Buckshot Hauls Home the Big One!
Johnny Buckshot from Akron, OH took home the check for $1400 Sunday night at Sandusky Speedway after a suspenseful 40 laps that decided the 2011 USST Speed Pro Great Lakes Series presented by Engine Pro Championship among three other Drivers.
Going into the weekend the Championship was up for grabs among Jason LaDuke, David Stone and Kraig Bontrager, as just a handful of points separated the three. LaDuke only needed to finish ahead of the other two. Stone needed to finish four spots ahead. Bontrager needed to win and have the other two out of the top six. This made the setting for a race filled with tire marks, spins, missed shifts and wrecks!
LaDuke was strong in qualifying putting down a lap of 19.225 to pick up the Allstar Performance Products Fast Qualifier Award. LaDuke then went on to win the second annual running of the Allstar Shootout.
Veteran Sandusky Speedway Driver, Greg Sharp, led the field to the green with Rod Morrison on the outside of the front row. By lap three, Bontrager had taken control of the lead followed closely by LaDuke. LaDuke finally used a laped Truck to get along side Bontrager. The two batteled side by side, trading paint many times. Finally the two made hard enough contact to send LaDuke spinning in turns three and four. With LaDuke and Bontrager now at the rear of the field, Johnny Buckshot would take over the lead.
While Buckshot held the point, LaDuke and Bontrager were making their way back through the field. With about twelve laps to go LaDuke spun leaving Bontrager no where to go. Both Trucks were out of the race with major damage. This left David Stone, who was now running second, with his opportunity to grab the championship!
On the restart, with Buckshot still leading the field, Stone missed a shift and dropped back several positions. With LaDuke out of the race, Stone only needed a second place finish to pick up the championship. In the mean time, multi time USST South Champion, Eric Caudell had his sights set on Buckshot. As the laps wound down Caudell was reeling him in, but ultimately would run out of laps.
At the Checkers it was Johnny Buckshot taking home the big money, followed by Eric Caudell. David Stone made his way back to third, with Rod Morrison and Kenny Sharp finishing out the top five.