Lynn Hardy and Jim Wysong battled all season for the chance to be crowned the 1999 PPG Modified Series Champion. Saturday, that fight came to an end. Wysong came out on top, but in an ultimate show of sportsmanship, both drivers celebrated. Following the main event, the two came together at center track, shook hands, and celebrated together. For Wysong, it was a celebration of a good season that was finished in grand style.
Everything seemed to go his way Saturday. Wysong started the night with a record setting run during qualifying. His lap of 15.653 seconds topped that run by Hardy late last month of 15.797. But that was just the beginning.
Following a win over Hardy in the second heat race, Wysong came out strong in the main. He started 12th in the 18-car field. He moved up quickly, reaking into the top five on lap 12. One lap later, an accident involving leader Roger Wilson and second place Hardy put Wysong in third. That would be enough to get him up front.
He immediately jumped past Jim Campbell for second on the restart, which put him on the back bumper of leader Michael Hale. He wouldn't stay there long, though. On lap 15, the two went side-by-side around the track with Wysong coming out the leader one lap later.
Following a brief caution for debris on lap 25, Wysong checked out. He led to the finish, crossing the line nearly five seconds ahead of Hale, Campbell, Hardy, and Jim Eaton.
Wysong came into the night with a solid lead in the points. He left with the track championship. He battled all season with Hardy for the title, and he says the tough competition, coupled with a good car and 25 years of experience, helped him get the title.
"That's what makes us want to go faster, having competition like that," he said.
This is the third modified championship for Wysong. The last one came two years ago in 1997. Other PPG Modified winners Saturday were Dave Saunders in the trophy dash and Gary Madsen in the first heat race. The PPG Modifieds will race for the final time next weekend, but it won't be for points.
In other action, Jim Waters was able to maintain his point lead and win the Intermountain Late Model championship despite being caught up in an accident in Saturday's main event. Rick Ellison won the main event followed by Jeff Hillock, Kevin Richards, Kevin Moland, and Randy Hardman. Ellison and Moland won the heat races and Jeff Flynn won the trophy dash.
In the AIS Mini Cups, Morgan Young came into the night with a 70-point lead in the championship standings. That was too much for the rest of the field as he won the title. Allen Mathis won the main followed by Chris Evans, Young, Stanley White, and Michael Laing. Mathis and Nathan Christensen won the heat races. Evans won the trophy dash.
The championship for the Aire Tech Super Stocks is still undecided as track officials do technical inspections on the top cars. Coming into the night, Ed Mayo held a slim four-point lead over David Davis in the standings. Unofficially, Shawn Card won the main event for the second week in a row. He was followed by Jamie Mickelson, Gregory Young, Dee Norman, and Davis. Card and Mayo won the heat races, while Rich Rhead came out on top in the trophy dash.
Doyle Olsen dominated in the Legends on Saturday. He won the main event, a heat race, and the trophy dash. In the main, he was followed by Michael Schultz, Jeff Kelley, Josh Crook, and Aaron Lanningham. Crook won the other heat race.
Winners in Friday's Street Legal Racing on the drag strip were Jeromy Law, High School Truck; Luke Bishop, High School Heavy; Brandon Albritton, Street Legal Heavy; Rob Hauck, Street Legal Mini; Ted Stufflebeam, Street Legal Outlaw; David Milenoff, Street Legal Truck; Lucas Lindsay, Motorcycle; and Scott Tallman, Snowmobile.
