Jimmy McCune Grabs Another Must See Score At Owosso
Jimmy McCune in victory lane at Owosso Speedway. (David Sink photo)
OVID, Mich. (June 24, 2023) – Whether his pre-race nerves were smoke and mirrors, the world may never know, but Jimmy McCune completed a surprise turnaround Saturday night at Owosso Speedway.
McCune took a car that, by his own admission, “hadn’t handled right all day,” to victory lane in a thrilling 40-lapper at the three-eighths-mile oval. He held off a persistent Davey Hamilton Jr. aboard his familiar No. 88 for a milestone 40th career Must See Racing Engine Pro Sprint Car Series victory.
While Hamilton looked for a way past time and time again, McCune relied on veteran experience to keep his car in the right place at the right moment from the drop of the green flag on through.
“It seemed like forever,” said McCune of the second half of the race. “I thought we’d never get to the checkered [flag]. We were mediocre all day, but track position made it happen for us there. Getting out front in clean air helped us enough to overcome some of the issues we had. We just never could get our legs underneath us until it counted.
“Right before the feature, I threw the kitchen sink at it, and then threw the faucet at [the car] too for good measure,” he added. “I saw something in a cloud that I said, ‘We’re gonna do that,’ and it paid off for us somehow. This is a great night.”
After a nine inversion placed Bobby Komisarski on the pole, Komisarski saw McCune lead the opening lap following a tenacious outside move by the five-time champion. Still, however, Komisarski kept the pressure on despite a caution flag on lap four when Ryan Litt’s car lost brakes and stopped in turn one.
Jimmy McCune (88) raced to victory Saturday night at Owosso Speedway in Must See Racing sprint car action. (David Sink photo)
It took until the 11th lap for Hamilton to get past Komisarski into the runner-up spot, but once there Hamilton pursued McCune heavily even around a final caution with 18 laps scored for debris on the backstretch.
Despite looking both outside and inside, Hamilton just didn’t have anything to get around McCune and into clean air to try and escape, settling for his second straight second-place finish.
“I think we just needed more laps, honestly,” Hamilton admitted. “We were getting closer at the end; Jimmy was getting tighter and tighter, but just didn’t have enough time tonight. I made my car as wide as this race track, trying to find new ways around Jimmy, but we’ll have our day soon. I’m sure of it.”
Defending series champion Charlie Schultz completed the podium ahead of Komisarski and Bobby Santos III.
Past rookie-of-the-year Rick Holley kicked off the night with his first career fast time in qualifying, posting a lap of 13.066 seconds (103.322 mph) around the recently repaved three-eighths-mile oval.
Komisarski and Litt won their respective heat races prior to the main event.
The Must See Racing Engine Pro Sprint Car Series returns to action Saturday, July 1 at Illinois’ Rockford Speedway, part of the historic quarter-mile oval’s final season of racing.
RESULTS: Must See Racing Engine Pro Sprint Car Series; Owosso (Mich.) Speedway; June 24, 2023
Qualifying (best of two laps): 1. Rick Holley, 85, Holley-13.066; 2. Jason Blonde, 42, Nosal-13.311; 3. Ryan Litt, 07, Litt-13.339; 4. Bobby Santos III, 22a, Fieler-13.391; 5. Charlie Schultz, 9s, IBT-13.509; 6. Davey Hamilton Jr., 14, Morgan-13.629; 7. Dorman Snyder, 99, Stickney-13.648; 8. Jimmy McCune, 88, McCune-13.669; 9. Bobby Komisarski, 7, Fogle-13.710; 10. Anthony McCune, 8, McCune-13.836; 11. Teddy Alberts, 44, Wolverine-13.870; 12. Kevin Mingus, Z10, Mingus-14.157; 13. Tom Geren, 11, Geren-14.490; 14. Jeff Bloom, 26, Bloom-NT; 15. Todd McQuillen, 2, Koyan-NT; 16. Tommy Nichols, 55, Nichols-NT; 17. Joe Speakman, 72s, Speakman-NT.
Heat #1 (8 laps, all transfer): 1. Bobby Komisarski [2], 2. Dorman Snyder [4], 3. Jimmy McCune [3], 4. Kevin Mingus [6], 5. Teddy Alberts [5], 6. Joe Speakman [8], 7. Anthony McCune [1], 8. Tommy Nichols [7], 9. Tom Geren (DNS).
Heat #2 (8 laps, all transfer): 1. Ryan Litt [2], 2. Bobby Santos III [1], 3. Jason Blonde [3], 4. Davey Hamilton Jr. [6], 5. Charlie Schultz [5], 6. Rick Holley [4].
American Racer Feature (40 laps): 1. 88-Jimmy McCune [2], 2. 14-Davey Hamilton Jr. [4], 3. 9s-Charlie Schultz [5], 4. 7-Bobby Komisarski [1], 5. 22a-Bobby Santos III [6], 6. 42-Jason Blonde [8], 7. 99-Dorman Snyder [3], 8. 85-Rick Holley [9], 9. 44-Teddy Alberts [10], 10. Z10-Kevin Mingus [11], 11. 72s-Joe Speakman [12], 12. 55-Tommy Nichols [14], 13. 07-Ryan Litt [7], 14. 11-Tom Geren [15], 15. 8-Anthony McCune [13], 16. 26-Jeff Bloom [16], 17. 2k-Todd McQuillen (DNS).
Lap Leader(s): Bobby Komisarski Grid, Jimmy McCune 1-40.
Hard Charger: #14 – Davey Hamilton Jr. (+2)
