Chad Blonde takes Friday the13th SOD King Engine Bearings KoM win at Hartford
ERIE, MI (July 14, 2018) –The King Engine Bearings King of Michigan Race #2 at Hartford Speedway on Friday the 13th was just what Litchfield, Michigan’s Chad Blonde needed. After being the bride’s maid several times this season, Blonde drove his Krieger Racing Engines powered Maxim to victory to the delight of the large, enthusiastic crowd that braved sweltering temperatures to see a great night of racing.
Steve Irwin, Fenton, Michigan, won the Engler Machine & Tool heat over Jay Steinebach, Hudsonville, Michigan, and Dustin Shriver, South Bend, Indiana. Andy Teunessen, Kalamazoo, Michigan, looked strong, winning the COMP Cams heat over Shawn Valenti, Fostoria, Ohio, and open-wheel standout Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, California. The RockAuto.com heat was worth the price of admission as Gregg Dalman (360 ci engine), Bellevue, Michigan, and Chad Blonde (410 ci engine), Litchfield, Michigan, put on a spectacular show swapping the lead numerous times with Dalman finally claiming the win over Blonde and 2016 SOD champion Brian Smith, Fremont, Ohio.
Pole starter Jay Steinebach led lap one before Blonde took the lead on lap two from his outside front row starting position. Blonde was in command, opening up a big lead as Steve Irwin, moved into second on lap six. Gregg Dalman, running a strong third, brought out the caution on lap twelve trying to avoid contact with a lapped car, ending his race. The caution gave Irwin a chance to challenge Blonde, and he momentarily inched ahead between turns one and two a lap later. Blonde was too strong though and motored away to a decisive win.
Sprints On Dirt returns to Hartford Speedway, July 27, August 10 for KoM race #4 presented by Merritt Speedway and Ti22 Performance. The King Engine Bearings King of Michigan finale takes place on August 31.
Qualifying – Lane Automotive/MSD Ignition Fast Masters (fast qualifiers) $50 each
| Group | Time | # | Driver |
| Engler Machine & Tool Heat | 14.783 | 0 | Steve Irwin |
| COMP Cams Heat | 15.535 | 00 | Thomas Meseraull |
| RockAuto.com Heat | 15.749 | 5B | Chad Blonde |
Heat Races
| Engler Machine & Tool Heat #1 | |||
| # | Driver | Contingency | |
| 1 | 0 | Steve Irwin | |
| 2 | 10s | Jay Steinebach | |
| 3 | 3 | Dustin Shriver | Benic Enterprises |
| 4 | 58 | Tony Bures | Racing Optics |
| 5 | 24 | Eric Smith | |
| 6 | 52 | Zac Broughman | |
| 7 | 18 | Michael Summers | |
| COMP Cams Heat #2 | |||
| # | Driver | Contingency | |
| 1 | 5 | Andy Teunessen | |
| 2 | 7 | Shawn Valenti | |
| 3 | 00 | Thomas Meseraull | Benic Enterprises |
| 4 | 11 | Trey Smith | Racing Optics |
| 5 | 4 | Tyler Fitzpatrick | |
| 6 | 8 | Justin Ward | |
| 7 | 1a | Mark Aldrich | |
| RockAuto.com Heat #3 | |||
| # | Driver | Contingency | |
| 1 | 49T | Gregg Dalman | |
| 2 | 5B | Chad Blonde | |
| 3 | 2+ | Brian Smith | |
| 4 | 5QB | Quentin Blonde | Racing Optics |
| 5 | 0 | Ricky Ferkel | |
| 6 | 24+ | Mike Schumacher | |
| 7 | 8W | Josh Ward | |
| 8 | 27W | Ty Williams | |
Feature
| # | Driver | Awards | Contingencies | |
| 1 | 5B | Chad Blonde | Rod End Supply | |
| 2 | 0 | Steve Irwin | Jim Coffey & Son | Rod End Supply |
| 3 | 7 | Shawn Valenti | Rod End Supply | |
| 4 | 00 | Thomas Meseraull | Schoenfeld Headers | |
| 5 | 10s | Jay Steinebach | ATL Racing Fuel Cells | |
| 6 | 2+ | Brian Smith | ||
| 7 | 5 | Andy Teunessen | ||
| 8 | 0 | Ricky Ferkel | ||
| 9 | 3 | Dustin Shriver | King Racing Products | |
| 10 | 11 | Trey Smith | ||
| 11 | 5QB | Quentin Blonde | Keizer Aluminum Wheels | |
| 12 | 4 | Tyler Fitzpatrick | ||
| 13 | 58 | Tony Bures | ||
| 14 | 18 | Michael Summers | ||
| 15 | 24 | Eric Smith | ||
| 16 | 24+ | Mike Schumacher | ||
| 17 | 27W | Ty Williams | ||
| 18 | 52 | Zac Broughman | ||
| 19 | 49T | Gregg Dalman | ||
| 20 | 8W | Josh Ward | ||
| 21 | 8 | Justin Ward | ||
| 22 | 1a | Mark Aldrich |
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger – Thomas Meseraull (+4)
BR Motorsports Contingency (feature top 10 draw) – Thomas Meseraull
DMI (Diversified Machine) Contingency (feature 12-16 draw) – Tyler Fitzpatrick
ARP Corporation Lucky Dog – Justin Ward
Allstar Performance Better Luck Next Time – Mark Aldrich
For more information about King Engine Bearings, go to www.kingbearings.com. Check out Hartford Speedway at www.hartfordspeedway.net. To learn more about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com. For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com. Follow SOD at www.sprintsondirt.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt.
