NAMARS/Auto Value midget results from Dixie Motor Speedway, Aug. 21, 1998

22 August 1998

One family dominated the NAMARS/Auto Value Midget Series feature at the Dixie Motor Speedway on Aug. 21, 1998.

Cousins Sarah and Jimmy McCune led every lap of the 30-lap feature. Sarah was in front for the first half of the race, then Jimmy caught up and led the second half, scoring the main event victory.

"That was enjoyable," Jimmy McCune said about beating Sarah. "She was tough."

While Sarah McCune used the advantage of pole position to storm off to an early lead, Jimmy McCune had to fight his way through the field after starting seventh in the 20-car starting field.

After cutting underneath Kevin Newton, who ran second for most of the race's first half, Jimmy McCune closed on his cousin and looked for a way into the lead.

"We were both off on setups," Jimmy said. "I was tight and she was loose. I just drove her in real hard. She couldn't get it on as early as I could."

As the feature's 16th lap began, the McCunes ran wheel to wheel, Jimmy on the outside and Sarah on the inside. The small handling advantage that Jimmy had was enough to let him make the outside pass into first place, for a lead he never lost.

McCune had to be quick on a series of late-race restarts. On one restart, the cousins bumped each other when they rolled to the green, but both kept going.

While the McCunes dominated the front of the field, A.J. Fike put on the best show of the night in the main event.

Fike, in the top five in NAMARS/Auto Value points, had mechanical problems in hot laps and was not able to get his regular car into the feature. Replacing Dave Baumgartner in the main event, rookie Fike had to start 18th in a car he had never driven before.

Fike made it look like he and Baumgartner's car were made for each other. Rushing through traffic, Fike moved to twelfth by the middle of the feature, was in the top ten a few laps later, and took advantage of other drivers' late-race misfortunes to finish fifth in the main event. Fike passed 13 cars in the feature, more than any other driver.

NAMARS/Auto Value Midget Series
Dixie Motor Speedway, Birch Run, Mich.
Aug. 21, 1998

Qualifications: 1. Jason Setser, Columbus, Ind., Johnson 16, 13.667; 2. Tom Fedewa, Leslie, Mich., Cowing 37, 13.677; 3. A.J. Davis, Spartanburg, S.C., Owen 28, 13.745; 4. Jimmy McCune, Sylvania, Ohio, McCune 26, 13.824; 5. Bob Nock, Jamestown, Ohio, Nock 51, 13.841; 6. Larry Gibson, Richwood, Mich., Myers 5, 13.910; 7. Kevin Besecker, Greenville, Ohio, McClellan 3, 13.916; 8. Dave Baumgartner, Ottawa Lake, Mich., J.B. Motorsports 98, 13.916; 9. Kevin Newton, Terre Haute, Ind., 13.923; 10. Wayne Chinn, Tipp City, Ohio, Chinn 71, 13.949; 11. Sarah McCune, Perrysburg, Ohio, McCune 58, 13.978; 12. Chris Hettinger, Mason, Mich, Smith 71, 14.014; 13. Jerry Nemire, Erie, Mich., Nemire-Yeager 16, 14.022, 14. Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, Ohio, Hammonds 54, 14.064; 15. Gary Harrell, Temperance, Mich., Harrell 4, 14.177; 16. Randy Dailey, Kalamazoo, Mich., Dailey 78, 14.196; 17. John Everts, Morenci, Mich., Everts 68, 14.240; 18. Nick Fornoro Jr., Stroudsburg, Pa., McClellan 2, 14.261; 19. Bob Bohn, Grand Rapids, Mich., Bohn 0, 14.264; 20. Don Moore, Hamilton, Ohio, Moore 55, 14.275; 21. Jim Sawyer, Hamilton, Ohio, Sawyer 59, 14.585; 22. Ken Drangmeister, Crown Point, Ind., Drangmeister 76, 14.776; 23. Lee King, Spring Lake, Mich., King 88, 14.937; 24. Mike Astrauskas, Howard City, Mich., Astrauskas 3, 15.006; 25. Ron Bono, Warren, Mich., Bono 007, 16.137; 26. Pamela Drangmeister, Crown Point, Ind., Drangmeister 78, 16.164; 27. A.J. Fike, Galesburg, Ill., Fike 69, no time; 28. Issac Beasley, West Bloomfield, Mich, Beasley 71, no time.

First heat: 1. Jimmy McCune, 2. Randy Dailey, 3. Jason Setser, 4. Kevin Newton, 5. Larry Gibson.

Second heat: 1. Sarah McCune, 2. Tom Fedewa, 3. Matt Westfall, 4. Don Moore, 5. Kevin Besecker.

Third heat: 1. Nick Fornoro Jr., 2. Dave Baumgartner, 3. Gary Harrell, 4. A.J. Davis, 5. Wayne Chinn.

Last chance race: 1. Bob Nock, 2. Jerry Nemire, 3. Chris Hettinger, 4. Mike Astrauskas, Issac Beasley.

Feature results, with starting position in parentheses: 1. (7) Jimmy McCune; 2. (1) Sarah McCune; 3. (4) Larry Gibson; 4. (10) Jason Setser; 5. (18) A.J. Fike; 6. (2) Kevin Newton; 7. (12) Matt Westfall; 8. (5) Wayne Chinn; 9. (14) Randy Dailey; 10. (15) Nick Fornoro Jr.; 11. (13) Gary Harrell; 12. (11) Jerry Nemire; 13. (16) Don Moore; 14. (19) Chris Hettinger; 15. (3) Kevin Besecker; 16. (6) Bob Nock; 17. (9) Tom Fedewa; 18. (20) Issac Beasley; 19. (8) A.J. Davis; 20. (17) Mike Astrauskas.

A.J. Fike replaced Dave Baumgartner in the feature.

Lap leaders: Sarah McCune 1-15, Jimmy McCune 16-30.

Margin of victory: 0.7 seconds.