Toledo Speedway

For the first time the 17-year history of the ARCA Allegaint Air Gold Cup Late Model Series, the series ran it’s first ‘away’ race. Mike Luberta won the Spartan 100 at Spartan (Mich.) Speedway Sunday night.

The race was memorable but not for what one might think, being an away show, but the amount of cautions, 16. Several factors may have played into all the cautions ... it was hot and humid and many of the drivers remarked after the race that there was no lower groove which narrowed the racing area. Turn four was the racer’s nemesis, as most of the cautions happened there. There was 10 lead changes and many position changes as they raced hot and heavy between the cautions ... the race wasn’t boring, that’s for sure. At the end of the race there was 13 cars running, despite at least 17 (unofficial, that’s my count) of the 23 starters being involved in a caution. Although many of the survivors looked like they had been through the blender.

Mike Luberta Jr. won his second career Gold Cup race, his first coming at Flat Rock in 2009. “There was nothing on the bottom today. I knew I had to be running second and it was a gamble. It was a hard race, short track. I would’ve like to see them allow the leaders to pick top-bottom like in NASCAR. I would’ve picked the top every time. I was here (at Spartan) about 15 years ago and said I’d never come back, but I did and I’m glad,” said the driver of the LeClair Fuels, Performance Engines, Johnny Benson Jr.

The field was separated by a scant 0.43 seconds between fast qualifier Claude Plante Jr. and Scott Pemberton. “I came around the corner after qualifying and looked at the scoreboard and #16 was at the top and thought there was some mistake. It’s been so long since I’ve had a fast time,” said Plante Jr. after his qualifying run.

Claude finished second in the race, after starting in 10th. “I just cant express enough how grateful I am for the whole day at Spartan. Bob Varney did an amazing job of setting the car up in the shop at home and an even better job of making the right changes at the track. We have not set fast time a quite a few years and it felt good to have a car capable of doing it again. All race long we just talked about staying out of trouble and taking care of the car and the tires and putting ourselves into position to have tires at the end and the car to try and win. We accomplished all out that except the win part but we are happy with the 2nd place finish this time,” said the driver of the Precisionwerx, DTS, High Performance Motorsports, RJS, Newby Race Engines, Vans Tire #16

Mike Root’s car looked like he had been in the “big one” at a NASCAR race at Talladega. The rear bumper bar was eschewed, pretty much every corner was crunched ... but he persevered and finished third, after qualifying second. “Stayed patient tonight,” said the driver of the Universal Graphic Solutions (USG), Creatingaccents.com, Renegade, Amsoil, Ace Auto Body, Extreme Images and Buck the Dog #9.

Eric Lee and Luberta Jr. traded the lead numerous time during the course of the race. “When we unloaded the car was not very good, we made some major changes and by feature time it started handling better.  There was no bottom groove here tonight which made the restarts tough, every restart we would change positions depending who was on the outside.  I thought things were finally going to go my way on last restart with 5 laps to go because I was on the outside but the 10 and the 40 cars banged into each other a few times and the outside lane went backwards.  I have to thank my crew Rob and my father, for all their hard work all day... and also my sponsors... Fraza Forklifts, Dusty's Collision, Exotic Automation, First Impressions Cement, ABC Plumbing, Berringer Law, Duane's Roadrunner's,” said Lee.

Stevie Cronenwett finished fifth, “We had a bad qualifying run, but we were really good in the race. My problem is we had a long race run setup in the car and we never got that tonight. I want to thank my crew, family and sponsors, Haul It Trailers, Giles.”

Jimmy Theil was running his first race of the year. He got the unofficial “Move Up” award, gaining 16 spots. He may have passed the most cars during the course of the event ...  after starting 22nd and pitting twice. He finished sixth in the Huron Turkey Farm, Dusty’s Collision #09.

New to the Gold Cup this season is double file restarts. Along with this, the ‘Lucky Dog’ award, giving a lap car their lap back. Joe Hawes had to pit twice to bleed his brakes. The first time, he didn’t lose a lap. The second time he lost eight laps. He proceeded to get laps back and at the end of the 100-lap event, he was only one lap down. “I want to thank my crew, Mike Duford Sr, Tom Bialczyk, Duane Copeland, Mike Bolick, Mike Duford Jr, Steve Hawes for their hard work,” said the driver of the Joe's Enterprise Inc. #53.

Gold Cup Regular Scott Hantz won the ARCA CRA Super Series race at Shady Bowl on Memorial Day ... he didn’t run at Spartan because his Late Model still wasn’t repaired from an accident at the first Gold Cup race. Scott had issues in qualifying winding up 19th out of 23 cars but the crew went to work after qualifying and the changes proved to be the final piece of the puzzle, as the 3 time Champ stormed his was to the front, up to second by lap 50. By lap 60 ‘The Hurricane’ passed then leader Kenzie Ruston. He never looked back as he sailed to the win over Ruston and Johnny Van Doorn. Also running in the race was Gold Cup series regular, Brent Jack, started right in front of Hantz in 17th and came home with his best CRA finish of fourth. Thanks to Lenny Lightner for the update on the race.

Remember if you have any tidbits for my column, send them to me on Facebook or email me at icechips@hotmail.com.