The Monster Energy Drink MOWA 410 Sprint Cars returned to 34 Raceway in Burlington Saturday night and there was no stopping Terry McCarl as he cruised to a victory worth $4,000.
Twenty-nine sprinters took to the 3/8-mil oval for qualifying and it was McCarl who established a new track record for the facility that has hosted the World of Outlaws the past couple of years. Heat race action saw the top six in each of the three events inverted with four cars advancing to the A-Main and each heat race had a great battle for that fourth and final transfer position.
In the first heat McCarl moved quickly to the fourth position at the drop of the green, but on lap four who pushed up the track in turn two allowing Jeremy Standridge to slip by. McCarl recovered though and was able to get back around Standridge with two laps remaining to transfer. Heat number two was a wild one as late in the event the third place car of Jim Moughan started to sputter and slow down the backstretch. Lynton Jeffrey and Danny Smith both dove to the low line entering turn three to get under Moughan and they made heavy contact, but both drivers regained control and continued down the frontstretch. Smith, with apparent damage from that contact spun in turn two and was clipped by Dustin Selvage who thing went for a hard tumble. Selvage would climb from his wrecked car uninjured, but he would be done for the night while Smith would have to come back and transfer out of a B-Main. In the third heat it was Joey Moughan who had to make a hair-raising drive to the outside of Korey Weyant on the final lap off turn two and right up next to the concrete barriers to take the last transfer position.
After finishing one-two in the Dash, Jordan Goldesberry and Terry McCarl started on the front row of the 25-lap main event with McCarl taking off and running away after the drop of the green. It wasn't long before the leader reached lapped traffic and this allowed Goldesberry to stay within a straightaway while the show to watch was Danny Smith. One of the winningest 410 drivers in the country this year, the veteran started twelfth and was picking off cars every other lap. By lap eighteen he was up to third and still had a long way to go to catch the leaders, but his opportunity came on lap twenty-one when the caution waved for Austin Johnson. The rookie 410 driver out of Minnesota had been impressive all night running just outside of the top five before his right rear tire went flat.
On the restart McCarl again put distance on the field as Smith made a run at Goldesberry, but Jordan held him off and the top three positions stayed the same to the checkers with T-Mac taking the win over the youngster from Springield, Illinois, Goldesberry and the veteran from Ohio, Danny Smith. MOWA point leader Jerrod Hull took the fourth spot while Lynton Jeffrey completed the top five. The Season Championship for the Monster Energy™ Sprint Car Series will be Friday, September 30 at the Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois.
Stock Cars and Four Cylinders provided support action on the night and while both features were won by a driver leading every lap, the racing behind him was two and three wide through most of the distance. Blaine Dopler was never challenged on his way to the Stock Car win and it was Brett Timmerman who took the runner-up honors by a bumper over Ryan Cook. Matt Greiner was a close fourth and John Oliver Jr. edged out Chris Webb for fifth. Nick Wilkerson went the distance in the Four Cylinder finale with Adam Gates passing Wayne Noble on the final lap to take second. Chuck Fullenkamp and Michael Grossman completed the top five.
This event closed out the 2011 season at 34 Raceway and this fine facility remains up for sale as it has been since last Fall. With the fate of several other tracks in this area uncertain at this point, it would be a shame to see this one drop from the weekly ranks as well. Hopefully that won't happen!
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