Even though Lebanon recieved just over 3 inches of Rain Friday Night, the Racing program went on as planned at the Midway Speedway in Lebanon as a season high record 102 cars competed Saturday night with close racing and some new winners in all classes.

The WAR Non-Winged Sprint Cars made their first ever visit to the Lebanon dirt track very successful as the Sedalia based group brought 18 entries to the Speedway and the lage crowd on hand for the 30 lap feature.

After a 3 wide salute, the start saw a 3 wide battle with young Cody Baker grabbing the opening lead followed by Chris Parkinson and Joshua Stephens. On lap 2, Stephens moved into second place and began to reel in the leader as 3 wide action followed all over the track. The feature would go caution free as drivers began to quicken the pace as the laps kept going. Current Series points Austin Alumbaugh started moving to the front on lap 4. After a great side by side battle up front between Baker and Stephens, Stephens moved to the lead on lap 10 as Alumbaugh closed up quickly. Stephens wouls pull away ground off turn 2, but Baker would close back all the way around the track each lap as Alumbaugh kept getting closer. Behind the lead trio, Tyler Blank, Steven Cross, Parkinson, John Helm and fast timer Mitchell Moore were swapping positions. Getting into lapped traffc on lap 20, Stephens would pull away as Baker was having a little trouble getting through it. On lap 5, with clear track ahead, Baker started to close back the gap and Stephens lead was getting smaller each time. On lap 28, Baker made a smooth crossover move to get the lead only to see Stephens get the lead back. This duo went back and forth as Baker would just nip Stephens at the flagstand each time. Coming for the checkered flag, Stephens pulled high and even with Baker, but Baker shot to the middle lane and just pulled ahead of Stepens to get his first WAR Sprint win of the season, Stephens, Almbaugh, Tyler blank and Cross completed the top 5 runners as 12 of the 18 cars finished on the lead lap.

The Missouri Legend Cars competed for the second time at Midway this season and brought 17 entries to the track tonight. After 3 tough heat races, it would be Kylan Garner and Jay Reynolds to bring the field to the green flag as Garner took the opening lead. on lap 2, Jay Reynolds grabbed the lead as Park Jones and Justin Comer followed. A 3 car battle for the lead saw Reynolds having a hand full of Jones and Comer as Wayne Johnston was following quickly. On lap 9 caution waved as Rod Baird slowe with problems. Jones took the lead on the restart only to see Reynolds get back in the lead the following lap. On lap 11, Calvin Garner made contact in turn 3 against the wall. On the restart, A great 3 car race with Reynolds, J Comer and Jones went back and forth. On lap 14, Comer went to the lead as Reynolds, Jones and Johnston and early leader Garner.  On lap 16, Jones made contact with the leader Comer in the 4 car battle and Comer went around collecting young Wesley Smith and ending their night. This placed Reynolds in the lead as Jones was sent to the rear. From there, Reynolds was flawless and pulled away to get his first win of the season as Johnston, Kylan Garner,Caleb McDugle and James McDugle rounded out the top 5.

Current B Modified point leader Ted Ballinger had to work hard to take his third win of the season tonight after starting 11th in the feature as the fast paced event saw side by side racing. Mike Hailmann making his first start at Midway in man seasons jumped to the opening lead while Charlie Gentile followed. With Hailmann settinga fast pace, Gentile had Jeremy Manes and Bill Schaar side by side for spots. On lap 5, the yellow waved as DeWayne Hobbs spun around slowing the pace. On the restart, Hailmann opened the lead again as Gentile saw Ballinger roaring through the field and position. The racing slowed on lap 9 as Michael Jones spun around and went to the pits. On the restart, Ballinger applied pressure to Hailmann and the battle was on. On lap 12, Ballinger made the winning pass in turn 3 after side by side racing as Hobbs was coming quickly. Ballinger took the win as Hobbs slide past Hailmann for the runner-up spot with Hailmann, Manes and Tim Ballinger in the top 5 runners.

Lebanon’s Brian Schutt was able to oversome a 12th starting spot tonight in the Factory Stock feature. Kyle Jeffries jumped to the early lead with Aaron Gustin in tow. On lap 3 Gustin powered to the lead. Jeffries spun in turn 3 up high slowing the race up. Gustin was pulling away as Brandon Waters, Kansas driver Mike Bitner in his Ford,Tim Petty and Brian Schutt were wheel to wheel. A lap 5 caution for Trevor Ellingson bunched everyone together as Gustin was opening the lead again. On lap 7, Gustin spun wile leading in turn 3. This placed Waters as the leader with Schutt was on his bumper. The following lap Schutt dove down low around Waters to grab the lead and never looked back in taking the win. A tremendous race for runner-up position between Waters,point leader Petty and Dylan Keepper went back and forth with the finishing order as that  while early leader Gustin charged back for 5th plce money.

The Pure Stock feature saw a Midway first time winner for 2012 as Jack Hamer was the the right place at the right time as then leader Caleb Starnes had problems while leading and Hamer applying pressure to the first year driver all night long. Starnes jumped to the opening lead with Hamer right on his bumper during the opening laps as lady driver Stacye Francis following. A couple of quick cautions early kept everyone close as Starnes was trying to ge his second win of the season. Starnes was holding Hamer at bay during the race as Hamer would pull even through the turns. On lap 6, Starns car came to a stop quickly high in turn 4 with hamer having to make a hard turn low to avoid contact. Hamer the new lwader would find Rob White the track point leader had charged from his 12th starting spot. The duo ran green and clean with Hamer holding the lead eah time. On lap 13, White got the lead with Tyler Schoen coming quickly. Hamer made a strong run to get the lead back as White developed problems and started to slow down. Hamer was clear sailing to take his first Midway win of the season as Jim Alexstates,Eric Clay, Christopher Sawyer and White finished in the top 5.

The Midwest Modified feature kept fans on the edge of their seats with an outstanding feature event as Sam Petty had to work hard for the win tonight coming from the 11th place spot. Taylor Moore grabbed the opening lead while Joey Wiles stayed close. Moore slowed on lap 2 with a flat tireas Travis Hill took over with Wiles and Billy Pearce in chase. A great three car race between these drivers would change as Pearce grabbed the lead on lap 6  with Hill back in front on lap 8.Pearce tookIt back on lap 9 with Hill in front again on lap 11 while point leader Petty getting to third place by lap 11. The only caution waved on lap 13 bunching the field together. On the restart, Hill had Petty putting pressure on and as the white flag waved, Pety took the lead with the win followed closely by Pearce,Hill,Joey Wiles and Bennie Joiner.

The Strret Stocks had a rough start,but provided a great race in the long run. Rodney Yost took advantage Grabbed the opening spot with Shawn Schmidt close behind. Yost Would hod to the lead until lap 7 when Melvin Smith and Mark Simon both moved around Yost. On lap 8 after the wheel to whel race, Simon took the lead with Smith right along side. The Buffalo duo went door to door the remaining 7 laps with Simon finally pulling away in the last 2 laps. After the lead duo it was Isac Keepper,Schmidt and early leader Yost at the stripe.

Racing action continues next Saturday With points races in Factory Stocks, B Moifieds, Midwest Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Street Stocks with racing at 7:30.

Results

WAR Sprint Cars

A Main-30 laps
1. 38 Cody Baker, Lone Jack, MO (3) 2. 09 Josh Stephens, Buckner, MO (5) 3. 26 Austin Alumbauh, Higginsville, MO (7) 4. 75 Tyler Blank, California, MO (4) 5. 19s Steven Cross, Clinton, MO (9) 6. 51 Mitchell Moore, Edgerton, KS (10) 7. 12 John Helm, Kearney, MO (11) 8. 70 Peter Palazzolo, Pacific, MO (1) 9. 1X Brad Ryun, Higginsville, MO (6) 10. 66 Chris Parkinson, Gladstone, MO (2) 11. 21 Eric Todd, Falcon, MO (15) 12. 81 Chad Shields, Grain Valley, MO (8) 13. 18X Nathan Ryun, Higginsville, MO (14) 14. 75JR Brock Elliott, California, MO (17) 15. 55 Greg Clemons, Belton, MO (16) 16. 77 Lanny Carpenter, Clarksburg, MO (13) 17. 21X Steve Stroud, St. Charles, MO (12) DNS: 8 Jeff Wingate, Centertown, MO

Fast Qualifier-Mitchell Morore 13.22 seconds Heat winners-Stephens,,Blank

Factory Stocks-1-Brian Schutt 2-Brandon Waters 3-Tim Petty 4-Dylan Keepper 5-Aaron Gustin 6-Mike Bitner 7-Frank Escamilla 8-Mike Murzynski 9-Adriell Shephard 10-David McDonald 11-Kyle Jeffries 12-Shawn Whitman 13-Trevor Ellingson DNS-Mark Davis

B modifieds-1-Ted Ballinger 2-DeWayne Hobbs 3-Mike Hailmann 4-Jeremy Manes 5-Tim Ballinger 6-Charlie Gentile 7-Bill Schaar 8-Tony Moore 9-Greg Strong 10-Tony Fincher 11-Kevin Forshey 12-Michael Jones DNS-Michael Stake

Legends-1-Jay Reynolds 2-Wayne Johnston 3-Kylan Garner 4-Caleb McDugle 5-James McDugle 6-Park Jones 7-Graysn Cox 8-Matt Gruenberg 9-Phil Burkbiley 10-Doug Wilson 11-Charlie Gaines 12-Justin Comer 13-Wesley Smith 14-Calvin Garner 15-Rod Baird 16-Jake Comer DNS-Brian Boucher

Pure Stocks-1-Jack Hamer 2-Jim Alexstates 3-Eric Clay 4-Christopher Sawyer 5-Rob White 6-Landon Harris 7-TyleSchoen 8-Stacye Francis 9-Bo Alexstates 10-Caleb Starnes 11-Monk Barker 12-Davis Moellering DQ-Scott Lampe

Midwest Modifieds-1-Sam Petty 2-Billy Pearce 3-Travis Hill 4-Joey Wiles 5-Bennie Joiner 6-Dustin Brown 7-Troy Young 8-Les Hayes 9-Jamie Petty 10-Taylor Moore 11-Joe Lafferty DNS-Chris Cheever,Rusty Forrest

Street Stocks-1-Mark Simon 2-Melvin Smith 3-Issac Keepper 4-Shawn Schmidt 5-Rodney Yost 6-Ron Myers 7-Greg Wall 8-Brandon Henderson 9-Joe Francis 10-Adam Lowrance 11-Richard Adams 12-Chad Schlicht 13-Karla Lampe 14-Wayne Bysor