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Sam Stoecklin
WARRENSBURG, Mo. (September 4) - The special events weekend continued on Saturday night at Warrensburg's own Central Missouri Speedway with beautiful sunny skies and pleasant seventy-degree weather awaiting the fans and drivers who made their way to the speedway. The race night was capped off by the final modified special event of the year in a $3,000-to-win, 40-lap feature event and it was Pea Ridge, Arkansas driver Johnny Bone, Jr., who came away with the victory and big money. There were a total of 32 modifieds on hand competing in two, ten-car heat races, and a scramble event to determine the big race feature lineup. There were also 12 ULMA late models on hand for a pair of heat races and a main event that was won by Jason Bodenhamer of Centerview, MO. Street Stocks also returned for two heat races and a 15-lap feature event won by Warrensburg driver James McMillin; all total there were 59 cars in three classes competing during the evening.
Street Stock competitors took to the track first to kick off the night for their qualifying heat races. Heat wins were claimed by Herb Dannar (3rd heat win) and Brian Johnson (8th heat win). Brian Johnson earned the pole position for the night's main event but James McMillin led the opening lap of the 15-lap main event as the cars came across the line for lap number one. The race stayed green with Johnson glued to the backside of the leader as Bryce McMillin maintained his third position with Chad Eickleberry coming up to fourth. The first caution period in the race occurred on lap seven when Jake Conley looped his machine off of turn four. McMillin took the green flag again on the restart to continue leading with Johnson, Bryce McMillin, and Eickleberry trailing inside the top four until John Miller lost several engine parts off of turn four to bring out the red flag for cleanup. At the same time, Michael Mullins, who had climbed all the way into the top six from tailback spun off of turn four and had to go back to the tail on the next restart. With now ten laps down and five remaining, the green flag waved again with McMillin maintaining his low-side line over Johnson. The race was then down to just two laps to go but no one had anything for James McMillin, who became the latest driver to pick up a win in the John Brooks-owned #49sr machine. Johnson held strong for second place, with Eickleberry third, Bryce McMillin fourth, Ziegler fifth, and T.J. Faulkenberry with a strong sixth-place finish at the conclusion of the race.
Street Stock Heat Races:
Heat Race 1: 74 Herb Dannar, 49sr James McMillin, 65 Brian Ziegler, 09 Chad Eickleberry, 68c Jake Conley
Heat Race 2: 97k Brian Johnson, 42 Bryce McMillin, 55 John Miller, 29 Jay Barnes, 2b Brian Cox
Up next were the ULMA late models as Jon Binning tried to continue his hot streak and quest to gain more points on current leader Jason Bodenhamer. Heat-race action saw track point leader Jason Bodenhamer pick up his fifth heat win and Jon Binning for his seventh heat win to set the starting lineup for the 20-lap main event with Bodenhamer earning the pole. From the onset of the main event, it was Binning leading lap one but it didn't take long for Bodenhamer to flex his late model muscle to grab the lead away from Binning on lap two. Bodenhamer led the race in comfortable style with Binning holding on to second with Clancy in third and Brett Wood fourth. On lap three, John Pipes spun in corner one with Joe Bartlett also stopping on the track to draw the first yellow flag of the race. Once the field took the green again, Clancy tried all he could to reel in race leader Bodenhamer who was strong off the restarts. Unfortunately for Bartlett, he was involved in his second yellow flag for the night as his night came to an end as a result of his second yellow flag. Bodee again darted out to the lead on the final restart as the ULMA drivers set a blistering pace to the finish. For a while it looked like Clancy was going to reel in Bodee but the Centerview driver was not to be denied as he drove to his seventh track feature win of the year with Clancy in a solid second-place finish at the line. Binning held on for third with Wood in fourth, Shawn Rayfield finished fifth and Lane Ehlert rounded out the top six.
ULMA Late Model Heats:
Heat Race 1: 88 Jason Bodenhamer, 12c Steve Clancy, 18r Shawn Rayfield, 22m Danny Monroe, 9 Chris Lapp
Heat Race 2: 65 Jon Binning, 7 Brett Wood, 42 Lane Ehlert, 68 John Pipes, 28 Brian Pipes, 52 Joe Bartlett
Modified drivers had but one thing on their minds and that was the whopping $3,000 first-place money on the line for taking home the big win in the final race of the night. In order to complete the outside starting rows for the big race, twelve more drivers had to earn their way into the starting grid through a series of heat races and the night two scramble event. Johnny Fennewald of Appleton City claimed the first heat for his first win of the year as Dustin Boney took his eighth heat win during heat two. For the 20-lap scramble it was Johnny Bone, Jr., coming away with the win and outside row starting position for the big race.
Modified Qualifying Races:
Heat Race 1: 21 Johnny Fennewald, 12 Johnny Bone, 34 Jason Bodenhamer, 73 Mickey Burrell, 96 Chad Lyle
Heat Race 2: 22 Dustin Boney, 15r Jamie Ragland, 70 Aaron Marrant, 00 Jim Moody, 3 Bubba Harvey
After a surprise on-track driver introduction, the field lined up for their forty-lap main event with Rick Beebe setting sail out front to lead with Bone in second and outside pole-sitter Jim Reid in third. It didn't take long for some three-wide action on the field to add to the excitement as Thompson, Marrant, and Moody raced hard inside the top ten. Through lap ten, Beebe held the point until a yellow flag flew for Bubba Harvey in turn four and then again shortly after for Jim Reid in turn three with now a fourth of the race completed. Mike Higley's night came to an early end by lap ten just as the cars took the green flag for the restart. By lap 15, Beebe had an eight-car length lead over Bone and now Badder in third, with Austin Siebert and Dustin Boney in tow. At the lap 20 mark, Bone was still in hot pursuit in search of the lead as Badder tried to fend off Boney for third with Siebert close behind in fifth and Jeff Cutshaw sixth. On lap 24, Boney was pressuring Beebe hard for the lead but Beebe held strong in the lead to deny Bone the pass. As Beebe and Bone raced through lapped traffic, Beebe chose the low side around Josh Everhart and it was a costly decision as Bone powered around for the pass to the lead by lap thirty. With just ten laps remaining, Bone began pulling away to distance himself from Beebe who now had his hands full with Dustin Boney pressuring him on the high side for second position. Boney was flying around the high side of the track from his eighth starting spot in turns three and four and gaining positions throughout the event. Everhart pulled off the track by lap 33 as the top five were Bone, Beebe, Badder, Siebert and Cutshaw. Behind these drivers were Thompson, Chad Lyle, Ragland, Marrrant, Feeback and Terry Schultz running high and low for positions. In the end, Bone pulled away making the long haul from Pea Ridge, Arkansas, pay off in a big way by claiming the $3,000 payday. Dustin Boney came away with the runner-up finish over Beebe who slipped to third at the line. Shad Badder had a very strong run to finish in fourth with Austin Siebert fifth, Jason Thompson was sixth, Cutshaw held on for seventh and Chad Lyle finished in the eighth position.
ULMS Late Models
1- 88- Jason Bodenhamer, Centerview
2- 12c- Steve Clancy, Odessa
3- 65- Jon Binning, Warrensburg
4- 7- Brett Wood, Warrensburg
5- 18R- Shawn Rayfield, O'Fallon
6- 42- Lane Ehlert, Foristell
7- 22m- Danny Monroe, Jamestown
8- 28- Brian Pipes, Lone Jack
9- 9x- Chris Lapp, Barnett
10- 22- Kevin Coyne, Kingsville
11- 68- John Pipes, Oak Grove
12- 52- Joe Bartlett, Centerview
Modifieds
1- 12- Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge, AR
2- 22- Dustin Boney, Kansas City
3- 22B- Rick Beebe, Shawnee, KS
4- 73b- Shad Badder, Oak Grove
5- 16- Austin Siebert, Grandview
6- 20- Jason Thompson, Concordia
7- 98- Jeff Cutshaw, Cross Timbers
8- 96- Chad Lyle, Oak Grove
9- 70- Aaron Marrant, Orrick
10- 22x- Luke Feeback, Harrisonville
11- 15R- Jamie Ragland, Lebanon
12- 8m- James McMillin, Warrensburg
13- 66T- Tyler Schmidt, Easton, KS
14- 90- Terry Schultz, Sedalia
15- L0u- C.J. Lyle, Raymore
16- 9L- Joey Lile, Higginsville
17- 88b- David Barker, Kingsville
18- 3- Bubba Harvey, Kansas City, KS
19- 34a- Jason Bodenhamer, Centerview
20- 91- James Reid, Clinton
21- 21j- Josh Everhart, Burlingame, KS
22- 00- Jim Moody, Odessa
23- 73- Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove
24- 138- Mike Higley, Tecumseh, KS
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