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FLORENCE FANS WATCH BALLOU IN MSCS VICTORY
by Eldon Butcher
Haubstadt, IN - September 29, 2007. Robert Ballou of Camby, IN, won the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series feature Saturday night at Florence Speedway. Ballou’s choice of Florence for his first MSCS appearance brought him into competition with a strong field that grew to 42 entries by hot laps. Ballou announced his arrival with a win in the very first of 5 heat races.
In the 30 lap feature Ballou began dicing with the lead duo of Daron Clayton and Shane Cottle by working to separate them on lap 6. The two drivers had started on the front row in the two Tapy team sprints. Cottle spun in turn two on lap 10 but would restart and finish. Ballou then continued at the head of a 5 car battle with second a hotly contested battle between Daron Clayton and Jon Stanbrough. By the final lap Ballou had the edge he needed. Stanbrough was still pressing Clayton for second. One last try fell short as the two roared off turn four. Clayton held second and Stanbrough finished third.
Chris Windom was also a presence in the line of lead cars that moved higher and higher on the darkening surface until the wall became an opposing force. More than one car glanced off it. Drivers fought for control and continued on in an exciting series of match- ups that had begun in the heats. Windom finished fourth and rookie Jeff Bland Jr. was fifth. Sixth place was awarded to Hud Cone after a penalty of 2 spots was assessed against Darren Hagen for jumping on a restart. Kyle Cummins finished seventh with Hagen, Cottle, and Jimmy Light rounding out the top ten.
Following the main event Ballou exchanged views with MSCS announcer Jason Adams. “The track was pretty good. I am still trying to get a handle on dry slick tracks. I got a little impatient early.” Impatient or not Ballou rolled to a seventh win in a row. The winning race car was a maxim fielded by MPHG Promotions owned by Dallas Mulvaney with Jimmy Jones serving as the Crew Chief. Ballou announced his intention to be at the Lawrenceburg for the $10,000 to win Fall Nationals on Saturday October 6th.
The Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hardcharger of the Race was Kyle Cummins. Cummins moved up 9 spots in the feature after winning the B- Main. That feature field also included his closest two rivals in the hunt for the season MSCS title. Both Alex Shanks and John Memmer finished out of the top ten for this race. Eleventh in the A-Main and earning the Wilwood Tuff Brakes Award was Matt Westfall. Several drivers were involved in wild crashes. Among those were Patrick Bruns during hot laps, Chad Boespflug in the heat, and Brady Bacon in the feature. Unfortunately Chad Boespflug was making his initial return to the MSCS trail after being injured at PIR in August.
Heat winners in addition to Ballou were Bland, Windom, Cottle, and Clayton. The C-Main was won by Hunter Schuerenberg. Nine drivers making their first MSCS appearances of the season made the show through the heats and last chance races. The season concludes this Saturday night! Don’t miss the Lawrenceburg Nationals for MSCS Non Wing Sprint Cars! Last year the winner was Shane Cottle of Kokomo.
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