FIRST POKER SERIES EVENT ON THE BOOKS FOR SPIRIT AUTO CENTER SPEEDWAY

The Spirit Auto Center Speedway ran its first Poker Series event under the Spirit Auto Center banner to kick off the start of the 2016 series.  Kyle Lick was the winner in a wild wingless 600cc Micro Sprint feature event in LaMar Schaeffer’s No. 91s in a race that saw the top spots change right down to the checkered flag. 

Polesitter, Doug Snyder outgunned Lick at the start of the twenty-five lap feature as the eventual feature winner struggled in the race’s early laps.  Lick fell back in the early going as Snyder took the lead with Grady Johnston and Tommy Kunsman trailing the leader.  Johnston took the lead as the third lap was completed with a three wide race for the top spot.  Several early caution kept the field tight as Johnson led Kunsman, Tim Buckwalter, Lick and Jermaine Godshall at the race’s midpoint.

Lick found the fast way around the track as the laps counted down, running on the outer rim of the quarter mile track.  Lick was up to second and challenging Johnson for the leadwhen the final caution waved with five laps to go.  While Johnson and Lick raced for the lead, Kunsman snuck by to take the lead with as the field came around for the white flag.  It was a three way race on the final lap, with Lick and Kunsman making contact in turn four.  Lick drove to the checkered for the win followed by Buckwalter, Johnson, Godshall and Eddie Strada. 

“I thought I had him cleared,” the winner stated as he apologized to Kunsman from Victory Lane.  “It’s not the way I wanted to win.”  Lick collected his first Spirit Auto Center Speedway win and an Ace for the start of the 2016 Poker Series.

Pat Bealer had never won at the Logan Township speedway before opening night of this season but he came back to win the twenty-five lap main event for the 270cc Micro Sprints and collect an Ace for the 2016 Poker Series.  Bealer took the lead from Brandon Edgar following a red flag with seven laps scored.

Bealer led the rest of the way to collect the win over Edgar, Bealer’s team mate, Jacob Hendershot,  Robbie Watson and Tyler Reinhardt.

Chris Kurtz became the third first time winner at Spirit Speedway when he raced to the win in the twenty lap Slingshot feature for his Poker Series Ace. 

Travis Bieber led the race’s first five laps after starting on the pole with taking the lead on a lap six restart when Bieber elected to restart from the outside.  Bieber led the remaining laps without a serious challenge as he led Dylan Hoch to the finish line.  Cody Kline, Bieber and Joe Toth rounded out the top five at the checkered flag. 

Aaron Bowes and Kory Inglin led the field of Xcel 600 Modifieds to the start of their twenty lap main event.  Bowes told the lead at the green flag and led for the first four circuits before Inglin took the top spot away.  Inglin then led the way to the checkered flag.  Travis Rigante, Rob Vivona, Jeff Metsger and Kyle Inglin trailed the race winner to the checkered flag. 

SUMMARY