Midgets: Johncox Holds off Chargers for NAMARS Win
17 July 1998
By LES MESZAROSKALAMAZOO, MI - Wednesday night at the Kalamazoo Speedway it was Ronnie Johncox of Jackson, MI out dueling Larry Gibson and Jim Hettinger to win the 25-lap NAMARS Auto Value midget feature. Johncox was driving his own Hawk/Chevy combination and took home $2,000 first place money.
Nick Fornoro led the first lap but Ronnie Johncox was right beside him. The next time around Johncox went to the outside on the backstretch to take over the lead. Fornoro stayed right with him and 2 laps later fast timer Larry Gibson joined them. On the next lap, Jason Setser joined the top four as they ran nose to tail and pulled away from the pack. Lap after lap the four front runners set a blistering pace. Suddenly on lap 15 Fornoro rolled to stop on the backstretch out of the race with mechanical problems.
On the restart Jim Hettinger charged into fourth place behind Setser and took third away from Setser on the next lap. For the next nine laps this powerful trio of feature winners this year ran nose to tail all looking to move and protect their position. On lap 23 the caution came out as Mike Roselli and A.J. Fike spun in turn two. This was not what Ronnie Johncox wanted as this now set up a two-lap dash to the finish. As soon as the race restarted Gibson and Hettinger were all over Johncox. Gibson was looking inside and Hettinger was looking outside. Johncox was really under pressure as the trio came out of turn four 3 wide with Johncox in the middle. Johncox barely held off Gibson and Hettinger and took the victory his second of 1998. Finishing fourth was Jason Setser and fifth was Matt Westfall.
"Lighting" Larry Gibson set fast time and a new track record for midgets with a lap of 12.475 seconds. Larry won $100 from Putnam Hitch Products and a $25.00 gift certificate from the Race's Edge both from Bronson, MI. Heat race winners were Clay Klepper, Nick Fornoro and Jason Fuller. Semi-feature winner was Larry Gibson.
NAMARS NOTES-26 midgets were in the pits at Kalamazoo in front of a huge week night crowd-Three of the top four in the points finished in the last 3 spots in the feature. The points race should be even tighter now-Points leader A.J. Davis had a water hose break in the cockpit and sprayed hot water all over him but he was OK after being checked out by the ambulance crew-The next NAMARS race is Friday, July 24 at the South Bend Motor Speedway.
The summary:
Qualifications: 1. Larry Gibson, Dick Myers, 5, 12.475; 2. A.J. Davis, Margaret Owen, 28, 12.524; 3. Jason Setser, Don Johnson, 16, 12.632; 4. Ronnie Johncox, Johncox, 8, 12.644; 5. Kevin Newton, Steve Newton, 14, 12.735; 6. A.J. Fike, Fike Motorsports, 69, 12.780; 7. Doug Wright, Wright, 19, 12.822; 8. Nick Fornoro, McClellan Motorsports, 2, 12.857; 9. Kevin Besecker, Gary Mullins, 3, 12.880; 10. Matt Westfall, Jack Hammons, 54, 12.892; 11. Mike Roselli, Jr., Mike Roselli, Sr, 98, 12.914; 12. Dave Ray, Jr., Chuck Rencurrel, 56, 12.915; 13. Jim Hettinger, Don Smith, 71, 12.919; 14. Randy Dailey, Dailey, 78, 13.012; 15. Sarah McCune, Rich McCune, 58, 13.055; 16. Don Moore, Moore Family, 55, 13.066; 17. Mel Kenyon, 3K Racing, 61, 13.117; 18. Wayne Chinn, Chinn Motorsports, 71, 13.119; 19. Clay Klepper, Klepper, 69, 13.136; 20. Mike Schuyler, Dick Schuyler, 10, 13.146; 21. Jason Fuller, Keith Faulkner, 9, 13.160; 22. Tom Fedewa, Megan Shuster, 3, 13.290; 23. J.D. Turner, Bruce Turner, 53, 13.322; 24. Jim Sawyer, Sawyer, 59, 13.414; 25. Mike Astrauskas, Astrauskas, 3, 13.975; 26. Lee King, King, 88, 16.310.
First Heat (8 laps): Klepper, Fedewa, Hettinger, Johncox, Gibson, Westfall, Wright, Moore, Astrauskas.
Second Heat (8 laps): Fornoro, Davis, Dailey, Newton, Roselli, Schuyler, Kenyon, Turner, King.
Third Heat (8 laps): Fuller, Ray, Setser, Fike, Chinn, Besecker, McCune, Sawyer.
Semi-feature (12 laps): Gibson, Roselli, Kenyon, Westfall, Besecker, Wright, McCune, Chinn, Moore, Sawyer, Astrauskas, Turner, Schuyler, King.
Feature (25 laps) (Finishing position, starting position, name, hometown): 1. (5) Ronnie Johncox, Jackson, MI; 2. (8) Larry Gibson, Richwood, OH; 3. (13) Jim Hettinger, Mason, MI; 4. (6) Jason Setser, Columbus, IN; 5. (10) Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 6. (4) Kevin Newton, Terre Haute, IN; 7. (14) Randy Dailey, Kalamazoo, MI; 8. (12) Dave Ray, Jr., Davenport, IA; 9. (15) Sarah McCune, Perrysburg, OH; 10. (16) Mel Kenyon, Lebanon, IN; 11. (19) Jason Fuller, Plymouth, IN; 12. (2) Doug Wright, Lafayette, IN; 13. (17) Wayne Chinn, Tipp City, OH; 14. (18) Clay Klepper, Kokomo, IN; 15. (11) Mike Roselli, Broadheadsville, PA; 16. (3) A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 17. (20) Tom Fedewa, Leslie, MI; 18. (1) Nick Fornoro, Stroudsburg, PA; 19. (9) Kevin Besecker, Greenville, OH; 20. (7) A.J. Davis, Spartanburg, SC.
