Park City, KS - Bumper to Bumper/Wix Filters Night at 81 Speedway proved to be another fantastic night of Weekly Racing Series action at the 3/8-mile Kansas oval. With 4 divisions on the card, multiple rains throughout the week provided a tacky racing surface, and division veterans tamed the lightning fast track all night long.
First up were the 4-Cylinder Mighty Mini Stocks. Pole sitter Slade Mohr from Great Bend, KS controlled the start of the race, as the 2K of Colten Kelley and the 74 of Dale Shockey took on the pursuit. Kelley made it close at the end, but in what proved to be his final start in the Mini Stock Division, Slade Mohr led every lap collecting his first win of the season. Kelley, Shockey, Korey Bice, and Clint Haigler completed the top 5, while Mohr and Kelley picked up heat race wins.
Next out of the staging area came the Heyglassman.com Stock Car division. My Race Pass results show Hutchinson, KS driver Scott Miller scoring a flawless victory leading every lap in A-feature action, but it was heavily contested until the checker flag waved. At the drop of the Klein Const. Company Green Flag, Miller took the early lead, with the 82 of Joey Richmond, 76 of George Ramey, and 0F of AJ Finch all giving chase. While the gap between leaders fluctuated, a war erupted in the middle portion of the field as 5th-12th place raced nose to tail and side by side lap after lap. Racing action slowed when contact between Chris Holle and Mike Burian brought out a Hoover Mower Sales yellow. When the race resumed, the top three once again stretched out the lead while the war for fifth resumed. Ultimately Miller proved too strong crossing the line first, with Richmond, Ramey, and Finch all in tow. The battle for fifth was a drag race to the checker as Lionel Stillwell edged Andrew Wallace for the spot by a narrow 0.006 second margin. Richmond, Stillwell, and Miller picked up wins in heat racing action.
Track officials were forced to bring an early end to a wild Chunky Poodle Rookie Modified A-Feature, with multi car accidents and Hoover Mower Sales caution flags becoming the main theme of the race. Pulling double duty, Andrew Wallace picked up the win, after multiple attempts at the lead from Walt Brookshire, Dakota Dale, Chris Lyons, and Brett Davis all fell short at various points throughout the caution plagued affair. Brookshire, Lyons, 22nd starting Ryan Quiring, and Chas Klinkner completed the top 5, with Jason Richey, Jason Denny, and Dakota Dale claiming heat race wins.
Alternative Pest Management USRA Modified A-Feature action proved to be a barn burner affair, as a 3-car battle for the win took the entire 20 lap distance to decide. Once the Klein Construction green flag waved, second starting Darren Moses raced to the point as he led the field off turn two. Pole sitter Scott Green settled into the second spot and USMTS Rookie of the Year contender Tyler Davis settled into third. Reeling in Green over the next handful of circuits, Davis used the inside of the Speedway to slip past Green on lap 10, that battle playing out just over a half second back from leader Moses. Three laps later, Davis took advantage of lap traffic and drove by the 42 when Moses checked up to avoid contact with a back marker. The very next lap roles reversed as Moses returned the favor when Davis had trouble of his own. Just as Davis looked to regroup and make another challenge for the lead, a Hoover Mower Sales caution slowed racing action. With 5 laps remaining, Moses used a strong restart and clear racetrack to create some breathing room, gapping both Davis and Green into turn one. Green and Davis went back at it over the second spot, Green briefly winning the battle to take the spot over on lap 16, only to give it back on lap 17. At the checker Darren Moses crossed the line 0.658 seconds in front of Davis. Green finished third, while Cecil Dymond and Kevin Newell both turned in their best performance of the year, crossing the line 4th and 5th. First place point man Cody Schniepp salvaged a good finish out of the night charging from 22nd to 6th, with second place point runner Brendon Gemmill right behind coming from 12th on the grid. The 4 USRA Modified heat races were won by Brandon Givens, J.D. Choate, Scott Green, Cecil Dymond.
Racing resumes this Thursday August 6th as the traveling stars of the United States Modified Touring Series are set to invade the 3/8 mile oval. Competing alongside the USMTS division will be the USRA B Modifieds, AutoTech Service Street Stocks and Mod Lites. Racing begins at 7:00 PM. For more information make sure to visit www.race81speedway.com and 81 Speedway on Facebook and Twitter.