Sandusky Speedway Hangover Race Posted on 1/2/2015 at 01:21:44 AM by Jarrett
Sandusky (OH)-When Ron Miller read that the Hangover Race namesake, Bill Hart, had won seventeen times at the historic event, Miller felt he yet had something to prove to the racing world. The then nine time winner felt a lot of nerves to grab a tenth victory at the famous half-mile speedplant in Sandusky, Ohio. However, when it came down to four laps to go, and he was still a full straightaway behind his own son, Steve, he knew he might have let his nerves get the best of him. On that same lap, coming down the backstretch, he saw smoke pour out of his son's #95 Ron Miller Race Cars machine and knew that he had the race in the bag. Four grueling laps competing with cars multiple laps down would follow, and even with a flat right front tire, Miller took the checkered flag in the familiar number one position over Steve Morris' #50 Morris Concrete sponsored car by almost a full lap.
In the beginning of the headliner Champagne Stock feature, Steve Miller and Jeff Warnick set the pace with the elder Miller starting third. As the race started, Ron Miller passed his son and Warnick with a thrilling three wide pass heading off into treacherous turn 1, as he bounced in the infield grass. However, the younger Steve would not be denied his first Hangover Race victory and soared past his father on lap four for the race lead. The Millers would continue on lapping cars until the whole field was at least one lap down besides the father and son team. During the fateful lap sixteen engine failure, the elder Ron would puncture his right front tire, presumably on debris from his own son's car. It did not seem to matter however as the Hangover Race veteran managed to conserve his lead and bring home another coveted Hangover Race win. Both Millers also won their heat races.
The Moonshine stock car feature also saw its fair share of excitement during the 20 lap affair. The #2 Owens Fence Inc. car of Justin Rodriguez started alongside the #37 of Eric Devanna for the initial start. However, Rodriguez's failure to maintain appropriate speed on the start of the race caused a huge bottleneck of cars scrambling for position, putting the #2 car out of contention prior to the race's first completed lap. The #2 was out of the race at this point. The restart order would be Devanna alongside the #22 Morris Concrete car of Steve Morris, followed by the #50 Tony's Tires car of Rich Abel, the #36M of Cory McCaughey, and the #3 of Andy Earnhart.
As the race restarted, the trucks of McCaughey and Devanna lurched to the first and second position. The cars would beat and bang for the following half dozen laps, until the #37 of Eric Devanna retired from the race with a flat tire. As the race settled down, fans would realize that the #36M of McCaughey had a flat right rear tire. As the race wore on, the tire would disintergrate on the racing surface, but McCaughey kept chugging to win the race over Steve Morris, again with Morris almost a lap down.
The entry level FWD Whiskey Stock class also had a feature full of excitement. The #7 of Dave Gaum started alongside the #04 of Mike McDonald for the inital green flag. As the race began, Gaum would move out to an early lead over the #3 JD Byrider Towing car of Joe Oliver. However by lap five, Gaum was beginning to lose ground, eventually losing the race lead to Oliver on lap eight. The outside polesitter Mike McDonald would spin his machine in turn three on lap twelve to bring out the sole caution flag of this feature event. The race would restart with Oliver leading Gaum, James Priebe in the #01, Ryan Smith in the #34, and the #42o of Trae Schonauer. On the race restart, Oliver would continue his streak to the last lap and lead the remaining laps to take home his own trophy in the "Wild Bill" Hart Hangover Race over Gaum, with Priebe narrowly beating Ryan Smith for third in a riveting last lap attempt by Smith to advance position.
Box Score "Wild Bill" Hart Hangover Race January 1st, 2015