OVID, Mich. — The back-and-forth duel for Owosso Speedway supremacy between Brian Gerster and Jimmy McCune continued Saturday evening, with Gerster coming out on top in Abe’s Auto Parts Time Trials at the three-eighths-mile oval.
Gerster garnered his record-extending 23rd-career fast qualifying time with the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series, posting a blistering lap of 13.276 seconds (101.687 mph) in the No. 50m RAM Engineering Midwest sprinter.
Saturday marked the 56th-career asphalt sprint car pole across all sanctions for the No. 50m entry and car owner Dick Myers.
“A lot of what makes this car as fast as it is time and time again is Dick and (engineer) Rick Ferguson,” said Gerster. “I have to do my job too and drive it … but obviously, 12 years ago when Cameron (Dotson) drove it, they were fast then too. This team has a track record that has always been one of the best and I’m fortunate to drive for them.”
“I think we could have been a tick better, because we got caught a little bit with our handling, but we’re tuning on it … and hopefully we can make some progress and have some great racing in the feature tonight.”
The car Gerster is piloting for the Firecracker 50 also holds the all-time Owosso Speedway track record of 12.565 seconds (107.441 mph), set on Aug. 6, 2005 by Dotson.
McCune timed in second-fastest after going out last in the qualifying order, touring the track in 13.330 seconds (101.275 mph) in his No. 88 Abe’s Auto Parts & Sales/B&B Machinery Movers entry.
Jeff Bloom went out in the middle of the line, but put down an impressive time of 13.462 seconds (100.282 mph) in his No. 26 Flint Trucking/Rev-X Oil maching, landing third-fastest in the final rundown.
Behind Bloom, fellow Michigan natives Ike Beasley and Derek Snyder completed the ‘Fast Five’ at the end of two-lap qualification attempts.
The racing program at Owosso Speedway is slated to kick off at 7 p.m., capped by the Firecracker 50 for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series North division.
RESULTS: Must See Racing Sprint Car Series Qualifying; Owosso Speedway; July 1, 2017
Abe’s Auto Parts Time Trials: 1. #50m – Brian Gerster, 13.276; 2. #88 – Jimmy McCune, 13.330; 3. #26 – Jeff Bloom, 13.462; 4. #97 – Ike Beasley, 13.675; 5. #22 – Derek Snyder, 13.700; 6. #8 – Anthony McCune, 13.978; 7. #7 – Tom Jewell, 14.072; 8. #44a – Teddy Alberts, 14.455; 9. #35 – Chris Randolph, 14.584; 10. #72s – Joe Speakman, 14.616; 11. #00 – Joey Irwin, 15.305; 12. #13 – H.D. Carter, 17.156.
CREDIT: Must See Racing
