, Margaret Owen, 28, 15.71; 2. Jim McCune, Joe Michner, 26, 15.97; 3. Jason Setser, Don Johnson, 16, 16.01; 4. Sarah McCune, Mike Nowicke, 16, 16.04; 5. Jim Hettinger, Don Smith, 71, 16.08; 6. Ronnie Johncox, Ronnie Johncox, 8, 16.10; 7. Doug Wright, Doug Wright, 19, 16.19; 8. Dick St.John, Gary Mullins, 12, 16.23; 9. Kevin Besecker, McClellan Motorsports, 3, 16.24; 10. David Gough, Amy Gough, 6, 16.26; 11. Dave Baumgartner, J.B. Motorsports, 98, 16.31; 12. Nick Fornoro, McClellan Motorsports, 2, 16.33; 13. Don Lehmann, Lehmann Racing, 31, 16.38; 14. Randy Dailey, Stephanie Dailey, 78, 16.42; 15. Lou Cicconi, Chuck Rencurrel, 56, 16.51; 16. Wayne Chinn, Chinn Motorsports, 71, 16.58; 17. J.D. Turner, Bruce Turner, 53, 16.58; 18. Jason Fuller, Keith Faulkner, 9, 16.61; 19. Jerry Nemire, Nemire Yeager Racing, 16, 16.62; 20. Matt Westfall, Jack Hammonds, 54, 16.62; 21. Jim Sawyer, Jim Sawyer, 59,16.64; 22. Don Moore, The Moore Family, 55, 16.85; 23. Kevin Newton, Steve Newton, 14, 17.04; 24. Larry Gibson, Dick Myers, 5, 17.20; 25. David Cowing, Megan Shuster, 3, 18.13; 26. A.J. Fike, A.J. Fike, 69, NT; 27. Tommy Fedewa, Carol Cowing, 37, NT; 28. Tom Johnson, Tom Johnson, 11, NT.

First Heat (8 laps): Davis, Newton, Sawyer, Baumgartner, Turner, Lehmann, Wright, Setser, Besecker, Nemire, Hettinger, Cowing, Cicconi.

Second Heat (8 laps): Westfall, J. McCune, Chinn, Fuller, Gough, Fike, St.John, Johnson, S. McCune, Fornoro.

Semi-feature (10 laps): Setser, Hettinger, S. McCune, Johncox, Wright, Fedewa, St.John, Besecker, Nemire.

Fast Dash (6 laps): Hettinger, Setser, Davis, Wright, Johncox, S. McCune.

Feature (25 laps) (Finishing position, starting position, name, hometown): 1. (10) A.J. Davis, Spartanburg, SC; 2. (6) Jim Hettinger, Mason, MI; 3. (5) Ronnie Johncox, Jackson, MI; 4. (2) Kevin Besecker, Greenville, OH; 5. (8) Jason Setser, Columbia, IN; 6. (3) Dick St.John, Milwaukee, WI; 7. (18) Kevin Newton, Terre Haute, IN; 8. (12) Don Lehmann, Springfield, IL; 9. (4) Doug Wright, Lafayette, IN; 10. (15) Jason Fuller, Plymouth, IN; 11. (16) Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 12. (17) Jim Sawyer, Hamilton, OH; 13. (11) Dave Baumgartner, Ottawa Lake, MI; 14. (19) A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 15. (22) Nick Fornoro, Reeders, PA; 16. (13) Wayne Chinn, Tipp City, OH; 17. (1) Dave Gough, Machesney Park, IL; 18. (14) J.D. Turner, Cincinnati, OH; 19. (9) Jimmy McCune, Sylvania, OH; 20. (7) Sarah McCune, Perrysburg, OH; 21. (21) Jerry Nemire, Erie, MI; 22. (20) Tommy Fedewa, Leslie, MI.