It was NGK Spark Plugs night for the Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Michigan Legends Series presented by Z-Max Lubricants this past Saturday night at the Crystal Motor Speedway in Crystal Michigan and Chance Rice showed why he has been so successful in Legends Cars after a hard fought side by side battle with Tony Monge to take the win on this special night.

Heat races were the first order of the night with Rice taking heat race number one over local favorite and Crystal Speedway veteran Marty Sowles who came from deep in the pack to take the second spot over third place finisher and top running rookie Loren Short.

Heat race number two saw a fantastic duel for the win between Tony Monge and New Jersey driver Paul McCollum. The duo of Monge and McCollum ran side by side the entire race with Monge up high and McCollum on the low side. McCollum would get an edge in the turns but with Monge holding the high wide and handsome line, Monge was able to gain the advantage on the straightaway and just edge out McCollum for the win. Todd McCollum was right there as well just licking his chops for the win should the lead duo slip up but alas, the fellow New Jersey driver would have to settle for third.

Former series champion, Levi Rouster led the field down for the green in 30 lap feature and was able to hold the top spot for a few laps before Paul McCollum got by for the lead. Meanwhile Tony Monge and Marty Sowles were duking it out to see who could nail down the third spot. Before long there would be a four car scrum for the second spot between Rouster, Monge, Sowles, and Chance Rice.  As the race neared the crossed flags point, Monge and Rice would break away from the top five with Monge grabbing the lead with Rice in tow in the second spot. The duo of Monge and Rice would battle side by side and nose to tail with Rice sticking a nose out front only to have Monge get his nose past the next turn.  The lead battle put some distance between them and the rest of the field and with five laps to go Monge’s car twitched just the tiniest of bits and Rice seized the opportunity to get around for the lead and held on for the win with Monge right on his bumper in second. Marty Sowles held on for third while Paul McCollum and Levi Rouster rounded out the top five. Loren Short, Todd McCollum, Gary Joppich, Adam VanCleave, and Guy Fire finished in the sixth through tenth positions.

All in all it was a great night of racing at the 3/8 Mile high banked clay oval at Crystal and was the first of two visits in 2010 for the series with the National Qualifier right back at Crystal on August 21, 2010.

Next up for the Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Michigan Legends Series presented by Z-Max lubricants will be a holiday weekend double-header with the series returning to the Historic, Dixie Motor Speedway in Birch Run, Michigan on Friday night May 28, 2010 and then traveling to the ultra fast high banks of the Kalamazoo Motor Speedway on Saturday night May 29, 2010.

So come on out to the Dixie and Kalamazoo speed plants this coming Memorial Day weekend and enjoy Legend Car Racing, Michigan Legends style. For further information or to check on the point standings and schedule, sign on to the official website of the Michigan Legends Series www.michiganlegends.com and “We’ll See You at the Races”.