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Alan Miller
WARRENSBURG, Mo. (September 11) - After the heavy rain storms on Friday night in Warrensburg, Saturday's weather cleared out to run the Waterloo Storage Products season championship features on the high-banked clay oval at Central Missouri Speedway. This special events weekend started off the final weekend of racing for the 2010 season honoring Jesse Hockett for a Memorial 360 Sprint special event on Friday evening with Grain Valley driver, Brian Brown winning the feature. Saturday night's program was the final night of racing at CMS for the modifieds, ULMA late models, street stocks and B-modifieds to gain valuable points in each division to settle the final 2010 standings.
Another special event at the track last night was the "Homes for Our Troops" fundraiser. "The organization assists severely injured Servicemen and Servicewomen and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and to coordinate the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently". The organization website is www.homesforourtroops.org. Danny Lorton from Moberly had his "Home for Our Troops" ULMA late model at the track along to race along with a b- modified on display to honor our servicemen and women.
The season point's champions were crowned last night after the features and final points were totaled with Concordia driver, Jason Thompson taking the Modified division, Jason Bodenhamer from Centerview in the ULMA Late Models, Brain Johnson out of Independence, once again in Street Stocks and Brad Smith from Belton in the B-Modifieds for his second championship this season. Each of these drivers won several features at the track this year with Brad Smith on top of the list with 12 victories. The overall ULMA Points Champion, Vance Wilson from Frankfurt was also recognized after the features.
The ULMA late model points race has been tight lately with Jon Binning making the late season run for another championship, but would he be able to gain enough points to pass Jason Bodenhamer in the standings. The late models had 18 drivers checked in to compete in three heat races. In the first heat, Vance Wilson takes the win after several trips to the tail of the field over Danny Lorton and Chris Lapp. Heat two had Steven Clancy winning in front of Trace Westling and Kevin Coyne. The final heat victory went to Jason Bodenhamer with Brett Woods, second and Jon Binning, third to set the feature grid with Lorton and Clancy leading the 17 car feature to the green flag.
Lorton and Clancy dove into the first turn and Lorton lead the early laps out front. Lorton, Clancy and Wilson were in a battle for the top three spots. Vance Wilson had some steering problems and spun in turn two before pulling off the track early in the race. At this point of the race, Bodenhamer still had a chance to win the overall ULMA title. Another few laps went by with several yellows for various problems with Bodenhamer always just behind Clancy, who was protecting the low side. Bodenhamer tried to use the high side late in the race to see if he could find some traction to pass Clancy.
But as the final checkers flew for the late model feature, Binning was denied another championship when Bodenhamer finished second to take the CMS ULMA late model track crown. Clancy grabbed the Saturday night feature event for his first win of the year. Bodenhamer second, Brett Woods had a late race pass to finish third with Chris Lapp fourth, Trace Westling, fifth and Danny Lorton sixth with Lane Ehlert in Shawn Rayfield's car seventh. Jon Binning, Danny Monroe, and ULMA Rookie of theYear, Ezikiel Langley rounding out the top ten.
The always talented field of modified drivers lined up in the pits with 28 cars in the three heat races. Heat race number one winner was Ed Griggs in front of Richard Layne and Rick Beebe. Heat two had Aaron Marrant with the win over Terry Schultz and Jason Thompson. The final heat victory in a thriller went to Luke Feeback with Dustin Boney close behind in second and Dean Wille completing the top three. In the final qualifying b-main Steve Twenter from Sedalia wins the b-main as he survives several cautions behind him. The remaining qualifiers included Tyler Schmidt, Bubba Harvey, Clay Langley, Kalie Archer, Alan Westling, Lyle Dietrich and David Ralph. You never know who will pull their trailer into the CMS pits and tonight the long traveler award goes to R. C. Whitworth of Tuscon, Arizona.
After the B-modified drivers completed the Friday night special event with Brad Smith taking home his twelfth CMS feature win, 21 drivers registered their cars in the pits for three heat races to set the grid for the final feature of the year. Heat race winners last night included Troy Carlyle in the first heat followed by Mark Evinger and Dalton Kirk. Heat two had Brad Smith over Jeremy Lile and Lucas Isaacs. In the final heat race, Chris Brockway claims the win with Jacob Ebert, second and A. J. Tice, third.
The front row of Lile and Carlyle led the 21 car starting field to the green flag with Lile diving down low on lap one for the early lead. Smith was just behind and Carlyle battled in third. After several cautions for cars leaving the track in turn two and four along with several spins on the track, Lile started to look like he could win the race. Smith was waiting in the wings and finally tried to rattle the young driver from Higginsville with some rare high-side moves. Lile stayed down low to protect his lead and kept his cool.
When the double checkers flew at the finish line, it was Jeremy Lile, who claims the victory lane celebration for his first feature win of the year. Smith was second, Carlyle third, Dalton Kirk fourth, Mark Evinger with a nice run back up into fifth and Billy Bentley completing the top six.
The street stock division had 13 drivers registered to race in two heat races with T. J. Faulkenberry taking his first heat race win followed by Jake Conley and Brian Cox. In heat race two, Brian Johnson grabbed the victory with Joey Hotmer and Brian Ziegler finishing the top three.
The green flag flew for the feature event with Conley and Johnson driving hard into turn two for the early lead. Johnson takes charge on the first turn and grabs the lead. Conley attempted to move up front with Ziegler making his way up into the third spot. Chad Eickleberry tried to move around Donnie Dannar who spun in turn two, but didn't quite make it causing major problems for both cars. They were both done for the night leaving track on the hook with extensive damage. Then several laps later, Faulkenberry's engine goes up in smoke which added some oil on the track into the line that Johnson usually uses in turn two. Ziegler then makes it interesting after the restart by using the high line in turn two to take the lead, but Johnson fights back in turn three and four to grab the lead again for the remainder of the race.
In the end with the checkers flying, Johnson takes the win for his sixth feature triumph of the season. Brian Ziegler looks strong and takes second, Jake Conley, Bryce McMillin, Joey Hotmer, and Brian Cox complete the top six finishers.
As the feature started Terry Schultz and Aaron Marrant led the 24 car starting field into turn one with Marrant grabbing the early lead on the initial laps of the final feature of the season. This feature also had several race cautions through out the event. Early on Schultz, Dustin Boney, Luke Feeback and Rick Beebe who changed an engine after his heat race battled in the top five. At the half way point of the race Marrant looked like the man to beat as Boney started to pick off competitors into the second spot. Several of the number 22 cars lined up behind Marrant, but this was his night as the fans cheered him on to the final checkered flag of the season. Marrant celebrates his first CMS feature win of the year with hard-charging Dustin Boney second, Feeback third, Beebe with his back-up engine in fourth, Jason Thompson fifth and James McMillin, sixth along with Schultz, Clint Lyle, Dean Wille, and Ed Griggs completing the top ten.
Congratulations to all of the drivers, fans and sponsors for their participation at Central Missouri Speedway this year. The excitement continues next season at CMS with planning underway for more Saturday night racing excitement. Check out the website for complete details for additional information on season ticket packages and sponsorship opportunities. A preview of the 2011 CMS schedule is now located on the main page of the CMS website. For more information call the Track Report line at (660) 747-2166 or visit us on the web at www.centralmissourispeedway.net.
Thank you to our 2010 season Business partners at Central Missouri Speedway which include, Waterloo Storage Products, KOKO AM 1450 Radio, Comfort Inn Warrensburg Station, KMMO Radio, LJS Graphics, the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, 98.5 FM The Bar, RSC Equipment Rental, Heartland Waste, KDKD FM 95.3, Bad Boy Mowers, and Midwest Coating.
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