MichiganCircleTrack.com is the online home of the MARC Times Racing News & Michigan Racing Scene and MARCTimesTV.

The car count was high as well as the temperature at the M40 Speedway Friday night, as all four division would get to run for the first time this season.  Track promoters even delayed the start time of the show as fans still packed the ticket windows, waiting to see a great action packed night of racing.

The surprise division of the night was the Mini-Stocks, who up to this point, have not had a race all season due to the car count.  Well, they proved better late than never.

The dash was won by Jeremy Damron (No.27), who had the only other win of the season in a Mini Stock ( Damron won opening night as a visitor in the Pure Stock division ).  Damron beat out Derick Davis (No.18) for the victory.

In the heat race, James Newman (No.95) held off the hard charging Jeremy Damron for the win.  The two drivers fought their way to the front, from the sixth and eighth starting positions.

Again in the feature, Newman and Damron would do battle.  This time Davis would make it a three way battle.  The drivers battled for position all race long with Newman winning the feature race in one of the best finishes of the night.  Davis held off Damron to collect the second place finish.  Brian Wilkerson (No.46) finished strong in fourth with Howard Fissette (No.4) rounding out the top five.

The Pure Stock division showed some of the best racing of the night.  Jeff Ganus (No.5g) climbed into a Pure Stock to pull double duty, and set faast time.  The dash had Burney Arnett (No.98) pull out his first of the season at the M40 Speedway, beating out Tony Stewart (No.14) for the win.

In the first of the two heat races, Kenneth Dodd (No.51D) held off Stan Carey (No.42) to get the victory, his first of the season.  Heat two had Tim Thurston (No.7) collect his second heat win of the season, and his fifth overall victory.  Thurston held onto the victory by beating out Rick Reed (No.12), who had to settle for second.

The feature was a wild show from the drop of the green.  The twenty car field was jockeying for position throughout the race.  Matt Elsey (No.36) who showed up late, was unable to qualify, and started at the tail next to Jeff Ganus.  Ganus and Elsey put on a spectacular race to the front as both drivers looked to have the car to beat.  Unfortunately, on lap twenty, Elsey and Ganus made contact sending Elsey high into the wall on the backstretch, coming out of turn two.  Ganus was able to get hs damaged car fixed in time to continue, but Elsey unfortunately was unable to.  Ganus would only finish eleventh.

The man of the night was Tim Thurston, the driver Elsey and Ganus were trying to catch throughout the race.  Thurston was a front runner from the begginning, as he held on to win his second feature of the season and track leading sixth of the season.

" The car felt good, I knew Ganus was going to be tough ", said Thruston.  " I left plenty of room, Ganus drove me clean ", Thurston added.

The Pro-Stocks division ran strong also, with "Richy" Rich Mersereau (No.61v) pulling out the dash victory over fast qualifier John Ferrier (No.0).

In the first heat, Gary Chapman (No.31) found his way to the winner circle for the first time in 2009,  holding off Fred Reed (No.32) for the win.  Heat two had another first time winner, as John Long (No.32) held on to the win over John Ferrier.

The feature unfortunately was cut short by twenty laps, but had some great racing action.  Rich Mersereau and John Ferrier raced their way to the front, only to come up short as the decline in laps, didnt give them the time needed to make it to the front.  Mersereau would have to settle for third, as Ferrier would have to settle for fourth.  Another hard charger, Mickey Cornwell (No.7) would round out the top five.  None of the fast qualifiers could catch Nick Pressler (No.32x) as he checked out early in the race.  Unfortunately for Pressler, he was unable to get the win either.  Settling for second, Pressler was unable to get around Gary Chapman, who went on to win his first feature of the young season.

" The harder I ran it, the loser it got ", said Chapman.  " We had nothing for Mersereau or Ferrier ", he added.

The Late Model division had Robbie Ferrier (No.4) set fast time.  Jeff Ganus (No.5) however, go on to win the dash, making his way to the front past Eric McGlothlen (No.68) who would settle for second.

The heat race had Josh Taylor (No.33) make his way to the winner circle for the first time in 2009.  Taylor beat out Rick Slusher (No.4) for the victory.

The 50 lap feature was narrowed to 20 laps as time became an issue near the end of the night.  The 20 laps was all Ganus would need to pull out the victory as he made his way to the front quickly.  Ganus drove through the pack as he knew that time was a factor.  Cory Pressler (No.32x) could not hold off Ganus for the victory and settled for second, as Jeff Vochaska (No.45) was hard charging from the back.  Ron Coburn (No.42) would finish fourth, with Rick Hahn (No.22) rounding out the top five.

" The car was good ", said Ganus after the race.  " Slower cars made the race interesting, just had to pick them off one by one.  We all knew they were cutting the race short, so we had to get to the front quickly ", he added.  Ganus went on to say," I just got to thank everyone, Steve Brown, and all the guys who support me.

This week will be autograph night, and a regular racing program of Late Models, Pro-Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Mini's.  Come out to see one of the best racing venues Michigan has to offer every Friday night at the M40 Speedway.