MORRIS, Ill. — Five dollar admission night at the Grundy County Speedway Friday saw Kevin Murphy, Billy Hulbert, Ryan Dawson, Jerry Legner and Jakob Coppers come home feature winners in their respective racing divisions.
Murphy, a two-time champion at the third-mile paved raceway, was the winner of the 25-lap Mid Am sportsman feature race. Feeling the pressure from fastest qualifier Jeremiah Senko for many of the closing laps, Murphy held at 0.222-second lead over Senko at starter Greg Kuntz’s checkered flag. Cameron Preisler finished third, followed by Matt Clemens and James Dean.
Hulbert grabbed top honors in the 20-lap Roy Sandusky Memorial for the Midwest Mayhem Midgets. Hulbert held a comfortable margin at the finish ahead of Mike Slabenak, Nick Grommes, Jim Hines and Basil Hicks. Fast timer and new track record holder Jimmy Anderson, feature winner two weeks ago, tangled with another car in the early laps and was forced to the pits.
Second generation driver Ryan Dawson scored the victory in the 25-lap street stock headliner with Dawson posting his first career feature win. Dawson, whose dad Rick competed at the speedway for many years, bested Jonathan Stevens, Chad Bayuk, Kristi Odom and Randy Weese.
Jerry Legner won the 15-lap main event for the new “Crown Vic” division. David Einhaus, Chad Bayuk, Kellen Arnold and early race leader Elijah Atkinson chased Legner to the finish.
Fourteen-year-old Jakob Koppers buckled into a four-cylinder Pure Stock for the first time and captured the division’s 20-lap main event. Young Koppers, following his dad Kris’ footsteps in racing, finished ahead of Gavin Legner and Landon Hocking after leading the entire 20 laps.