Friday, September 28, 2012

Moyer Cruises At Knoxville


We have seen it before,  we will likely see it again, and perhaps very soon as Billy Moyer powered past Shannon Babb on lap eight and then drove away to a convincing victory in Thursday night’s opener to the Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals. Moyer loves coming back to his original hometown of Des Moines and he obviously loves racing at the Knoxville Raceway. Pair that with the fact that he is having a very strong season and the result just could be a valuable weekend sweep at the legendary oval.

“The California Kid” Tyler Reddick would drive around Denny Eckrich coming off of turn four to lead lap one and the sixteen-year-old would pace the field until Shannon Babb threw a slider at him in turns three and four on lap number six. Moyer had started next to Babb in the second row and he obviously went to school on Babb’s move as “Mr. Smooth” executed a similar slider two laps later to take the lead. The only caution of the event waved a lap later when Austin Hubbard coasted to a stop in turn four and on the restart Babb did his best to keep pace with Moyer.

It did not take long though for Moyer to pull away and by the time that the checkers waved on this 25-lapper the winner had more than a straightaway advantage. Babb would fight off a mid-race challenge from Steve Francis to finish second and Brian Birkhofer chased Francis in for fourth. Jimmy Mars would follow his business partner in for fifth after starting in the ninth position.

Notebook….. 80 Late Models signed in for the first of three nights of racing and it was a diverse field as evidenced by the geographic range of hometowns and by the range of the size of the haulers……Scott Bloomquist was the fifth car out for qualifying and set a quick time that was a full two-tenths of a second faster than anyone else…… North Central Illinois driver Rich Bell surprised many by ranking number two on the qualifying list.  Bell raced his way forward in the heat race and had an opportunity to get into a top four transfer position late, but could not quite get it done and he also did not make the transfer out of the B-Main…..Jason Rauen had the 25th fastest time, but it was disallowed when he did not go to the scales right after his qualifying effort......The first heat race was stacked with Lucas Oil series champions Jimmy Owens and Scott Bloomquist, plus this year’s winningest tour driver Don O’Neal as well as Brian Birkhofer. And if not for a late race caution Matt Furman would have taken the win, but instead it was “Birky Time” as he came from eighth with Furman second, Bloomquist third and Terry Casey fourth……Owens and O’Neal would not make the show tonight as neither were factors in the B-Main. Look for a bounce back from both on Friday…..John Blankenship looked to have the second heat race in complete control, but when he spent a full lap and a half trying to find his way around Alonzo Grosse that allowed Jesse Stovall to power by and take the win in Al Humphrey’s car #6…..Jimmy Mars tracked Bub McCool over the final six laps of heat race number three before driving around him on the outside coming off turn four to the checkers. The margin of victory for Mars was 0.009 seconds……Texas driver Morgan Bagley qualified in the third spot in his Knoxville debut…..Moyer served notice that he was the man to beat by winning the fourth heat. Chad Simpson charged up to third only to break a rod thus ending his night. Ray Guss Jr., making his first-ever Lucas Oil Late Model Series start, qualified in the third position and Kent Robinson edged out Rob Moss by 0.006 seconds for the fourth and final transfer. All of us in the booth thought that Moss had beat Robinson to the line, but the transponders don’t lie…..I guess…..Tyler Reddick came from the fourth row to win the fifth and final heat race with Mike Fryer surviving a late charge from Mark Burgtorf to finish fourth by just 0.003 seconds…….Earl Pearson Jr. who dropped out of his heat race while running in a transfer position came back to win the D-Main with Will Vaught and Tim McCreadie close behind. Those two started 15th and 16th respectively. Pearson then scratched out of the C……The C-Main was the most entertaining of the night with drivers racing two, three and even four wide for the majority of the 15-lap distance. Frankie Heckenast’s pass of Lance Matthees for the lead off turn four took my breath away as he couldn’t have had more than a couple of inches of clearance on either side with Matthees to the left and the big guardrail to the right. Jared Landers and Bobby Pierce were second and third while McCreadie kept his alphabet run going coming from the back to finish fourth. To do that though he had to edge out Vaught who put it on the trailer for the night after finishing fifth…..Other than McCreadie racing up to ninth and Heckenast to tenth the B-Main was rather uneventful as Brady Smith, Jason Feger, Chris Simpson and Terry Phillips became the final four qualifiers for the A-Main.

Hot laps started right on time at 6:45 and the checkers waved over Moyer a few minutes before 11 p.m. capping a perfect racing evening. I had the pleasure of joining Bob Wilson in the booth as he kept the internet followers up-to-date and it was a treat to listen to Lucas Oil Late Model Series Race Director Ritchie Lewis communicate to the drivers on the Raceceiver. It is no wonder why the series events are presented in such a professional manner.
I hate missing the remaining two nights at Knoxville, but I am really looking forward to two nights of action now with the Sprint Invaders as they run the big ½-mile in Davenport tonight and then race the 3/8-mile high banks of 34 Raceway on Saturday. Perhaps I will see you there!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

A Football To Racing Comparison


The Seahawks and Packers fiasco reminds me that whenever an official makes a call there will just about always be somebody who feels that the call was right, while others will feel that the call was wrong. It is all about your bias, and how it affects you. Now you know that there are plenty of Seahawks players and fans out there who know that the call was wrong, are feeling lucky that it went their way and who will readily admit it. But there are some diehards who are still saying that the rule was interpreted properly and that the touchdown call was correct.

Over the years I have seen the same scenario play out in races that I have attended where a call has been made, and for this comparison let’s just say that the call was correct, but the driver and his fans that it went against insist that they were wronged. Then, in the day and age of the internet, those fans would go on a forum and throw out all kinds of accusations and conspiracy theories making themselves look even worse than they already did. If you think that nothing looks dumber than a Seahawk player or fan who claims that they earned that victory Monday night, just remember that the next time that your driver has a call go against him at the track before you make a big issue of it.

I loved the interview with the receiver who “caught” the “touchdown pass”, former Fighting Irish star Golden Tate, just after the booth review was finished and it was declared a touchdown. The sideline reporter’s first question was “Did you push off?” and his reply was in essence I don’t know what you are talking about. Even more reason why my third favorite college football team is whoever is playing Notre Dame…..

Looking forward to three straight nights of racing this week starting off with the opening night of the Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals on Thursday night, then I will have the honor of filling in for regular announcer Bill Wright as the Sprint Invaders run the ½-mile oval in Davenport on Friday night before closing out their 2012 season at the Invaders’ “home track”, 34 Raceway in Burlington on Saturday night.

The weather is looking perfect for the final weekend in September so get out and support the show of your choice!

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Danny Smith Takes MOWA Prize at 34 Raceway

Veteran driver Danny Smith slipped by Terry McCarl with just three laps remaining to take home the top prize as the Midwest Open Wheel Association (MOWA) 410 Sprint Cars returned to 34 Raceway near Burlington, Iowa, Saturday night.

Critter Malone and Terry McCarl earned the front row starting spots for the thirty-lap main event and on the first attempt at a start Matt Harms took a hard tumble in turn one. Harms would emerge from the wreckage uninjured and on the second try it was Malone that shot out to the early lead. McCarl kept pace though and when he found some bite on the inside line of turns one and two he moved in to challenge the leader. As Malone scored lap number ten and drove onto the cushion in turn one, McCarl dove low and then shut the door by sliding up in front of Malone in turn two.

After checking up Malone's #7 car lost power and he coasted down the back stretch to bring out the first caution of the event. McCarl assumed the lead on the restart with now Robbie Standridge giving chase and behind them the battle for third was heating up between Danny Smith and Jordan Goldesberry. Goldesberry had a run on Smith off the top side of turn two and as he pulled alongside Smith down the back stretch the two cars must have touched as Goldesberry slid sideways before entering turn three. The youngster out of Springfield, Illinois, somehow kept his #65 on all fours, but the tow truck was required to take him back to the pits.

The red flag waved again on lap sixteen when one of the provisional starters Caleb Wankel got upside down in turn three. Once back to racing Standridge tried to stay with McCarl, but after a few laps both Smith and Jerrod Hull moved passed Standridge and took up the chase of McCarl. The advantage was shrinking and with four laps to go lapped traffic loomed ahead causing McCarl to choose a different line and that was all that Smith needed as he raced into the lead. T-Mac tried to recover, but Smith was able to put a lapped car between the two as he clicked off the final three laps for the victory.

Hull made a late charge on McCarl for second, but came up just short, Robbie Standridge settled for the fourth spot while Tony Bruce Jr. made the charge of the night coming from nineteenth to fifth. Last night's MOWA winner in Jacksonville Joey Moughan finished in the sixth position and Australian driver Ian Madsen wheeled the #7K car from seventeenth to seventh at the checkers.

Smith had a pretty adventurous night as he started in the eighth and final position in the third heat race. With Wankel setting an extremely slow pace as the pole-sitter, when the green flag waved Danny flew around the top side and was up to second when the cars hit the back stretch for the first time. As the first lap was scored Smith thought that the red flag had waved as a red light from somewhere caught his eye. He slowed briefly and then got back into the throttle, but the pause had dropped him back to fourth and a couple of laps later McCarl shuffled him back to fifth. Shortly after that Jim Moughan and McCarl drifted up the track allowing Smith to get back up to third. Then, in the final two laps as leaders Matt Harms and Jeremy Standridge paused behind lapped traffic, Smith blew by them and went on for the heat race victory essentially "passing" ten cars in an eight-car field.

The MOWA Sprint Cars will close out their 2012 schedule on Friday October 12th at the Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Illinois, near St. Louis.

It was season championship night for the Sport Mods and Mod Lites with the feature races in each lined straight up by points. Tony Dunker was challenged by Joe Bliven early, pulled away and then nearly lost it when a lapped car got sideways in from of him. Dunker recovered, but that same lapped car had a part in both Bliven and Levi Smith limping to the infield with damaged race cars after running in the top five. Dunker, who ranks third in the IMCA National points, secured the track championship at 34 Raceway with the win and he was followed by John Oliver Jr., Creston Williams, Sean Wyett and Phillip Cossel.

I am under the impression that Mike Morrill wins every Mod Lite feature race that I see and tonight was no exception as he went flag-to-flag. Evan Epperson chased him all the way in second, Greg Rossell finished third, Daniel Keltner took fourth and Joel Huggins was fifth.

The front two rows got bottled up as the green flag waved on the Four Cylinder feature so by the time they got to the flagstand Brandon Lambert had gone from sixth to first. As he raced off of turn two though both Billy Stanford and Austen Becerra pulled alongside him with Becerra emerging as the official leader of lap one. And Becerra would go on to lead the rest of them as well and take the feature win ahead of Stanford and Lambert. Dustin Ravelin finished in the fourth position.

By the time that the final checkered waved at 10:00 p.m. the temperature had dipped into the high forties and race fans hope that it will be a bit warmer for 34 Raceway's final two events of the season. Next Saturday, September 29th, will be the season championship for the Sprint Invaders and on October 6th will be the first annual Fall Challenge.

My plans have changed and I will be unable to go to Quincy on Sunday night, but hopefully I can get back down there next week as they close out their 2012 season at the "Bullring on Broadway".

Friday, September 21, 2012

On The Debate Over Age Limits In Racing.....


My Saturday morning routine is to be up and coherent by 8 a.m. so that I can login to the Racin' Boys on the Live TV button and get set for two hours of information and entertainment from Scott Traylor, Kirk Elliott and their list of colleagues and guests that join them each week. In the past year the format changed from having the full two hours also on the radio at 810 WHB to now having the first hour simulcast on the Kansas City sports station and then having the second hour exclusively online. Since the change “the Boys” seem to cut loose more often in that second hour and things can get pretty interesting as was the case this past Saturday when the subject of age limits in racing came up.

Set aside about forty minutes and take a listen to the segment here . Or if you don’t have the time I can sum it up quickly as follows. While interviewing regular contributor Lloyd Collins, Scott makes a passionate plea for a universal rule at all tracks that would not allow children under the age of sixteen to race. Kirk and Lloyd take a different point of view and what follows is a sometimes heated discussion where both sides make some great points. At the end both sides respected the other’s point of view, I think, and now I’m ready to tune in again this Saturday to see if the discussion continues.

Two separate incidents have occurred this season that has made this a topic of discussion. The first was on my favorite message board IowaStockCars following the tragic death of a youngster in May at the Auburndale Speedway in Florida where the 12-year-old was competing in a Four Cylinder division with specific rules for kids that did not allow the cars to go more than 45 miles per hour. And the second, more than likely triggering the discussion on the Racin’ Boys, is the 360 c.i. Winged Sprint Car crash that seriously injured 15-year-old Jordan Creason during the Missouri State Fair race in Sedalia on August 19th. Creason was initially in a medically induced coma and now faces a long recovery that we pray will be a successful one.

In both instances the gentlemen taking the lead on the argument to establish age limits feel that children’s bodies are not yet developed enough to withstand the force of impact in a crash and that children need to be protected from their parents who may be putting their child at risk for their own aspirations and perhaps putting their child in a position where they are taking that risk primarily to please their parents.

For some background on the subject I recently visited with a former promoter to ask him how he approached the issue and how the insurance companies that he worked with dealt with children racing. I was surprised to learn that the different insurance companies that he worked with over his ten plus years of promoting had no specific rules, terms or provisions in regard to the age of the competitor young or old. “If you are under the age of eighteen you are considered a minor and a waiver signed by both natural parents was required just to get a pit pass.” So this was just to sign the standard release form and be a part of the pit crew, a spectator from the pits, or a driver. I would have thought that the insurance companies would have addressed the age of the driver specifically, and perhaps some now do as I have heard rumors that a recently publicized debut by a young driver may have been subsequently nixed by the track’s insurance carrier. If true, could that be a sign that there will soon be a difference in coverage levels or costs depending upon the age of one or more of the competitors?

The promoter told me that when he was approached by a parent who wanted their younger child to race he would state that the young driver’s performance would be evaluated and if he or she could control the car in a manner where they would not be a threat to themselves, or others, then the young driver would be allowed to compete. When I said that he probably had that evaluation process in place for every driver regardless of age the promoter said “of course, but you have to watch the kids closer because the other drivers are going to more critical of any mistakes that they make because they are young.” And, no surprise, the grumbling from the other drivers gets worse when the kid beats them!

The majority of the young drivers that this promoter dealt with over the years were in the support classes where the presence of a young teenager driving may not be as much of a concern due to the lesser speeds than the premier divisions. “Working with IMCA they had age limits for different divisions, so as long as the driver was of age by their rules, and they were not a nuisance on the track, I was perfectly fine with it.” IMCA requires a driver to be at least 14-years-old for most of their divisions and 16-years-old to drive in their Late Model or Sprint Car ranks, but not all sanctioning bodies establish such defined rules when it comes to age limits.

One of the common charges made while pushing for age limits is that track promoters are exploiting the kids for their own gain. Now I obviously cannot know if it has happened outside of this general area, but not once have I seen a track specifically promote an event by saying something to the effect of “come on out this Saturday and watch 13-year-old Kid Fast take on the best Late Model drivers in the area”, so in my opinion a promoter is not exploiting the fact that they have a young driver in action.

Now do the driver’s parents “promote” their kids by pointing out their successes along with their age? Yes, some of them do, but not all and as long as they don’t make the age of the kid the focal point of every press release then I am fine with that. When Jake Griffin wins in both a Late Model and a Modified, I would expect to see a press release. When Bobby Pierce or Tyler Reddick score a big win against some of the best Late Model drivers in the country, I would expect to see a press release. And when Trevor Hunt scores the USRA Iron Man B-Mod title, and continues to post top ten finishes with the USMTS, I would expect to see a press release. I have though also seen PR put out about young kids where the release is obviously about the fact that this young kid is racing, and looking for sponsors, even though the youngster has not posted any kind of results on the track worth mentioning yet. Those don’t usually last for long.

Back to the track promoters, I feel that it is unfair to say that they are exploiting the young racers for their own gain if they are not actively promoting the fact that they have the kid racing there. And, as the Racin’ Boys debate seemed to end up at, I feel that every promoter should have the right to implement the rules at his or her track in regard to age limits as they see fit. Scott Traylor has recently started to promote some special events and if he wants to say that nobody under the age of 16 can compete at one of his events, then that is his right and the young drivers and their parents need to respect that. And for what I can see, they do. Russell Hunt, Trevor Hunt’s father knows where his young son can or cannot race based upon track rules and he has stated that he would never challenge such a rule. For instance, Marc Olson does not allow drivers under the age of 16 to compete at his track, Lakeside Speedway on the northwest edge of the Kansas City metro area and therefore the Hunts drive beyond the track that is closest to their Liberty, Missouri, home to go racing. And those trips have grown longer and longer this season, not because of tracks that do not allow the kid to race, but because of the success that he has had wherever he goes.

Knoxville Raceway is another track that has set an age limit of 16 and it is likely not a coincidence that both Lakeside and Knoxville are high speed half-mile ovals. At Knoxville some of the kids prove that they are ready to win at sixteen such as Carson McCarl who won the 305 Sprint track title his rookie year and when Puyallup, Washington, speedster Trey Starks finally hit his sixteenth birthday he went out and qualified in the top five in his first visit during this April’s World of Outlaws show.

There is no doubt that there is a ton of young talent out there right now, even more so than usual it seems. During the Racin’ Boys discussion Scott points out that NASCAR does not let anyone under the age of 18 compete in their top level series, but Kirk and Lloyd quickly reply that, in general, it is the fact that NASCAR teams are out there scouting that next young talent to come along and they are looking at younger and younger drivers in doing so. Let’s face it “Sliced Bread” Joey Logano did not earn his NASCAR license by waiting to race upper division cars at the age of eighteen. He was making his mark when he was the same age as Griffin, Hunt, Pierce, Reddick, etc., etc. And the kids are not just doing it in the dirt either as there were three 14-year-old drivers, and numerous other teenagers, in the starting field for the CRA All Star Tour race that I attended this July on the 0.6 mile oval at Lucas Oil Raceway Park. The kids were hitting speeds of over one hundred miles per hour on the straightaways and you definitely couldn’t tell that they were kids out there racing. In fact one of teenagers running up front was a young lady by the name of Kenzie Ruston who had won her first career Late Model race at this track last season. Heaven forbid that a female racer, young or old, suffers a serious injury as that would prompt the next major internet discussion. When actually what we should be praying for is that NONE of our racers get hurt, no matter their age or sex.

So let’s go back to the argument that a young driver’s body is not as capable of withstanding a crash as it would be if it was more mature. I’m not a doctor so I am not going to take that argument on, but I will say this. I would guess that an in-shape teenager’s body is likely going to have a better chance of handling a hard impact than someone like me whose body is out of shape, somewhat overweight and who has a family history of heart disease. And I see a lot of the guys in the pit area wearing driver suits that I still feel that I could beat in a 400 meter dash……or walk. So if having a physical exam someday becomes a requirement for driving a race car I am guessing that we would lose a lot of non-teenagers while the kids would pass with flying colors.

I do not like it when one side of the argument tries to draw a comparison to the danger that kids face when they play youth sports such as football, baseball, wrestling, etc. There are thousands and thousands of kids participating in those sports and yes each year we sadly hear of kids being seriously hurt or killed while playing them. But when this happens to one or two out of a couple hundred thousand, that is a pretty small percentage showing that the risk level of participation is quite low. In racing I don’t even know if I can say that there are hundreds of kids driving full-size race cars, so when one of them dies and another is seriously injured, that ratio is exponentially higher than the other youth sports proving that the risk level is incredibly higher and that is something that I am confident that every young driver and the parents are well aware of.

Are some of these kids being pushed to do something that they really don’t have their heart set on just to please their parents? I will say “yes”, but not any of the ones that have been named in this story so far and here is why. I believe that if a kid is being “pushed” to race against his or her will then that will prove out once they get on the race track. Mom and Dad aren’t in that cockpit to push down the throttle and there is only one person in there steering that car. I have been pretty closely involved with this sport over the past thirty years and I have seen MANY young drivers come to the track with a brightly painted, sharply prepared racecar either in a support class or right on up to the premier division and I would say that more often than not after a couple of weeks of driving slow and tentative, or after a few spinouts and a brush with the wall, that pretty car and that kid are no longer seen in the pit area. If you are, or have been a parent of a teenager you know that they have a mind of their own and when they get in the race car, if they are being “pushed” to do something that they are not truly excited about doing, then that race car is not going to go fast and stay headed in the right direction.

Kids who go fast and win races, or track championships, like “Lil Miss Dangerous” Emily Gade did at East Moline this year, WANT to race, there is nobody “pushing” them to do so. Do they have the full support of their parents, both spiritually and financially? Absolutely and to structure an argument that essentially implies that the parents of young racers have a total disregard for their well-being is more insulting than constructive. I went to the emergency room three times during my kids’ participation in activities. Twice for Morgan after breaking his leg in football and later after getting a concussion while diving after a loose ball in basketball and hitting his head on the bleachers. For Ashley it was, of all things, a ballet dancing accident where she shattered her left elbow so bad that they had to remove the radial head of the bone just to put it back into place. (There went the golf scholarship!!) And while Kyle was never taken to the ER for sports there were two nights following varsity football games where I had to wake him up every hour to check his eyes to make sure that he was not having more issues with a concussion.

Was I a bad parent for supporting my kids in these activities that injured them in the first place? And was I an even worse parent when, after having the doctors’ clearance, I allowed them to continue to participate knowing that the risk for injury could now be worse? Yes, I asked, but frankly, I don’t give a damn what you think of me as a parent because they are my kids and you don’t know their likes and dislikes, their hopes, their dreams and their aspirations or the values that we hold dear within our household. Nobody knows how to "parent" my children better than my wife and I, and it is for that reason that I take the stance that I do on this issue.

Each and every promoter has the right to establish an age limit for the events that they are presenting and all drivers and their parents need to respect that right. The same goes for sanctioning bodies and if insurance companies do ever decide that an age limit is appropriate in order to obtain coverage, or to get it at a more reasonable rate of premium, then we may just eventually have that “universal” age limit that some people are looking for. But until we do, I am going to put my trust in the parents of these young drivers to decide what is best for them. To make sure that they are properly equipped with the finest safety equipment possible, something that my ex-promoter said that you nearly  always see on the cars of the kids, and to make sure that they are racing in cars and on tracks that they are capable of handling. After all, if you can’t trust parents, who can you trust?

Will accidents involving young racers continue to happen? Yes, and with each one this debate will surface again. Let’s just hope that the next one is a long, long, long time from now.

Looks like we are going to have to bundle up for our racing action this weekend and I hope that this first snap of cold weather does not keep you at home as the season is quickly coming to a close. I am hoping to stay warm tomorrow night at 34 Raceway as the MOWA 410 winged sprint cars will be in action, where 16-year-old Paul Nienhiser will likely be one of the entries, and then on Sunday night I am looking forward to a return trip to the Quincy Raceways where the track’s regular competitors, including Jake Griffin, will likely again see some out-of-towners pull in looking for those valuable UMP Late Model or Modified national points with just a couple of weeks remaining in the points season. Both Kevin Weaver and Brian Shirley have been pulling to Quincy lately, Bobby Pierce was in town last Sunday night and Brandon Thirlby has towed all the way down from Michigan a couple of times. Will they and others be there this Sunday night? I intend to go and find out.

Next week we will head up to Knoxville on Thursday night for the opener of the Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals and on Friday night I think I still have an announcing date with the Sprint Invaders as they, along with the IMCA Late Models and Four Cylinders, take to the half-mile track at the Davenport Speedway.
Bring some blankets, dress in layers and perhaps I will see you on the Back Stretch.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Derek St. Clair Prevails In Wild Kirchner Memorial at Lee County

The SportMods were the headliners Saturday night at the Lee County Speedway, an annual tribute to Steve Kirchner who raced in the division before his untimely death away from the track several years ago. And with $1,000 going to the winner, the action was intense and even got a little overheated in the final stages before a driver who is new to the division found his way into victory lane.

A solid field of thirty-two drivers signed in for the Kirchner Memorial and the racing was good throughout the four heat races and the B-Main that would set the 24-car starting field for the 25-lap main event. Jamie Duninck and Bobby Anders would lead the field to the green with Duninck rolling his triple sevens car to the lead until a caution slowed the field on lap four. On the restart Carter VanDenBerg used the cushion on both ends of the speedway to quickly move from fifth to first and as he opened up a bit of an advantage the battle raged on behind him. Another caution on lap ten realigned the field with VanDenBerg out front and everybody else paired up behind him, but after a couple of "no starts" the leader VanDenBerg was penalized two positions for getting on the gas prior to the designated "firing zone" in turn four.

This would put Derek St. Clair up front for the restart and the former Hobby Stock track champion and current Stock Car regular would put the Sport Mod that he recently purchased from Patrick Profeta up on the cushion to officially lead laps eleven through fourteen. This year's track champion, and the driver currently ranked third in the IMCA Northern SportMod National point standings, Tony Dunker had been working his way through the field after starting tenth and he used a run off the bottom of turn two to take the lead on lap fifteen.

With Dunker now out front many assumed that it would now be a race for second, but St. Clair stayed close and two laps later when Dunker moved up to the high line entering turn one St. Clair got a little too close and turn the leader sideways in front of the field. Both cars were able to recover, but the stack up behind them caused Brett Lowry and Tom Elsen to spin to a halt. Dunker would lead the field back to the green and went back down to the low line while St. Clair made up ground on each lap running up top. Plus, to add to the battle you had Phillip Cossel showing some strength on the bottom while Dean Kratzer had charged forward from an eighth row starting spot up to fourth.

St. Clair was able to take the lead from Dunker on lap twenty-one just before the caution waved once again setting up a four-lap dash to the finish with several drivers still having a shot at the $1,000 winner's check. St. Clair held his line on the cushion with Cossel, Dunker and Kratzer doing battle for second, but on the next lap contact between Kratzer and Dunker sent the track champion for a spin and the caution flew again. As the field came around under caution Dunker expressed his displeasure by driving into Kratzer, and then Kratzer backed up a few feet, put his car back into gear and then drove into the side of Dunker's car. Both drivers were sent to the pits for the incident and while their crews and interested pit spectators scrambled to see what would happen once they arrived in the pits, the rest of the field was lined up for one last restart.

Cossel would make an effort on the inside that would come up short as St. Clair would maintain the lead and take the win in front of his hometown crowd. Cossel would settle for the runner-up money, Lucas Lundry would finish third after restarting from the back earlier in the race, VanDenBerg was not a happy camper in fourth and newlywed Levi Smith finished in the fifth spot.

Kirchner Memorial Notes......The thirty-two car field brought an interesting mix of drivers to Donnellson that included northeast Iowa's Lucas Lundry from Maynard and central Missouri drivers Cale Turner (Columbia) and Chad Staus (Otterville).......Turner finished in the fourth and final transfer in his heat race only to be disqualified for an illegal carburetor. He made the necessary adjustments and then qualified out of the B-Main for the feature.....Donnellson resident Rob Kirchner was behind the wheel of another car from central Missouri as he drove Steve Bugg's #11 to a heat race win and was a contender early in the feature before dropping out.....One of the expected contenders Jim Gillenwater started next to Dunker in row five, but pulled to the infield following the drop of the green. Gillenwater's Discount Tire and Service was the title sponsor of the night's event.....VanDenBerg's right rear tire was flat after taking the checkered flag and he parked on the front stretch to ask the flagman about the penalty for jumping the restart as the leader. He then briefly interrupted St. Clair's victory lane interview before taking his car to the scale for post-race inspection......Levi Smith and his new wife Nicole were working hard at their Pit Side Parts trailer prior to the races and after congratulating them I said to Levi " wedding yesterday and races tonight?" To which he quickly replied "that's how I know that she's a keeper!".......The late race drama definitely shuffled the field up front with Lundry suddenly a contender. He was penalized earlier in the race for contact that caused a spin by Kyle Olson......Jesse Belez started 24th and finished sixth.

Three other divisions provided solid action as well on the evening. The Sport Compacts' feature was the first of the four on the schedule and the twelve lap race saw four lead changes and two rollovers as both Bucky Gallaher and William Michel climbed from their damaged cars uninjured. Corey Sheetz would lead the first lap before yielding to Chuck Fullenkamp. Darin Smith would grab the lead for a couple of laps mid-race only to lose it again to Fullenkamp, but it would be Ryan Anderson who would come from a sixth-row starting spot to take the lead with two laps remaining for the eventual victory. Smith and Fullenkamp would go second and third followed by Dennis Schulte and Adam Gates.

It was pretty obvious who would win the Stock Car feature shortly after the drop of the green, but the battle for second on back was very entertaining throughout the entire twenty-laps of green flag racing. Derek St. Clair tried to keep pace with Jason Cook, but on the second lap Cook began to pull away and would win by nearly a half of a lap. Two and three-wide racing within the top five went on behind him though as Jim Redman was able to hold off all challenges to finish second ahead of Jim Lynch, Matt Greiner and St. Clair. John Oliver Jr. would race his way up from 18th to sixth at the checkers.

Josh Foster's world was turned upside down nearly a month ago when his father passed away and this would be his first night back to action in his IMCA Modified since then. Just like he has done so many times before though, Foster went to the cushion when everybody else preferred the bottom line and on lap four he swept past Wyatt Lantz for the lead. Then, with perhaps some guidance from above, Josh was solid the rest of the way and took the checkers for an emotional win where he did not seem to want to ever stop hugging his mother in victory lane. Lantz would run a solid race to finish in second, Lonne Heap would take third, Brandon Banks advanced from tenth to fourth while Dean McGee rounded out the top five.

It was definitely an entertaining night of racing at the Lee County Speedway and I had a great time as part of the announcing trio with Ryan Clark and Terry Hoenig. Brandon Savage served as the promoter for the evening and after the extra-curricular activities you could tell that he was happy to put that behind him as he now looks ahead to his own wedding next Saturday night. As it was announced through a press release earlier in the day, Mike Van Genderen has been hired by Dave Sapp to be the track promoter for the two special events coming here in October as well as for the 2013 racing season at Lee County. Mike was busy racing up at Farley Saturday night, but you can bet that he will be excited to swing into action here for Shiverfest on October 13th and the Discount Tire and Service Fall Extravaganza on October 19th and 20th.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Saturday Notebook: Yankee, Photobilly 50 and Coach

A couple of thoughts before I get to the real reason that I am writing a blog this morning. .....

If you don't listen to Track Talk on the Racin' Boys each Saturday morning you are missing the most informative and entertaining racing talk show in the Midwest. This morning's show featured a heated discussion between Scott Traylor, Kirk Elliott and Lloyd Collins about the young kids driving full-sized race cars. Traylor firmly believes that a minimum age of 16-years-old should be enforced across the board and both Collins and Elliott took the counterpoint today. You can listen online every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and for those of you who may have come here from the Racin' Boys forum today looking for the All Missouri Points click here.

Donny Schatz won the World of Outlaw Sprint Car feature at Spencer last night and Steve Kinser finished third. Noteworthy that this was Kinser's first top-five finish at an All Iowa Points track this season. There have been years when Kinser has ranked in the top five in the final All Iowa Points despite only running the Outlaw shows and the Nationals.

How about the car counts at the Yankee Dirt Classic at Farley last night? 48 Hawkeye Dirt Tour Modifieds and 56 Deery Brothers Summer Series Late Models filled the pits showing that the Yankee is back to its "big show" status that it enjoyed for years. The Deery series has suffered through some events that had lower than expected car counts this season most recently being 34 Raceway's Pepsi USA Nationals. That event, now a one-day show paying $5,000-to-win, seems to still get compared to when it was the two-day $10,000-to-win finale of the series had just 27 cars sign in this year. But it was postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to two inches of rain from the remnants of hurricane Isaac, plus there were two other IMCA-type Late Model events already schedule for that Sunday night. Yes, the counts were down on the Deery Series this year, but at some of the IMCA weekly tracks the Late Model counts were up this year proving that you need to study the whole picture before declaring a class dead.

For news from the Yankee make sure to check in with our colleague Brian Bries.

Speaking of car counts I was surprised to see that a whopping 52 Late Models checked in to do battle on the tiny bullring at Belle-Clair Speedway Friday night. This was the first-ever World of Outlaws Late Model visit to Belleville, Illinois, and the event was tagged the "Photobilly 50" in honor of track photographer Billy Haffer who lost his life in a traffic accident here in Iowa back in August. Brandon Sheppard put his short-track experience to good use as he wheeled one of the Rocket house cars to his first career WoO Late Model victory worth $12,550. Veteran Billy Moyer finished second followed by Shannon Babb, Darrell Lanigan and central Illinois competitor Kyle Logue. The Outlaws move across the river to what will now seem to be a long and specious I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri tonight and perhaps top the sixty count for race cars.

Racing lost a fan, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, lost a legend yesterday when Coach Bob Evans passed away at the age of 87. Evans came to town in 1956 to become the high school football coach where he posted a 202-91-4 record over thirty-three years including a a team in 1963 that was unbeaten, and more incredibly unscored upon. And even before that his Mount Pleasant Panthers won 40 straight games between 1957 and 1961.

It was his passion for football and the results that he posted on the field that made him a legend and those of you who are my age or older will also remember him as the color commentator for Frosty Mitchell's play-by-play of Iowa Hawkeye football for several years. Evans retired from coaching in 1988 turning the job over to one of his assistants Bob Jensen who continues to coach the team today. Only two coaches over the past fifty-seven years, amazing.

His love of football never faded, but when Lynn Richard convinced him to come along with him to the racetrack several years back, Coach Bob found another passion in short-track dirt racing. Evans was a fixture around the Richard Realty & Auction Late Model and he quickly made friends with other competitors and their crews. I had the pleasure of knowing Coach since 1975 and even though I did not play football for him, he was very supportive of the other sports that I participated in as the school's Athletic Director as well. But my relationship with him became very close soon after he found racing and began reading the Hawkeye Racing News from cover to cover. Bob loved racing, he loved being around the people of racing and over the past several years we would never be in the same room or arena without talking for several minutes about racing. And most of the time, his old football friends had to wait for their turn.

When I heard last week that Coach Evans was now in the Park Place nursing home I told myself that I needed to stop by and see him soon. It was not soon enough though and I will regret that for some time. Rest in Peace Coach, you can watch every football game and every race you want now and I know that you will have that big smile on your face the entire time.

It is going to be a beautiful night  for racing, go find your smile as well.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Silly Season Off To An Early Start


At the end of my report of the Dlouhy/DeVore Memorial race from Tipton last weekend I noted that the “silly season” had begun. But little did I know that it would really go full swing this week with the resignation of Toby Kruse from the Knoxville Raceway.

I will be the first to admit that I do not know the inner workings at Knoxville so for a report from someone more connected I refer you to our Positively Racing colleague Eric Arnold. I did spend a full year in the press box there in 1998 though and having had the pleasure of covering the place as a columnist/blogger for more than thirty years now I knew that it would be a HUGE challenge for whoever stepped into the shoes of Ralph Capitani. Not so much because Cappy was a legendary figure that could do no wrong, even he will tell you that was not the case, but because the relationship between the position of General Manager and the fair board members had evolved over Capitani’s tenure so much so that no matter who filled that role would find it hard to adapt. Unless of course he or she had the same personality and carried the same weight as the guy who had done it for years, and that just not possible.

We were told during the Nationals by a couple of good sources that Toby would not likely stay for the year and the common reason given was that he and the board did not see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. No surprise to me, I have known for years that the Marion County Fair Board is a very powerful organization and, despite what you might see on forum boards right now, they do have some pretty good business sense. All you have to do is take a look at the facility and the program and realize that while Cappy was a terrific leader, he just might have had some input from the Board along the way as well. Is Knoxville Raceway at its pinnacle right now? No, but it is still looked upon as a “goal” by other facilities to achieve, so don’t go writing the place off just yet.

Last year before Toby was hired I wrote that I would rather be the guy to replace the guy that replaces Capitani at Knoxville. It is too bad that Toby ended up being that sacrifice as, for the long run, I couldn’t have thought of anybody better qualified for the position. Hopefully now that the organization has a season in the book post-Capitani, both the board members and the next General Manager of the Knoxville Raceway will know that a new kind of relationship will need to be forged internally in order to achieve future success.

As for Toby, he obviously knew the possibility of this being a short gig and maintained the successes that he has in the Marshalltown Speedway and with his bar Toby K’s Hideaway. Plus, as one the promotional side’s brightest stars, it looks like he may have some even bigger opportunities down the road. I am hoping to catch one night of Marshalltown’s season finale “Havoc On The Highbanks” next weekend.

The promotional duties at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson have been in transition recently as owner Dave Sapp last week advertised for a new promoter in 2013. Dewain Hulet had been Sapp’s choice before the two parted ways in mid-August with Brandon Savage stepping in. Savage, who races an IMCA Modified and who got his feet wet last October by promoting the annual two-day show in Memphis, Missouri, was not looking to do this on a regular basis though and he will finish up with this Saturday’s Steve Kirchner Memorial featuring the SportMods for $1000-to-win.Savage then will take on a more important role when he marries his beautiful fiancée Nicole this Fall.

 It is likely that Sapp has had at least a couple of qualified applicants and I would not be surprised if a new promoter for both the remainder of the 2012 schedule and for 2013 is announced on Saturday. Donnellson is my intended destination for Saturday night, so if there is an announcement, I hope to have it as part of my report on the event.

And finally let’s go back to Tipton where I started this effort in the first place. Al & Kathy Dlouhy did a great job as promoters here for seven years and they will be hard to replace. Rumors had the promoters from Vinton and from Maquoketa as being the most likely candidates, but at this point I m thinking that this is more of what the rumor-starters are hoping for rather than any strong interest from either party. Taking over an unsanctioned track in a small town is not an easy undertaking in this day and age, especially one that is primed for the whole Open Mods vs. IMCA Mod debate as soon as the ink on the contract is signed.

Yes, it is the Silly Season…….and it is just getting started!
It looks like a great weather weekend to get out and take in the special events of your choice including the Yankee, the Tiny Lund, Border Wars, the Kirchner and so many more! Enjoy your racing weekend!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

All Missouri Points through 9/9


Late Model
Pos. Driver Hometown Points
1 . Jason Russell Henley 90
2 . Randy Korte Highland IL 50
3 . Justin Wells Aurora 46
4 . Chris Lapp Barnett 40
5 . Joe Walkenhorst 36
6 . Brandon Imhoff Lake Ozark 35
7 . Jesse Stovall Galena 34
8 . Jeremy Kelley Walnut Grove 30
9 . Dewayne Kiefer St. Genevieve 28
10 . Jon Binning Warrensburg 28
11 . Kevin Coyne Kingsville 28
12 . Chris Hawkins Neosho 27
13 . Bob Test Jefferson City 25
14 . Brad Looney Republic 23
15 . Jason Bodenhammer Centerview 23
16 . Shane Essary Galena 23
17 . Brett Wood Warrensburg 22
18 . Dustin Griffin Quincy IL 22
19 . John Anderson Omaha NE 22
20 . Scott Weber Festus 22
21 . Tim Manville Highland IL 22
22 . Ken Essary Galena 20
23 . Tony Jackson Jr. Lebanon 20
24 . Billy Moyer Batesville AR 19
25 . Terry Phillips Springfield 18
26 . Jason McBride Carbondale IL 17
27 . Jake Griffin Quincy IL 16
28 . Jim Moon Mount Auburn IL 16
29 . Justin Russell Henley 16
30 . Brian Diveley Springfield IL 15
31 . Jason Perry Payson IL 15
32 . Darren Turner 14
33 . Bobby Pierce Oakwood IL 13
34 . J.D. Hubert Cross Timbers 13
35 . Ed Dixon Washington 12
36 . Will Vaught Seneca 12
37 . Rylan Long Greenfield 11
38 . Tommy Cordray Browning 11
39 . Brian Shirley Springfield IL 10
40 . Jimmy Owens Newport TN 10
41 . Wendell Wallace Greenbriar AR 10
42 . Billy Moyer Jr. Batesville AR 9
43 . Steven Clancy Odessa 9
44 . John Blankenship Williamson WV 8
45 . Rick Lawson 8
46 . Shannon Babb Mowequa IL 8
47 . Todd McCoin 8
48 . Vance Wilson Bowling Green 8
49 . Zeke Langley 8
50 . Chuck Melloway 7
51 . Evan Hubert Cross Timbers 7
52 . Jeff Johns Belleville IL 7
53 . Ken Rumble 7
54 . Michael Long Quincy IL 7
55 . Phil Edmondson 7
56 . Walt Imhoff Lake Ozark 7
57 . Brandon Sheppard New Berlin IL 6
58 . Craig Smith Godfrey IL 6
59 . Keith Pratt Quincy IL 6
60 . Mark Voigt Marine IL 6
61 . Ron McQuerry St. Albans 6
62 . Trace Westling Fulton 6
63 . Brandon McCormick Lebanon 5
64 . Chuck Comer Joplin 5
65 . Jack Sullivan Greenbriar AR 5
66 . Kevin Weaver Gibson City IL 5
67 . Matt Johnson Archie 5
68 . Rick Lebow Galena 5
69 . Ryan Unzicker El Paso IL 5
70 . Steve Lance Jr. Canton IL 5
71 . Tim Ratajczyk Columbia IL 5
72 . Chris Cox 4
73 . Chris Morelock Springfield 4
74 . Chris Simpson Marion IA 4
75 . Craig Bessinger 4
76 . Jimmy Morris 4
77 . Joey Potter Fulton 4
78 . Larry Jones Eldorado Springs 4
79 . Matt Weidner 4
80 . Mike Hammerle St. Charles 4
81 . Timothy Culp West Monroe LA 4
82 . Tommy Weder Jr. Woodward OK 4
83 . Andy Pryor 3
84 . Ashlee Lancaster 3
85 . Bob King 3
86 . Brandon Morton 3
87 . Brandon Smith Floral AR 3
88 . Brant Kehrer 3
89 . Brian Birkhofer Muscatine IA 3
90 . Daniel Jessen 3
91 . Darrell Mooneyham Aurora 3
92 . David Turner Adrian 3
93 . Dennis Erb Carpentersville IL 3
94 . Don O'Neal Martinsville IN 3
95 . Ethan Burke Fulton 3
96 . Harlan Kennedy Wheatland 3
97 . Jason Feger Bloomington IL 3
98 . Mark Dotson Cameron 3
99 . Michael Kloos Trenton IL 3
100 . Mike Collins Council Bluffs IA 3
101 . Rusty Schlenk Jackson MI 3
102 . Andrew Johns 2
103 . Austin Hubbard Seaford DE 2
104 . Brandon Cheek 2
105 . Denny Woodworth Ursa IL 2
106 . Derek Fetter 2
107 . Eric Turner Hermitage 2
108 . Gary Gorby Caney KS 2
109 . Jarrod Hilton 2
110 . Jeremy Conaway 2
111 . Jeff Herzog 2
112 . Jon Kirby Russelville AR 2
113 . Jon Mitchell Nash TX 2
114 . Ken Schrader Fenton 2
115 . Lane Ehlert 2
116 . Mike Montague 2
117 . Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg TN 2
118 . Bill Leighton Jr. Omaha NE 1
119 . Billy Laycock Marine IL 1
120 . Bobby Bittle 1
121 . Chad Simpson Marion IA 1
122 . Curtis Cook Vilonia AR 1
123 . Donnie Dannar 1
124 . Gage Wineland 1
125 . Jimmy Clark 1
126 . Jimmy Jobe 1
127 . R.C. Whitwell Tucson AZ 1
128 . Ricky Frankel Quincy IL 1
129 . Robby Warner Quincy IL 1
130 . Steve Francis Ashland KY 1


Sprints (410 & 360)
Pos. Driver Hometown Points
1 . Jonathan Cornell Sedalia 60
2 . Tyler Blank California 56
3 . Tommy Worley Jr. Bismarck 49
4 . Jimmy Hurley Springfield IL 41
5 . Cody Baker Lone Jack 31
6 . Robbie Standridge Springfield IL 28
7 . Rod Crabdree Desloge 27
8 . Kyle Bellm Nixa 24
9 . A.J. Bruns Lincoln IL 23
10 . Tim Crawley Benton AR 21
11 . Bryan Grimes Slater 20
12 . Brian Brown Grain Valley 16
13 . Jerrod Hull Sikeston 16
14 . Joey Montgomery Fredericktown 14
15 . Joey Boyd Farmington 13
16 . Randy Martin California 12
17 . Evan Martin California 11
18 . Tayor Walton Warrensburg 11
19 . Kasey Burch Farmington 10
20 . Jimmy Bridgeman Farmington 9
21 . T.J. Muths Sedalia 9
22 . Jack Dover Springfield NE 8
23 . Jay Russell Elwood KS 8
24 . Terry Gray Memphis TN 8
25 . Gabe Maycock Montgomery City 7
26 . Tony Bruce Jr. Liberal KS 7
27 . Chad Ely Adelaide AUS 6
28 . Josh Fisher Smithton 6
29 . Wayne Johnson Oklahoma City OK 6
30 . Dustin Barks Farmington 5
31 . Jason Johnson Eunice LA 5
32 . Jason Keith Fredericktown 5
33 . Kaley Gharst Decatur IL 5
34 . Sammy Swindell Bartlett TN 5
35 . Brad Graham Springfield 4
36 . Brian Bell Cordova TN 4
37 . Jason Danley Lincoln NE 4
38 . Jerod Roller 4
39 . Joey Saldana Brownsburg IN 4
40 . Kent Buckley 4
41 . Korey Weyant Springfield IL 4
42 . Tyler Elliott California 4
43 . Adam Jones Wright City 3
44 . Jason Sides Memphis TN 3
45 . Jim Moughan Springfield IL 3
46 . Jordan Boston Lincoln NE 3
47 . Seth Bergman Snohomish WA 3
48 . Anthony Nicholson Bartlett TN 2
49 . Donny Schatz Fargo ND 2
50 . John Memmer 2
51 . Jon Agan Knoxville IA 2
52 . Logan Forler Lake Havasu AZ 2
53 . Mike Hess Springfield IL 2
54 . Stuart Snyder Lincoln NE 2
55 . Alex Shanks 1
56 . Austin Alumbaugh Higginsville 1
57 . Brad Loyet Park Hills 1
58 . Brady Bacon Broken Arrow OK 1
59 . Curtis Boyer New Haven 1
60 . Derek Hager Marion AR 1
61 . Eddie Gallagher Piperton TN 1
62 . Geoff Dodge Colorado Springs CO 1
63 . Haley Arnold Sedalia 1
64 . Joey Moughan Springfield IL 1
65 . Lanny Carpenter Clarksburg 1
66 . Tim Montgomery Fredericktown 1
67 . Terry Babb Decatur IL 1
68 . Zach Chappell Talalla OK 1

Modified
Pos. Driver Hometown Points
1 . Dean Wille Warrensburg 81
2 . Terry Schultz Sedalia 79
3 . Jackie Dalton Carthage 71
4 . David Wietholder Liberty IL 68
5 . Jason Russell Henley 68
6 . Jason Hughes West Plains 65
7 . Billy Smith Park Hills 57
8 . Brent Thompson Park Hills 57
9 . Mark Miner Arnold 57
10 . Rusty Griffaw Festus 54
11 . Dennis Elliott Mount Ayr IA 51
12 . Johnny Bone Jr. Pea Ridge AR 51
13 . John Allen Chanute KS 50
14 . Matt Dotson Clark 49
15 . Mitch Keeter Webb City 48
16 . Matt Mevert Steeleville IL 46
17 . Steve Muilenberg Sparta 44
18 . Chad Lyle Oak Grove 41
19 . Jim Body Diamond 41
20 . Jim Moody Odessa 41
21 . Steve Picou High Ridge 39
22 . Lucas Dobbs Eldorado Springs 38
23 . Cory Wray Jamesport 36
24 . John Yeoman Granby 36
25 . Jim Cameron Cameron 34
26 . Gary Blackburn Jr. Fulton 32
27 . Bobby Pearish Joplin 30
28 . Jesse Willard Pleasanton KS 29
29 . Greg Hughes West Plains 28
30 . Jon Sheets Nevada 28
31 . Brandon Ball West Plains 27
32 . Shay Woods Humeston IA 27
33 . Zack Marsh Fort Scott KS 27
34 . Kent Nations 26
35 . Ronnie Vernon Friendship TN 26
36 . Steven Glenn Hamilton 26
37 . Shawn Nations Macks Creek 25
38 . Buz Kaster Kansas City 24
39 . Mickey Burrell Fair Grove 24
40 . Danny Scrogham Peculiar 23
41 . Jacob Davis Millersville 22
42 . Jason Estes Winston 22
43 . Jeremy Greenwalt Potosi 22
44 . Kyle Westerhold Blue Springs 22
45 . Logan Martin West Plains 22
46 . Matt Eaton Park Hills 22
47 . Brad Buck Paragould AR 21
48 . Josh Hughes West Plains 21
49 . Ray Walsh 21
50 . Curt Rackers Holts Summit 20
51 . Erik Maggard Brighton 20
52 . Hunter Marriott Brookfield 20
53 . Jake Griffin Quincy IL 19
54 . Kasey Nations Park Hills 19
55 . Michael Long Quincy IL 19
56 . Zachary Sanders Kearney 19
57 . Darren Shaw Lathrop 18
58 . Rodney Sanders Happy TX 18
59 . Ryan Gustin Marshalltown IA 18
60 . Stormy Scott Las Cruces NM 18
61 . Troy Fowler Portageville 18
62 . Jeff Cutshaw Cross Timbers 17
63 . Shad Badder Oak Grove 17
64 . Tim Hancock Mt. Olive IL 17
65 . Danny Crane Columbia 16
66 . Darian Hendrix Joplin 16
67 . Dean Hoffman 16
68 . Isaac Dotson Lathrop 16
69 . Jason Hughes Watts OK 16
70 . Rex Merritt Billings 16
71 . Richard Foster Jefferson City 16
72 . Rustin Miller Houston 16
73 . Steve Stotler O'Fallon 16
74 . Tim Setzer Archie 16
75 . Jeremy Payne Springfield 15
76 . Steven DeLonjay Quincy IL 15
77 . Blake Peeler Trimble 14
78 . Robby Arnold Paragould AR 14
79 . T.J. Herndon 14
80 . Mark Dotson Cameron 13
81 . Matt Dotson Farmington 13
82 . Terry Phillips Springfield 13
83 . Austin Matthews Dexter 12
84 . Trevor Hunt Liberty 12
85 . Brian Green Pierce City 11
86 . Josh Russell 11
87 . Kevin Blackburn Fulton 11
88 . Scotty Roberts Columbia 11
89 . Todd Wilson Spickard 11
90 . Mike Harrison Highland IL 10
91 . R.C. Whitwell Tucson AZ 10
92 . Austin Seibert Grandview 9
93 . Cody Conner 9
94 . Darrell Moser Fredericktown 9
95 . Jerry Lankton Lampe 9
96 . Kevin Morrow Bronaugh 9
97 . Melvin Pilcher 9
98 . Robbie Reed Mexico 9
99 . Terry Beckham II Joplin 9
100 . Yancy Shepard Smithville 9
101 . Josh Greene 8
102 . Justin Folk Iola KS 8
103 . Paden Phillips Chanute KS 8
104 . Robbie Bryant Willard 8
105 . Sam Florence Kansas City 8
106 . Timmy Hill 8
107 . Aaron Marrant Orrick 7
108 . Brent Holman 7
109 . Craig Wood  Eldorado Springs 7
110 . Dusty Campbell Nevada 7
111 . Jamie Ragland Lebanon 7
112 . Jesse Stovall Galena 7
113 . Ken Schrader Concord NC 7
114 . Lucas Lee Paris TN 7
115 . Michael Lee Paris TN 7
116 . Mike Vanderiet Jr. Mexico 7
117 . Ricky Horton High Ridge 7
118 . Tim Karrick Basehor KS 7
119 . Brian Williams Fayetteville AR 6
120 . Daryl Hay Doniphan 6
121 . Earl Roark Henley 6
122 . Kaleb Bray Archie 6
123 . Luke Feeback Harrisonville 6
124 . Matt Johnson Archie 6
125 . P.J. Conger St. Joseph 6
126 . Perry Milbourn Jr. St. Joseph 6
127 . Scott Crigler Alton 6
128 . Terry James 6
129 . Tyler Ratajczyk 6
130 . Brent Mullins 5
131 . Chase Jones Eldorado Springs 5
132 . Chris Brown Spring TX 5
133 . Chris Spaulding Wellsville 5
134 . Conrad Miner Arnold 5
135 . David Barker Kingsville 5
136 . Jason Bodenhammer Centerview 5
137 . Jason Thompson Concordia 5
138 . Jeff James Stanton IA 5
139 . Jess Folk Jr. Iola KS 5
140 . Jim Hopkins Rayville 5
141 . Jimmy Owens Newport TN 5
142 . Justin Neuman Crocker 5
143 . Kyle Stolzer 5
144 . Mike Jessup Jackson 5
145 . Mike VanGenderen Newton IA 5
146 . Paul Bauman 5
147 . Richie Gustin Gilman IA 5
148 . Ron VerBeek Oskaloosa IA 5
149 . Shane Lawson Stewartsville 5
150 . Steve Grotz Quincy IL 5
151 . Terry Kirk Urbana 5
152 . Tony Jackson Jr. Lebanon 5
153 . Bill Nickleson 4
154 . Brandon Smith Floral AR 4
155 . Brian Bolin Fort Scott KS 4
156 . Chris Theodore 4
157 . Colson Kirk Urbana 4
158 . Darren Fuqua Topeka KS 4
159 . Dean Vickers 4
160 . Hunter Rasdon Jonesboro AR 4
161 . J.J. Baumli Lathrop 4
162 . Jeff Asher Ironton 4
163 . Jimmy Cornell Broseley 4
164 . Joey Kramer 4
165 . Johnny Fennewald Appleton City 4
166 . Justin Allen Ashland 4
167 . Michael Turner 4
168 . Mike Henson 4
169 . Nathan Vaughn Lincoln 4
170 . Ron Keith Shawnee KS 4
171 . Steven Grotz Quincy IL 4
172 . Tim Nash 4
173 . Bobby Despain 3
174 . Brad Thurston 3
175 . Brian Bielong 3
176 . Brian Johnson Independence 3
177 . Craig Spegal New London 3
178 . Danny DeMasters Neosho 3
179 . Dave Elson Springfield 3
180 . Dereck Ramirez Woodward OK 3
181 . Derrick Hicks Ravenwood 3
182 . Jake Richards Kansas City KS 3
183 . Jason Pursley Wheatland 3
184 . Jeff Taylor Cave City AR 3
185 . Jim Peeler Milan 3
186 . Joe Giesler St. Genevieve 3
187 . Joe Puricelli 3
188 . Johnny McGinnis Hardin 3
189 . Jon Gray 3
190 . Kenny Wallace Concord NC 3
191 . Kris Lloyd 3
192 . Kenny Lovins 3
193 . Levi Phillips Neosho 3
194 . Paul Reeder Malden 3
195 . Preston Serratt Dyersburg TN 3
196 . Rick Conoyer 3
197 . Tyler Fowler Portageville 3
198 . Billy Dalton 2
199 . Brandon Hill Holden 2
200 . Christopher Moon Sedalia 2
201 . Dennis Bunger Harrisonville 2
202 . Doug Wood Festus 2
203 . Glenn Bratti Springdale AR 2
204 . Jason Krohn Slayton MN 2
205 . Jerry Morgan Fort Scott KS 2
206 . Josh Poe Drexel 2
207 . Justin Roberts 2
208 . Kanyan Methvin Yellville AR 2
209 . Kelly Shryock Fertile IA 2
210 . Larry Winn Hallsville 2
211 . Mike Bowers North Little Rock AR 2
212 . Michael Dotson Lathrop 2
213 . Nick Hoffman 2
214 . Paul Snyder Wellsville KS 2
215 . Randy Zimmerman Fort Scott KS 2
216 . Rob Muilenberg Sparta 2
217 . Robert Powers Campbell 2
218 . Roger Moser Fulton 2
219 . Shawn Knuckles Poplar Bluff 2
220 . Tim Barrett 2
221 . Tim Radford Piedmont 2
222 . Tom Vogt 2
223 . Trent Grotz Quincy IL 2
224 . Tony Patterson New Florence 2
225 . Tyler Brown Stoutland 2
226 . Zack Vanderbeek Oskaloosa IA 2
227 . Ben Reed 1
228 . Bryan Rowland Woodward OK 1
229 . Buddy Benedict Independence 1
230 . Chad Heady 1
231 . Chase Junghans Manhattan KS 1
232 . Clay Langley Stover 1
233 . Curt Potter Boonville 1
234 . David Wood Rayville 1
235 . Eddie Bray Jr. Archie 1
236 . Gene Hogan Independence 1
237 . Gunner Martin Blue Springs 1
238 . Jeff Marriott Platte City 1
239 . Jody Tillman West Branson 1
240 . Johnny Scott Las Cruces NM 1
241 . Jonathan Rowan Jackson TN 1
242 . Lewis Jackson Wellsville KS 1
243 . Lynnsee Provence Little Rock AR 1
244 . Scott Burge Puxico 1
245 . Spencer Wilson Spickard 1
246 . Travis Smith 1
247 . Will Johns Osawatomie KS 1

Limited Modifieds
Pos. Driver Hometown Points
1 . J.C. Morton Springfield 124
2 . Shawn Strong Republic 117
3 . Kris Jackson Lebanon 103
4 . Scott Drake Webb City 97
5 . Scotty Martin Independence 70
6 . Greg Swearingem Bismarck 68
7 . Mike Floyd Holts Summit 68
8 . Kyle Stolzer 64
9 . Shane Blair 64
10 . Logan Martin West Plains 57
11 . Ted Ballinger Halfway 55
12 . Dewayne Hobbs Halfway 51
13 . David Melloway Hallsville 49
14 . Jerry Brown Prescott KS 49
15 . Matt Rose Liberal 49
16 . Ryan Middaugh Fulton 48
17 . Brad Smith Belton 46
18 . Josh Sissom Cape Girardeau 46
19 . Mike Savage Annapolis 45
20 . Bobby Maggard Jr. Republic 41
21 . Gregg Piotrowski Fort Scott KS 41
22 . Galen Hassler Columbia 38
23 . Randy Ainsworth Excelsior Springs 37
24 . Jacob Ebert Oak Grove 36
25 . Eddie Gross 34
26 . Cody Nivens Fair Grove 33
27 . Chad Staus Otterville 32
28 . Greg Price 32
29 . Trevor Hunt Liberty 32
30 . Doug Keller St. Joseph 31
31 . Jeff Miller Hermitage 31
32 . Nick Newton Kansas City KS 31
33 . Michael Stake Phillipsburg 29
34 . Mike Tanner Kansas City 28
35 . Jon Melloway Hallsville 27
36 . Michael Maggard Springfield 27
37 . Patrick Mahnken Fulton 27
38 . Truman Asher St. Joseph 27
39 . Tyler Lewis Columbia 27
40 . Cole Fowler Portageville 26
41 . Jason Brigman West Plains 26
42 . Scott Tracer Rector AR 26
43 . Jarred Duke West Plains 25
44 . Larry Winn Hallsville 25
45 . Bob Kerbs Nevada 24
46 . Colt Pruente Verona 24
47 . Brad Whitney Trenton 22
48 . Dusty Campbell Nevada 22
49 . Bobby Williams Pittsburg 21
50 . Jeff Stotts Trenton 20
51 . Josh Calvert Hallsville 20
52 . Kenny Harris 20
53 . Chad Clancy Smithville 19
54 . Clint Baker Meadville 19
55 . Dustin Hodges Columbia 19
56 . Jeremy Pittsenbarger Cameron 19
57 . Jon Yeoman Granby 19
58 . Mike Hailman Reeds Springs 19
59 . Brian Webster Richland 18
60 . Cody Brill Harrisonville 18
61 . Austin Arnold 17
62 . Brandon Wilson 17
63 . Dustin Miller Pattonsburg 17
64 . Kaleb Copher Webb City 17
65 . Rick Conoyer 17
66 . Brandon Maggard Springfield 16
67 . Michael Jones 16
68 . Steve McDowell Independence 16
69 . Tim Eaton St. Joseph 16
70 . Wes Bestgen Osborn 16
71 . Andy Bryant Fort Scott KS 15
72 . Bill Schaar St. Robert 15
73 . Pat Denoyer 15
74 . Steve Muilenberg Sparta 15
75 . Brad McKinnon 14
76 . Chad Feather Kearney 14
77 . Jake Richards Kansas City KS 14
78 . Matt Denoyer 14
79 . Nic Bennett Grain Valley 14
80 . Ryan Hendrix Joplin 14
81 . Andy Beauchamp Springfield 13
82 . C.J. Wright 13
83 . Jeff Yates Troy 13
84 . Brad Gholson 12
85 . Brett Shields Mount Ayr IA 12
86 . Colt Cheevers Macks Creek 12
87 . Don Luna St. James 12
88 . Kaleb Stolba Willow Springs 12
89 . Lane Pennington Qulin 12
90 . Mike Monnig Big Spring 12
91 . Tony Moore Lebanon 12
92 . James Mirts Auxvasse 11
93 . Jason Otto Richland 11
94 . Randy Forster 11
95 . Aaron Marrant Orrick 10
96 . Gunner Martin Blue Springs 10
97 . Mark Dickerson 10
98 . Mike Higley Tecumseh KS 10
99 . Adam Hemby Puxico 9
100 . Bob Penney Excelsior Springs 9
101 . Chris Shiflett Meadville 9
102 . Jeff Frowhitter 9
103 . Tim Gage Campbell 9
104 . Tyler Santie 9
105 . Ben Piper West Plains 8
106 . Craig Roden Montgomery City 8
107 . Jeremy Wilson Humboldt KS 8
108 . Jerry Lankton Lampe 8
109 . Nic Hanes Trenton 8
110 . Bryan Montgomery Bates City 7
111 . Chad Shaw Trimble 7
112 . Don Gibbs 7
113 . James McMillin Warrensburg 7
114 . Jason Billups Holt 7
115 . Jim Hartzell 7
116 . Robbie Hamlett 7
117 . Ron Bolin Jr. Fort Scott KS 7
118 . Scotty Grenier Cameron 7
119 . Shawn Knuckles 7
120 . Brian Myers Lebanon 6
121 . Chris Martin Lee's Summit 6
122 . Jeremy Chambers Oswego KS 6
123 . Sean Williams Willard 6
124 . Tony Manley Osborn 6
125 . Adam Belt Syracuse 5
126 . Chris Brockway Warrensburg 5
127 . Don Cox Holts Summit 5
128 . Dylan Timmerman Eldorado Springs 5
129 . Jared Thulin Stillwater OK 5
130 . Jimmie Davis Chanute KS 5
131 . John Brooks Warrensburg 5
132 . Josh Reisdorph Bates City 5
133 . Justin Asher St. Joseph 5
134 . Ken Rumble 5
135 . Richard Layne Kansas City 5
136 . Ryan Richards 5
137 . Scott Chism Bolivar 5
138 . Shadren Turner St. Joseph 5
139 . Toby Thompson Mountain Grove 5
140 . Trevor Drake Webb City 5
141 . Aaron Drake Joplin 4
142 . Austin Rettig Sikeston 4
143 . Brian Richards 4
144 . Bryan Richards Pacific 4
145 . Devin Irvin Cleveland 4
146 . Dustin Crist St. Joseph 4
147 . Greg Chilton 4
148 . Greg Strong 4
149 . Jack Simmons Erie KS 4
150 . Jared Miller Allendale 4
151 . Jerry Chapman 4
152 . Josh Reed Middle Brook 4
153 . Kasey Nations 4
154 . Nathan Gibson 4
155 . Ronnie Miller Trenton 4
156 . Ryan Stacye Fair Grove 4
157 . Tim Ballinger Halfway 4
158 . Tyler Droste Waterloo IA 4
159 . Wes Long Springfield 4
160 . Zane Blanchard 4
161 . Bob Maggard Republic 3
162 . Brian Blair 3
163 . Bronson Combs Shawnee KS 3
164 . Cale Turner Jefferson City 3
165 . Dakota Foster Garner KS 3
166 . Darian Hendrix Joplin 3
167 . Jeremy Thulin Miami OK 3
168 . Jim Piercy Jr. Nixa 3
169 . Jimmy Eaton Bates City 3
170 . Kenny Pike Nevada 3
171 . Lonnie Duncan Alton 3
172 . Paige Shaw Lathrop 3
173 . Ryan Bexten Westphalia 3
174 . Ryan Drummond Laddonia 3
175 . Scott Gibbs Bloomfield 3
176 . Stacey Hall Bolivar 3
177 . Tony Fincher 3
178 . Wayne Graybeal Springfield 3
179 . Willy Oxendine Neosho 3
180 . Barry White Mexico 2
181 . Billy Bentley Madison 2
182 . Bobby Ratterree Mountain Grove 2
183 . Bobby Russ Wood Rayville 2
184 . Brian Ziegler Bates City 2
185 . Chris Cain 2
186 . Charlie Savage 2
187 . Chris Morgan Topeka KS 2
188 . Clay Hale Cameron 2
189 . Danny Boyd 2
190 . Derek Watson Willard 2
191 . Eddie Fox Girard KS 2
192 . Earl Pryor 2
193 . Jay Smith 2
194 . Jeff Cutshaw Cross Timbers 2
195 . Jeremy Manes 2
196 . Jon Westhoff Chanute KS 2
197 . Justin Huff 2
198 . Lance Kobusch Montgomery City 2
199 . Ralph Reuscher Jr. Kansas City 2
200 . Ryan Edde Urbana 2
201 . Sam Petty 2
202 . Shannon Burch 2
203 . Anthony Asher St. Joseph 1
204 . Ben Kates Tonganoxie KS 1
205 . Ben Solberg 1
206 . Billy Deroy 1
207 . Brent Bloom Nevada 1
208 . Caleb Dennis Meadville 1
209 . Casey Greubel Lacona IA 1
210 . Casey Schroff Bethany 1
211 . Chris Odom 1
212 . Chris Ratterree Mountain Grove 1
213 . Darin Claxton Warensburg 1
214 . Darrin Crisler Clever 1
215 . Doug Scism Nevada 1
216 . Doug Brewster 1
217 . Eddie Schwope Jr. St. Joseph 1
218 . Gary Rodocker Willard 1
219 . Gene Claxton Kansas City KS 1
220 . Heath Pritchett 1
221 . Huey Jacobs Stewartsville 1
222 . Jack Lancaster Hermitage 1
223 . Jeremiah Wilson Concordia 1
224 . Jesse Sobbing Glenwood IA 1
225 . John Haslock Stockton 1
226 . Justin Pike Eldorado Springs 1
227 . Lance Lincoln Topeka KS 1
228 . Lee Pruitt 1
229 . Lonnie Duncan Alton 1
230 . Mike Folk Iola KS 1
231 . Mike Striegel Hermitage 1
232 . Mitch Keeter Joplin 1
233 . Ron McClellan Jasper 1
234 . Sean Lebo 1
235 . Shannon Blair 1
236 . Shane Kelly 1
237 . Tyler Shaw 1
238 . Zach Zeugin Fair Play 1