Sam Stoecklin
ULMA Public Relations
August 29, 2012
Three more Lucas Cattle Company ULMA late model races are now in the books resulting in three different drivers finding their way to victory lane. Friday winners were Brett Wood at Valley Speedway and Jason Russell at Callaway Raceways. This week’s Saturday winner was long-time ULMA driver Kevin Coyne, who raced to victory at Lucas Oil Speedway, becoming the sixteenth different winner this season.
Competition kicked off on Friday night at Callaway Raceway with a fast and tacky track during the heat races. Chris Lapp and Bob Test led the way early in the opening heat race but Lapp lost a fuel pump belt during the race, which allowed Test to drive away for the victory, setting him up for a front-row starting position for the main event. Darren Turner grabbed the lead early in the second prelim race and went uncontested for the win, also earning him a front row starting position.
Drivers hit the track for the main event with Test grabbing the point from the drop of the green flag. Behind Test, Jason Russell, Turner, Lapp, Zeke Langley, Todd McCoin, and Ashley Lancaster all raced for positions inside the top five. The race stayed green for the first eight laps until a caution flag flew regrouping the field. Once racing resumed, Test again assumed command with Russell right behind him. The two drivers ran a hard and clean race for the lead through lap 13 when Russell grabbed command of the race.
Behind the leader, Test, Turner, Lapp, McCoin and Langley were still going after it trying to settle into the top five. Russell stayed in command and went on to the victory but Test’s night did not end on such a good note when he went over the berm in the final turns coming for the checkered flag. The slip cost Test several position in the final race rundown. Turner finished in the second position followed by Lapp, McCoin, and Langley inside the top five. Chris Cox, Lancaster, and Test also recorded top-ten finishes. Russell’s latest victory was his eleventh of the season, which tied him for most single-season wins by an active ULMA member.
The track is scheduled to run another weekly program again this Friday. Gates open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7 and races at 7:30. Adult admission is $12, kids ages 7-12 are $5, and children six and under are free. Pit passes are $25. Registration fees have been reduced to just $15 for the remainder of the year. For general questions and clarifications call Betty at 573-642-6580. Visit the track online at www.callawayraceways.com.
At Valley Speedway last Friday night just eight drivers competed; however, the disappointing car count did not dampen the night’s racing. In the BuyRaceParts.com heat race, Donnie Dannar and Jimmy Jobe started up front but Jobe quickly found trouble as he scraped the turn two wall slipping back to the tail end of the field on the ensuing restart. Dannar grabbed the early race lead with Chris Hawkins, Bob King, and Kevin Coyne close behind. Joe Walkenhorst started at the tail end of the field but made his way towards the front until he spun battling for third position, a move that ended his bid for the win. Dannar still had the lead on the next restart but Brett Wood ran him down and eventually grabbed the lead away from Dannar and went on to win the race. Dannar, King, Steve Clancy, Coyne, and Jobe finished behind the leader.
In the Rod End Supply main event, Wood started on the pole by virtue of passing points earned in the heat race right alongside Clancy, who also passed his share of competitors in the heat to start up front. The 20-lap feature got off to a scorching start with Wood and Clancy using the low and high lines to battle for the lead. Unfortunately, Clancy’s bid for the win ended all too soon when he retired to the pit area on lap two. With Clancy out of it, Wood began to distance himself from his fellow competitors in the following laps in one of the most dominating performances seen at Valley this year as he pulled away lap by lap.
Coyne and King had a classic duel going on for the runner-up position in a lane swapping battle behind Wood. Debris on the speedway brought out another caution on lap 13 as Wood led Coyne, and King on the restart. Not long after the race resumed, Wood again built up a sizable lead but his bid for the win almost ended in disappointment when he nearly spun himself out in turn four. Although the flagman waived the caution flag for Wood, the decision was overturned by track officials and the race lineup declared “as it was the previous lap” with Wood again leading the way. The final laps went off at a blistering pace with Wood going on to claim his third win of the year over Coyne, King, Walkenhorst, Dannar, Hawkins, Jobe, and Clancy.
Just one points-earning event at Valley Speedway remains on this year’s schedule, which is Friday, September 21. This particular date also serves as the final points-earning night for ULMA drivers looking to advance positions in the final season standings and is also the last chance to try and get to at least 15 starts for the year. To qualify for any and all contingency and money awarded at the end of the season a driver must have participated in at least 15 ULMA points-earning events. For additional information about the speedway, visit www.valleyspeedway.com.
A phenomenal weekly racing series at Lucas Oil Speedway came to a close on Saturday night as 20 competitors made their way to the track for two heat races and the featured event. This year’s average late model car count at Lucas Oil Speedway was 26, far and away the highest average weekly late model car count at any track in the entire Midwest.
Kevin Coyne and Andy Kennedy paced the field for heat number one and it was Coyne who raced his way to the front to assume command of the race with Kennedy close behind. Rylan Long and Mike Berger charged hard to gain positions behind Coyne, who went on to claim the win over Long, who edged Kennedy at the line for second with Kennedy finishing third. In the second heat race, track champion Jeremy Kelley and Larry Jones started on row one. Jones led this race from the start with Kelley left to battle with a hard-charging Jason Russell in tow. Jon Binning eventually made his way to the front making it a four-car battle but it was Jones who led the field across the line. Kelley, Russell, and Binning followed the leader closely to the finish.
By virtue of their heat-race victories, Coyne and Jones led the field to the green flag in the main event with Coyne quickly charging out in search of his first win of the year and first-ever win at Lucas Oil Speedway. From the start Justin Russell and Andy Kennedy had troubles in turn one leading to a complete restart on the field. Once the race resumed, Coyne again had things under control at the front over Jones, Russell, Long, and Kelley among the top five. Long and Jones raced hard in close-up action for several laps inside the top five. Coyne continued to lead the field as he pulled away from the battle for second position.
At lap 10, Coyne led Long, Russell, Kelley, Jones, and Binning as Long had his hands full of Russell with the two previous feature winners racing hard for the second position. Coyne continued to dominate the race up until the checkered flag flew claiming his first-ever track win and first win of the year. It was Coyne’s first trip to ULMA victory lane since August 2009. Behind Coyne at the line the battle for second stayed active even until the cars finishing second and third passed the finish line. Coming for the checkered flag Long and Russell collided at the finish with Russell edging out Long for the position. Kelley finished fourth behind the side-swapping battle for second and clinched the track’s point championship. Tommy Cordray, Jones, Binning, Walkenhorst, and Andy Kennedy also posted top ten finishes in the final weekly event of the year at the track.
This Saturday, ULMA cars may compete alongside the MLRA late models at Lucas Oil Speedway and earn ULMA points; however, any ULMA competitor and car must abide by ULMA rules at all times throughout the night. Two provisional starting positions are up for grabs for ULMA cars for starting positions in the night’s main event. One provisional will go to the highest in the ULMA over all point standings while the other will go to the highest in Lucas Oil Speedway final late model track points that does not transfer to the main event through normal qualifying procedures. Saturday’s program also features USRA modifieds. The Diamond Drag Boat Nationals races will also take place this weekend at the speedway for the Second Annual event on Lake Lucas.
For more information regarding the boat and circle track events visit www.lucasoilspeedway.com. Gates open at 5 p.m. with racing at 7. All day admission prices are: Adults GA/Pit Pass Combo (16 and up) $25 (includes admission to Lucas Oil MLRA Saturday Night), Seniors GA/Pit Pass Combo (62 and up) $20 (includes admission to Lucas Oil MLRA Saturday Night), Youth GA/Pit Pass Combo (age 6 to 15) $10 (includes admission to Lucas Oil MLRA Saturday Night), Kids GA/Pit Pass Combo (age 5 and under) FREE, Family Pass GA/Pit Pass Combo $50 (includes admission for 2 Adults and Up to 3 Kids Ages (6-15), Saturday Spectator Admission includes admission to Lucas Oil MLRA Saturday Night. Dirt track only admission after 5: Adults (16 and up) $20, Senior Citizens (62 and up) $15, Youth (6-15) $5, Kids (5 and under) free, Family Pass $40, Pit Pass $30.
ULMA’s title sponsor is Lucas Cattle Company. Contingency sponsors are Rod End Supply and Buyraceparts.com. Affiliate sponsors include PhotoGraphics by Shelly Payne, General Fence LLC, Midland Printing, Bone Cutter Body Shop, Taylor Tire Distribution, and Imhoff Construction. Email requests to join ULMA’s email group to unitedlatemodelassociation@hotmail.com. ULMA is a proud supporter of Homes for Our Troops. Visit the association’s website for schedule of events, race history, results, points, and much more at www.ulmaracing.com or like ULMA on Facebook.
ULMA t-shirts are now available at various sanctioned tracks for just $10. Shirts come in all sizes in four different colors of white, grey, tan, and pink. See a ULMA official at any ULMA track or email Sam Stoecklin at samonthemic@hotmail.com to obtain yours while supplies last!
Current Lucas Cattle Company ULMA Point Standings (full standings at www.ulmaracing.com)
POS CAR # NAME STARTS POINTS
1st
2J Jason Russell 31 1813
2nd 90 Joe Walkenhorst 21 1712
3rd 86 Brandon Imhoff 25 1693
4th 65 Jon Binning 19 1649
5th 22 Kevin Coyne 22 1643
6th 133 Chris Hawkins 18 1614
7th 7 Brett Wood 18 1595
8th 1 Bob Test 18 1577
9th 23Z Zeke Langley 24 1576
10th 0X Justin Russell 19 1551
Upcoming ULMA Races:
Friday, August 31st – Callaway Raceway, Fulton Mo
Saturday, September 1st – Lucas Oil Speedway (ULMA legal cars can earn points during MLRA race)
Friday, Sept 7th – Callaway Raceway, Fulton Mo
Friday, Sept 14th – Callaway Raceway, Fulton Mo
Friday, Sept 21st – Valley Speedway, Grain Valley (ULMA Points End)
Saturday, Oct 20th – Valley Speedway, Grain Valley (Non ULMA Points)