Nightingale, Denny, Esparza, Smith Nab Victories at 81 Speedway
Park City, Kansas- Weekly racing returned to 81 Speedway Saturday night with four classes and OCRS (Oil Capital Racing Series) Sprint Cars and Kansas Antique Racers in attendance. Alternative Pest Management / USRA A Mods, Chunky Poodle Rookie Mods, Mini Stocks and Heglassman.com Stock Cars all got back to points racing after successive national touring series visited the famed ? mile facility in the previous weeks.
In Alternative Pest Management / USRA A Modifieds, Hutchinson, Kansas driver Jake Nightingale slipped under Halstead, Kansas veteran Brian Franz and then held off the hard-charging Tanner Mullens to pick up the nights A Feature. Nightingale, starting fifth, settled in behind Franz and Wichita’s Brendan Gemmill in the opening laps. Nightingale, using the low side of the track, powered by Gemmill and set his sights on the leader Franz. Nightingale saw his opportunity as Franz left the door open going into turn one. Nightingale pounced and led the remainder of the caution free A Feature. Mullens, charging forward, settled for second. Franz, Treyton Gann and Gemmill rounded out the Top Five. B Feature wins went to Cheney, Kansas Beau Davis and Wichita’s Braden Stoner. Heat Race wins went to Kevin Newell, Mullens, Gemmill and Franz.
Chunky Poodle Rookie Modifieds saw Arkansas City, Kansas’ Jason Denny take advantage of his pole position as he wired the field in the nights A Feature. Denny, fighting an ever tightening race car, survived numerous cautions on his way to the victory. Heat Race wins went to Ryan Quiring, Rustin Wilson and Dakota Dale.
In the night’s most eventful A Feature, Valley Center’s RC Esparza found himself in O’Reilly Auto Part Victory Lane, after leader Slade Mohr lost the lead in the races closing laps. Esparza survived and held off the field in a closing Green-White-Checker finish. An emotional Esparza celebrated in victory lane while Korey Bice and Dale Shockey rounded out the top three. Mohr rallied for a Top FIve finish. The Heat Race winner was Slade Mohr.
Heyglassman.com Stock Cars saw a repeat winner as Hutchinson’s Clint Smith, starting sixth, worked his way through the field to pick up his second win of the young season. Pole sitter Scott Miller, also from Hutchinson, paced the A Feature’s opening laps with Cheney’s Greg Schell in hot pursuit. Mt. Hope’s Chris Holle added into the mix, but had to pit for a flat tire early in the feature. Smith methodically used cautions and the low groove to pass MIller and Schell on his way to the victory. Schell, George Ramey, Miller and Joey Richmond rounded out the Top Five. Holle would settle for the ninth place spot. Heat Race wins went to Holle, Smith and Schell.
In OCRS (Oil Capital Racing Series) action, Talala, Oklahoma’s Zach Chappell wired the field as he held off Terry Easum and Kinzer Edwards in the night’s OCRS A Feature. Easum, the winner of the OCRS A Feature the previous night, trailed Chappell but could never get by leaders. Edwards, starting fifth, and Andrew Deal, starting ninth advanced for To Five finishes. Heat Race wins went to Easum and Whit Gastineau.
Kansas Antique Racers provide an exhibition of various race vehicles from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, many local names in exhibition were Rick England, Don Renfro, Mark Miller, Ron Classen, John and Jeremy Cause and Garth Leep among others.
Racing returns to 81 Speedway next Saturday, June 20th, with USAC Wingless Sprint Border Wars and Alternative Pest Management / USRA A Modifieds competing for a $1000 to win A Feature. Also competing will be Chunky Poodle Rookie Modifieds and AutoTech Services Street Stocks. Racing begins at 7:00 PM. For more information make sure to visit www.race81speedway.com and 81 Speedway on Facebook and Twitter.