The Kokomo Post Sports - Game of the Week: Kokomo Speedway (Photo Gallery)
Race fans packed the stands at Kokomo Speedway on Thursday night to kick off their Fourth of July festivities at the Vince Osman Sprintacular. The highly anticipated event featured three racing classes—Non-Wing 410 Sprint Cars, Modifieds and Thunder Cars—and concluded with a fireworks show under the summer sky.
The evening began with hot laps, which served as qualifying rounds to determine the lineups for each heat race. With the sun blazing and temperatures soaring, fans wiped away sweat as they settled in for a full night of dirt track action.
The heat races brought early intensity. Several cars encountered mechanical issues or spun out, triggering multiple caution flags. A tense moment came when a sprint car flipped exiting Turn 1, prompting a swift response from the safety crew. The driver was unharmed, drawing a loud round of applause from the relieved crowd.
Once the track crew reworked the surface, the first of three feature races got underway. The Modifieds opened the show with a 20-lap contest featuring 16 drivers. Despite several yellow flags caused by debris on the track, Derek Losh of Rensselaer, Indiana, piloted the No. 21L car to a wire-to-wire victory. The win marked Losh’s 200th career feature win, earning a standing ovation from the crowd.
The second feature—the Non-Wing 410 Sprint Car main event—had fans on their feet before the green flag even dropped. As 20 cars rolled onto the track, spectators stood and lit up the grandstands with cell phone flashlights in a spirited pre-race tradition. Robert Ballou of Rocklin, California, started on the pole in the No. 12 car and quickly pulled away from the field. Ballou lapped multiple competitors and powered through several cautions to claim a dominant 25-lap victory.
The final feature of the night—the Dave Crow Thunder Car Special—was by far the most unpredictable race of the evening. Eighteen cars started the 20-lap race, with six drivers listed as did-not-start (DNS). Several competitors pulled off early with car trouble, and a major scare unfolded when Trevor Bettling’s car flipped in Turn 1. Medical staff responded quickly, and Bettling was unharmed, providing relief for the crowd.
Sheldon Oberly of Battleground, Indiana, driving the No. 105 car, came out on top in a hard-fought Thunder Car feature, securing the final checkered flag of the night.
Shortly after, the skies above Kokomo Speedway lit up with a vibrant fireworks display, bringing a festive close to another thrilling edition of the Vince Osman Sprintacular.
