PLYMOUTH, Ind. — Monday, May 14, 2012 — Shawn Amor was back in victory lane again Friday night at the Plymouth Speedway, and made it a successful night finishing in the top five of each of the three races he participated in.
Shane Cottle takes the checkers in the non wing Sprint race. (Plymouth Media PR Photo)PLYMOUTH, Ind. – Sunday, May 06, 2012 — Kyle Yochum became the very first driver to win in the dirt at Plymouth Speedway Saturday night.
Merrillville’s Yochum, driving the No. 33 UMP Modified, bested Michigan’s Ryan Disterheft and Pete Thompson, of Bourbon, in the first race at the 1/5-mile Bullring. “I liked the track, it had a lot of bite,” Yochum said, who drove the high line and cut close into the corners. “It worked out really well.”
Kokomo’s Shane Cottle wheeled his No. 11 non-wing Sprint over about 10 others in the field. He pulled ahead and never looked back, beating Joe Liguori of Lebanon to the line by just about 4 seconds. On average, it took the Sprints about 13 seconds to complete a lap.
“It was a lot of fun,” Cottle said. “This place was really neat; I look forward to coming back here again.”
Following the leaders on the lead lap were Scotty Weir of Marion and Joe Bares of Michigan. Finishing one lap down was Adam Byrkett of Burnettsville and Kyle Dautrich of Tipton.
The remaining finishers were Jim Payne of Bryan, Ohio in 7th; Kevin Atkins of Warsaw in 8th; and Dave Gross of Rochester in 9th.
The hottest contested race of the night once again featured the Plymouth Hornets. Friday night saw slicing and dicing on the asphalt between Sal Bustamante and Daren Miller, and Saturday was no different for Miller, who traded places with Garrett Saunders back and forth throughout the feature event on dirt the following night. Saunders blew a right front tire, and quickly returned to the track seemingly turning laps faster than before. He gave Miller a good run for it but fell back on the final lap. Jamie Henriksen finished third.
Perhaps the most inspiring win on the Bullring was the night’s final race that saw Eric Saunders racing once again. Saunders, Plymouth Speedway track promoter and former motocross racer, was paralyzed from the waist down two years ago August 28 in a practice crash on his bike. The 19-year-old pulled onto the track in his Jeep Rally Compass for the spectator races, and was pitted against Daren Miller in a Saturn. Saunders pulled away from Miller immediately and held the lead until the final lap, when Miller made his move to the inside to get his nose to the inside of Saunders. A determined Saunders closed the door and pulled ahead to take the checkers.
Hornets winner Sal Bustamante, accepting his trophy from dad, Al (Plymouth Speedway Media PR Photo)PLYMOUTH, Ind. – Friday, May 04, 2012 — If Friday night’s racing is any indication of the kind of racing to be seen this season, it will be one exciting year at Plymouth Speedway.
Kicking off the night was the most intense Hornets race out of the four held this year. Sal Bustamante held the lead through the first half of the race until he was passed by Daren Miller. Bustamante wasn’t happy settling into second place, and the two battled for the top spot. It looked as if Miller had the win coming off the white flag, but a determined Bustamante – in front of an audience full of people on their feet – tried to pass one last time and slipped underneath Miller at Turn 4 to claim the checkers. This was Sal’s second win of the season. Other winners include Miller and Garrett Saunders, who finished fourth, following Sean Stuart in third. Jamie Henriksen closed out the field in fifth.
Kevin Gunkel dominated a field of four Late Models. “I got around (Shawn) Amor, and I figured he was right on me,” Gunkel said, but Amor was battling to keep second place from Mike Horvath, who finished third, as Gunkel pulled away. Charlie Cotton finished fourth.
It looked as if “Radical” Rich Boal was going to go two-for-two, winning last week’s Outlaw Late Model and leading the first part of Friday’s race, but Steve Stacy passed Boal, and “Flyin” Brian Ross of Plymouth was soon to follow. Ross and Stacy battled to the very end – held up by a few cautions during the race. Eventually, Stacy claimed the victory, with Ross less than .3 seconds behind him.
“To come third to them (Stacy and Ross), this is a win for me,” Boal said.
“We’ve been a little bit off all night tonight,” Ross said, congratulating Stacy on his first win of the season. “We want to thank all these fans for coming out and we’ll try to do a little better next week.”
Travis Ray, of Argos, says the Plymouth Speedway Bullring is "bad fast!" (Plymouth Media PR Photo)PLYMOUTH, Ind. — Wednesday, May 2, 2012 — Dirt track racing is back in northern Indiana as Plymouth Speedway will host UMP Modifieds, 410 non-wing sprints and Plymouth Speedway Hornets Saturday night at the Bullring!
The 1/5-mile dirt track inside the 3/8-mile asphalt track boasts 65' corners with 5' banking. The straightaway is 50' wide with 2' of banking.
Track promoter Eric Saunders says this one-of-a-kind track is a driver's track, and those practicing for the first time Sunday agree.
Travis Ray of Argos said, "You've got to have finesse,this is going to be a drivers track. The clay has a tremendous about of grip in it. I liked it a lot, it's fast and it's going to be a blast."
"The track's tight, but it'll be fun," said Kevin Atkins of Warsaw, who is excited to have dirt track racing so close to home.
“The track will be just fine when they get more cars on it,” said Joe Gearte. “I have race all over the country, and every track is different. I'm just glad open wheel racing on dirt is back here at home.
"It's going to be interesting," said Jim Lingar, "I'm looking forward to coming back here."
Lingar had raced at the Plymouth Speedway in the late '60s, he said. "It'll be a little hard to distinguish the pavement from the dirt at the first straightaway, but it will be fun."
Lingar added about his return to Plymouth: "It's amazing how much has changed, but how so many things are the same."
Plymouth Speedway Media PROutlaw Late Models, Late Models, Street Stocks & Hornets
PLYMOUTH, Ind. – Friday April 27, 2012 — The roar of engines, the smell of race fuel with a hint of popcorn, and a chill in the air filled the Plymouth Speedway on opening night Friday.
It was an exciting night of racing that saw four drivers at the winner’s podium in the Outlaw Late Model, Late Model, Street Stock and Hornet classes.
The Outlaw Late Model race went a little more than halfway before a spin involving Brian Ross and Rich Boal brought out the night’s first caution. Racing for the lead, Ross got under Boal turning him sideways on the backstretch. “Radical Rich” Boal returned to the lead position at the green flag, and held on for the remainder of the race for the win.
Following Boal was Steve Stacy in second and Mike Shewchuck in third.
Boal thanked his car owners and team, adding: “We all worked our butts off this winter to get where we are today…I haven’t been to victory lane in awhile, so it feels good to be back.”
Shawn Amor dominated the Late Model division with Kevin Gunkel and Boal finishing behind in second and third. Amor drove in three divisions Friday, running from the R&B Car Company winner’s podium to his Street Stock car for the next feature.
“We got a bunch of good drivers out here. That’s why I like racing out here, with clean drivers and good cars,” said Plymouth’s Amor.
Amor made a trip to the winner’s podium again in the next race, where David Long took the checkers, followed by PeeWee Warren in second and Amor in third.
“I’d just like to thank everybody that helps out on the car every week,” said Long after thanking his sponsors. “I really appreciate it.”
by Andrew D. Hayn
This past weekend the Plymouth Speedway hosted three classes of cars from the Champion Racing Association. They included the late model sportsman, street stocks, and front wheel drive compacts. The pits were full of cars and haulers and many fans graced the sunny grandstands.
