KUTZTOWN, PA ~ Ryan Smith earned Wednesday night’s 600cc Micro-Sprint feature victory at The Fairgrounds at Kutztown Speedway – twice.
 
Smith, of Kunkletown, Pa., worked by leader Mike Freed on lap 19, moments before an ill-timed caution put Smith back to second one lap from the finish of the 20-lap headliner.
 
However, the versatile Smith – who frequents the ARDC Midget and USAC Silver Crown touring events – was not to be deterred.
 
Initially surpassing Freed first on the inside, Smith took his JHM Tree Service No. 2 to the outside on the restart and led the final circuit for his first win of ’08 in the 600cc ranks at Kutztown.
 
He is already a 270cc Micro-Sprint victor at the one-fifth-mile clay oval this season.
 
Smith started the event from 10th position.
 
Freed, who started from the pole, settled for second after leading laps 1-18. Jarrett Seng, a mid-season Kutztown addition, drove from ninth to place third, ahead of points leader Tom Kohler (up from 12th) and Shane Lewis.
 
600cc heat winners were Jason Van Doren, Brett Michalski and Seng.
 
Chad Owens of Coopersburg, Pa., scored a green-to-checkered victory in the 20-lap 270cc Micro-Sprint main. Starting from the pole, Owens’s only serious challenge came in the form of Ryan Smith, looking for two victories on the night. Smith burst into second on a lap-six restart and closed on Owens before dropping off the pace on lap 12.
 
A caution with two laps remaining allowed Trevor Kobylarz to momentarily pull even with the leader in turn two, but Owens thwarted the challenge for his first victory of 2008.
 
Kobylarz, Mike Esposito, Darin Bartholomew and Cameron Merriman filled out the front five.
 
Heat winners for the 270cc Micro-Sprints were Bartholomew, Jim Skias, Merriman and Terry Schaffer. Tom Kunsman and Ross Perchak were consolation victors.
 
Defending track champion Shannon Smith drove from third to first on the opening lap and dominated the remainder of the 20-lap Slingshot feature, joining her older brother, Ryan, as a winner during the evening. Simon Egan, seventh-starter Jim Housworth, Brett Bieber and Pete Knappenberger trailed.
 
Housworth and Rob Marino were Slingshot heat winners.
 
Jacob Hendershot made a lap-15 pass of Alex Hoffmaster to win the 20-lap Junior Slingshot event.
 
Racing continues at Kutztown on Wed., July 23 with Checkered Flag Fan Club Night, featuring the 600cc Micro-Sprints, 270cc Micro-Sprints, Slingshots and Young Gun 390 Sprints. Gates open at 4 p.m., with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.
 
For more information, contact Kerry Meitzler by phone at: (610)-683-8234 or via e-mail at: racektown@aol.com. On the web://www.kutztownfairspeedway.com.
 
FAIRGROUNDS FODDER: Racing action returned to Kutztown after a three-week layoff; two weeks were scheduled to be silent for the Kutztown PA Folk Festival, while the July 9 program fell to rain….
 
Thirty-three 270cc Micro-Sprints, 26 600cc Micro-Sprints, 22 Slingshots and eight Junior Slingshots were pitside….
 
270cc standout Ross Perchak rode out a flip during his qualifying heat race, completed repairs in time for the second consolation – which he won – and drove from 21st to finish eighth in the feature….
 
Jason Van Doren, a track champion at Kutztown last year, ran second for 18 laps of the 600cc main before getting spun in a tussle with Brent Marks and Ryan Smith entering turn three. Van Doren showed his anger toward Marks during the ensuing caution period before he was directed pitside….
 
Dennis Reider of Pottstown, Pa., took some laps in his unique, two-seater, street-legal Sprint Car during the intermission period….
 
FAIRGROUNDS AT KUTZTOWN RACE SUMMARY
 
600cc Micro-Sprint Feature Finish: RYAN SMITH, Mike Freed, Jarrett Seng, Tom Kohler, Shane Lewis, Brett Michalski, Joe Kay, Doug Snyder, Brett Smith, Brian Carber, Ken Miller, Brent Marks, Tim Buckwalter, Charles Cooley, Dave Dimaio, Jason Van Doren, Ryan Frable, Alex Bright, Amanda Quinones, Tyler DeVault, John Wilbert IV, Brock Bilger, D.J. Wykes, Ryan Stillwaggon.
Did Not Start: Zach Shuman.
 
270cc Micro-Sprint Feature Finish: CHAD OWENS, Trevor Kobylarz, Mike Esposito, Darin Bartholomew, Cameron Merriman, Jesse Hartman, Marty Gorr, Ross Perchak, Billy Murphy, Eddie Wagner, Jim Skias, Josh Pepe, Tom Kunsman Jr., Tom Tanner, Jonathan Pepe, Matt McAnally, Jay Horvath, John Hagen, Michael Weinert, Terry Schaffer, J.T. Brotosky, Charles Stone Jr., Ryan Smith, Scott Washburn.
Did Not Start: Ed Kenderdine, Kevin Snyder, Justin Stillwaggon, Blaine Schlosser, Paul Graham, Mark Janisch, Aaron Rinehimer, Jeremy Raifsnider, Joe Yakarino.
 
Slingshot Feature Finish: SHANNON SMITH, Simon Egan, Jim Housworth, Brett Bieber, Pete Knappenberger, Nate Christman, Jordan Henn, Tyler Miller, Steve Hicks, Tiffany Wambold, Brad Arnold, Chad Winowich, Michael Glass, Rob Marino, Matt Miller, Damian Bower, Travis Bieber, Kurt Bettler, Marc Daniels, Earlene Bosga, Mike Sabo.
Did Not Start: Bill Weaver.
 
Junior Slingshot Feature Finish: JACOB HENDERSHOT, Alex Hoffmaster, Michael Horton, Brett Hoffmaster, Cait Chambers, Ryan Snyder, Aaron Gerhart, Molly Chambers.