Ford sweeps Berlin for first career win

By Ken de la Bastide

MARNE. MI – Kyle Ford was all smiles after climbing out of his Kenyon Midget after winning his first career feature win. Ford knocked on the door last season coming up short at Mt. Lawn and Anderson Speedway. But on Saturday at Berlin Raceway, Ford turned in a stellar performance on the biggest track the series has ever visited.

Ford set fast time during qualifying, led all the laps to score a heat win and topped off the night by dominating the feature race. Starting on the front row, Ford jumped into the lead chased by rookie driver Evan Hammond, Dameron Taylor and Tanner Tecco. Taylor moved into the second spot with an inside pass of Hammond on the third circuit entering turn one.

With Ford opening a comfortable lead, Cash Wyke moved into the third spot on lap six with a pass of Hammond in turn one. Wyke closed on Taylor making the pass for the second spot halfway through the feature in turn one. Jeff Hill passed Taylor on the final lap to claim the third spot with Tanner Tecco coming home in fifth.

“Getting off the fourth corner really helped,” Ford said in victory lane which was his key to running well at Berlin Raceway. “There was a lot of grip coming off the bottom,” he said. “You had to be smooth to be fast.”

Ford said he had a fast car all day.

During qualifying Ford captured the K&K Marketing Fast Qualifier award over Hammond and Wyke.

The Indiana driver won the first KRJ Race Products heat race by 3.3-seconds over Taylor and Tanner Tecco.

There was tight racing in the second KRJ Race Products heat race with Hammond scoring his first career win with the series followed by fellow rookie competitors Wyke and Hill.

Jeff Hill was the Advanced Racing Suspensions Hard Charger, moving up from his 6th starting position to finish 3rd.

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The next race for the Kenyon Midget Series is the 75 lap Don & Mel Kenyon Classis at Anderson Speedway on July 8.