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LATEMODELRACER >> DIRT LATE MODELS >> ULMA News & Notes: Late Models and Monster Trucks
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Message started by LMR on 08/08/12 at 6:02pm

Title: ULMA News & Notes: Late Models and Monster Trucks
Post by LMR on 08/08/12 at 6:02pm

Sam Stoecklin
ULMA Public Relations
August 7, 2012

Late Models and Monster Trucks all on the Same Night for ULMA Competitors this Friday in $1,000-to-Win Valley Speedway Special Event

Late Models and Monster Trucks all in the same night! Yes, you read that correctly. For the first time-ever in the Greater Kansas City Metro, and quite possibly anywhere, late models and monster trucks will share the same venue on the same night. This highly anticipated event takes place Friday, August 10 at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Missouri, just minutes from the downtown Kansas City skyline.

The pit area and grandstands open at 6 p.m. A “Meet & Greet” pit party takes place from 6 to 7 p.m. with racing following shortly thereafter. Monster Trucks as well as Tough Trucks will compete and the jet powered Little Red Beer Hauler will melt down a car in front of the grandstand. General Admission tickets are $20, Kids 6 to 12 years $10, Children 5 and under are absolutely free! Party deck upgrades are available and pit passes are $25 for drivers and crew members.

The Monster Truck roll call includes Rap Attack, Incinerator, Tail Gator, River Rat, heavy Hitter, and Abuser Tank. Tough Trucks include Wild Thing, Thunderstruck, Mischief, Super Trooper, Bam Bam, Trouble, Double Deuce, Suicide, bandit, and Optical Illusion. Valley Speedway is located at 348 East Old Highway 40. Late Models will be the only circle track division competing on Friday evening in an event that will pay $1,000 to the winner! This Friday drivers race for $1,000 to win in the track special event. Valley Speedway promoter Dennis Shrout has stated, “If 18 or more late models show up, I will bump the purse even more.” Visit the track’s official website for complete details regarding ‘Monsters in the Valley’ at www.valleyspeedway.com.

Heading into last week’s ULMA action, Joe Walkenhorst had registered one victory. That victory was also his first-ever ULMA win. Now, just a few weeks later, the Lee’s Summit, Missouri driver has become the latest multiple Lucas Cattle Company ULMA winner after driving to victory in his Swartz Extreme, Richmont Racing Engines #90 car to victory lane at Valley Speedway. Current point leader Jason Russell of Henley, Missouri registered his ninth victory of the year at Callaway Raceway, while Jeremy Kelley also became a two-time race winner with his Saturday night triumph at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri.

Ten competitors made their way to Valley Speedway last week for a pair of heat races and a main event that featured close action. BuyRaceParts.com heat race one featured a classic battle between two former Valley winners as Brett ‘Woody’ Wood and Chris ‘The Neosho Nighthawk’ Hawkins raced for the win with a sheet metal rubbing battle to the checkered flag. Hawkins drove his car to victory ahead of Wood and Jon Binning as the race concluded. Rookie driver Nathan Cates started on the pole of Rod End Supply heat race number two along with Bob Cummings as the race began. However, it did not take long for Walkenhorst to send the message he was going to be a factor throughout the night as he darted to the lead of the race within no time of the green flag waving. Walkenhorst ultimately cruised to the win over Mike Berger, Cummings, and Cates.

The starting grid was then set for the 20-lap feature race with heat race winners Walkenhorst and Hawkins starting side-by-side on row one with Berger and Wood just behind. The initial laps of the race were contested at a blistering pace as Hawkins and Walkenhorst raced close and even touched a few times as each driver tried to edge out the other for the lead. Wood stayed right in the thick of things and raced close behind the lead duo in third with Jon Binning in the fourth position by lap five. Hawkins’ car experienced handling issues by the time lap seven rolled around as he slipped into the clutches of Wood for the runner-up position with Walkenhorst now leading the way.

Donnie Dannar came from the tail end of the field in this race and drove hard to make it into the top five by lap twelve. Just as the race really began to heat up, the first caution flag of the race flew for Cates as he had trouble making his way off of turn two. The race came to a halt for just a few moments though as Cates quickly rejoined the field. Another five quick laps wowed the fans as the top four ran nose-to-tail until Berger became the latest driver to have trouble making his way off of corner two as the caution waved one final time for the three-lap dash to the finish. For the final circuits, Walkenhorst experienced heavy pressure from Wood for the victory, but ultimately he held on for the win as Wood settled for second. Dannar recorded his best-ever ULMA finish with an impressive third-place effort, just ahead of Binning in fourth, Hawkins fifth, and Clancy sixth. Berger, Cummings, Cates, and Jimmy Jobe rounded out the top ten.

The Friday night ‘East’ track also hosted a night of racing as Callaway Raceway welcomed 13 drivers in the ULMA division. Heat race victories went to Darren Turner who looked the best he has all year long as he held off David Miller in heat race one. Jason Russell set himself up strong on the feature starting grid with a convincing win in heat two ahead of Todd McCoin and multiple track winner, Chris Lapp. With Turner and Russell occupying the front row for the main event Turner was looking for his first-ever ULMA victory while Russell had his sights set on win number nine for the year.

For the 20-lap feature event Jason Russell once again paced the rest of the field at the start of the race along with Turner, who was seeking his first-ever ULMA a-main. Russell, on the other hand was searching for his ninth trip to victory lane this season. Russell held the point throughout the early stages of the race with Turner doing all he could to hang onto the leader not letting the leader out of his sight. Chris Lapp again ran strong throughout the entire event and eventually made his way into the battle for the win. However, on this night it was all Russell as he ultimately captured his ninth win of the season ahead of an impressive performance from Turner in second and Lapp third. Chris Cox, Bob Test, Zeke Langley, Ashlee Lancaster, and Miller also finished among the top ten. Weekly racing resumes again this Friday at the track, visit www.callawayraceways.com for complete details.

Racing also took place at the ‘Diamond of Dirt Tracks’ in Wheatland, Missouri as Lucas Oil Speedway hosted another Saturday night edition of its weekly race program. Twenty-one drivers made their way to the track competing in three separate heat races throughout the night. Walkenhorst, Kelley, and Brett Wood each advanced several positions in heat one to secure the top three at the finish. For heat number two, it was Larry Jones taking the win over Brandon Imhoff and Tommy Cordray. For the third and final heat race, Jon Binning started outside of the third row but that didn’t matter at all as he captured an exciting victory over Rylan Long and Jason Russell. Binning’s charge to the front earned him poll starting position for the main event.

When the 20-lap featured race of the night rolled out onto the track fans and drivers had to be wondering if Binning would claim his second-consecutive main event win. Binning looked strong early with a commanding lead over his closest pursuers, leaving Walkenhorst, Kelley, and Russell to battle for the second position. After a caution flag flew on the field, Walkenhorst grabbed the point and led the race for a few laps before ultimately losing the lead to Kelley, who sailed on to his second win of the year. Walkenhorst finished in the runner-up position with Binning claiming third and Russell fourth. Long, Jones, Imhoff, Cordray, Wood and Jake Williams rounded out the top ten finishers. This Saturday the track hosts a special USMTS touring event and the ULMA late models will not be in contention. ULMA racing returns to the track on Saturday, August 18, visit www.lucasoilspeedway.com for the track’s event information.

ULMA’s title sponsor is Lucas Cattle Company. Contingency sponsors are Rod End Supply and Buyraceparts.com. Affiliate sponsors include Imhoff Construction, Bone Cutter Body Shop, PhotoGraphics by Shelly Payne, General Fence LLC, Midland Printing, and Taylor Tire Distribution. Email requests to join ULMA’s email group to unitedlatemodelassociation@hotmail.com. ULMA is a proud supporter of Homes for Our Troops. Visit the association’s website at www.ulmaracing.com for schedule of events, race history, results, points, and much more at www.ulmaracing.com or like ULMA on Facebook.

ULMA t-shirts are now available at various sanctioned tracks for just $10. Shirts come in all sizes in four different colors of white, grey, tan, and pink. Moisture-wicking shirts are available for special order. See a ULMA official at any of the ULMA tracks to purchase yours today!

Current Lucas Cattle Company ULMA Point Standings:

POS CAR # NAME STARTS POINTS
1st 2J Jason Russell 26 1784
2nd 86 Brandon Imhoff 23 1691
3rd 90 Joe Walkenhorst 16 1658
4th 65 Jon Binning 16 1598
5th 133 Chris Hawkins 16 1577

Upcoming ULMA Races:
Friday, August 10th – Callaway Raceway
Friday, August 10th – Valley Speedway - $1,000 to win track special event with Monster Trucks!
Friday, August 17th – Callaway Raceway
Saturday, August 18th – Lucas Oil Speedway
Friday, August 24th – Callaway Raceway, Fulton Mo