Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
It seems Ken Townsend has found what works for him as he scored his second feature victory of 2016 after sweeping the Signs of Innovation Mighty Mini events on Saturday night at Sunset Speedway.
Townsend won the first heat ahead of Dylan Holmes, Johnny Paradzinski, Eric Rainey, Daniel Montanari, Melissa Bullen, James Levi, Morgan Robson Jr. and Doug Smith.
Chandler Bos won the second heat ahead of Doug Wilman, Robert Toope, Joe Dunlop, Billy McLeod, Lisa DeLeeuw, Thomas Dunn, Jeremy McLean, Josh Inglis and Wendy Adams.
Townsend went for the daily double, winning the Fast Qualifier’s Dash ahead of Holmes, Paradzinski, Bos, Toope, Wilman, Dunlop, McLeod, Rainey, Montanari, DeLeeuw and Levi.
Come feature time, the 20-lap affair didn’t start out smoothly with a wreck involving Dunlop, Wilman, Bullen and Smith in turns one and two after the field stacked up on the start, resulting in Bullen, Smith and Bos being three-wide going into the corner.
On the second attempt to start the race, Lisa DeLeeuw put her No. 84 Partimer Sign, Gelderman Landscape Services, Royal Synergies Collision, Skytech Rentals, Solex Steel, Safeway Towing, BDS Enterprises, Can-Alignment, Auto Clinic, Scentsy Independent Consultant, Real Burger Company, Cabral Racing Promotions and Country Girl Design Mustang out front as Townsend and Bos battled for second.
Townsend got the second spot on Lap 2 ahead of Bos, Montanari, Dunn and Inglis. Townsend then got alongside DeLeeuw for the lead at Lap 3, putting the No. 21 Honda Civic out front. DeLeeuw now ran second ahead of Bos, Montanari and Dunn. Bos attempted to make a pass on DeLeeuw for the spot on Lap 5, but was unable to complete the run, falling back in line.
Behind them, Dunn got alongside Montanari for fourth ahead of Holmes, McLean and Toope. Paradzinski got alongside Toope for eighth at Lap 9, as Dunn cleared Montanari, getting alongside Bos for third. Dunn took the third spot three laps later ahead of Bos, Montanari, Holmes, Paradzinski and McLean as Wilman and Toope battled for ninth. Wilman looked to have the ninth spot on Lap 13, but Toope got back alongside a lap later, retaking the spot at Lap 15. Behind then, Rainey got by McLean to move up to 10th.
Ken Townsend hung on over the course of the final five laps to score the victory.
“I mean putting all the stuff back to stock parts and it’s faster than it ever has been,” he said. “The car is fast – it’s just homework guys. It’s all about spending the time on the car and doing the homework as I have nothing special in there for power.”
Meanwhile, Thomas Dunn made a pass on the last lap to finish second, followed by Daniel Montanari, Lisa DeLeeuw, Chandler Bos, Johnny Paradzinski, Justin Holmes, Robert Toope, Doug Wilman, Billy McLeod, Eric Rainey, Melissa Bullen, Doug Smith, Morgan Robson Jr. and Wendy Adams.
