POSTED  SEPTEMBER 14, 2025

ERIC ROOT led from start to finish in the 15 lap Mini Stock feature Sunday night at the Mottville Speedway but had to survive a crash at the start –finish line to record his 14^th feature win of the season!

On lap 9 as Root and Jay Howard crossed the start-finish line they came together and hooked and went into the infield! Howard had a flat tire and retired to the pits while Root padded his season points with the win! Newcomer James Wilkerson came all the way from Ft. Wayne and took 2^nd with leading rookie Glenna Sargent 3^rd. Howard took the heat over Root and Wilkerson.

Larry Saunders won the Street Stock heat and 15 lap feature.

Steve Clifford and Chuck Hall both recorded 15 lap Mini Thunder Car feature victories. In the first 15 lapper Larry Saunders, driving a MTC for the first time, led the first 8 laps before Clifford took command held off Hall for the win. Hall settled for 2^nd followed by Saunders, Tony Eldridge, Fred Garrett, Eric Root, Tony Vitali and Richard Allbee.

In the 2^nd 15 lapper it was Hall followed by Garrett, Root, Eldridge and Vitali. Hall won the first heat over Clifford and Garrett while Clifford took the 2^nd heat over Garrett and Eldridge.

The weather was not good! Actually despite the dire predictions the track was dry all night long! But it had rained earlier in the day and skies were threatening and I am certain it rained near the track but not at the track while we were racing! But the weather conditions or predictions at least did hold down the car count and especially the crowd! But we did have 8 MTC and 4 MS! Considering the weather that was really terrific and at least we did race while another track in our area cancelled!

Root racing has purchased the two MTC Rod Roberts had for sale and Eric raced the one car tonight and it looks like that car has real potential! It will be interesting to see just how high in the point standings for MTC Eric can finish this season! Both cars are expected to be racing next week-end!

Saunders really looked terrific in the MTC 74! Several drivers have driven that car this season but none has even come close to the speed Larry got out of the car! Word is that Larry could be driving the car next Sunday and he may look at having his own MTC next season!

So with 5 nights now completed in September we have had rain two of them for 40 per cent and the threat of rain one other night for 60 per cent weather related which is just about the way this season has gone! I am ready for a long dry spell!

Howard moved to 14^th in the MS season point standings while Eldridge moved to 10^th in the MTC standings. Root is now 22^nd in MTC.

With 10 weeks to go in this 2003 season and 20 nights the point standings race could really get close! As always it’s the drivers who come each and every night who end up in the top 5 to 10!

I must admit I am most perplexed about how we can get a decent field of Street Stocks! We are now trying 2 divisions, one with radial tires, one with track tires. We have paid this division well considering the car count so what more we can do I really do not know! As for the 18^th Annual Indiana-Michigan Challenge Cup at the end of October if we do not get a decent field of SS by the end of September we will probably just run a regular program for this class and put the sponsor money into the MS and MTC! It may well be next season and starting over before we can get a SS class started or something like a SS class.

Next week we try again and hopefully come up with nice weather both nights! But regardless of the weather as long as we have some dedicated racers who really want to race we will find a way to get it done!