24 Raceway celebrates opening night with modifieds

By Ron Lueck

Eleven states, from SD & MN to TX & NM were represented by the 106 cars coming into Moberly, MO to compete, 59 of which were these A-modifieds racing in the first of two U.S. Modified Touring Series shows scheduled for this 2010 season.  The crowd of some 1000 in the grandstands and almost 500 in the pit area had a great time with the season opener!  See the story for all the USMTS news above and also on their site of www.usmts.com .

Preceeding that big 35-lap race of the night, the other four classes racing at 24 Raceway put on a show of their own.  In the Sportsman class, the guys with the front row starting position, Shane Weller and Jeff Creed, had a good start to the 12-lap race with Creed hanging onto the lead for the first 9 laps.  Weller gave Creed a good chase, but got into the marbles on the 5th lap and fell out of contention.  From there on, Derrick Agee and Chad Walter were fighting for second until Walter overtook the lead from Creed with 3 laps to go.  With 2 laps to go, Agee took the runner up position as Creed slipped back into third.  And as Walter, Agee and Creed crossed the finish line in that order, they got a bit bunched up and Walter’s car limped into the winner’s circle with a flat right front tire from that encounter at the finish. 

The B-modifieds seemed intent to run their 15-lap race one lap at a time for a while early on.  When they got lined out for the final four laps, Billy Bentley still had the lead that he held from the start until the car slipped up the track, allowing Larry Winn to get past him on Lap 11.  Winn brought Mike Shelten with him with the two of them finishing first and second, followed by Kiel Erwin and Bentley for a decent start to the 2010 season.

Centralia’s Clayton Crump led all the laps in the shortened Hobby Stock race and won over Iowa driver Danny Thrasher, with Jerry Warren coming in third.  And the 4-cylinder Hornet class got its season off to a good start by Devin Still leading the first 8 laps over his relative, Andrew Hurley.  On lap 9, Hurley passed for the lead and held it to the end of the 12-lap race.  Still came in a close second, followed by Robert Winfrey and John Baker. 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

    April 17 - weekly racing series

    April 24 - weekly racing series

    May  1  - Southern Midget Racing Series (20 Lap event) + weekly racing series

    May 8  - weekly racing series + Hobby Stock mechanic’s race

    May  15  - ASC Tour, wingless sprint car tour + weekly racing

    May 16  - Car Show and Racecar Show (full judging & awards) 9AM to 3PM

Complete results from four of the classes will be available at www.speednetdirect.com/results in future weeks.  You can navigate to 24 Raceway’s results listing by clicking on the “home” page, and following directions from there.  A complete list of the A-mods racing in the US Modified Touring Series, with heat and B-main finishes are available on the USMTS site noted above. 

Next weekend, April 17, the five regular classes of A-modifieds, the Moberly Motors B-modifieds, Sportsman, Hobby Stock and the 4 cylinder Hornet classes will all be competing in the season points racing.  Racing starts at 7 p.m. with a short driver’s meeting, followed by hot laps, starting at 6 p.m.  Please see the website of www.24racewayinmoberly.com for additional info.  

The fast action will take place again on these high banks, east of Moberly on U.S. Highway 24 this coming Saturday.   “Dirt Track Racing at its Best” is back with grandstands open at 4 p.m  Let’s all hope for dry weather.

Of 106 race team entries, the Top 5 results are as follows:
(all hometowns are Missouri unless otherwise noted)

USMTS A-Modifieds A-Main feature (of 26 starters) 35 laps

1) 12 Jason Hughes, Westville, OK (heat 3 winner)
2) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, MN
3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, TX
4) 12b Johnny Bone, Jr., Pea Ridge, AR
5) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA

USMTS B-Main winners  15 laps

#1  20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, TX

#2  02 Tommy Weder, Jr., Woodward, OK

#3  88D Matt Dotson, Sturgeon, MO

USMTS Heat Winners   8 laps

#1  3d Tim Donlinger, Rochester, MN

#2  33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, IA

#3  12 Jason Hughes, Westville, OK

#4  25 Scott Green, Derby, KS

#5  78 Danny Crane, Columbia, MO

#6  18L Michael Long, Quincy, IL

B-Modifieds (of 19 entries) 15 laps
1) 11W Larry Winn, Hallsville
2) 16 Mike Shelten, Bloomfield, IA
3) 34 Kiel Erwin, Paris
4) 4B Billy Bentley, Madison (heat 1 winner)
5) 29L Chad Lebsock, Centralia

Sportsman (of 10 entries) 12 laps
1) 23 Chad Walter, Clarence

2) 14 Derrick Agee, Huntsville
3) 01 Jeff Creed, Cairo (heat 2 winner)
4) 111 Butch Bailey, Novelty
5) 00 Rick Girard, Columbia

Hobby Stocks (of 6 entries) 10 laps
1) 3C Clayton Crump, Centralia (heat 1 winner)
2) 84 Danny Thrasher, Agency, IA 
3) 03 Jerry Warren, Moberly
4) 11 Justin Bevill, Bethel
5) 31P Dale Porter, Pulaski, IA

4 cyl. Hornets (of 12 entries) 12 laps
1) 6 Andrew Hurley, Macon 
2) 73 Devin Still, Anabel (heat 1 winner)
3) 37 Robert Winfrey, Moberly (heat 2 winner)
4) 44 JB John Baker, Moberly