Opening Ceremonies paid a touching tribute to the Racin for Rian Family as Paula Murphy was presented with a trophy for her hard work and contributions to this project. Bud and Amanda Wilson would lose their Daughter Rian and turn this tragedy into a great event honoring her and raising proceeds for the NCIU Family Fund at St Luke’s Hospital. Fly high Rian; this night was dedicated to your memory!
This evenings racing action would get started with makeup features from 6/17/2017 as the first was Pure Stock. Jon Boller would take the early lead in car #20X with Conner Masoner #47X hot on his back bumper the entire first half of the feature. Boller would slip in turn number one opening the door for Masoner who would take full pulling wheel to wheel with Boller. Masoner would work the track to perfection and take the front with Boller trying both high and low to no avail. Masoner would go on to win the feature and stand tall in McCarthy Auto Group Winners Circle. Boller would place second with Caleb Pugh #8S marching to the front placing third. Forth would go to heat race winner Tyler Cadwallader #69ER as Colten Ishmael #17i would round out the top five. Other heat race winner from 6/17/2017 was Beau Wells #555 who would suffer a four wheeler accident early in the week and was unable to compete.
Next onto the track was the makeup feature from 6/17/2017 for the USRA Stock Cars with heat race winner Jon Boller Jr #20X setting the pace early. Boller and other heat race winner Brad Whitney #X9 would battle tooth and nail for the top spot with Boller holding steady. Laps would wind down and enter into the picture Dean Wray #77 who had worked the low line to perfection coming through the pack to challenge late. As the white flag was shown signifying one more lap, the drivers would race three wide to the checkers with Dean Wray using the high line and edging Boller by mere inches at the stripe to claim the win. Boller would place second with Whitney third. Forth would go to a very fast Thomas Roberts #65X with Jayden Bears #20J placing a solid fifth place.
Our final makeup feature on the schedule from 6/17/2017 for this night of action was the Midwest Lightning Sprints as Bobby Layne #01 would set the pace. Layne would not look back and claim his first win of 2017 at I-35 Speedway with Jason Billups #2 finishing second. Heat race winner Tom Brown #B20 would end the night third as Eddie Schwope Jr #9s was forth and Ryan Secrest #94 was fifth.
E-Modified would start the racing action as heat race winner Chris Mercer #13 would take the point and lead early. J J Baumli #46 would win his heat race and challenge early and see another heat race winner Randy Smith #75X move to the front and challenge Mercer. Ben Stockton #33S was the big mover of the race as he would work his way to the front and challenge the leaders. As the white flag was displayed Smith would have the lead with Mercer working the high side into turn three. As they came off turn number four Smith would slip and collect Mercer taking both from competition as the yellow was displayed. Setting up a green to white to checker restart Ben Stockton would take the lead and make his mark in history winning the E-Modified feature on Racin for Rian Night at I-35 Speedway collecting the giant trophy and big paycheck. Baumli, in his first E-Modified race would impress with a second place finish holing other heat race winner Derek Carney #05 to place third. Forth would belong to Manlee Lamar #4M with the #12GA of Jason Nelson a close fifth on the night.
Grand National would charge to the track and see Donnie Brown #26 win both heat race and feature on this night of competition. Brown would be challenged early by both fourth place finisher Chad Fuller #0R and third place finisher Ronnie Miller #98. Big mover was John Hanson #2H as he would work traffic to place second with John Brown #36J coming home fifth.
USRA B-Modified would see a full field of competitors as heat race winner Ricky Thornton #20RT would take the lead until slipping over the birm bringing his night to an end. Ed Noll would take over the top spot and lead the remainder of laps and capture win number one on this 2017 racing season at I-35 Speedway. Noll #15 would be challenged late by heat race winner and second place finisher Doug Keller #7 and other heat race winner and third place contender Jake Richards #17J. Steve Clancy #12C would work through the pack placing fourth with Shadren Turner #17T finishing a very close fifth on the night.
Pure Stock would see the rematch of Jon Boller #20X and heat race winner Conner Masoner #47X as these two would start on the front row. As these two raced side by side, Boller would pull ahead and redeem himself and take the win standing tall in McCarthy Auto Group Winners Circle. Masoner would place second with the always fast Cletus Murray #21M racing his way to third. Other heat race winner Caleb Pugh #8S would end the night fourth with C J Turner #91 a close fifth.
USRA Modified would fly to the fast smooth race track next and see Ricky Thornton win both his heat race and the feature on this night of competition and claim the big paycheck. Derrick Hick #78 would challenge the #20RT of Thornton but have to settle for second on this night. Other heat race winner Mark Dotson #85D would place third holding off the hard late challenge of yet another heat race winner Cory Wray #69N who would place fourth. Zach Sanders #69 would come from deep in the field to place fifth.
Midwest Lightning Sprints would see Tom Brown #B20 move to the front and never relinquish the lead picking up the feature win. Second went to heat race winner Jason Billups #2 with Bobby Layne #01 third, Tyler Miller #25M fourth and Eddie Schwope Jr #9s fifth.
Closing out a night of great racing action were the always competitive and entertaining USRA Stock Cars. Heat race winners Dean Wray #77 and Brad Whitney #X9 would set the pace early dueling on the fast 3/8th mile speedway. Wray would get the advantage and pick up win number two on the night making the sweep of features in USRA Stock Car. Whitney would have to settle for second with Jon Boller Jr #20X a very close third on the night. Mich Ross #34X and Alvie Christofferson #22X would race to the checkers with Ross fourth and Christofferson fifth ending the night of great racing action.
I-35 Speedway would like to thank all our drivers and fans for a great night of racing and family fun on Racin for Rian Night at the races. Congratulations to Pyper Wilson and Landen Johnson on winning the bikes at Intermission.
See everyone nest Saturday Night at I-35 Speedway where there is always more “Dirt Trackin at its Best”!!!!!!