TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Whether or not Saturday’s “Super Moon” had anything to do with it is still in question, but nevertheless Kris McKean had a big night at Magic Valley Speedway.
McKean started out the evening’s Commercial Tire Super Stocks events breaking his own track record by setting a new qualifying time of 15.864 seconds around the one-third mile track. Next he went on to win his heat race.
For the main event a total of 11 cars occupied the starting grid. Driving the No. 7 car McKean began from the seventh position and by lap seven had worked his way up behind race leader Allen Williams. Daniel Shirley, looking for his first main event win of the season followed closely.
Three laps later McKean got into the bumper of Williams hard enough to get around him but in the process it allowed Shirley to take over the lead. At lap 19 a caution necessitated a restart and the beginning of several laps of a side-by-side battle between Shirley and McKean. McKean finally muscled his way around Shirley at lap 23 to take the lead for good and the eventual win at lap 40.
“I got crossed up going into three and got down into him(Shirley) pretty good,” McKean said of the outcome of the battle for the lead. “He got the advantage coming up out of four and I knew I wasn’t going to get back on the outside of him so I had to give him a little nudge and get underneath him. This is just a real competitive class right now.”
For Shirley, it was the end of a disappointing night.
“He got into me and I just couldn’t hold on,” he admitted.
Hannah Newhouse finished third. Casey Pehrson would not complete the main event having to exit to the pits with mechanical issues at lap 21.
With the winning outing McKean takes over the lead in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Racing feature division standings with a seven point lead over Hannah Newhouse and a 16 point lead over Shirley.
Jason Todd won his first main event race of the season with the Brennan’s Carpet Street Stocks. Todd lost the lead of the race to Ernie Hall at lap four but regained the position after contact at lap 26 between Hall and Paul Browne sent Hall to the pits for the remainder of the event. Todd cruised to the victory 3.595 seconds ahead of Browne.
Other main event winners included Chad Everett with the Magic Valley Pipe Hornets and Jason Skyberg with the Super Sixes. Both drivers held off hard-charging rivals for the victory.
RESULTS:
Commercial Tire Super Stocks: 1. Kris McKean, 2. Daniel Shirley, 3. Hannah Newhouse, 4. Allen Williams, 5. Steve Edens.
Brennan’s Carpet Street Stocks: 1. Jason Todd, 2. Paul Browne, 3. Joshua Hunt, 4. Justin Meyer, 5. Mitch Pehrson.
Magic Valley Pipe Hornets: 1. Chad Everett, 2. Jeff Peck, 3. James Cole, Steve Hatke, 5. Steve Edens, Jr.
Super Sixes: 1. Jason Skyberg, 2. Bob Bachman, 3. Bruce Gillogly, 4. Dean Waltman, 5. Kevin Detweiler.
