During the upcoming off-season, I will look back at the 2009 season at the Kokomo Speedway with a myriad of emotions.

First, who would have predicted at the beginning of the season that Dave Darland, Shane Cottle and Jon Stanbrough would be winless in feature competition with just three Omni-Source Corporation sprint car events remaining?

As well, I would imagine that nobody would have anticipated a young driver in just his third year of wheeling a sprint car would rattle off three straight wins around mid-season in the form of Chad Boat.

As for Cole Whitt and the dominance he’s shown this season, well, maybe not quite to the extent that he has shown, but there was little doubt that once he broke through last season the sky was going to be the limit for the Alpine Valley (Calif.) teenager.

To date, Whitt has now nabbed seven feature wins while Boat has three and Billy Puterbaugh Jr. a pair. Aside from that trio, only Jerry Coons Jr. and Chris Gurley have laid claim to victories.

To say the racing at the track this season has been second to none would be an understatement. Each week fans and officials alike leave shaking their heads talking about how they couldn’t imagine things getting any better, but yet somehow it does.

In both the Rent-A-Center Street Stock Series and well as the Thunder Car Series, there are tight points battles being waged that look like they are going to go down to the final points race on Sept. 6 in the annual running of the Vince Osman Classic.

Both nine-time and defending track champion Glen Gamblin and Ervin Turner have waged a hotly-contested points battle in the Street Stock Series as Gamblin looks on track to claim his 10th title at the local oval following his strong showing on Sunday night and Turner’s misfortune that derailed him on the opening lap of the feature event.

David Hurst leads the series in feature wins with five while Turner has claimed four wins and Gamblin three heading into this weekend’s race. Tony Bowman and Lee Hobbs are the only other drivers to claim the doubled-checkers thus far.

In the Thunder Car Series, Jason Larrison and defending track titlist Allen Davis are locked up in quite a duel although Larrison’s championship hopes took a huge hit Sunday night when he broke his rear axle and flipped his Ace Music/NAPA Auto Parts No. 26 during his heat race.

Heading into Sunday’s show Larrison held a 43-point cushion over Davis. Davis’ top-five showing in the feature coupled with Larrison’s crash could make it very interesting with just two points races left on the cards.

Both drivers have claimed four feature wins so far while Gerald Armfield and Jeremy Van Ness have a pair of wins apiece. The last two events have seen first time winners in the form of Dave Fritz and Travis Wolford, as they are the only other feature winners this campaign.

So, looking back on what has transpired so far, 2009 will be a season I’ll remember for a long time to come. From the breathtaking racing, nail-biting finishes, tight points battles and just riding around the pits with former racer Gary Mock on his Gator, this season has truly been a blessing to have been a part of the Kokomo Speedway and all those involved with the track.

Updates on Wines, Cottle

During their respective feature events Sunday night, both Thurman Wines and Shane Cottle rattled fans when they found themselves in need of the EMT’s at the track.

Wines pulled off the track in the Street Stock feature event when Ervin Turner went to Wines’ car and visibly concerned, summoned track officials that Wines was in need of help.

Speaking with Wines’ car owner, Celeste Mansfield, Monday evening, she noted that he was doing better and was planning on being back in the car this weekend.

Cottle bicycled his sprint car hard before making contact with the turn four wall tail-tank first in the feature. Like Wines, Cottle needed assistance as well.

The former track champion said on Monday that he smacked both his knee and elbow during the contact with the wall in addition to having the wind knocked out of him. Aside from being very sore, Cottle noted he was doing O.K. and expected to be back in action Friday night at Gas City.

Cottle earns second win

Despite Casey Shuman’s repeated charges, Cottle picked up the sprint car feature win Friday night at the Gas City I-69 Speedway.

Starting inside the third row, Cottle worked his way to the point after Shuman and Shane Hollingworth got together in the early going, allowing him to sneak past and take the lead he wouldn’t surrender. Shuman was second while Nic Faas put on the drive of the night, charging from dead last to finish third. Hollingsworth and Blake Fitzpatrick rounded out the top five. Kokomo drivers Jamie Frederickson and Josh Spencer also made the main event, taking 16th and 22nd, respectively.

Bub Patrick claimed the modified feature win over Steve Hughes and Josh Eads. Scott Orr was fourth and Andy Bishop fifth. Walton’s Rick Johns came home 17th.

As has been the case all but once this season in the Thunder Car division, Josh Owens again found himself in Victory Lane. Jeff Bauldauf was second, Ron Flaugh third, Ronnie Havens fourth and Trenten Vogts fifth. The Street Stock feature went to Ervin Turner, topping Scott Hubbard, Tony Bowman, Brett Clark and James Headley. Kokomo’s Caleb Nutter was sixth.

The track will host its weekly program this Friday night. The first race will push off at 7:30.

Quick reminder

The Kokomo Speedway will run Saturday night rather than Sunday this week in the next-to-last points race of the season.

It will be Fan Appreciation Night with half-price general admission. Several of the drivers expected to have their cars on display in the parking lot while fans can get autographs and/or pictures of their favorite drivers.

Entertainment will start at 2 p.m. Pits open at 3:30 p.m. There are plans for a bounce house and several other activities for children prior to the racing action.

• Brett Bowman is a tribune auto racing columnist. He may be reached by e-mail at brettbowman29@aol.com or through the sports department.