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NAMARS: Hettinger Hauls in Exciting NAMARS Feature

14 June 1998

By LES MESZAROS

SPRINGPORT, MI: Saturday night at the Michigan Ideal Speedway Jim Hettinger, of Mason, MI, hauled in his first NAMARS Auto Value midget feature win of 1998. Driving the same potent Don Smith owned Hawk/Autocraft that took him to 7 feature wins last season. Hettinger had been struggling this season with his best showing a second at Toledo, OH but Saturday night it was all Hettinger as he set fast time and came all the way from tenth starting spot to pick up the victory.

When the green flag waved it was Nick Fornoro jumping into the lead as he held off Bob Nock and then 3 laps later team mate Kevin Besecker during the early going. Jim Hettinger was on his way to the front as he was in third by lap 5 and scrambled past Besecker on lap 7. Fornoro had built up a sizable lead and Hettinger had a long way to go to catch up. It took Hettinger 4 laps to pull up behind Fornoro setting up the stage for the battle.

For the next five laps Hettinger looked inside and outside for a place to pass Fornoro, while Fornoro was driving the wheels off the car trying to maintaining his lead.. Every move Hettinger made Fornoro was right there to block him despite all of his hard work Hettinger pulled along side Fornoro down the front stretch in lap 16 and powered to the lead on the inside of turn 1. The race was hardly over as two laps later Hettinger was slowed by lapped traffic and Fornoro regained the lead in turn 1 but Hettinger came right back powering down the back stretch.

The battle up front had given Ronnie Johncox the opportunity to pull up right behind the front two. On lap 19 Johncox flew past Fornoro on the inside of turn 1 and pulled up behind Hettinger. Now Hettinger fought a new opponent as Johncox looked for first. Despite all of his efforts, Hettinger managed to hold off Johncox the last 7 laps and get to the checkered flag first. Fornoro finished close behind in third, Kevin Besecker was fourth and rounding out the top 5 was Larry Gibson.

Jim Hettinger set fast time with a lap 14.26 seconds. Heat race victories went to Jim Hettinger, Ronnie Johncox and Dave Baumgartner. Bob Nock was the semi-feature winner.

NAMARS NOTES: The next two races will be at South Bend Motor Speedway, in South Bend, IN on Friday, June 19 and M-40 Motorsports Arena in Jones, MI on Saturday, June 20......In the first heat race Tom Johnson got over a wheel and went flipping through turn 3. Fortunately Tom was OK but the car was bent up and done for the night.....36 midgets in the pits....It was really great to get back to racing after 2 rain outs and 2 open weekends on the schedule......The NAMARS Rally Super Trucks were on hand and put on another great exposition race for the fans.

The summary:

Qualifications: 1. Jim Hettinger, Don Smith, 71, 14.26; 2. Ronnie Johncox, Johncox, 8 14.35; 3. Larry Gibson, Dick Myers, 5. 14.37; 4. A.J. Fike, Fike, 69, 14.37; 5. Matt Westfall, Jack Hammons, 54, 14.38; 6. Jason Setser, Don Johnson, 16, 14.39; 7. Nick Fornoro Jr.,McClellan Motorsports, 2, 14.40; 8. Kevin Besecker, McClellan Motorsports, 3, 14.47; 9. Todd Sears, Todd Sears, 26, 14.50; 10. Bob Nock, Nock, 51, 14.52; 11. Jim Sawyer, Sawyer, 59, 14.54; 12. A.J. Davis, Margaret Owen, 14.54 ; 13. Mel Kenyon, 3K Racing, 61, 14.59; 14. Dave Ray, Jr., Chuck Rencurrel, 56, 14.61; 15. Chris Hayes, Gregg Steele, 43, 14.70; 16. Gary Harrell, Harrell, 4, 14.76; 17. Don Moore, Moore Family, 55, 14.78; 18. Dave Baumgartner, J.B. Motorsports, 98, 14.80; 19. Mike Astrauskas, Astrauskas, 3, 14.82; 20. Kevin Newton, Steve Newton, 14, 14.95; 21. John Evers, Evers, 68, 14.98; 22. Tom Johnson, Johnson, 11, 15.10; 23. David Cowing, Megan Shuster,3, 15.11; 24. Wayne Chinn, Chinn Motorsports, 71, 15.27; 25. Jason Fuller, Keith Faulkner, 9, 15.39; 26. Chad Davenport, Davenport, 43, 15.45; 27. Lee King, King, 88, 15.53; 28. Doug Borger, Borger, 74, 15.66; 29. Robert Bohn, Bohn, 0, 15.78; 30. Brian Martin, Martin, 93, 15.82; 31. Jeff Titus, Titus, 40, 16.00, 32. Ken Drangmeister, Drangmeister, 76, 16.42; 33. Pam Drangmeister, Drangmeister, 78, 19.22; 34. Randy Dailey, Stephanie Dailey, 78, NT; 35, Tom Fedewa, Carol Cowing, 37, NT; 36. Mark Buonomo, Buonomo, 17, NT.

First Heat (10 laps): Hettinger, Harrell, Fornoro, Kenyon, Nock, Fike, Fuller, Astrauskas, Borger, Titus, Johnson.

Second Heat (10 laps): Johncox, Besecker, Westfall, Newton, Davenport, Ray, Moore, K. Drangmeister, Sawyer, Cowing, Bohn.

Third Heat (10 laps): Baumgartner, Davis, Setser, Gibson, Sears, Chinn, Evers, Hayes, Martin, P. Drangmeister, King.

Semi-feature (15 laps): Nock, Sawyer, Sears, Fike, Astrauskas, Moore, Davenport, Ray, Chinn, Martin, K. Drangmeister, P. Drangmeister, Titus, Buonomo, Fuller, Evers, Borger, Cowing.

Feature (25 laps) (Finishing position, starting position, name, hometown): 1. (10) Jim Hettinger, Mason, MI; 2. (9) Ronnie Johncox, Jackson, MI; 3. (4) Nick Fornoro, Strausburg, PA; 4. (3) Kevin Besecker, Greenville, OH; 5. (8) Larry Gibson, Richwood, OH; 6. (7) A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 7. (1) Bob Nock, Jamestown, OH; 8. (12) A.J. Davis, Spartanburg, SC; 9. (15) Gary Harrell, Temperance, MI; 10. (6) Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 11. (2) Todd Sears, Middletown, OH; 12. (11) Jim Sawyer, Hamilton, OH; 13. (18) Mike Astrauskas, Howard City, MI; 14. (17) Dave Baumgartner, Ottawa Lake, MI; 15. (20) Chad Davenport, Crawfordsville, IN; 16. (14) Dave Ray, Jr., Davenport, IA; 17. (5) Jason Setser; Columbus, IN; 18. (13) Mel Kenyon, Lebanon, IN; 19. (16) Don Moore, Hamilton, OH; 20. (19) Kevin Newton, Terre Haute, IN; 21. (21) Jeff Titus, Cicero, IN.