Midgets: Rookie A.J. Fike Takes NAMARS Feature at South Bend
26 July 1998
By LES MESZAROS
SOUTH BEND, IN: Friday night at the South Bend Motor Speedway it was rookie A.J. Fike taking the 30 lap NAMARS Auto Value midget feature. Fike, along with the rest of the rookies, has been making steady progress all season long. The NAMARS rookie field this season has been absolutely outstanding. Fike, from Galesburg, IL was driving a Stealth/Esslinger and is the second rookie to win a feature this season.
At the drop of the green flag Fike jumped into the lead with Matt Westfall in second. Fike immediately opened up a good lead. While Fike was enjoying a Sunday drive up front, Matt Westfall had his hands full protecting his position. First it was Dave Ray, Jr. applying the pressure.
On lap six it was Robbie Parish into third to challenge Westfall.
Behind Parish, Jason Setser got around Ray for fourth and as he tried to hold off Nick Fornoro he spun out in turn 1 bringing out the only caution of the race and bunching up the field behind Fike. On the restart Fike again pulled away while Westfall really had his hands full holding off both Parish and Fornoro. Despite his heroic efforts Parish and Fornoro finally got around Westfall on lap 23 after a 5-lap battle.
It only took Parish and Fornoro 4 laps to eliminate Fike's lead as there were only 4 laps left to the checkered but Fike was handling the traffic like a veteran. Despite excellent efforts by Parish and Fornoro it was Fike to the checkered flag first as Parish lost oil pressure on the last lap and coasted across the line third as Fornoro just beat him at the line. Fourth was Matt Westfall and fifth was Mel Kenyon.
Mel Kenyon set fast time with a lap of 11.738 seconds. Heat race victories went to Mel Kenyon, Wayne Chinn and A.J. Fike. The Semi-feature winner was Matt Westfall.
NAMARS NOTES: 32 midgets in the pits at South Bend Motor Speedway--Jim Sawyer had mechanical problems with his #59 and jumped behind the back up car of Wayne Chinn--Points leader A.J. Davis was not in attendance and there should be a real shake up points chase.
The summary:
Qualifications: 1. Mel Kenyon, 3K Racing, 61, 11.738; 2. Randy Dailey, Dailey, 78, 11.865; 3. Robbie Parish, Parish, 3, 11.884; 4. Don Moore, Moore Family, 55, 11.926; 5. Dave Ray, Chuck Rencurrel, 56, 11.930; 6. Jason Setser, Don Johnson, 16, 11.934; 7. Matt Westfall, Jack Hammons, 54, 11.942; 8. Jerry Nemire, Nemire Yeager Racing, 16N, 11.966; 9. A.J. Fike, Fike Motorsports, 69, 12.023; 10. J.D. Turner, Bruce Turner, 53, 12.025; 11. Bob Nock, Nock, 51, 12.077; 12. Mike Schuyler, Dick Schuyler, 10, 12.082; 13. Kevin Besecker, Gary Mullins, 3, 13.090; 14. Nick Fornoro, McClellan Motorsports, 2, 12.098; 15. Dave Baumgartner, J.B. Motorsports, 98, 12.122; 16. Kevin Newton, Steve Newton, 14, 12.144; 17. Larry Gibson, Dick Myers, 5, 12.203; 18. Brice Kenyon, Ken Mahoney, 93, 12.312; 19. Jason Fuller, Keith Faulkner, 9, 12.323; 20. Jeff Titus, Titus, 40, 12.324; 21. Jason Lynch, John Lynch, 15, 12.369; 22. Doug Wright, Wright, 19, 12.376; 23. Wayne Chinn, Chinn Motorsports, 71, 12.396; 24. Mike Astrauskas, Astrauskas, 3, 12.404; 25. Aaron Fike, Fike Motorsports, 93, 12.594; 26. Jim Sawyer, Chinn Motorsports, 7, 12.603; 27. Mark Buonomo, Buonomo, 76X, 12.883; 28. Paul Perkins, Angie Perkins, 88, 12.950; 29 Pam Drangmeister, Drangmeister, 78, 14.127; 30 Duane Sandy, Sandy, 16, NT; 31. Ken Drangmeister, Drangmeister, 76, NT; 32. Nick Lundgreen, Dean Lungreen, 49, NT.
First Heat (8 laps): M. Kenyon, Wright, Newton, Fuller, Turner, Fike, Besecker, Moore, Westfall, Perkins.
Second Heat (8 laps): Chinn, Fornoro, Gibson, Ray, Sawyer, Dailey, Nock, Titus, Nemire, K. Drangmeister.
Third Heat (8 laps): A. J. Fike, Setser, Buonomo, Parish, Schuyler, B. Kenyon, Baumgartner, Astrauskas.
Semi-feature (10 laps): Westfall, Moore, Dailey, Turner, Nemire, Nock, Besecker, Sawyer, Schuyler, Titus, B. Kenyon, Baumgartner, Perkins, A. Fike, K Drangmeister, Astrauskas.
Feature (30 laps) (Finishing position, starting position, name, hometown): 1. (2) A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 2. (14) Nick Fornoro, Stroudsburg, PA; 3. (8) Robbie Parish, Knightstown, IN; 4. (4) Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 5. (10) Mel Kenyon, Lebanon, IN; 6. (3) Jerry Nemire, Erie, MI; 7. (7) Don Moore, Hamilton, OH; 8. (9) Randy Dailey, Kalamazoo, MI; 9. (13) Kevin Besecker, Greenville, OH; 10. (1) J.D. Turner, Cincinnati, OH; 11. (11) Bob Nock, Jamestown, OH; 12. (18) Wayne Chinn, Tipp City, OH; 13. (19) Jim Sawyer, Hamilton, OH; 14. (5) Jason Setser, Columbus, IN; 15. (15) Kevin Newton, Terre Haute, IN; 16. (16) Larry Gibson, Richwood, OH; 17. (20) Mark Buonomo, Waltham, MA; 18. (17) Jason Fuller, Plymouth, IN; 19. (12) Mike Schuyler, Yorktown, IN; 20. (6) Dave Ray, Jr., Davenport, IA.
