Posted by Kankakee Speedway on 7/4/2005, 12:39 pm
Board Administrator

A sledge hammer. A competitor coming to your aid. Ice bags. A wife, waiting for her husband, with two aspirin in her hand. The behind-the-scenes stories were a dramatic part of Friday night's show at the Kankakee Valley Motor Speedway. Fans were treated to a major fireworks show, but hundreds of less colorful, real-life incidents sparked this weekly event. Veteran driver John Provanzano was at the center of one of those, the one that required the sledge hammer, ice bags and aspirin. "I should have never hit that car." Those were the first words out of Provanzano's mouth as he returned to the pits after a wreck that knocked him out of his heat race. "I saw the car sitting there (spun out in the middle of turns three and four) and I hit the brakes, but I just slide right up into him." As Provanzano spoke his daughter was examining his already-swollen right wrist. His arm as in a sling provided by the track's paramedics. His wife's brow was furrowed as she gave him the aspirin. "What's this?" he asked, knowing that she fully expected him to try to drive again that night. "Aspirin," she said. "It's going to hurt in the morning if you drive or not. I know you're going back out there. Maybe it won't hurt as much if you take these." Meanwhile, the pit crew had a sledge hammer at work trying to disassemble the damaged left side of the number 7 car. A flat tire was replaced and crew members Steve Hann and Mike Vause were working like a medical triage team, assessing the wounds and prescribing the treatment. Nearby and ready to help was the most unlikely of supporters: Frank Heckenast Sr., the Orland Park driver and father of the teenager battling Provanzano for the points lead. "He belongs out on that track," he said. "Frankie wouldn't want to gain in the points just because John isn't there." But what about the wrist? "If it's broken, this is the third time," Provanzano said. "I'll go to the doctor and if he puts a cast on it� well, I can stay for maybe a week. Then, I get too crazy and I cut it off." Provanzano was in a side-by-side battle with Milwaukee's Al Atkinson when he lost control and hit the stalled car of John Moore from Lafayette, Ind. Not finishing that race meant he had to go out and run in the top four in the semi-feature in order to make the feature field. Starting near the back of the field, he worked his way up to third with no signs of a sore wrist that was inhibiting his driving. There was, however, a couple jarring encounters with the car of Brian Clendenon of Oakwood. His family had to wince as they watched, but Provanzano dropped out of harm's way and settled for fourth and the final starting spot in the feature. The very last spot. An 11-car pile-up blemished the start of the race, but from the back of the pack, Provanzano easily avoided that wreckage. Most of the participants were able to drive away, though, so the number 7 was still 19 cars away from the lead. Provanzano seemed a little cautious as the green flag came out. He didn't press, but by lap 12, he was all the way up to seventh. He was using the ultra low side with great success in turns three and four, but his crew had the car working on every part of the track. With 11 laps to go he was sixth. With eight remaining, he was up to fourth. He said later that he had no time to think about his wrist. He powered his way past a fresh new Bob Pohlman car after some side-by-side racing on laps 23 and 24. Then, with three laps remaining, he passed Heckenast. Way out front, Ted Loomis had set up his car perfectly and he wove through the lapped traffic like a police car with its siren and lights on. Provanzano wasn't going to win this race. But second place -- for a guy who threw away the ice bag he had been cradling on his wrist � this was worth the pain for a veteran who still loves this game. end end end Summaries from 7-1� Late Model Division Fast Time: Russ Sheffler � 14.914 seconds First Heat: 1. Frank Heckenast Jr.; 2. Kerry Matthew; 3. Sheffler Second Heat: 1. Ted Loomis; 2. Chuck Steele; 3. Garrett Slager Third Heat: 1. Jason Beier; 2. Eric Kwasgro; 3. Bob Pohlman Fourth Heat: 1. Al Atkinson; 2. Skip Martin; 3. Larry LeGrand Semi-Feature: 1. Dick Potts; 2. Derek Chandler; 3. Brian Clendenon; 4. John Provanzano Feature: 1. Loomis; 2. Provanzano; 3. Heckenast; 4. Pohlman; 5. Beier Open-Wheel Modifieds Fast Time: Dan Hamstra � 16.696 First Heat: 1. Bob Pohlman; 2. Vince Cooper; 3. Kevin Hastings Second Heat: 1. Jason Hastings; 2. Dave Porth; 3. Phil Line Third Heat: 1. Travis Kohler; 2. Hamstra; 3. Joel Funk Semi-Feature: 1. Jim Farris; 2. AJ Dixon; 3. Kelly Hannan Feature: 1. Kohler; 2. Hamstra; 3. K. Hastings; 4. Porth; 5. J. Hastings Street Stock Division Fast Time: Joe Hillman � 18.108 First Heat: 1. Steve Dimmick; 2. Darren Kohler; 3. Hillman Second Heat: 1. Don Lutes; 2. Don McCarty; 3. Kevin Lenzen Third Heat: 1. Brett Peters; 2. Damon Miller; 3. Billy Wicker Semi-Feature: 1. Terry Vaugh; 2. Jeremy Christer; 3. John Hennessy Feature: 1. Lutes; 2. Peters; 3. Miller; 4. Jay Hamilton; 5. McCarty