Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
Coming to the checkered flag, Danny Benedict would edge Brandon McFerran at the line to score the victory in the Graham Landscape Mini Stock feature.
McFerran would start off the night in victory lane, winning the first heat ahead of Jordan Howse, Miles Tyson, Warren Paxton, Benedict, Justin Holmes, Gerrit Tiemersma, Jake Watson, JP Rosevaar and Ken Townsend.
Andy Kamrath won the second heat ahead of Butler, Billy Melenhorst, Samantha Shaw, Kendra Adams, Terry Woodley, Eric Yorke, Ben Melenhorst, Charlie Smith and Steve Belanger.
Come feature time, it’d be Warren Paxton grabbing the early lead in the No. 33 Blue Mountain Honda, Graham Landscape Limited, Whole Sale Tire Solutions Honda ahead of Miles Tyson. The lead was the hot ticket spot of the night, though, as it’d turn into a three-wide battle with Paxton, Tyson and Jordan Howse. Contact would be made, resulting in a flat tire for Howse and the caution at lap three. With 22 laps to go, Paxton led Tyson, Eric Yorke, Kendra Adams, Billy Melenhorst, Samantha Shaw, Danny Benedict, Andy Kamrath, Jake Watson, Justin Holmes, Doug Butler, JP Rosevaar, Brandon McFerran, Gerrit Tiemersma, Ben Melenhorst, Terry Woodley, Ken Townsend, Steve Belanger and Charlie Smith.
The restart brought forth more three-wide racing action through the field, which unfortunately resulted in another caution at lap five for another driver having a flat tire. This time, the victim would be Watson.
Back under green, the battle for the lead resumed with Miles Tyson grabbing the advantage in the No. 49 UxBridge Auto Wreckers, JMX Demolition and Environmental Contracting, and MGA Mini Stock ahead of Paxton as Yorke and Billy Melenhorst battled for third. Yorke would hold down the spot, while Benedict moved into fourth ahead of Butler, with Melenhorst battling McFerran for sixth. The battles were strong through the field and that’d be true at the front as Butler would catch Benedict for fourth, and getting alongside him. While the action was hot on track, Watson wasn’t having a hot night as he would make another trip down pit road at lap nine with a flat tire.
Tyson would continue to lead ahead of Paxton and Yorke, while Butler and Benedict battled for fourth. Their battle would continue till the third caution flag for Adams spinning in turn two at lap 13. At the halfway mark, Tyson led Paxton, Yorke, Benedict, Butler, McFerran, Kamrath, Billy Melenhorst, Howse, Tyson, Shaw, Samantha Shaw, Gerrit Tiemersma, Woodley, JP Rosevaar, Steve Belanger, Charlie Smith, Kendra Adams and Jake Watson.
Tyson would get a good restart to continue to lead, while Benedict and Paxton battled for second. Benedict would get the spot on lap 14, leaving Paxton to battle with McFerran for third. The caution would then fly three laps later, though, as Adams got loose while high, resulting in another spin.
The restart would be all Danny Benedict needed as he would get the lead behind the wheel of the No. 54 Dent Dynamics, Wallace Auto Supply – Carquest, Mayhew Graphics, Mark Rainford Auto Sales, Camsport Truck Caps & Accessories, B & W Enterprises, Kim Irwin of Irwin Tax, Baudo Auto Services, Hoy’s Garage, Mayhew Auto and Clarke Motorsports Communications Mustang ahead of Tyson, McFerran, Butler and Paxton. McFerran would continue his climb to the front, getting alongside Tyson for second at lap 19, completing the pass a lap later. Butler would follow suit, taking the third spot at lap 23.
Tyson would then find himself in a three-wide battle for fourth with Kamrath and Howse. The battle would see contact among the three drivers, resulting in a flat tire for Kamrath. As the tire went out for Kamrath, he would tag Tyson, but Tyson saved the car and kept going. The caution would fly, though, as a result of the flat tire.
On the restart with two laps to go, Benedict chose to restart on the top-line, giving McFerran the bottom. The pair would run side-by-side for the final two laps of the event, with Danny Benedict edging McFerran at the line to score the victory. It marks Benedict’s second victory of the season, but his first at Sunset Speedway; he scored the feature victory last week at Peterborough Speedway.
Doug Butler finished third for his second top-five of the season, with Jordan Howse coming back from the flat tire to finish fourth. Miles Tyson completed the top-five for his best finish of the season.
Eric Yorke finished sixth for his first top-10 of the season, followed by Warren Paxton, Billy Melenhorst, Justin Holmes, Gerrit Tiemersma, Ben Melenhorst, Terry Woodley, Andy Kamrath, Kendra Adams, Steve Belanger, Charlie Smith, Ken Townsend and Jake Watson. Please note that for drivers outside of the top 10, the finish is very unofficial as it may have been jotted down incorrectly in the notes.
