Fans Pack The Grandstands As Drivers Thrill The Huge Crowd At I-35 Speedway

By Track Announcer Mark Merrell

 

(Winston, MO) I-35 Speedway announced free admission to the track for Rick Bebee Heating And Air Conditioning Night At The Races, and race fans answered by packing the grandstands. 

 

The fans enjoyed another thrilling night of racing, as several drivers made it to McCarthy Auto Group Winner’s Circle For The first time this season. 

 

The E-Mods began the features for the evening. Shaunie Lanning had finished second three times, and was looking for her breakout win of the year. Lanning started her quest inside row one, taking the lead as the group raced into turn one. She was able to hold off the field behind her, taking her first win of the year. 

 

The Show Me Vintage Racers has an exciting race. Rocky Rhodes, and Mickey Fleetheart started on row one. Flethart took the early lead, but Damon Clevenger was not to be denied, as he changed his way up front. Jeremy Turner follow suit, and the race for the win ensued between the three. Clevenger sized up Fleetheart, making a late pass, and the win, with Fleetheart second, and Turner third. 

 

Billy Spilman stepped into the driver’s seat of the 72x, and placed his Pure Stock inside row three for the start. Pole sitter Logan Headley raced to the lead, with Ron Hill on his tail. Hill hounded Logan lap after lap for the lead, with a side-by-side battle over several laps. Spilman cut a path to the lead pair, and the lead battle was a three way challenge. The trio had the full grandstands on their feet. Spilman was able to hold onto the lead, and the win, with Headley second, and Hill third, Rylee Fuller fourth, and Wayne Brooke fifth.

 

In the Midwest Limited Late Model class, Tommy Cordray had amassed four feature wins, and Gregg Truelove, one, but a new driver would drive into victory lane. Mike Taylor, Jr was ultra fast at the drop of the green flag from his starting point inside row one. Jon Malloway, who started outside row one, was hungry for a win as well. Behind the pair, Cordray and Truelove put the heat on. Malloway grabbed the lead, as Cordray put pressure on for the win. Malloway kept everyone in his rear view mirror, grabbing his first feature win of the year, with Cordray second, Truelove third, Matthew Lance fourth, and Cayden Campbell fifth. 

 

David Miller III was The I-35 Track Champion In The Sport Compacts last year. Miller sported a  new paint scheme for this year, and so far the new look hadn’t brought him any luck. Gene McCaulley started inside row one, with the hard charging Joesph Mick to his outside. John Willard and Miler were the residents of row two, with last week’s feature winning driver, Richard McCaulley inside row five. Gene McCaulley and Mick raced to keep everyone at bey, with the pack right there with them. An incident in turn three collected three cars, with Isaiah Penton the recipient of the worst damage. Willard, no stranger to victory lane, was also beset with issues. As the challenge for the lead raged on, Richard McCaulley brought his #19 racing machine screaming toward the front. Miller was able to capture the lead after some edge of your seat racing, and was first to catch the breeze of the checkered flag, with Mick second, Richard McCaulley third, Jason Teel fourth, and Gene McCaulley fifth.

 

Three weeks prior, I-35 Speedway USRA Out-Pace Champion was yet to pick up a win. Since then, Galvin captured two wins in a row. With Galvin starting inside row one, everyone would have their work cut out for them. Danan Knott was outside row one, Blake Pierce inside row two, with Lucas Isaacs yo his right. Galvin raced ahead of the group, and quickly, the hottest contested spot become second place, as Knott and Pierce went door handle to door handle for several laps. Lucas Isaacs had his mirror full of the red #17t of Shadren Turner, who, remarkably had raced his way from outside row six to the lead pack. Galvin gave credence to the third time is a charm, scoring another consecutive victory, with Pierce second, Knott third, Lucas Isaacs fourth, and Turner fifth. 

 

The USRA American Racer Stock Cars roared onto the track next. As the green flag flew, pole sitter Gary Donaldson raced to the front, with Austin O’Neal, Tim Shields, Jaylen Wettengel, and Jeff Dixon all jammed in a pack together. Donaldson held off several challenges for the lead from nearly all the fore mentioned drivers, and drove under the checkered flag first, with O’Neal second, Shields third, Dixon fourth, and Wettengel rounding out the top five. 

 

The USRA Modified feature was one of attrition, as it seemed everyone that took the lead was bitten by a bittersweet bug. Father and son, Lee and Tyler Hibner resided in row one, with Zack Sanders and Dennis Elliott in row two. The Hibners fought up front. As it looked like a homecoming for the Hibners was in store, Lee was beset with a mechanical issue. Sanders and Tyler Hibner traded some paint, the result of which peeled back a majority of sheet metal majority off the left side of Sanders Modified. Undaunted, Sanders marched on. Gunner Martin, who began his quest for the win inside row three raced his way to the front. Martin also was beset with issues with his Modified as well. Sanders inherited the lead, with Elliott right there with him. Elliott raced inside Sanders lap after lap, as the pair exchanged the front spot by inches, with Sanders running the high side. Elliott was unable to catch Sanders after a late race caution flag restart, resulting in a win for the hard charging Sanders, his first this year At I-35 Speedway. 

 

Next Saturday, I-35 Speedway will host Early Tractor Night At The Races, featuring mince classes of races, including the Midwest Outlaw Vintage Racers, the Powri Midwest Lighting Sprints, E-Mods, Pure Stocks, Sport Compacts, MIdwest Limited Late Models, the Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series Out-Pace B-Mods, American Racer Stock Cars, and Modifieds. 

 

I-35 Speedway, Is Your Home For Dirt Track Racing At It’s Best! 

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