CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011) - Todd Kane hasn't visited victory lane at KC Raceway in a very long time. The Powell, Ohio driver endured several crashes and held off a charging Jim Neir to score the Freedom 40 Midwest All Star Series victory Saturday.

"I'd like to thank my guys for working their butts off to get me here, and to my little boy who was here for just his second race...that's breaking him in right," shouted Kane in victory lane.

"Wow, this track was great tonight. Thanks to Jimmy (Nier) and Cole (Duncan) for racing me clean. It's great to be back here in victory lane," added Kane.

The 40-lap feature began with a star-spangled bang. Pole-sitter Danny Smith, who won the MASS race in April at KC Raceway, got the jump on "The Low Rider" Dale Blaney, who has scored two All Star Circuit of Champion victories at the track in 2011, and led the first three laps. Blaney inched forward and blasted by on the fourth circuit and started to pull away. Meanwhile, Todd Kane and Smith, who has four wins at KC and 15 overall in 2011, viciously exchanged slide jobs for second until a fateful lap seven.

Blaney ran into no-man's land when the car of Ed Neumeister spun, collecting Wes McGlumphey, Rob Chaney and Ronnie Blair. Blaney had no place to go, climbed the wall and flipped along with McGlumphey. Also with no place to go, Blair had a hard t-bone type hit into the side of McGlumphy. Luckily no injuries were incurred.

Two laps after the restart Smith, a 2008 KC champion who currently leads the track's points, lost power and went pitside, handing the lead to a high flying Kane. Kane was able to build a huge lead over former track champion Jimmy Nier and Cole Duncan by lap 16 when they reached lapped traffic. The mad scramble for position allowed Nier and Duncan to quickly erase the lost ground.

Nier and Duncan battled furiously for second, which allowed Kane to pull away slightly. By lap 19, Nier broke clear of Duncan and closed the gap on Kane. Lapped cars again impeded Nier's drive to the front, allowing Kane to widen the lead and Duncan to challenge for second at the 25-lap mark.

Kyle Sauder, who hammered the wall during the last lap of his heat, was gaining ground quickly and was one of several drivers to advance seven positions on the racy track. Duncan and Kirk Jeffries also conquered that feat with fine passing efforts, while veteran driver Mark Imler had his best All-Star run, advancing six spots to a solid top 10.

While fans witnessed great racing at the front of the pack, Sauder and Aaron Higgins battled hard for position, then had to hold of a charging Rob Chaney, who had stormed from the back of the pack to a top 10 ahead of Kody Kinser and Wayne McPeek.

The 27th circuit saw Kane hold a straight-away lead, which appeared to be insurmountable. However, Nier and Kane's ISPC J&J/Hampshire Engines mount both reached a clear track and Nier made a gallant bid to make it a close finish of about three car lengths.