Houk masters Lorain

By Ken de la Bastide

AMHERST, OH - The Lorain Raceway Park was expected to produce tight racing and it didn't disappoint as the Kenyon Midget Series made a first trip to the Ohio oval.

For the first time in his career Jeff Hill captured the K&K Marketing Fast Qualifying award on Saturday. Kyle Sheard took the lead at the start of the feature immediately chased by Dameron Taylor and Hill on the first lap. Taylor took the lead on the fourth circuit with an inside pass of Sheard coming off the fourth corner with Hill and Houk rounding out the top four.

After moving into the second spot, Houk looked several times to get inside of Taylor to assume the point. On lap nine Taylor slipped high in the second corner which allowed Houk to take over the top spot. Taylor was able to stay in close contact with Houk the remainder of the race but was never able to challenge for the point.

Hill took over the third spot on lap 14 with a pass of Sheard and point leader Kyle Ford made a similar move a lap later. With just two laps remaining Ford was able to slip inside of Hill to finish third with Cash Wyke coming home in fifth.

It's Houk's fourth win of 2023 and seventh overall placing him in a tie for seventh on the all-time win list.

“We had to fix the car a little bit after qualifying,” Houk said. “With the draw of six, I knew I would have to work hard. Dameron slipped a little going into the corner and I was able to slip inside,” he said. “I tried to race him clean.”

Taylor said he thought the line he was running was good, but Houk was able to make an inside pass. “I was hoping he (Houk) would slip up the track so I could make the inside pass,” he said.

On making the pass to finish third, Ford said Hill slipped up the track just a little in the corner. “I was able to get under him,” Ford said. “The finish allowed me to maximize the points tonight.”

Houk won the first KRJ Race Products heat race by passing Hill with an inside move coming off the first corner. Sheard, Buddy Hollmeyer and Tanner Tecco rounded out the top five.

Ford and Taylor provided a preview of the feature race in the second heat race. Ford took the lead at the start chased by Taylor and Ryan Huggler. Taylor took the lead on the fourth circuit with an inside move entering turn three. Two laps later Ford made the winning move on the back straight with Wyke coming home in third, Robin Shute coming home in fourth and Huggler holding onto fifth.

Shute, a four-time champion of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, was making his first appearance in a Kenyon Midget.