Kalamazoo Midget Results

Fisher First Again in ARCA Midgets

Kalamazoo, MI, By Don Radebaugh - There were 47 hopeful ARCA, UMARA and NAMARS midgeteers that showed up Wednesday night at Kalamazoo Speedway. Unfortunately for 46, so did 18-year-old Sarah Fisher who nailed down her third consecutive ARCA Auto Value Midget Series victory in as many attempts. The Ashville, Ohio second generation driver, aboard her father’s Mead Carbonless Paper-Esslinger-Hawk, overhauled defending ARCA Auto Value Midget Series champion and current point leader Gene Lee Gibson on the 16th circuit and hustled away from the pack only to be slowed by 3 cautions all for minor incidents. The yellow flag was the only apparent weapon against her as after a lap 47 and final caution in the 50 lap main event, she put at least 10 lengths between herself and Gibson. Gibson had to forget about the eventual winner late in the race anyway after Indianapolis, Indiana driver AJ Davis, whose spirited charge started from the 21st starting position, showed up inches away from his rear bumper. Davis gave Gibson all he could handle until time, and in part, his right rear tire, ran out. Leading ARCA Auto Value Midget Rookie contender Jason Fuller, in the Suspension Spring-Aro Shocks-Hogue Engines Hawk, finished 4th ahead of USAC standout Dave Steele to complete the top five. Matt Westfall set quick time of 12.862 seconds around the 3/8ths mile banked paved oval. Heat winners were Clay Klepper, Dave Thompson, AJ Fike and Gibson. All-time ARCA Midget winner Jim Hettinger won the B-main but spun late in the main event after contact with another car relegating the two-time ARCA Midget champion to 14th in the final running order.

1999 ARCA AUTO VALUE MIDGET SERIES EVENT #7                        
Kalamazoo Speedway, Kalamazoo MI                        
Official Results, 7-14-99                         
                                                
FIN        STR        CAR                                
POS        POS        NO        DRIVER/RESIDENCE                
        TEAM & CAR                                        LAPS        STATUS
1        2        67        Sarah Fisher/Ashville OH        
        Mead-Fisher Motorsports Hawk                        50        Running
2        1        0        Gene Lee Gibson/Richwood OH        
        Gibson Racing Autocraft                                50        Running
3        21        28        AJ Davis/Indianapolis IN        
        Davis Racing VW                                        50        Running
4        7        9        Jason Fuller/Plymouth IN        
        Suspension Spring-Aro Shocks-Hogue Engs Hawk        50        Running
5        17        15        Dave Steele/Indianapolis IN                
                                                        50        Running
6        18        7        Brian Gerster/Indianapolis IN                
                                                        50        Running
7        6        69        Aaron Fike/Galesburg IL                
                                                        50        Running
8        10        69        AJ Fike/Galesburg IL                
                                                        50        Running
9        9        61        Brice Kenyon/Lebanon IN                
                                                        50        Running
10        15        38        Dave Baumgartner/Ottawa Lake MI        
        Autocraft Engines-Linne Enterprises Ford        50        Running
11        8        54        Matt Westfall/Ludlow Falls OH                
                                                        50        Running
12        16        4        Mark Boice/Noblesville IN                
                                                        50        Running
13        11        26        Don Carter/Elwood IL                
                                                        50        Running
14        5        71        Jim Hettinger/Mason MI        
        Don Smith Hawk VW                                50        Running
15        14        21        John Nervo                
                                                        49        Running
16        19        53        JD Turner/Cincinnati OH                
                                                        49        Running
17        13        24        Dave Thompson/Minooka IL                
                                                        46        
18        12        17        Clay Klepper/Caruthers CA                
                                                        45        
19        20        56        Dan Boorse/Whitefish Bay WI                
                                                        14        
20        17        58        Sarah McCune/Perrysburg OH        
        A-1 Auto Parts Autocraft                        10        
21        3        40        Tom Fedewa/Leslie MI                5        
22        4        3        Robbie Parrish/Knightstown IN        0        
                                                
FAST QUALIFIER:  Matt Westfall 12.862 seconds                        
HEAT WINNERS:  Clay Klepper, Dave Thompson, AJ Fike, Gene Lee Gibson
B-MAIN WINNER:  Jim Hettinger