TULSA, Okla. — Kyle Spence won Saturday night’s fourth annual Keith Kunz Motorsports Giveback Classic presented by MPI at Port City Raceway.
It was possibly the biggest victory of Spence’s POWRi Outlaw Non-Wing Micro League career.
“I never thought I’d have the opportunity to drive a midget again so I’m going to take the ride,” Spence said of the winner’s prize a midget ride with the Keith Kunz team.
Going green saw pole-starter and night one winner Steven Snyder Jr. battle with night two winner and front-row companion Kyle Spence into the first pair of corners with Snyder gaining the young driving advantage as Spence, Frank Flud, Cannon McIntosh and Kale Drake all circled inside the early contending top five.
Controlling the pace up front around the low line through early race restarts, Snyder led while dealing lap traffic as Spence would strike for the lead on lap 22 with Cannon McIntosh and Frank Flud followed by Snyder with Drake continuing to round out the top five.
Lengthy green flag racing throughout lap traffic would see Spence run the outside with McIntosh running the low-line swapping positions and lines nearly every lap as Flud would also share time throughout the front-end in outstanding action.
Holding steady while locked in a battle up front, lap traffic would keep the leaders at bay on the low-line Spence would keep Flud on his tail tank with McIntosh, Snyder and Kale Drake all within striking distance as the caution flag waved on lap 49.
Setting the stage for dramatics with 19 laps remaining, Spence would set the pace on the restart as Flud, McIntosh and Snyder continued on the low line behind the leader.
Securing the front for the final revolutions, Spence would not be denied victory while claiming his second career league win in an intense and action-packed 67-lap feature to wrap up the weekend racing adrenaline rushes.
“Man, I just wanted to beat the back bumper off that lap car but no one else could get by us either. I did not want to give up the bottom, I knew I had to keep it in the moisture and held on. With races this big you have to go for it and I was expecting it honestly, luckily no one drove me dirty and the bottom stayed fast,” Spence said.
Staying in the hunt for the front Flud would result in a terrific runner-up finish ahead of McIntosh finalizing the podium placements with one-time leader Snyder placing in fourth as Kris Carroll rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Feature (67 Laps): 1. R7-Kyle Spence[2]; 2. 81-Frank Flud[5]; 3. 21X-Cannon McIntosh[7]; 4. 21S-Steven Snyder Jr[1]; 5. 36K-Kris Carroll[6]; 6. 21K-Thomas Kunsman Jr[9]; 7. 96-Jayson Campbell[16]; 8. 87-Gunnar Setser[14]; 9. 15-TJ Smith[4]; 10. 71-Daison Pursley[3]; 11. 5X-Daniel Robinson[22]; 12. 14R-Jake Nail[10]; 13. 28-Chelby Hinton[17]; 14. 26K-Kale Drake[8]; 15. 73-Braden Chiaramonte[21]; 16. 24S-Colby Sokol[18]; 17. 4-Jett Yantis[24]; 18. 19J-Samuel Johnson[12]; 19. 24-KJ Snow[20]; 20. 26M-Gavin Miller[19]; 21. 68-Landon Ellis[23]; 22. 14C-Chris Cochran[15]; 23. 47BC-Emerson Axsom[11]; 24. 11C-Darren Brown[13].’