MWSS Works the Groove at SBRP By Silvio Roberre The Midwest Sprint Series visited South Bend Raceway Park on June 22-23 for round three of their 2002 trail. Kellen James picked up his third win in a row in the Cassity Racing Briggs Heavy class, as he took his #27 Paulsen Specialties/Finnegan's RV/Do-It Tool & Die/Turner's Racing Engines/Craze Motorsports Coyote from pole position to a 0.296 second victory margin over the #21 Coyote of John Kaat, Jr. Steven Needles captured the third spot in his #41 BRM, while Shane Wright and Mitch Gibson mixed it up till the end, with Wright right at home in fourth while Gibson was fifth. The Horstman Manufacturing Briggs Restricted Jr. class was taken capture by Terry McDermott as the #15 Coyote driver took the win by 1.446 seconds ahead of the #93 of Zach Riddle. Greg Dengess capped off the podium, while Eric Akre and B.J. Anderson rounded out the top five. "Nitro" Nick Wagner took his third win in a row in the UEMSI sponsored Yamaha Heavy class. The Hartford, WI driver started from the outside slot and got a helping tap at the start from Jacques Dresang. Wagner's KRT managed to slot into the lead with the pole-sitting Margay of Kevin Nelson in second as they rounded the first turn. Heading into turn four, Nelson swept up the inside grove and managed to outbreak Wagner to take the top spot. This would be the running order until the end of the lap when Nelson pushed wide on the final corner and Wagner saw his chance to regain the lead. This worked for Wagner until turn four, when again; Nelson thought that he looked better in the lead. It was not to be though, as with the lap before, Nelson shot straight out of the final turn onto the grass, letting Wagner slip by before he weaved through the cones and onto the track as Dresang's KRT took over the second spot. Nelson would regain the bridesmaid position the following lap, as he figured out how to get the best of Dresang going into turn one. This would be the order until the end of the fifteen-lap main, as Wagner was able to hold off the hard-charging Nelson by 0.086 sec. over the line. Dresang would have a delightful view of the leading dice from the third spot, while holding off the Corsa Kart of David Cox in the process. Andrew Johnson rounded out the top five in the thirteen-kart field. The always highly competitive Creative Karting Briggs Jr. Sportsman #2 Heavy class was won by the #29 of Justin Kaat, as he was able to hold off the #52 of Matt O'Leary and the #47 of Chris Raugoth by the slimmest of margins to take the win, while the #42 of Chris Karlin and the #20 of Derek Kozak rounded out the top five. To those of you who have never seen a Briggs Lite race in either the MWSS or the WKA Gold Cup division, you are missing one of the highlights of karting, a certain jet black #53 kart that tends to win by large amounts and do it in fine style as well. Of course, for those of you who have seen this master of going faster, you know that this must be just another longwinded opening line for yet another win by Ryan Cassity. The Coyote/Turner's Racing Engines/Douglas Wheels/G-Man/L&T/Lubtek/Flatout pilot managed to take the win in the Image Motorsports Briggs Lite class by 9.335 seconds over the #51 of Steve Kilsdonk. Bryan Vought picked up the third spot, while Matt Duncombe and Scott Lohjenick rounded out the top five. Jordan Johnson picked up the win in the Racer-Pix.com HPV Jr. Sportsman division, while Mark Sobczyk took the checkered first in the C.M. Sobczyk Trucking US820 Jr. class. The Briggs & Stratton Motorsports Briggs Jr. Sportsman #1 Medium feature was a tight knit battle between Barry Hartwell and Zach Boden with Hartwell crossing the line 0.183 seconds ahead to take the victory while Ross Bunnell rounded out the podium. The twenty-one kart Kartsale.com Yamaha Jr. SSX field had a little bit of chaos all over, as Adam Cregin and Nick Gilette collided going into turn two, sending both out of the race. Joe King and Doug Boyer lead the pack the entire race, until lap fourteen when Matt Byrne; who was in ninth, slid into the pit wall on the main straight causing a red flag to fly on the final lap, causing the race to be called. Boyer's #33 KRT/Bell Helmets/High Rev Engineering/Boyer Construction kart was declared the winner with the #29 Margay of King was second. The #12 Tonykart of Caleb Loniewski capped off the top three, while the #5 Haase of Ben McCallum and the #88 Margay of Ben Roberts rounded out the top five. More crashing, bashing, lashing, and smashing took place in the always-watched PMW Precision Metal Works HPV Lite final, as twenty-two karts lined up to take the green. Lap five was the time and place for the biggest wreck of the weekend, as Troy Hintzsche climbed the left rear tire of Kelsi Guess in turn four and rolled over the front of her kart, bringing out the red flag as Hintzsche was stationary on the ground after the accident. Both drivers turned out alright, as Guess would restart twentieth and finish eleventh. On the restart, pre race contender Brandon Adkins fell by the wayside as the front left wheel nut fell off. From that point on, it was all Tony Loniewski, as the Michigan City, IN native took his #22 Margay/Moore Racing Engines/E&L Paving/Lonici Rental kart to a 3.198 seconds ahead of the #83 KRT of Jayson Eschrich. The #28 KRT of Ryan Stewart picked up the third spot while Tommy Mayr's #4 PCR and the #3 Margay of Tim O'Brien locked up the top five. Corey Reeves was runaway winner of the PMO Kart Services Yamaha Sr. Sportsman SSX final as he maneuvered his #99 Invader/Switch Motorsports/Karts Ltd. kart to the win, 2.275 sec. ahead of the #8 Margay of John Barnard. The #36 Margay of Chris Shearburn weighed in, in third, while the # 37 Margay of "Ground" Chuck Tate and the #77 Corsa Kart of Michael Dittmer rounded out the top five. The S&M Kart Supply Briggs Medium field was again a runaway for Ryan Cassity, as the #53 Coyote pilot headed the nine kart class from the green to checkered flag, taking the win by 6.048 seconds ahead of John Kaat, Jr. Matt Krechel placed third with Bryan Vought and Mitch Gibson rounding out the top five. The KartsLtd.com HPV Jr. class was won out of the box by the #28 Margay of Joe King. King set fast time along the way to win by 2.471 seconds over the #12 Tonykart of Caleb Loniewski in second. The #6 Margay of Darin Marcus rounded out the podium with the #33 KRT of Doug Boyer and the #21 Energy of Matt Byrne capping off the top five. John Barnard was victorious in the Kart Racing Technologies Spec 100 SBX class, as the #8 Margay/Adkins Racing Engines/Mark Coats Racing/Fast Lane Kart Shop pilot took the victory over Kevin Nelson who just edged out Chuck Tate at the line. Cale Wyse captured the win in the lonely Intense Imports Rotax Max feature, as the #5 Arrow Kart driver was the only one to make all fifteen laps, as the #85 Haase of Brian Pelke dropped out on the first lap. The Mark Coats Racing Yamaha Lite feature controlled from a distance from start to finish by the #83 KartsLtd/Switch Motorsports kart of Jayson Eschrich. The New Berlin, WI native managed to work up a lead of 5.950 seconds by the time the checkered flag fell. Corey Reeves picked up the second spot, while Brandon Adkins captured the bronze. Ryan Stewart and Troy Hintzsche finished fourth and fifth respectively. Derek Kozak came back from Saturday's defeat to take the Pro Karting Kart Shop Briggs Jr. Sportsman #2 Lite feature by 0.198 sec. ahead of second place Justin Kaat. Matt O'Leary picked up the third position with Ben Bacon and Chris Raugoth finishing out the top five. The TMW Competition HPV Heavy field was brought down to the start by Jacques Dresang and Kelsi Guess. As the flag flew at the start, the outside row freight trained past Dresang, sending him back to ninth position. Guess lead into turn four until John Barnard and Chad Jump made their way up from the tail end of the grid to take the top two spots. This would be the order till the end as Barnard took the win with Jump storming across the line in second. "Nitro" Nick Wagner rounded out the top three as Guess and Dresang rounded out the top five. The Boyer Construction Formula Y Jr. class was won by the #12 Tonykart of Caleb Loniewski, as the home track favorite managed to sneak across the line 0.970 sec. ahead of the #33 KRT of Doug Boyer. Ben Roberts captured the third spot with his #88 Margay, while the #98 Tonykart of Peter Kielar and the #6 Margay of Darin Marcus rounded out the top five in the fourteen kart field. Lance and Kyle Hancock lead the Shiddy Reeds US 820 Sr. class down to the green, with Lance picking up a massive early lead. Meanwhile, deeper in the field, Jacques Dresang, who started thirteenth, managed to pass five karts on the first lap, while Katie Waters followed in the same manor. On the second lap, Dresang became over anxious in turn four as he and Ray Krumrie touched, sending Krumrie spinning. By that point, Lance Hancock built up a six second lead that looked to be unassailable. Meanwhile, Dresang and Waters caught fourth place Sean Sullivan, who let Dresang by going up into turn five. Two laps later, Kyle Hancock passed Marshall Martin for the second spot in turn five, as Dresang followed through to take third, then second, as he passed K. Hancock in the inside of the sixth turn. Sullivan also managed to work his way past the two, as he then started reeling in Dresang with five laps to go. On the tenth lap, Lance Hancock was forced out of the race with exhaust problems, allowing Dresang to take the top spot. This would be the order until the finish when Dresang was notified at the scales of a two position penalty for rough driving on lap two. Sean Sullivan then would have taken the victory, but he was found one pound light at the scales, thus allowing Kyle Hancock to take the victory with Dresang second, Martin third, Waters fourth, while Krumrie came back to capture the fifth spot. Tim Megenbier came back from his bitter defeat on Saturday to take the Streeter Super Stands Yamaha Jr. Sportsman SSX feature by 0.229 sec. ahead of Jordan Johnson to take the feature win. Jacob Little finished third, while Christian Paheed and Ryan Zeaman capped off the top five. The Power By Karl Briggs Jr. Medium feature was again won by Terry McDermott, as Eric Akre followed him to the line, 2.258 seconds behind. Brian Johnson captured the third spot, with Adam Brimmer and Greg Dengess rounding out the top five in the nine kart field. The next spot on the 2002 MWSS trail will be at the Badger Kart Club in Dousman, WI on August 3-4 while the final round of the year will be held for the second year in a row at the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex on Labor Day weekend. For more information, tidbits, forms, and anything else that is officially from the Midwest Sprint Series, check out www.midwestsprint.com for all of the latest updates for the series that is Racing For the Racer.