BY David Darnell
The Malden Speedway opened its 2005 racing season Friday night with 101 cars. Billy James took top honors in the Late Model division. Joining him in victory lane were Robby Arnold in Modified, Claudie Cook in Hobby Stock, Jeff Beeson in Street Stock, Justin McBroom in E-Mods, and the team of Malone and Rice in the Cruiser class.
In the Late Model feature, Billy James jumped to the lead from the start and threatened to run away and hide from the field early. He built a 2-second lead by lap 5, but Joey Mack had closed to his bumper, racing in lapped traffic on lap 10. Mack pulled even on lap 12 as the lead pair raced side by side. Mack temporarily took the lead on lap 13 coming out of turn four, but James regained the lead in turn two the following lap. A caution for a spin out on lap 17 set up a three lap dash to the finish. James pulled away to the win while Mack battled with Jeff Moss for the second position. Steve Karnes took fourth and Steve Rushin moved up to take fifth. Heat races were won by Mack and James.
LATE MODELS
15 Entries - 14 Start Feature
1. 5 Jr. Billy James
2. 97M Joey Mack
3. J2 Jeff Moss
4. 11 Steve Karnes
5. 14 Jr. Steve Rushin
6. 99 Todd Hall
7. 91 Chris Jones
8. 56 Jeff Walston
9. 1J Terry Johnson
10. 11X John Stephens
Robby Arnold won a 20 lap duel with Robert Powers to take the opening Modified feature of the year. The race opened with Powers grabbing the early lead. Arnold was sitting in fourth place when a caution reset the field on lap 6. Arnold came around both Francis and Fowler on the restart to take over second place. The lead pair found themselves in constant traffic on lap 10. Arnold took the lead coming out of turn 2 on lap 13 as Powers got tangled up with a slower car. Arnold took advantage and led the race the rest of the way. Mike Francis took third, Jeremy Conner fourth, and Jeff Greene in fifth. Heat winners were Troy Fowler, Powers and Greene.
MODIFIED
23 Entries - 22 Start Feature
1. 49 Robby Arnold
2. 02 Robert Powers
3. 1 Mike Francis
4. 45 Jeremy Conner
5. 32 Jeff Greene
6. Mee 2 Claudie Cook
7. 2 Charlie Cole
8. G1 Tony Anglin
9. 10 Troy Fowler
10. 5 Tim Webb
Claudie Cook won the opening Hobby Stock feature of the year. The race opened with Greg Sparks grabbing the lead with Cook right on his bumper.
Cook tried once on lap 2 to dive low out of turn 4 to take the lead but Sparks held. Cook used the same move two laps later and took the lead. A lap 6 caution reset the field and Tony Anglin moved into second on the restart and set his sites on Cook. Anglin raced bumper to bumper with Cook the second half of the race, as the lead pair pulled away from the rest of the field. Sparks held on to third in a battle with Doug Moore. Lee Redden took fifth. Heat winners were Cook and Sparks.
HOBBY STOCK
13 Entries - 13 Start Feature
1. 54C Claudie Cook
2. 54A Tony Anglin
3. 68 Greg Sparks
4. 007 Doug Moore
5. KZ8 Lee Redden
6. 85 Chuck Tilley
7. 30/30 Tim Winchester
8. 66 Johnny Houart
9. 33 McDaniel
10. J19 Jason Palmer
Jeff Beeson took the checkered flag in a very exciting Street Stock race.
The race featured four lead changes with four different drivers. The race opened with #81 Carl Wilson grabbing the lead on the opening lap. Wilson soon found himself in a three wide battle with Johnny Houart and Paul Reeder. Houart took over the lead coming out of turn four on the second lap. Houart led until lap 8 when Beeson dove low out of turn four to take over the top spot. One lap later, Kyle Berry passed both Houart and Beeson to grab the lead. Berry held on until lap 12, when Beeson moved from third to first as he flew down the back straight. Berry held on for second.
Houart settled for third. Paul Reeder took fourth. Tim Gage moved through the field to finish in the top 5. Heat winners were Wilson, Houart, Reeder, and Beeson. Red Rice won the B-Main.
STREET STOCK
31 Entries - 20 Start Feature
1. 4 Jeff Beeson
2. 00 Kyle Berry
3. 34 Johnny Houart
4. 97 Paul Reeder
5. X Tim Gage
6. 81 Carl Wilson
7. 29 Scott Wicker
8. 85 Donna Tilley
9. 26 Mike Elliot
10 29 Aaron Darby
Justin McBroom won a three lap side by side battle with Jon Gray to take the lead in the E-Mod Feature. McBroom led the rest of the way and left the battle for second between Gray and Mitchell. They raced the final lap side by side with Mitchell pulling ahead out of turn four to take the position.
McBroom and Gray won the heat races.
E-MODS
10 Entries - 9 Start Feature
1. 19 McBroom
2. 96 Mitchell
3. 00 Gray
4. 1D Shepherd
5. 80M McGhee
6. 3T Prine
7. 18P Ward
8. 88 Tilley
9. 62 Master
A lot of action happened in the Cruiser Feature. Doublin & Doublin looked like they were headed for victory lane when they were caught up with another car and suffered a spin out on lap 10. That left the lead to #47 Beeson followed by Malone & Rice in #57. That is the way the race finished on the track, but the 47 car did not pass its post race tech inspection and Malone & Rice were declared the winners of the race. The heat race was won by Doublin & Doublin.
CRUISERS
9 Entries - 8 Start Feature
1. 57 Malone & Rice
2. 90W Doublin & Doublin
3. 911 Champlin & Champlin
4. 84 Null & Null
5. 88J Wayne & Haibuger
6. Z71 Austin & Tompkins
Racing will continue Friday April 22nd with racing in all 6 classes and a special drawing at intermission for a boys and a girls bicycle for a couple of lucky Little Racers.
The Malden Speedway opened its 2005 racing season Friday night with 101 cars. Billy James took top honors in the Late Model division. Joining him in victory lane were Robby Arnold in Modified, Claudie Cook in Hobby Stock, Jeff Beeson in Street Stock, Justin McBroom in E-Mods, and the team of Malone and Rice in the Cruiser class.
In the Late Model feature, Billy James jumped to the lead from the start and threatened to run away and hide from the field early. He built a 2-second lead by lap 5, but Joey Mack had closed to his bumper, racing in lapped traffic on lap 10. Mack pulled even on lap 12 as the lead pair raced side by side. Mack temporarily took the lead on lap 13 coming out of turn four, but James regained the lead in turn two the following lap. A caution for a spin out on lap 17 set up a three lap dash to the finish. James pulled away to the win while Mack battled with Jeff Moss for the second position. Steve Karnes took fourth and Steve Rushin moved up to take fifth. Heat races were won by Mack and James.
LATE MODELS
15 Entries - 14 Start Feature
1. 5 Jr. Billy James
2. 97M Joey Mack
3. J2 Jeff Moss
4. 11 Steve Karnes
5. 14 Jr. Steve Rushin
6. 99 Todd Hall
7. 91 Chris Jones
8. 56 Jeff Walston
9. 1J Terry Johnson
10. 11X John Stephens
Robby Arnold won a 20 lap duel with Robert Powers to take the opening Modified feature of the year. The race opened with Powers grabbing the early lead. Arnold was sitting in fourth place when a caution reset the field on lap 6. Arnold came around both Francis and Fowler on the restart to take over second place. The lead pair found themselves in constant traffic on lap 10. Arnold took the lead coming out of turn 2 on lap 13 as Powers got tangled up with a slower car. Arnold took advantage and led the race the rest of the way. Mike Francis took third, Jeremy Conner fourth, and Jeff Greene in fifth. Heat winners were Troy Fowler, Powers and Greene.
MODIFIED
23 Entries - 22 Start Feature
1. 49 Robby Arnold
2. 02 Robert Powers
3. 1 Mike Francis
4. 45 Jeremy Conner
5. 32 Jeff Greene
6. Mee 2 Claudie Cook
7. 2 Charlie Cole
8. G1 Tony Anglin
9. 10 Troy Fowler
10. 5 Tim Webb
Claudie Cook won the opening Hobby Stock feature of the year. The race opened with Greg Sparks grabbing the lead with Cook right on his bumper.
Cook tried once on lap 2 to dive low out of turn 4 to take the lead but Sparks held. Cook used the same move two laps later and took the lead. A lap 6 caution reset the field and Tony Anglin moved into second on the restart and set his sites on Cook. Anglin raced bumper to bumper with Cook the second half of the race, as the lead pair pulled away from the rest of the field. Sparks held on to third in a battle with Doug Moore. Lee Redden took fifth. Heat winners were Cook and Sparks.
HOBBY STOCK
13 Entries - 13 Start Feature
1. 54C Claudie Cook
2. 54A Tony Anglin
3. 68 Greg Sparks
4. 007 Doug Moore
5. KZ8 Lee Redden
6. 85 Chuck Tilley
7. 30/30 Tim Winchester
8. 66 Johnny Houart
9. 33 McDaniel
10. J19 Jason Palmer
Jeff Beeson took the checkered flag in a very exciting Street Stock race.
The race featured four lead changes with four different drivers. The race opened with #81 Carl Wilson grabbing the lead on the opening lap. Wilson soon found himself in a three wide battle with Johnny Houart and Paul Reeder. Houart took over the lead coming out of turn four on the second lap. Houart led until lap 8 when Beeson dove low out of turn four to take over the top spot. One lap later, Kyle Berry passed both Houart and Beeson to grab the lead. Berry held on until lap 12, when Beeson moved from third to first as he flew down the back straight. Berry held on for second.
Houart settled for third. Paul Reeder took fourth. Tim Gage moved through the field to finish in the top 5. Heat winners were Wilson, Houart, Reeder, and Beeson. Red Rice won the B-Main.
STREET STOCK
31 Entries - 20 Start Feature
1. 4 Jeff Beeson
2. 00 Kyle Berry
3. 34 Johnny Houart
4. 97 Paul Reeder
5. X Tim Gage
6. 81 Carl Wilson
7. 29 Scott Wicker
8. 85 Donna Tilley
9. 26 Mike Elliot
10 29 Aaron Darby
Justin McBroom won a three lap side by side battle with Jon Gray to take the lead in the E-Mod Feature. McBroom led the rest of the way and left the battle for second between Gray and Mitchell. They raced the final lap side by side with Mitchell pulling ahead out of turn four to take the position.
McBroom and Gray won the heat races.
E-MODS
10 Entries - 9 Start Feature
1. 19 McBroom
2. 96 Mitchell
3. 00 Gray
4. 1D Shepherd
5. 80M McGhee
6. 3T Prine
7. 18P Ward
8. 88 Tilley
9. 62 Master
A lot of action happened in the Cruiser Feature. Doublin & Doublin looked like they were headed for victory lane when they were caught up with another car and suffered a spin out on lap 10. That left the lead to #47 Beeson followed by Malone & Rice in #57. That is the way the race finished on the track, but the 47 car did not pass its post race tech inspection and Malone & Rice were declared the winners of the race. The heat race was won by Doublin & Doublin.
CRUISERS
9 Entries - 8 Start Feature
1. 57 Malone & Rice
2. 90W Doublin & Doublin
3. 911 Champlin & Champlin
4. 84 Null & Null
5. 88J Wayne & Haibuger
6. Z71 Austin & Tompkins
Racing will continue Friday April 22nd with racing in all 6 classes and a special drawing at intermission for a boys and a girls bicycle for a couple of lucky Little Racers.
