Story By: KASEY KREIDER / LINDA’S SPEEDWAY – JONESTOWN, PA – The 85th season of racing for the ARDC midgets kicked off on Friday night at the Linda’s Speedway. In the return of midgets to the quarter-mile Jonestown oval, it was Kenney Johnson who turned in a dominant performance to grab the win.
Johnson won the heat race with a last lap pass on midget rookie Ayden Hare. After a full inversion of the heat race finishing order, Johnson started on the back row for the feature but quickly moved into the second spot. He then took advantage of misfortune to teammate and ARDC midget debutant Adam Andretti, as Andretti hit the wall and cut down a right rear tire, opening the door for Johnson to take a lead that he would not relinquish.
The Mt. Gretna Roller Rink 270 Micro Sprints turned in another thriller on Friday night, as Brayden Spencer grabbed his second win of the season in the 25-lap A-Main. Spencer battled with Craig Myers in and out of lapped traffic for nearly the entire race. But as Myers led with less than ten laps to go, the No. 20M burned and locked up entering turn 3, allowing Spencer to re-inherit the lead. Spencer then held off a charging Brandon Heist, who started 19th, to claim the feature win.
After a rough seven days of racing, Richie Hartman got back to his winning ways in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Wingless 600 Micro Sprint feature, putting the Mark Gray-owned No. 39 in Selinsgrove Ford Victory Lane. Hartman battled with Joey Amantea for many of the opening circuits, but made the pass for the lead around halfway and held on through a few late restarts to score the win.
Richie Hitzler continued his hot streak in the Mike’s Towing and Recovery Modifieds by picking up his first win of the season at Linda’s. Hitzler survived the early chaos from his 11th starting spot, and eventually was able to pick off Kyle Donati to take the lead and drive away with the victory.
The second Appalachian Auto Front Wheel Drive feature of the season saw another seasoned veteran of both the division and the speedway make a long awaited trip back to the winner’s circle, as Bill Sherwood claimed the victory in the evening’s stock car event. Sherwood dominated his heat race and then led wire-to-wire in the 15-lap main event to put car No. 11 in victory lane.
Racing returns to Linda’s Speedway next Friday, May 19th, as the Mt. Gretna Roller Rink 270s and the Mike’s Towing and Recovery Modifieds each return to the track. Joining them will be the Stolz Stove Sales Winged 600 Micro Sprints, the Hoffer Paving All Star Slingshots, and the Bernheisel Race Components Chargers.