Central Missouri Speedway
September 4, 2011
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290-Plus Laps, 5 hours, and 20 Events Later, Tim Karrick Takes the Labor Day Weekend Big Bucks at CMS

by Sam Stoecklin
WARRENSBURG, Mo. (September 4) - On Saturday night, Mother Nature took the headlines, and although she was present and accounted for Sunday night at Central Missouri Speedway (CMS) in full cool down mode, it was Tim Karrick who heated things up by taking the final two-night special event of the year for a $3,000-to-win modified victory during the annual Labor Day Weekend special events.

All total, 118 of the Midwest’s best drivers were on hand for the evening’s program, which featured 20 race events for the outstanding race enthusiasts who filled the grandstands, witnessing 297 laps of racing on the high banks at CMS.  There were six classes on the docket for the action with Modifieds, ULMA Late Models, Street Stocks, B-Modifieds, Grand Nationals and MLS Sprint Cars all competing for the Waterloo Storage Products victory lane presentations.  The program began at 7:15 and completed five hours later with an overwhelming majority of fans sticking around until the final checkered flag of the night fell for the 40-lap modified feature.

Chad Lyle and Matt Johnson, winners of the scramble events, led the field of 24 starters to the green flag for the modified big-money race with Johnson grabbing the early lead.  Johnson took command of the race in the early stages, leaving Lyle and Luke Feeback to battle it out for the second position as Tim Karrick and Johnny Fennewald settled into the top five.  With a blistering pace set for the first two-thirds of the race, Johnson had his hands full with Lyle and eventually Karrick to try and maintain the lead.  Lyle took his machine to the lead early in the event, only to have Johnson battle his way back to the front while numerous three and sometimes four-wide battles were taking shape behind the leaders.  On lap ten, Lyle was in command but a few laps later Johnson and Karrick came knocking to shake things up on the leader board.  By lap 25, Karrick grabbed the top spot as the torrid pace continued until lap 27 when the caution flew for the first time when Dennis Bunger spun in between turns one and two.  On the restart, Karrick left Lyle, Johnson, Steven Bowers, and Feeback to battle it out inside the top five.    

A couple more cautions flew on the field in the later stages of the race as Karrick maintained the top spot.  Although several drivers tried to give Karrick a run, he was too strong and stayed out front.  Joe Walker, who barely made the starting lineup, methodically made his way to the top five during the race with Fennewald and Setzer also gaining ground.  Some drivers preferred the low side, but the ones who had the stones to venture out and try a different line benefited by their wise decisions and advanced towards the front of the field much to the delight of the fans.  Steven Bowers had a good run going but exited the track with a flat tire and Tom Charles, who started 21st, was battling for sixth when he was caught up in a caution not of his doing, only to be relegated to the back of the field, where he went on to finish 11th in a nice recovery.  Lyle slipped back as far sixth at one point late in the race but recovered a bit while Matt Johnson, who gave it all he could to bring home the win, also faded late.   At the end of 40 laps, Tim Karrick took his first special event win at CMS in a number of years over sixth-starting Johnny Fennewald and ‘Smokin’ Joe Walker, who advanced from 24th to 3rd by race end.  Lyle held on to finish fourth, one spot ahead of Johnson in fifth and 13th-starting Matt Dotson who came away fifth.  Dean Wille, who started 20th finished 7th, Tim Setzer held on for eighth with Aaron Marrant ninth and Mickey Burrell tenth.  

As a result of Saturday’s rain-shortened program, the Street Stocks finished their main event with John Clancy driving a great race to take the win ahead of Ray Smith, Brian Ziegler, Jay Barnes, and Michael Mullins.  In the previously scheduled night two street stock main event, it was Smith who bested a field of 20 drivers to take his first CMS feature win in over ten years as he held off Ziegler, Donnie Dannar, Michael Mullins and Bryce McMillin for the victory.  In ULMA late model action, Steve Clancy started up front in the race and never looked back has he drove to his seventh feature race win at the rack this season.  Kevin Coyne came from the ninth starting position to post a solid second-place run, one spot ahead of Lane Ehlert, who hung on to third place for his best finish of the year.  Jason Bodenhamer, Brett Wood, and James Stafford rounded out the top six in the final rundown.

For the last few seasons, one name has been synonymous with local b-modified racing and that name belongs to Belton, Missouri’s Brad Smith.  Smith, who has racked up special-event wins at CMS over the last couple years, claimed yet another big CMS victory by holding off a determined Jason Bodenhamer who had to settle for second position.  Several modified regulars took to the b-mods to try and secure the big money, and Aaron Marrant, one such driver came away in third place followed by Joe Walker in fourth, Nick Newton fifth, and Jacob Ebert, who started near the tail of the field, recovering for a nice sixth-place run.

Grand National cars made their first-ever CMS appearance very respectable with 16 competitors checking in for the action.  Grand Nationals normally compete at I-35 Speedway and Lakeside Speedway for weekly action but with Lakeside’s season flooded out and I-35 not running on Sunday night, it was a perfect opportunity for these drivers to venture out to another track and take in some racing.  The first-time CMS class did a fine job in getting used to the tight confines of CMS and raced for the win as Mike Ryun led the charge to the front from his pole starting position.  Ryun was never seriously challenged but behind him a fierce battle ensued for the runner-up spot between Tim Shields and Gary Donaldson.  Lap-after-lap Shields and Donaldson battled it out with Luke Nieman and Mike Taylor also trying to claw their way to the front.  In the end, it was all Ryun, who took another CMS feature win home for the night.  Ryun has late model wins and CMS in previous years.  Shields finished a strong second with Donaldson third, Nieman fourth, Taylor fifth, and tenth starting Frank Littrell sixth.

The Midwest Lighting Sprints (MLS) were back for their third and final appearance of the year at CMS with eleven cars checked in for action.  After the heat races, the main event lineup saw Brothers Bobby and Richard Layne run at the front of the pack.  Bobby Layne quickly took his #01 car to the front of the field leaving Brother Richard to compete for second with a fast-moving Ken Billings inside the top three.  Although it looked like Bobby Layne was going to sail on to victory, Billings continued to click off consistent laps and eventually caught Lane in lapped traffic.  Billings made the winning move as the lead duo maneuvered their way in and out of the lapped cars as Layne slipped to second.  Billings build up a fairly big lead by race end and went on to claim the victory over Layne in second with Zack Morehead third, Richard Layne fourth, Mark Billings fifth, and Merrill Lamb sixth.

Look for results and additional race information at www.centralmissourispeedway.net.  The track is located 3.5-miles north of Warrensburg, MO from the junction of Highways 50 and 13 in Warrensburg or from the Higginsville exit off of I-70, travel south on Highway 13 for twelve and half miles. For more information call the Track Report line at (660) 747-2166.  Limited primitive camping is available at the speedway on a first come/first served basis.  

Business partners at Central Missouri Speedway for the 2011 season include, Cliff Harris Warrensburg Ford and Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Waterloo Storage Products, KOKO AM 1450 Radio, 98.5 FM The Bar, Comfort Inn Warrensburg Station, KMMO Radio, LJS Graphics, Army National Guard, RSC Equipment Rental, Heartland Waste, Pepsi, Bad Boy Mowers, and Midwest Coating.