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Midgets: Scott Hatton Takes NAMARS Win at Butler

13 September 1998

By LES MESZAROS

QUINCY, MI : Saturday night at the Butler Battlegrounds Speedway Scott Hatton, of Roscoe, IL, was in the right place at the right time as he won the 30 lap NAMARS Auto Value midget feature. Hatton led the first 11 laps and lost the lead but stayed close to the leaders and was Johnny on the spot when the leaders faltered. Hatton was driving an Ellis chassis with a Fontana power plant owned by Wilke Pak Motorsports.

Hatton jumped into the lead as soon as the green flag dropped and was closely followed by Donnie Lehmann and team mate Kevin Doty. The top three ran together and pulled away from the rest of the field. These three combatants were looking for a way to move up in every corner. On lap 12 Hatton slid to the outside in turn 3 and second running Donnie Lehmann wasted no time charging to the inside and bringing Kevin Doty with him.

Lehmann and Doty pulled away from Hatton as Doty was right on Lehmann's rear bumper pushing him around the speedway. It looked like a battle to the finish between Lehmann and Doty but a red flag on lap 19 for Jeff Flesher rolling over in turn 3 changed the complexion of the race. On the restart, Hatton was now able to stay up with Lehmann and Doty. Suddenly on lap 24 Doty slowed coming down the backstretch and pitted. Lehmann also slowed and Hatton was right there to snatch away the lead. Hatton lead the rest of the way and took the checkered ahead of A.J. Davis, John Jones, Matt Westfall and Kevin Besecker.

NAMARS NOTES: Leading NAMARS feature winner Jason Setser was injured in an accident on a second lap restart during the feature and is currently in Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne, IN; 30 midgets in the pits; A tough night for Randy Dailey as he led the first lap of the Semi-feature and then the engine caught fire ending his night; A lot of new faces in the pits, Jon Popejoy, Dennis LaCava, Rick Vaughn, Doug Helmke, Tim Spindler and Toby Alfrey.

The summary:

First Heat (8 laps): Don Lehmann, Jeff Flesher, Kevin Doty, Jerry Nemire, Randy Dailey, Dennis Miller, Doug Helmke, Pam Drangmeister, Kevin Besecker, Jim Sawyer.

Second Heat (8 laps): Kevin Newton, John Jones, Scott Hatton, A.J. Davis, Dave Camfield, Jr., Matt Westfall, Mike Astrauskas, Jon Popejoy, Don Moore, Ken Drangmeister.

Third Heat (8 laps): Jason Setser, Nick Fornoro, Clay Klepper, A.J. Fike, Wayne Chinn, Toby Alfrey, Dave Camfield, Sr., Dennis LaCava, Tim Spindler.

Semi-feature (12 laps): Besecker, Spindler, Westfall, Alfrey, Miller, Moore, Helmke, Camfield, Sr., Sawyer, P. Drangmeister, Chinn, Astrauskas, Popejoy, K. Drangmeister, Dailey, Camfield, Jr.

Feature (30 laps) (Finishing position, starting position, name, hometown): 1. (2) Scott Hatton, Roscoe, IL; 2. (11) A.J. Davis, Spartanburg, SC; 3. (3) John Jones, Blue Mounds, WI; 4. (15) Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 5. (13) Kevin Besecker, Greenville, OH; 6. (6) Kevin Newton, Terre Haute, IN; 7. (1) Don Lehmann, Springfield, IL; 8. (18) Don Moore, Hamilton, OH; 9. (12) A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 10. (14) Tim Spindler, Columbus, IN; 11. (8) Kevin Doty, Milan, IL; 12. (17) Dennis Miller, Galveston, IN; 13. (7) Jeff Flesher, Gridly, IL; 14. (5) Nick Fornoro, Stroudsburg, PA; 15. (10) Jerry Nemire, Erie, MI; 16. (19) Doug Helmke, Napolean, OH; 17. (16) Toby Alfrey, Maimesburg, OH; 18. (9) Jason Setser, Columbus, IN; 19. ( 4) Clay Klepper, Kokomo, IN; 20. (20) Dave Camfield, Sr.

Top Ten Driver Points: 1) Matt Westfall, 1186; 2) Nick Fornoro, 1113; 3) A.J. Fike, 1082; 4) Kevin Besecker, 1044; 5) Jason Setser, 1015; 6) A.J. Davis, 1014; 7) Wayne Chinn, 863; 8) Kevin Newton, 828; 9) Larry Gibson, 821; 10) Jim Sawyer, 760.

Rookie Points: 1) Matt Westfall, 720; 2) A.J. Fike, 655, 3) Wayne Chinn, 597; 4) Jason Setser, 589; 5) Kevin Newton, 572; 6) Dave Ray, Jr., 259; 7) Robert Bohn, 91; 8) Brian Martin, 60; 9) John Nervo, 18.

Car Owner Points: 1) Jack Hammons, 2136; 2) Mack McClellan, 2063; 3) Mack McClellan, 1994; 4) Don Fike, 1993; 5) Margaret Owen, 1814; 6) Jim Chinn, 1813; 7) Don Johnson, 1765; 8) Steve Newton, 1728; 9) Jim Sawyer, 1409; 10) Don Moore, 1322.