By Dusty Luthy
I-44 Speedway
LEBANON - Modified driver Jeff Cutshaw is used to being out front, but Saturday night at the Lebanon I-44 Speedway was a little different.
Cutshaw won the feature, but spent most of the evening looking at the back bumpers of his competition. The driver from Cross Timbers started his heat last, finishing next to last. His finish then put him tailback in the feature starting field.
"I was pretty disappointed in the heat race," Cutshaw said. "The track was just muddy on the bottom and there wasn't anywhere to go...I just couldn't get around anybody, so that just put us way back in the field in the feature."
Justin Neuman of Crocker and Jimmy Willis of Macks Creek held the two top starting spots, followed by Jack Jones and Tony Jackson Jr., both of Lebanon. A several-car collision on the first lap restarted the field, collecting Cutshaw who was able to continue racing.
Neuman got the quick jump with Jackson running close behind. By the second lap, Cutshaw was already challenging on the inside for the fourth position from Jamie Ragland and kept his momentum to take third from Steve Martin.
On lap six, Neuman went too high in turns three and four, allowing Jackson to race door-to-door, but Neuman was able to keep his edge.
With three laps left, Cutshaw did something he doesn't normally find himself having to do: He stuck his right-rear tire in the cushion looking for momentum on the high side and found the win.
"I was driving a little wild tonight compared to what I usually do because I knew I had to go up there and do something," Cutshaw said. "I usually wouldn't go to the top either, like that. I didn't have any choice but to try the top.
"You just have to try and run where they're not at," he said.
Cutshaw and his crew will face some time in the shop this week. A hole in the radiator found in the heat race was compounded when his front end was smashed from the first-lap wreck.
Late Model driver Brad Looney of Republic isn't used to looking at bumpers when he races either. Looney won the feature after passing race-leader Dusty Johnston with only a couple laps left in the race.
Johnston, of Flippin, Ark., won his heat race, with Looney coming in a distant second. His victory set him on the coveted pole position for the feature.
"We did real good," Johnston said. "We finally hit all our set-ups right and we're usually too tight in the heat race."
Johnston led the feature for 17 laps as third-position starter Looney kept closing the gap, but it was lap traffic that finally gave Looney what he needed to win.
"We were pretty confident starting on the front row," Johnston said. "We had a good car the whole race, it would go anywhere I wanted it to. And then we got to the lap traffic."
Johnston and Looney came up on the lap traffic of Danny Atkinson on lap 14, with Johnston getting hung up and forced to follow Atkinson for another lap. On lap 15, Johnston took the outside of Atkinson into turn two to pass and as Atkinson traveled higher up the track, he opened up enough room for Looney to dart on the inside and take the victory.
Johnston has been making the haul and racing at the Bolivar-Lebanon-Monett speedway trifecta in hopes of bringing home a trophy from one of those three tracks. His plans for the upcoming weekend are to race at the Topless, but said if not, he'd be right back at the speedway, working to take back the win.
Lake Mooneyham, of Republic, pulled off a nail-biter win in the Factory Stock division. Tim Brown, of Richland started the feature on the pole with Mooneyham to his outside. Mooneyham was able to get the jump for the lead, with David Hendrix driving to second by lap three.
Hendrix took the lead a few laps later, driving on the inside groove and appeared to have the feature won. But with one lap left, Mooneyham found the momentum he was needing on the top side of the track and took the lead for the win.
"The top was good at the beginning of the race and it went away toward the middle," Mooneyham said. "I kind of changed the way we drove on the topside and it came back in and worked for us."
Coming in to Saturday night's race, Mooneyham had a four-point lead over Hendrix in season points, but said that isn't what he races for.
"I try not to think about the points," Mooneyham said. "But they just come after the race, and once we take care of the race, the points will come."
Hendrix, who has 10 wins on the season, said the hard-charging No. 5 of Mooneyham was not what he was expecting on that last lap.
"I passed him on the bottom, and thought I was faster down there so I just tried to hold my line down there," Hendrix said. "He just found something on the top and got a good run."
Hendrix, of Buckhorn, said he has spent countless hours on his race car in the previous weeks, trying to find the right match.
"We're still struggling a little bit," Hendrix said. "It's getting better, but still. We threw everything in the book at it this week. Springs and shocks and everything. It's getting a little better.
"Ever since we had that little crash three weeks ago when we bent the front end of it a little bit," he said. "I just can't get it handling like it was before."
Both Hendrix and Mooneyham will be driving in the Factory Stock Nationals race coming up at the speedway this weekend.
Josh Woody, of Laquey, won his second Super Stock victory in a row. Woody finished fourth in his heat. "Believe it or not, I didn't change a thing," he said in his post-race interview. The heavy rains from the night before had left the track in tacky condition for the heats. Woody said his car was perfect for the feature when it was drier.
Jason Huey won the Bomber feature to secure his first-place season points spot. Rich Reynolds won his first feature in the Rookie division.
NOTES:
Drivers share their time and cars---
Four drivers volunteered their time to make some kids smile on Friday night.
Factory Stock driver Lonnie Henderson, Bomber driver Landen Johnson, and Modified drivers Corey Simpson and Mookie Cunningham took their race cars to closing day ceremonies at the MDA Summer Camp held at Bear River Ranch in Rolla.
The drivers handed out candy, photos, coupons from Hardees and signed lots of autographs. Henderson and Johnson allowed the campers to sign the trunks of their cars, in hopes of adding a little luck to their programs.
The theme for the camp was World of Wheels.
Up next--- The first-ever Factory Stock Nationals race will be held at the speedway Friday and Saturday nights. The two-day race offers $2,000 to the winner and $400 to start the feature. Friday night will be Factory Stock qualifying, Pro-4s, Bombers and Rookies. The speedway will also host the first Powder Puff and Mechanics Races of the season.
Friday grandstand admission is absolutely free. Saturday grandstand admission will be regular price at $10. Tier parking both nights will be $12.
RESULTS
Late Models
Heat 1
1. 60 Darrin Barton
2. 17 Matt Miller
3. 1 Christian Rayburn
4. 87 Trace Westling
5. 4a Danny Atkinson
Heat 2
1. 16 Dusty Johnston
2. 14 Brad Looney
3. 55 Dave Ware
4. 20 Darrell Mooneyham
Feature
1. Brad Looney
2. Dusty Johnston
3. Dave Ware
4. Christian Rayburn
5. Darrin Barton
6. Matt Miller
7. Danny Atkinson
8. Trace Westling
9. Darrell Mooneyham
Modifieds
Heat 1
1. 14 Justin Neuman
2. 56 Tony Jackson Jr.
3. 15r Jamie Ragland
4. 21m Steve Martin
5. 59 Jimmy Bellemy
6. 98 Jeff Cutshaw
7. 23 Mook Cunningham
Heat 2
1. 11w Jimmy Willis
2. 87 Jack Jones
3. 1 Doug Crider
4. 47 Corey Simpson
5. 78t Michael Jones
6. 0 Jason Meadors
Feature
1. Jeff Cutshaw
2. Justin Neuman
3. Tony Jackson Jr.
4. Steve Martin
5. Jamie Ragland
6. Jimmy Bellemy
7. Jack Jones
8. Corey Simpson
9. Michael Jones
10. Mook Cunningham
11. 11w Jimmy Willis
12. 1 Doug Crider
DNS 0 Jason Meadors
Factory Stock
Heat 1
1. 1b Tim Brown
2. 72 Ben Solberg
3. 35 Dee Kelly
4. 8f Darrin Fox
5. 37p Derrick Peterson
6. 25 Dale Senters
Heat 2
1. 5 Lake Mooneyham
2. 54 David Hendrix
3. 16 Mike Shaddy
4. 11 Derrick Brown
5. 76 Lonnie Henderson
6. 140 Nick Nickels
Feature
1. Lake Mooneyham
2. David Hendrix
3. Lonnie Henderson
4. Darrin Fox
5. Tim Brown
6. Derrick Brown
7. Derrick Peterson
8. Mike Shaddy
9. Dale Senters
10. Nick Nickels
DNS Ben Solberg, Dee Kelly, Gene Crider
Super Stock
Heat 1
1. t10 Rick Brown
2. 8 Jeff Scroggins
3. 83 Ben Newell
4. 21 Josh Woody
5. 14 Tim Ballinger
Feature
1. Josh Woody
2. Rick Brown
3. Ben Newell
4. Jeff Scroggins
5. Tim Ballinger
Bomber
Heat 1
1. 23 Jason Huey
2. 25 Chad Cromer
3. 63 Pat Lubbock
4. 8 Cody Harmon
5. 7p Brandon Pister
6. 21 Landen Johnson
7. 64 Shawn Winfrey
DNS t10o Jason Otto
Heat 2
1. 42 Donnie Jackson
2. 82 Todd McIntyre
3. 32 Joe Francis
4. 67 Kevin Morrison
5. t10t Tyler Brown
Feature
1. 23 Jason Huey
2. 82 Todd McIntyre
3. 21 Landen Johnson
4. t10t Tyler Brown
5. 42 Donnie Jackson
6. 8 Cody Harmon
7. 32 Joe Francis
8. 67 Kevin Morrison
9. 25 Chad Cromer
10. 63 Pat Lubbock
11. 7p Brandon Pister
DNS Shawn Winfrey, Jason Otto
Rookie
Heat 1
1. 6 J.C. Newell
2. 7r Rich Reynolds
3. 14 Shawn Winfrey
4. 7L Josh Lewis
5. 63d Justin Dame
6. 33 Tim Noel
7. 17 Jeff Brown
8. 07 Tim Hall
Feature
1. Rich Reynolds
2. Shawn Strong
3. J.C. Morton
4. Tim Hall
5. Jeff Brown
6. Justin Dame
7. Josh Lewis
8. Tim Noel
I-44 Speedway
LEBANON - Modified driver Jeff Cutshaw is used to being out front, but Saturday night at the Lebanon I-44 Speedway was a little different.
Cutshaw won the feature, but spent most of the evening looking at the back bumpers of his competition. The driver from Cross Timbers started his heat last, finishing next to last. His finish then put him tailback in the feature starting field.
"I was pretty disappointed in the heat race," Cutshaw said. "The track was just muddy on the bottom and there wasn't anywhere to go...I just couldn't get around anybody, so that just put us way back in the field in the feature."
Justin Neuman of Crocker and Jimmy Willis of Macks Creek held the two top starting spots, followed by Jack Jones and Tony Jackson Jr., both of Lebanon. A several-car collision on the first lap restarted the field, collecting Cutshaw who was able to continue racing.
Neuman got the quick jump with Jackson running close behind. By the second lap, Cutshaw was already challenging on the inside for the fourth position from Jamie Ragland and kept his momentum to take third from Steve Martin.
On lap six, Neuman went too high in turns three and four, allowing Jackson to race door-to-door, but Neuman was able to keep his edge.
With three laps left, Cutshaw did something he doesn't normally find himself having to do: He stuck his right-rear tire in the cushion looking for momentum on the high side and found the win.
"I was driving a little wild tonight compared to what I usually do because I knew I had to go up there and do something," Cutshaw said. "I usually wouldn't go to the top either, like that. I didn't have any choice but to try the top.
"You just have to try and run where they're not at," he said.
Cutshaw and his crew will face some time in the shop this week. A hole in the radiator found in the heat race was compounded when his front end was smashed from the first-lap wreck.
Late Model driver Brad Looney of Republic isn't used to looking at bumpers when he races either. Looney won the feature after passing race-leader Dusty Johnston with only a couple laps left in the race.
Johnston, of Flippin, Ark., won his heat race, with Looney coming in a distant second. His victory set him on the coveted pole position for the feature.
"We did real good," Johnston said. "We finally hit all our set-ups right and we're usually too tight in the heat race."
Johnston led the feature for 17 laps as third-position starter Looney kept closing the gap, but it was lap traffic that finally gave Looney what he needed to win.
"We were pretty confident starting on the front row," Johnston said. "We had a good car the whole race, it would go anywhere I wanted it to. And then we got to the lap traffic."
Johnston and Looney came up on the lap traffic of Danny Atkinson on lap 14, with Johnston getting hung up and forced to follow Atkinson for another lap. On lap 15, Johnston took the outside of Atkinson into turn two to pass and as Atkinson traveled higher up the track, he opened up enough room for Looney to dart on the inside and take the victory.
Johnston has been making the haul and racing at the Bolivar-Lebanon-Monett speedway trifecta in hopes of bringing home a trophy from one of those three tracks. His plans for the upcoming weekend are to race at the Topless, but said if not, he'd be right back at the speedway, working to take back the win.
Lake Mooneyham, of Republic, pulled off a nail-biter win in the Factory Stock division. Tim Brown, of Richland started the feature on the pole with Mooneyham to his outside. Mooneyham was able to get the jump for the lead, with David Hendrix driving to second by lap three.
Hendrix took the lead a few laps later, driving on the inside groove and appeared to have the feature won. But with one lap left, Mooneyham found the momentum he was needing on the top side of the track and took the lead for the win.
"The top was good at the beginning of the race and it went away toward the middle," Mooneyham said. "I kind of changed the way we drove on the topside and it came back in and worked for us."
Coming in to Saturday night's race, Mooneyham had a four-point lead over Hendrix in season points, but said that isn't what he races for.
"I try not to think about the points," Mooneyham said. "But they just come after the race, and once we take care of the race, the points will come."
Hendrix, who has 10 wins on the season, said the hard-charging No. 5 of Mooneyham was not what he was expecting on that last lap.
"I passed him on the bottom, and thought I was faster down there so I just tried to hold my line down there," Hendrix said. "He just found something on the top and got a good run."
Hendrix, of Buckhorn, said he has spent countless hours on his race car in the previous weeks, trying to find the right match.
"We're still struggling a little bit," Hendrix said. "It's getting better, but still. We threw everything in the book at it this week. Springs and shocks and everything. It's getting a little better.
"Ever since we had that little crash three weeks ago when we bent the front end of it a little bit," he said. "I just can't get it handling like it was before."
Both Hendrix and Mooneyham will be driving in the Factory Stock Nationals race coming up at the speedway this weekend.
Josh Woody, of Laquey, won his second Super Stock victory in a row. Woody finished fourth in his heat. "Believe it or not, I didn't change a thing," he said in his post-race interview. The heavy rains from the night before had left the track in tacky condition for the heats. Woody said his car was perfect for the feature when it was drier.
Jason Huey won the Bomber feature to secure his first-place season points spot. Rich Reynolds won his first feature in the Rookie division.
NOTES:
Drivers share their time and cars---
Four drivers volunteered their time to make some kids smile on Friday night.
Factory Stock driver Lonnie Henderson, Bomber driver Landen Johnson, and Modified drivers Corey Simpson and Mookie Cunningham took their race cars to closing day ceremonies at the MDA Summer Camp held at Bear River Ranch in Rolla.
The drivers handed out candy, photos, coupons from Hardees and signed lots of autographs. Henderson and Johnson allowed the campers to sign the trunks of their cars, in hopes of adding a little luck to their programs.
The theme for the camp was World of Wheels.
Up next--- The first-ever Factory Stock Nationals race will be held at the speedway Friday and Saturday nights. The two-day race offers $2,000 to the winner and $400 to start the feature. Friday night will be Factory Stock qualifying, Pro-4s, Bombers and Rookies. The speedway will also host the first Powder Puff and Mechanics Races of the season.
Friday grandstand admission is absolutely free. Saturday grandstand admission will be regular price at $10. Tier parking both nights will be $12.
RESULTS
Late Models
Heat 1
1. 60 Darrin Barton
2. 17 Matt Miller
3. 1 Christian Rayburn
4. 87 Trace Westling
5. 4a Danny Atkinson
Heat 2
1. 16 Dusty Johnston
2. 14 Brad Looney
3. 55 Dave Ware
4. 20 Darrell Mooneyham
Feature
1. Brad Looney
2. Dusty Johnston
3. Dave Ware
4. Christian Rayburn
5. Darrin Barton
6. Matt Miller
7. Danny Atkinson
8. Trace Westling
9. Darrell Mooneyham
Modifieds
Heat 1
1. 14 Justin Neuman
2. 56 Tony Jackson Jr.
3. 15r Jamie Ragland
4. 21m Steve Martin
5. 59 Jimmy Bellemy
6. 98 Jeff Cutshaw
7. 23 Mook Cunningham
Heat 2
1. 11w Jimmy Willis
2. 87 Jack Jones
3. 1 Doug Crider
4. 47 Corey Simpson
5. 78t Michael Jones
6. 0 Jason Meadors
Feature
1. Jeff Cutshaw
2. Justin Neuman
3. Tony Jackson Jr.
4. Steve Martin
5. Jamie Ragland
6. Jimmy Bellemy
7. Jack Jones
8. Corey Simpson
9. Michael Jones
10. Mook Cunningham
11. 11w Jimmy Willis
12. 1 Doug Crider
DNS 0 Jason Meadors
Factory Stock
Heat 1
1. 1b Tim Brown
2. 72 Ben Solberg
3. 35 Dee Kelly
4. 8f Darrin Fox
5. 37p Derrick Peterson
6. 25 Dale Senters
Heat 2
1. 5 Lake Mooneyham
2. 54 David Hendrix
3. 16 Mike Shaddy
4. 11 Derrick Brown
5. 76 Lonnie Henderson
6. 140 Nick Nickels
Feature
1. Lake Mooneyham
2. David Hendrix
3. Lonnie Henderson
4. Darrin Fox
5. Tim Brown
6. Derrick Brown
7. Derrick Peterson
8. Mike Shaddy
9. Dale Senters
10. Nick Nickels
DNS Ben Solberg, Dee Kelly, Gene Crider
Super Stock
Heat 1
1. t10 Rick Brown
2. 8 Jeff Scroggins
3. 83 Ben Newell
4. 21 Josh Woody
5. 14 Tim Ballinger
Feature
1. Josh Woody
2. Rick Brown
3. Ben Newell
4. Jeff Scroggins
5. Tim Ballinger
Bomber
Heat 1
1. 23 Jason Huey
2. 25 Chad Cromer
3. 63 Pat Lubbock
4. 8 Cody Harmon
5. 7p Brandon Pister
6. 21 Landen Johnson
7. 64 Shawn Winfrey
DNS t10o Jason Otto
Heat 2
1. 42 Donnie Jackson
2. 82 Todd McIntyre
3. 32 Joe Francis
4. 67 Kevin Morrison
5. t10t Tyler Brown
Feature
1. 23 Jason Huey
2. 82 Todd McIntyre
3. 21 Landen Johnson
4. t10t Tyler Brown
5. 42 Donnie Jackson
6. 8 Cody Harmon
7. 32 Joe Francis
8. 67 Kevin Morrison
9. 25 Chad Cromer
10. 63 Pat Lubbock
11. 7p Brandon Pister
DNS Shawn Winfrey, Jason Otto
Rookie
Heat 1
1. 6 J.C. Newell
2. 7r Rich Reynolds
3. 14 Shawn Winfrey
4. 7L Josh Lewis
5. 63d Justin Dame
6. 33 Tim Noel
7. 17 Jeff Brown
8. 07 Tim Hall
Feature
1. Rich Reynolds
2. Shawn Strong
3. J.C. Morton
4. Tim Hall
5. Jeff Brown
6. Justin Dame
7. Josh Lewis
8. Tim Noel
