By Sam Stoecklin
MSFS Public Relations
September 18, 2016
(Sedalia, Missouri) The sixth of seven planned events at Missouri State Fair for the 2016 race took place over the weekend with three different first-time winners adding their names to the storied list of winners at the ‘Historic Half Mile’ on Champion Oil Race Night.
ASCS Warrior Region Sprint Cars headlined the evening with a pair of heat races and a 25-lap, $1,500-to-win main event. Sixteen drivers signed in for the events as Tyler Blank of California, Missouri began the night with the first checkered flag in heat race one. Randy Martin advanced from fifth on the grid to come away second while Wyatt Burks started and finished third. It took Sedalia, Missouri’s Jonathan Cornell very little time to advance from his fourth-starting position to drive to the win in heat race two. Chris Morgan and Seth Bergman crossed the line in second and third behind Cornell.
Wyatt Burks drew the pole position and started on row one alongside of Austin Alumbaugh of Higginsville for the main event; however, things got off to a rough start as Ayrton Gennetten of Gravois Mills, Missouri ended up on his roof in multiple-time rollover in turn one. Gennetten was uninjured in the crash as he quickly emerged from the wreckage in just his second-ever start in a 360 sprint car.
When racing resumed after the complete restart, Burks led the initial laps of the night’s featured event but it was Cornell who raced his way to the front after the first five laps were in the books, dropping Burks to second.
Cornell built up a nearly full straightaway advantage over the furious battle for second between Burks and Bergman and appeared to be well on his way to victory lane. However, it was not meant to be as bad luck struck Warrior Region point’s leader for the second-consecutive time at Missouri State Fair speedway as a reported oil pump failure caused Cornell to retire to the pits.
Now, with just five laps remaining, Bergman, who had made his way to second led Burks and Tyler Blank for the restart. As the green flag flew for the final few laps, Bergman, of Snohomish, Washington pulled away for his second-career ASCS Warrior Region victory and first-ever at Missouri State Fair Speedway. Burks held off Blank for second with Blank settling for third. Randy Martin, Evan Martin, Chris Morgan, Matt close, Corey Nelson, Lanny Carpenter, and Danny Thoman completed the top ten.
ASCS Warrior Region drivers return to the ‘Historic Half Mile’ for their final event of the year on Saturday, October 1, in a double-headlining bill also featuring MLRA Late Models. Stay tuned to social media for complete details regarding the event.
A small but fast group of ULMA Late Model drivers competed in a lone heat race to sort out the night’s $700-to-win main event. Kenny Mudd of Windfield, Missouri advanced from his fourth-starting position to claim the win and earning the most passing points to set himself up on the front row of the main event. Chris Smyser and Tommy Cordray rounded out the top three.
When the group returned for their 15-lap main event, Mudd and Cordray paced the field for the drop of the green flag. Mudd quickly asserted himself as the man to beat as Smyser quickly grabbed second behind the leader as Cordray and Aaron Poe raced insider the top five.
One caution slowed the field with five laps remaining and when the field resumed racing, Smyser tried to stay with Mudd out front but Mudd continued to blister the half-mile speedplant to keep his Creason Powered, Rocket Chassis comfortably out front.
Meanwhile, Smyser and Todd Shute raced hard for the second spot but Shute retired to the pits early in the event leaving Symser to try and stop the furious pace of Mudd. In the end, Mudd was simply too strong as he prevailed over Smyser, Cordray, Poe, Rick Kimberling, Chad Richwine, Bob Cummings, and Todd Schute. For more information on ULMA, visit www.ulmaracing.com.
USRA B-Mods took part in the 2016 Missouri State Fair Speedway season for the first time with 12 drivers competing in two heat races and a 12-lap main event. Young Jace Gay of Farber, Missouri held off a crowd—pleasing charge by Galen Hassler of Columbia, Missouri who advanced from sixth to second at the finish.
Buddy Thompson of Oak Grove, Missouri reported that he had not raced at the ‘Historic Half Mile’ since 2012; however, it didn’t look like he missed a beat as he drove to the win from fourth on the grid in heat two. Sparta, Missouri veteran race Stephen Muilenburg rounded out the top three.
Thompson and Gay headlined row one when USRA B-Mods returned for the main event to close out the night. At the start, both Gay and third-starting Hassler passed Thompson but at the end of lap one, Hassler emerged as the man to beat as he pulled away from his closest pursuers.
By lap four, Muilenburg sat in the runner-up position with Gay and Thompson also racing insider the top five. Andrew Page fought his way into the top five but mechanical gremlins struck on lap eight as he was forced to retire from the race.
On this night, Hassler had the field covered and dominated the event for his first-ever appearance in Missouri State Fair Speedway victory lane. Muilenburg came away with a solid runner-up finish with Buddy Thompson finishing out the top three. Jace Gay finished fourth with Adam hall, Chris Brockway, Jacob Groteweil, Blake Davidson, Cody Brill, and Page completed the top ten.
For additional information on the ASCS Warrior Region visit http://www.ascsracing.com. Further information regarding ULMA Late Models may be found at www.ulmaracing.com. USRA B-Mod information may be found at www.usraracing.com. Note, mention of driver name does not guarantee race appearance in any division. Find and like Missouri State Fair Speedway online at www.facebook.com/missouristatefairspeedway.
Results from Missouri State Fair Speedway, 9-17-16
ASCS Warrior Region Main Event Finish | |||||
Finish | Start | Car | Driver | Hometown | |
1 | 3 | 23 | Seth Bergman | Snohomish, Wa | |
2 | 2 | 11w   Wyatt Burks | Topeka, Ks | ||
3 | 4 | 75 | Tyler Blank | California, Mo | |
4 | 8 | 14 | Randy Martin | California, Mo | |
5 | 9 | 4 | Evan Martin | Lohman, Mo | |
6 | 7 | 81a | Chris Morgan | Topeka, Ks | |
7 | 6 | 5 | Matt Close | LaMonte, Mo | |
8 | 11 | 34 | Corey Nelson | Eugene, Mo | |
9 | 16 | 24c | Lanny Carpenter | Clarksburg, Mo | |
10 | 12 | 27 | Danny Thoman | Higginsville, Mo | |
11 | 5 | 28 | Jonathan Cornell | Sedalia, Mo | DNF |
12 | 2 | 33 | Austin Alumbaugh | Higginsville, Mo | DNF |
13 | 14 | 75e | Broc Elliott | California, Mo | DNF |
14 | 10 | 3 | Ayrton Gennetten | Gravois Mills, Mo | DNF |
15 | 15 | 9m | Mitchell Alexander | Knoxville, Ia | DNF |
16 | – | 5d | Zach Daum | Pocahontas, IL | DNS |
ULMA Late Model Main Event Finish | |||||
Finish | Start | Car | Driver | Hometown | |
1 | 1 | O7 | Kenny Mudd | Winfield, Mo | |
2 | 3 | 25s | Chris Smyser | Lancaster, Mo | |
3 | 2 | 5 | Tommy Cordray | Browning, Mo | |
4 | 4 | 45 | Aaron Poe | Warrensburg, Mo | |
5 | 6 | 42 | Chad Richwine | Pleasant Hill, Mo | |
6 | 5 | 1K | Rick Kimberling | Slater, Mo | |
7 | 7 | 6 | Bob Cummings | Sedalia, Mo | |
8 | 8 | 2 | Todd Shute | Des Moines, Ia | DNF |
USRA B-Mod Main Event Finish | |||||
Finish | Start | Car | Driver | Hometown | |
1 | 3 | 25 | Galen Hassler | Columbia, Mo | |
2 | 4 | 39 | Stephen Muilenburg | Sparta, Mo | |
3 | 1 | 5 | Buddy Thompson | Oak Grove, Mo | |
4 | 2 | 29 | Jace Gay | Farber, Mo | |
5 | 6 | 74 | Adam Hall | Columbia, Mo | |
6 | 7 | 03b | Chris Bockway | Warrensburg, Mo | |
7 | 9 | 96 | Jacob Groteweil | Cliffton Hills, Mo | |
8 | 8 | B | Blake Davidson | Mokane, Mo | |
9 | 10 | 96b | Cody Brill | Higginsville, Mo | |
10 | 12 | 24a | Andrew Page | Columbia, Mo | DNF |
11 | 5 | b4 | Doug Wetzel | Leeton, Mo | DNF |
12 | 11 | 33 | Tyler Imhoff | Boonville, Mo | DNF |