Kyle Casper shook the ghost of five, long winless seasons in the Pro Stocks with a dominant victory, going all forty laps at the front of the very fast field of competitors. He had a very fast racecar and the wind at his back as none could come near but a couple tried.
After outside polesitter Bob Hussey appeared to have mechanical problems that sent him glancing down the backstretch wall and off the barrier at the pit entrance, Kyle was paired with Ryan Lineham for the lap 1 restart. He was able to grab the lead and pull away and Mike Brightman went from outside the second row into second to give chase. It was a frustrating pursuit as Casper’s horses were running like the Kentucky Derby. Mike closed for a few laps but Casper began to pull away, getting an eight-car lead by lap 7. Brightman closed in a bit, with Kevin Casper and Lineham on his tail.
By lap 13, a runaway was in progress as Kyle was four cars up on Mighty Mike, who was eight cars up on his pursuers (Kevin and Dick Houlihan.) Brightman shaved another car out of the lead. Deep in the pack, Dave Darling had started to move after beginning at the back of the pack. He went to the outside as Lineham, who seemed unable to keep the car near the low groove, went to the pits.
At the midpoint of the race, Kyle was 2 cars up on Brightman. They both had a straightaway lead over Kevin and Houlihan, who in turn had another fifteen car lengths on Darling, Bobby Pelland III, Fred Astle, Jr. and Kenny Spencer III.
Three laps later, Darling was closing in on Houlihan and Freddy was working his way by Pelland. Kyle’s lead over Brightman was extending itself and there were big spaces back to Kevin, then Houlihan and the oncoming Darling. The remainder of the pack was a good distance behind and out of contention.
Lap 22 saw Darling overhaul Houlihan and then pass into fourth. He then went outside to get by Kevin and they went wheel-to-wheel for two laps before Darling’s efforts met with success. He now held down third but first and second were nearly a half-lap ahead. Kyle had ten carlengths over Brightman while Darling/Kevin were a straightaway back. Houlihan followed them at the same distance and it was still further to Pelland and Astle who headed the chase pack and still battled each other over position.
Kyle Casper Flashed over the line 1.6 seconds ahead of Brightman, who coincidentally had inked the best lap of the race with a lapspeed of 94.970 mph. Darling was an additional 2 seconds off the pace, showing the broad differences in speeds achieved. Kevin Casper and Houlihan rounded out the top five.
The rest of the top ten went to Pelland in sixth followed by Spencer, Tom Scully, Jr., Ryan Vanasse, Rick Martin and Astle.