Vaught Goes Two For Two

  Saturday afternoon, I picked up grandson Keagan and his fiancee Megan, turned the driving chores over to Keagan and headed for the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland,Mo. It has been several years since our last visit to this amazing facility, but with their home base now in Holts Summit, the prospect of splitting up the four plus hour trip home made a return visit an attractive one.
 We made the trip to take in the MLRA late model Larry Phillips Memorial paying $5075 to win, with the USRA B modifieds also in competition for  a $750 winners payday. Arriving early, as is our custom, we were able to catch the end of the boat drag races, reminding us that we had not been there since that part of the facility was opened.
  A nice field of 28 super late models checked in - 29 counting Joe Godsey - * see my write up for Lee County Speedway, - * along with 43 B mods. Hot lap action began just after the 6:30 advertised start time as the front stretch grandstands began to fill. The B mods qualified through four heat races, and it was refreshing to see ten and eleven car heats that placed racing at a premium. There were a few cautions in the eight lap heats, as the track was still a bit greasy. The late models then lined up four seven car heats, with the top 16 in passing points combined securing spots in the first eight rows of the 50 lap headliner. Will Vaught was fresh off a win Friday night at Lee County, and the Crane, Missouri ace charged from the sixth starting spot to capture heat one ahead of Louisiana driver Cade Dillard, Wisconsin hot shoe Mitch McGrath, and Jake Davis. This was good enough to earn the feature pole for Vaught. Series point leader, Iowa driver Chad Simpson raced from outside row one to win heat two, besting Payton Looney, Logan Martin, and Quincy,Illinois' Mark Burgtorf. The third ten lapper went to row two starter, Nebraska driver Jake Neal, followed by Tony Jackson, Jr., Jeremy Grady, and Jeff Roth. However Jackson came up 20 pounds light at the scale, putting Mason Oberkramer in the main event. Second generation driver from Oklahoma, Joe Gorby, was on top of heat four ahead of Dave Eckrich, J C Wyman, and Austin Siebert.
  A pair of twelve lap B mains for the B mods ran next to set the 24 car field, then the late models came out for one twelve lapper, with the top six slated to line up in rows nine through eleven. There was a bit of confusion, as McGrath had scratched his #74 from the feature, but he later joined the A main as a 23rd entrant in the #14 borrowed from non qualifier Reid Millard. His initial scratch moved Jon Driskell, who finished fifth in heat two in the Roth Racing #14R into the feature lineup instead of starting on the pole of the B main. When the green flag dropped, Jesse Stovall took off from the pole, leading all the way, trailed by Scott Crigler, Brad Looney, Jackson Jr., ULMA track champion Johnny Fennewald, and Chris Spieker.
  Following intermission, the B -mods lined up 24 cars for 30 laps. It would be an understatement to say we were amazed, as they ran green to checkers caution free, with all but one of the starters still running when the checkers waved! Andy Bryant was a master in traffic, leading all thirty laps to pick up the win. Kris Jackson staged a great run from deep in the pack to finish second, with J C Morton, Taylor Moore, and Mitchell Franklin completing the top five. I only wish 75 year old Ferris Collier, whom it seems has been racing forever, could have made the show!
  With driver introductions out of the way, it was now time for the headline event. As the leader crossed the start finish line to complete the opening lap, a major pile up occurred coming out of turn four. The #14G of Roth got the worst of the deal, leaving on the hook, but Dillard and Davis also retired for the night. The first complete restart was waved off, but when things finally got underway, outside polesitter Eckrich paced lap one ahead of Vaught and fourth starting Simpson. The man on the move was Stovall, who fired off from inside row nine, but was all the way to sixth by the end of the third circuit, and in the top five one lap later. Up front it was Eckrich being dogged by Vaught, who took the lead at lap ten. Simpson cleared Eckrich on lap eleven, and Payton Looney moved to third two laps later. As a noticeable dip appeared on the low side between turns one and two, Stovall cleared Eckrich for fourth at lap 16. With  the race nearing the halfway mark, Vaught and Simpson had pulled well out front, with Chad trying to find a way to the front on the inside line of the 3/8 mile oval. Even as Looney closed on the leaders, Simpson was able to pull alongside Vaught, and was out front on lap 26. Vaught then executed a semi slide job to retake the lead, and Simpson soon had Looney to contend with. Looney, the leader in series rookie points charged to the runner up spot on lap 31 and was still there when the caution came out at lap 35 as Spieker slowed with a flat tire. Looney tried the low side on the restart allowing Simpson to reclaim second using the high line. Two laps later the leaders were locked in a three wide, side by side by side battle, when a collective groan went through the big crowd as the yellow waved for a slowing Jackson. He rejoined the pack at the tail end of the lead lap, and when the green flag waved once again for the final Delaware restart, Simpson shot to the lead and Stovall charged to third. But again Vaught used a crossover move to the front, and now it was Vaught, Simpson, and Stovall in tight formation. In the closing circuits, Vaught put some distance on the dueling pair, and he took the checkers for his fourth MLRA win of 2018. Simpson scored the runner up finish, while Stovall advanced 14 positions to take third. Looney ran fourth, followed by Logan Martin. Oberkramer made a late pass of 20th starting Fennewald for sixth, with Wyman, Crigler and Jackson rounding out the top ten. Racing was complete before 10:30.
  Random musings: This was my fourth visit to Wheatland, and while I am in awe of the facilities in this town of 300 plus, the racing has not always been the greatest. However Saturday nights action was probably the best I have seen in 42 nights this season, and Keagan and I both agreed that we cannot wait to get back to the Diamond of dirt tracks.
  I am not totally up to speed on the current ULMA late model rules, but if I am not wrong, Johnny Fennewald would have been running a steel block engine against the aluminum power plants of the MLRA regulars, making his run from 20th to sixth with a seventh place finish very impressive. Of course, the combination of his familiarity with the track and the dry slick conditions no doubt played a part in his success. I am also guessing that the USRA rules allow a " better " tire for the B mods, and if so, I only wish IMCA would follow suit for the sport mods. In addition to the caution free feature, the second B main also ran caution free!
  The five drivers who failed to qualify for the main event on Saturday, were Justin Zeitner, Larry Jones, Iowan Skip Frey, Curt Acker, and Reid Millard. Zeitner and Millard were involved in a heat one incident, with Millard eventually loaning his car to McGrath for the feature. McGrath had been running a close second to Payton Looney for series rookie of the year, but missed the rescheduled Friday night race at Lee County, as there was a race in his home state in honor of a family member.
  Prior commitments will likely keep me away from the tracks next weekend, but for those of you not going to the World 100, Jacksonville,Il. Speedway will be hosting 410 sprint cars, non winged midgets, and UMP Pro Crate late models next Friday night. Darryl and I attended this show in 2017 when the Big Ten late models ran with the sprints and midgets, and it was a top notch show, so check it out if you get a chance. For now, I will look ahead to the Lucas Oil Knoxville Nationals in two weeks.
  Thanks for reading!