The abrupt change in temperatures came just in time for us to kick off our 2025 racing season. The two full nights of action came at the same venue where we closed out 2024, Springfield, Mo. Raceway. Conceived last fall by track owner/promoter Jerry Hoffman along with racer Justin Wells, the event was originally to be a weekend showcase honoring the roots of southwest Missouri racing, the MLRA, as well as a pair of original series legends, Darrell Mooneyham, and the inaugural MLRA champion from 1989, Ken Essary, with special invitations extended to former series champions. Friday nights' Late Model feature would pay $5,036 to win, a nod to thirty six years of the tour, while the Saturday winner would collect $6,036. Following the shocking announcement that Lucas Oil Racing had disbanded the series, Hoffman decided to soldier on, and even increased the Saturday top prize to a cool $10,036, perhaps reflecting the savings of sanction fees. Cash for Late Model fast time and heat race winners also sweetened the pot. A healthy payout was also on the line for the other four classes on the card, B Mods, Midwest A and B divisions, as well as Legends. Those four groups would run heat races only on Friday, double heats for the B Mods, with B and A mains on Saturday, while Late Models would of course stage two complete shows.
We expected a solid field of competitors filling the pit area, and came prepared for two exciting nights of action with quickly falling temps, and we were not disappointed!
Ninety one teams signed in on Friday, topped by twenty eight Super Late Models. Truthfully I expected a few more cars, but then again it was still February in the mid west and many teams are simply not yet ready to go. As it is, I certainly had no complaints about the competition or the show, which began very near the 6:15 advertised start time.
Late Model time trials clicked off smoothly, with Chatham, Illinois ace Brian Shirley tripping the clock at 12.041 seconds around the quick quarter mile. The widely accepted though hardly fan friendly line up procedure of fast timers up front reared its ugly head with all four eight lap heats won from the pole position. Shirley, Tony Jackson Jr., Clayton Stuckey and Dillon McCowan picked up the $100 heat race bonus after being the top four timing in. The pattern held as Justin Wells topped the ten lap B Main from the pole, which added four cars to the sixteen heat race qualifiers. Unfortunately, Logan Martin, who was wheeling a second car for the Austin Vincent team after closing down his own operation had already blown an engine and was the only scratch from the "B."
Starting once again from the pole, Shirley took the lead in the thirty lap main event ahead of Stuckey. The yellow flag flew for the first time on lap four for Kylan Garner. Billy Moyer took advantage of the Delaware restart to climb to second after starting in fifth. The two veterans, Shirley and Moyer quickly pulled away from the pack and were about the catch the back of the field when Jon Kirby spun about lap thirteen. Stuckey then regained the runner up spot as McCowan also slipped past Moyer for third. As the " Squirrel" stretched his margin, McCowan powered to second and appeared to be closing the gap on the leader with a full ten laps to go. But even with slower traffic looming, Shirley maintained a solid lead all the way to the checkers. McCowan settled for second, Jackson Jr. mounted a second half charged to third, and Stuckey nosed out Moyer for fourth. The Gundaker brothers, Trevor and Gordy waged a battle for sixth chased by Sawyer Crigler, Mason Oberkramer and Eli Ross.
It was a quick turnaround as the promise of cool temps persuaded Hoffman to bump Saturday start times up to 3:20 hot laps. With a belly full of Lamberts', we settled in as Late Models again staged time trials. Martin, Jimmy VanZandt, and the heavily smoking #7 of Cole Wells were missing from the lineup, with the addition of Glen Powell and Arkansas driver John Briggs bringing the count to twenty seven. An addition here and subtraction there and the Saturday total tally was plus one at ninety two race teams. The afternoon start left the track a bit slower, with Jackson Jr. leading the way at 12.738 seconds. Once again heat wins went to the pole sitters, Jackson Jr., Stuckey, Gordy Gundaker and Shirley. As an added bonus, long time MLRA director Ernie Leftwich sweetened the pot for what turned out to be heat race number one, and Tony Jackson Jr. walked away with a cool $1,100 for eight laps of racing. The best Late Model prelim of the weekend was the Saturday B Main, with nine cars battling for four qualifying positions. West Plains, Mo. driver Dustin Tiger came from row four to grab the win. A time trial mishap found McCowan unable to make repairs in time for his heat or B main.
With the balanced fields, no B mains were needed in the other divisions, so feature racing was staged around the Late Model qualifiers. Mid West B Class opened feature racing with seventeen cars battling for twenty laps. Cody Arnett took the early lead from the pole with his row one mate Gavin Buckley in pursuit. The yellow flag would fly four times in the first half of the race as the less experienced drivers fought for position. As the front duo raced side by side just past the mid point, Buckley took over the top spot. He then pulled away in his black #47, surviving one more yellow at lap fifteen. He would cruise to the win, besting Arnett, Jordon Cater, Braxton Rupp and Darren Burt.
The nineteen competitors in the Legends class had trouble putting more than two green flag circuits together in their twenty lap marathon. Six times in the first dozen laps the caution flag would wave before one final stoppage marred the final eight trips around. This was not bad for everyone, however. Trenton Simon started fourth in his #72s machine, and was attempting to move up early when he looped his ride and was forced to restart at the tail of the single file lineup. Right away he began picking off cars, gaining a few spots ahead of each caution. At the half way mark, he was back to second, and he grabbed the lead on lap twelve, just ahead of another stoppage. A final yellow flag came with fifteen in the books, and this time the field was realigned Delaware Style, perhaps because it was in the five to go window. In any event, the white flag came one lap later, then Simon held on for a popular win. Jay Reynolds ran up front all race long, edging early leader Tanner Foster for second. J P Harris and back row starter Chance Gilbert completed the top five.
The Mid West A division was a bit short, growing from nine cars on Friday to a dozen for the finale. But it was three wide racing for the lead as lap one was scored and the yellow flag flew. Pete Richardson brought his sharp looking #64 to the front from row two, while Ben Newell and Jerad McIntire battled for second. Soon hard charging Mark Simon came from row five to grab the runner up position as a gaggle of cars fought behind the leader. Two more cautions slowed the action, but Richardson remained in charge, taking the win. Sundance Keeper came on strong to finish second, chased by McIntire, Newell, and Carter Harrison.
Thirty six laps would be the distance for the Super Lates. Jackson Jr. and Stuckey brought the field to green after Matt Menzie went pit side following a puff of smoke. Gordy Gundaker jumped to the early lead with Jackson Jr. in pursuit. A lap two yellow ended the night for Oberkramer. Looking to double up, Shirley used a power move to advance from fourth to second on lap four, taking along Kirby in third. Along with Stuckey, the top four locked on the low side and began to put distance on the pack before catching the tail of the field around lap twelve. Trying to set up the leader, Shirley looped his #3S with thirteen laps scored. Stuckey took second on the restart, then cleared Gundaker for the lead. Following a caution for Tiger, Kirby shot to the runner up spot., then Jackson Jr. slowed to bring out the yellow with fourteen to go. Back to racing Gundaker retook second and Moyer jumped to third. Meanwhile with apparent fresh rubber Jackson Jr. came quickly charging through the field. There was one final caution as the back of the pack got crossed up with a dozen laps left, but there would be no catching the youngster Stuckey. He cruised to the $10,036 payday in front of Gordy Gundaker. Kirby eased around Moyer at the end while Shirley climbed back to fifth. Ross had a strong run in sixth, trailed by Crigler, Jackson Jr., Trevor Gundaker and crafty veteran Raymond Merrill, making his first Late Model starts in nearly three years this weekend.
B Mods would round out the fast paced show, nineteen strong for twenty laps. Matt Brookshire led Waylon Dimmitt early as veteran Ken Schrader came from row three to third. Following a lap three caution, Schrader took the runner up slot, then powered to the front on about lap six. Four more times the yellow flag would stop the action, but Schrader appeared to be a day early for his Sunday drive. Each time he would pull well ahead, and the NASCAR and mid west legend cruised to a crowd pleasing victory. Dimmitt settled for second while Cole Campbell made the trip from Mexico, Missouri to claim third. Top competitor Kris Jackson struggled a bit on Friday, but came back in the finale to climb seven positions to fourth ahead of Anthony Ferrara.
It was just past 7:30 when the final checkers flew, much appreciated on a chilly evening!
A fun weekend spent with good friends Jeff, Darryl and Barry marked the beginning of year number seventy spent going to races for yours truly. Although no one could have imagined the changes from 1930's style coupes to the "store bought" machines of today, I still get a thrill watching these warriors challenge each other on the ovals. Hope to see you all soon at the races!
