NEWBERRYTOWN, Pa. – Kenny Edkin had some speed last season, but he didn’t finish off the campaign the way he wanted.
Sure, Edkin managed two wins at BAPS Motor Speedway, which isn’t bad considering he competed against Scott Dellinger every night. But, the last time he visited Victory Lane was in the beginning of July.
That was unacceptable, so Edkin and his crew went to work in the offseason to close the gap and bag more wins.
It took all of one week. Edkin started fifth on the grid and charged to the front to capture a chilly 25-lap Super Sportsman main event on opening night at BAPS Motor Speedway.
“Starting the season off with a win is awesome, and it reassures all the hard work and effort put in over the offseason,” Edkin said. “I’m still elated when thinking about the win and growing up at [Silver] Springs and being there for the openers.
“It was a prestige thing to get a win in the opener. I’m excited to put my name in our record books.”
The main event had the makings of a good one considering the lineup. Garrett Williams and Russ Mitten occupied the front row, with Justin Foster and Dellinger holding down spots in row two.
Before the race could shape up, Chase Gutshall, who started 10th, stopped on the track. It forced a complete restart.
Mitten got the jump on Williamson on the second attempt and led the first circuit. Edkin flexed early, getting past Dellinger, which played huge in the final outcome.
Cautions dominated the first half of the race, with action being slowed six times in the first 10 laps. That was the only thing that stopped Edkin’s assault.
Edkin surged to the front on lap 14, getting around Mitten and setting sail toward the victory. Mitten was in line for a second-place run, but he stopped on the track on a lap 22 restart ending his night.
The red flag was thrown for a fuel stop, but it didn’t change the outcome. Edkin negotiated the tricky surface and collected the win over Dellinger, Frankie Herr, Gutshall, who came back to get fourth, and Bruce Buckwalter Jr.
“I wouldn’t say it was tricky, I would say technical,” Edkin said. “The surface was awesome. There was a bottom, a middle, and a rough patch, not really a curb where my car seemed to excel.
“I could run all three grooves. As far as the restarts, when I was in clean air, I approached them like time-trial laps and just tried to run my fastest laps.”
Herr and Edkin were heat winners for the 19-car feel. Matt Ondek was the Vahlco Wheels Hard Charger, blasting from 19th to sevent.
Jeremy Ott got past Mason Chaney on lap 17 and held on the rest of the way for the victory in the 20-lap Legends feature.
There were five lead changes and only two cautions. Scott Houdeshell and Chaney put on a show early, swapping the lead three times. Chaney took command on Lap 7 and remained at the front until lap 16.
Ott, who started fifth, got to the front and took the point. Chaney was forced to settle for second, with Houdeshell, Bill Diehl, and Jorjie Sweger completed the top five.