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Sam Stoecklin
WARRENSBURG, Mo. (May 28) - Several Advantage Metals Recycling ULMA drivers are now half way to fifteen starts this season after a slow start to the season due to several weather-related delays. One driver who has let it be known that he's in the hunt for the ULMA title is California, Missouri ace, James Rutledge, who raced his way to victory lane twice over the Memorial Day weekend. Rutledge first visited victory lane last Friday night at the LA Raceway in LaMonte, Missouri. After an early race battle with Jon Binning of Warrensburg, Missouri, Rutledge drove away from the rest of the field during the 20-lap main event. Behind Rutledge at the line in second was Tommy Cordray of Browning, Missouri with his best points-scoring night of the season. Jason Bodenhamer, Bryon Allison and Binning all raced their way to top five finishes at the checkers. Check out the LA Raceway Website at www.laraceway.com for additional track information and complete results. In other Friday night ULMA action, Javan Payne, driving his CRATE late model picked up his first-ever ULMA victory at Callaway Raceway in Fulton, Missouri. Kevin David also came home with a top ten finish at Callaway. Racing resumes this Friday night at both LA Raceway and Callaway Raceway. Callaway Raceway's Website may be found at www.laraceway.com.
Rutledge carried his momentum over to Lucas Oil Speedway with his second win in as many nights on Saturday. This time Rutledge fended off the challenge of three-time ULMA winner Rylan Long of Greenwood, Missouri. With twenty-seven late models on hand and a record-breaking attendance of fans in the stands, Rutledge earned his hard-earned victory over Long and Bryon Allison. It was Allison's second-consecutive top five finish of the weekend. Kevin Kaiser, a previous track champion at Lucas Oil Speedway, returned to racing action after a little personal break and scored a top ten on Friday at LA and then followed it up with a fourth-place run at Lucas on Saturday. Kaiser drove the INCE chassis house car during his weekend return to racing. Harlen Kennedy rounded out the top five at Lucas with his fifth start of the season and now finds himself in twelfth position in the overall ULMA standings. Lucas Oil Speedway has a previously scheduled off-road racing event this weekend and will not their normal program. For upcoming Lucas events visit their Website at www.lucasoilspeedway.com
Central Missouri Speedway (CMS) in Warrensburg, Missouri had to delay their weekend racing program due to heavy rainfall on Saturday morning. Whenever CMS races over the summer months on the three main holidays, their policy is to run the next night on Sunday if Saturday is rained out. The holiday weekend crowd witnessed the second-consecutive week of stellar late-model racing on the high-banked track as Jason Bodenhamer made a late-race surge to take his third win in a row at CMS. The week before, Bodenhamer led a furious battle for positions in a green-to-checkered flag run and Sunday night was nearly the same for the Centerview, Missouri driver. After a false start, the battle for the lead between Jon Binning and 'Flyin' Mike Ryun of Pleasant Valley, Missouri had the fans' attention as the pair raced side-by-side with Binning on the low side and Ryun up high for nine laps until Bodenhamer split the two in a spectacular pass for the lead. After 'Bodee' made the pass, Binning was kept busy by Ryun to the checkers and went on to take the runner-up spot over Ryun in third. Rylan Long made a rare appearance at CMS and after some early-evening struggles put together a fantastic run to nail down fourth at the finish with Brett Wood of Warrensburg crossing the line in fifth. CMS returns to Saturday night racing this weekend on May 31st, for track information drivers can visit their Website is www.centralmissourispeedway.net.
Bodenhamer now has nine starts on the season and continues to lead the championship battle. Rutledge now has two victories and eight starts and sits second in the overall standings. Binning, with one win and eight starts is third just ahead of fellow Warrensburg driver Brett Wood in fourth with nine starts. The rest of the top ten includes Marshall, Missouri driver Bryon Allison fifth, three-time winner Rylan Long is sixth, J.D. Hubert, who started at the tail of the field last Saturday at Lucas and went on to an eleventh-place run is seventh. Leading Rookie of the Year candidate Mike Ryun sits eighth with David Barker and Javan Payne rounding out the top ten. Kathy Tonoli, John Fellers, Bob Hiller, David Angell, Steve Clancy, Dave Baldwin, Jeff Schlup, Jake Williams, and Micheal Wilson all garnered top ten runs over the weekend to firm up their positions in the championship hunt. A total of sixty-one drivers of the seventy-seven total member drivers are currently listed on the championship point's roster. There are now seven different drivers on the winner's roster this season, which includes Jason Bodenhamer (5), Rylan Long (3), James Rutledge (2), Jon Binning (1), Javan Payne (1), Kevin David (1) and Matt Menzie (1).
Get ready to once again 'Feel the Steel' of the Advantage Metals Recycling ULMA late models. To learn more about ULMA, go to www.ulmaracing.com where you'll find a complete schedule of events for late model racing at all four affiliated tracks as well as full point standings, rules, regulations and business partner information. You may also e-mail ULMA at unitedlatemodelassociation@hotmail.com.
ULMA Upcoming Schedule
May 30, Friday: LA Raceway (weekly race), Callaway Raceway (weekly race)
May 31, Saturday: Central Missouri Speedway (weekly race)
June 6, Friday: LA Raceway (weekly race), Callaway Raceway (weekly race)
June 7, Saturday: Lucas Oil Speedway (weekly race), Central Missouri Speedway (weekly race)
June 13, Friday: LA Raceway (weekly race), Callaway Raceway (weekly race)
June 14, Saturday: Central Missouri Speedway (weekly race)
June 20, Friday: LA Raceway (weekly race), Callaway Raceway (weekly race)
June 21, Saturday: Central Missouri Speedway (ULMA Special Event, payout to be announced)
June 27, Friday: LA Raceway (weekly race), Callaway Raceway (weekly race)
June 28, Saturday: Central Missouri Speedway (weekly race)
When you visit our great sponsors thank them for supporting local dirt-track racing ULMA. Title Sponsor: Advantage Metals Recycling LLC (Formerly Galamba Group), visit www.galambagroup.com, e-mail info@advantagerecycling.com or get the 'Advantage' today by calling 1-866-527-4733.
Official Sponsors: King's Small Engine Repair LLC, All American Redi-Mix, Imhoff Construction. Contingency Sponsors: IMPACT Racing, FastShafts, Wineland Enterprises, Mike Crump Racing & Supply, J&T Racing Supply, Monroe's Signs & Graphics, Bodee's Race Bodies and Rod End Supply. Affiliate Sponsors: Graphics by Shelly Payne, Nevels Sign Graphics, and Ken Dake Attorney at Law.
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