By David Darnell
The Malden Speedway opened its 2004 season with an emotional tribute to the memory of Nathan Rettig. Nathan made a mark on the Malden Speedway in his 2+ years of racing that will not be forgot. Nathan was more of a 2+ teacher than a student at the track; his respect for his fellow competitors and their equipment is a lesson many have learned.
93 Cars made up the opening night program, highlighted by a 25 car modified field. Greg King took the honors in a great season opening feature race.
Billy James dominated a small Late Model field. Steven Cunningham made the long haul from Milan, TN pay off with a win in the Hobby Stock feature.
Jeff Beeson won the Street Stock finale in a very close finish. Kelley & Moore won the Cruiser feature.
Greg King grabbed the lead from the outside front row of the Modified feature and led from green to checker. Although he never gave up the top spot, it was anything but easy. Jared Wagster moved up from the second row and was quickly on King's bumper. The pair raced side by side for the second lap, before King pulled ahead and built a 5 car length margin. The race went all 20 laps without a caution flag, which led to some heavy traffic for the second half of the race. Wagster closed back to King's bumper by lap 13, but King went low in a three wide race with lapped cars and found an opening to rebuild his cushion. Wagster got loose in turn three a lap later and relinquished second to Jason Hughes. King collided with Dennis Pickard on the 18th lap coming out of turn two, but no harm, no foul and he was able to hold on for the checkered flag. On the final lap, Hughes had to race high to avoid a spin in turn two and gave up the second spot to Wagster. Hughes held on to third. Pole sitter Eric Turner raced to a fourth place finish and Tim Radford rounded out the top five.
Heat winners were Turner, King, Wagster, and Hughes. Tony Anglin won the B Feature.
MODIFIED
25 Entries - 20 Start Feature
1. 1 Greg King - Sikeston
2. 10 Jared Wagster - Portageville
3 8H Jason Hughes - West Plains
4. 99 T Eric Turner - Hermitage
5. 10 R Tim Radford - Piedmont
6. 02 Robert Powers - Campbell
7. 21 Shawn Haynes - Malden
8. G 3 Ronnie Vernon - Friendship, TN
9. 10 Troy Fowler - Portageville
10. 78 Larry Hull - Old Appleton
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Defending track champ, Billy James was the class of a nine-car Late Model field. James grabbed the lead from the pole position and led start to finish. James built a five second lead over second place by mid-race. The only scare for James came on the final lap as he went very high around a lapped car and got into the loose stuff and slid off the end momentarily.
James righted himself quickly and cruised to the victory. Rex Berry was definitely the best of the rest, as he led the third place car by seven seconds. Scott Tracer, Todd Hall, and Charles LaPlant rounded out the top five. James also won the lone heat race.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
LATE MODELS
9 Entries - 8 Start Feature
1. 5 Jr. Billy James - Sikeston
2. C 21 Rex Berry - Huntingdon, TN
3. 94 T Scott Tracer - Rector, AR
4. 99 Todd Hall - Charleston
5. 3 Charles LaPlant - East Prairie
6. 7A Allen Below - Dexter
7. 15 B Dewayne Brooks - Finley, TN
8. 27 M Steve Martin - Portageville
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Steven Cunningham moved up from the second row to win the Hobby Stock feature. Pole sitter Doug Moore grabbed the early lead, but stuttered in turn 3 of the opening lap and fell back to third. Cunningham came around Jamie Robards down the front straight to take the lead. Cunningham built a comfortable cushion that quickly deteriorated in lapped traffic. Cunningham made a daring move to split Lee Redden and John Taylor coming onto the front straight of lap 13 to ensure his win. Chuck Tilley moved up mid race and took second. Moore held on for third. Tony Anglin rushed to challenge the leaders early and took fourth. Robards rounded out the top five. Moore and Robards won the heat races.
HOBBY STOCK
16 Entries - 12 Start Feature
1. 96 Steven Cunningham - Milan, TN
2. 75 Chuck Tilley - Essex
3. 007 Doug Moore - Dexter
4. 54 A Tony Anglin - Hoxie, AR
5. 69 R Jamie Robards - Broseley
6. 30/30 Tim Winchester - Gideon
7. 54 C Claudie Cook - Portageville
8. 82 Gene Fowler - Portageville
9. JP 21 Jason Pennington - Qulin
10. 27 M Glenn Griffin - Rutherford, TN
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Jeff Beeson of Benton started seventh and moved up to win the Street Stock feature. Beeson had moved up to second by lap 2 and was challenging the early leader Greg Casey a lap later. Beeson made his move coming out of turn four to grab the lead. A mid race caution (one of two in all five feature races) erased a comfortable margin Beeson had built. Paul Reeder moved into second and hounded Beeson the rest of the way. The pair raced bumper to bumper until Reeder dove low out of turn four on the final lap, he was only able to get as far as Beeson's rear wheels before the checkered flag fell. Good show. Kyle Berry moved up from mid pack and won a lap 8 dual with Casey to take third. Steve Henley was taken down from the fourth spot on a post race tech failure. Casey and Eric Lacy made up the rest of the top five.
Heat winners were Henley, Reeder, Casey, and Aaron Darby. Jim Hyde won the B-Main.
STREET STOCK
29 Entries - 20 Start Feature
1. 4 Jeff Beeson - Benton
2. 97 Paul Reeder - Malden
3. 00 Kyle Berry - Poplar Bluff
4. 42 Greg Casey - Sikeston
5. 92 Eric Lacy - Poplar Bluff
6. 29 Aaron Darby - Portageville
7. 34 Johnny Houart - Gideon
8. 1 Greg Cutler - Dyersburg
9. 33 Tony Copeland - Cooter
10. J 19 Jason Palmer - Bernie
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris Kelly & Brandon Moore won an early duel with McChristian & Magouirk and went on to win the opening Cruiser race of the 2004 season. Those two cars also won the heat races.
CRUISERS
12 Entries - 11 Start Feature
1. 38 K Kelly & Moore - Portageville
2. 23 S McChristian & Magouirk - Piggott, AR
3. 357 Simpson & Simpson - Piggott, AR
4. 32 S Smart & Smart - Pollard, AR
5. F-50 Dunlap & Dunlap - Piggott, AR
6. 610 Oliver & Arnold - Dudley
7. 90 W Doublin & Simpson - Wappapello
8. 911 Champlin & Champlin - Campbell
9. 84 Null & Null - Puxico
10. 66 Rutherford & Reed - Qulin
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Racing continues next Friday with racing in the same five classes. The 2004-point season begins May 7th.
The Malden Speedway opened its 2004 season with an emotional tribute to the memory of Nathan Rettig. Nathan made a mark on the Malden Speedway in his 2+ years of racing that will not be forgot. Nathan was more of a 2+ teacher than a student at the track; his respect for his fellow competitors and their equipment is a lesson many have learned.
93 Cars made up the opening night program, highlighted by a 25 car modified field. Greg King took the honors in a great season opening feature race.
Billy James dominated a small Late Model field. Steven Cunningham made the long haul from Milan, TN pay off with a win in the Hobby Stock feature.
Jeff Beeson won the Street Stock finale in a very close finish. Kelley & Moore won the Cruiser feature.
Greg King grabbed the lead from the outside front row of the Modified feature and led from green to checker. Although he never gave up the top spot, it was anything but easy. Jared Wagster moved up from the second row and was quickly on King's bumper. The pair raced side by side for the second lap, before King pulled ahead and built a 5 car length margin. The race went all 20 laps without a caution flag, which led to some heavy traffic for the second half of the race. Wagster closed back to King's bumper by lap 13, but King went low in a three wide race with lapped cars and found an opening to rebuild his cushion. Wagster got loose in turn three a lap later and relinquished second to Jason Hughes. King collided with Dennis Pickard on the 18th lap coming out of turn two, but no harm, no foul and he was able to hold on for the checkered flag. On the final lap, Hughes had to race high to avoid a spin in turn two and gave up the second spot to Wagster. Hughes held on to third. Pole sitter Eric Turner raced to a fourth place finish and Tim Radford rounded out the top five.
Heat winners were Turner, King, Wagster, and Hughes. Tony Anglin won the B Feature.
MODIFIED
25 Entries - 20 Start Feature
1. 1 Greg King - Sikeston
2. 10 Jared Wagster - Portageville
3 8H Jason Hughes - West Plains
4. 99 T Eric Turner - Hermitage
5. 10 R Tim Radford - Piedmont
6. 02 Robert Powers - Campbell
7. 21 Shawn Haynes - Malden
8. G 3 Ronnie Vernon - Friendship, TN
9. 10 Troy Fowler - Portageville
10. 78 Larry Hull - Old Appleton
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Defending track champ, Billy James was the class of a nine-car Late Model field. James grabbed the lead from the pole position and led start to finish. James built a five second lead over second place by mid-race. The only scare for James came on the final lap as he went very high around a lapped car and got into the loose stuff and slid off the end momentarily.
James righted himself quickly and cruised to the victory. Rex Berry was definitely the best of the rest, as he led the third place car by seven seconds. Scott Tracer, Todd Hall, and Charles LaPlant rounded out the top five. James also won the lone heat race.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
LATE MODELS
9 Entries - 8 Start Feature
1. 5 Jr. Billy James - Sikeston
2. C 21 Rex Berry - Huntingdon, TN
3. 94 T Scott Tracer - Rector, AR
4. 99 Todd Hall - Charleston
5. 3 Charles LaPlant - East Prairie
6. 7A Allen Below - Dexter
7. 15 B Dewayne Brooks - Finley, TN
8. 27 M Steve Martin - Portageville
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Steven Cunningham moved up from the second row to win the Hobby Stock feature. Pole sitter Doug Moore grabbed the early lead, but stuttered in turn 3 of the opening lap and fell back to third. Cunningham came around Jamie Robards down the front straight to take the lead. Cunningham built a comfortable cushion that quickly deteriorated in lapped traffic. Cunningham made a daring move to split Lee Redden and John Taylor coming onto the front straight of lap 13 to ensure his win. Chuck Tilley moved up mid race and took second. Moore held on for third. Tony Anglin rushed to challenge the leaders early and took fourth. Robards rounded out the top five. Moore and Robards won the heat races.
HOBBY STOCK
16 Entries - 12 Start Feature
1. 96 Steven Cunningham - Milan, TN
2. 75 Chuck Tilley - Essex
3. 007 Doug Moore - Dexter
4. 54 A Tony Anglin - Hoxie, AR
5. 69 R Jamie Robards - Broseley
6. 30/30 Tim Winchester - Gideon
7. 54 C Claudie Cook - Portageville
8. 82 Gene Fowler - Portageville
9. JP 21 Jason Pennington - Qulin
10. 27 M Glenn Griffin - Rutherford, TN
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Jeff Beeson of Benton started seventh and moved up to win the Street Stock feature. Beeson had moved up to second by lap 2 and was challenging the early leader Greg Casey a lap later. Beeson made his move coming out of turn four to grab the lead. A mid race caution (one of two in all five feature races) erased a comfortable margin Beeson had built. Paul Reeder moved into second and hounded Beeson the rest of the way. The pair raced bumper to bumper until Reeder dove low out of turn four on the final lap, he was only able to get as far as Beeson's rear wheels before the checkered flag fell. Good show. Kyle Berry moved up from mid pack and won a lap 8 dual with Casey to take third. Steve Henley was taken down from the fourth spot on a post race tech failure. Casey and Eric Lacy made up the rest of the top five.
Heat winners were Henley, Reeder, Casey, and Aaron Darby. Jim Hyde won the B-Main.
STREET STOCK
29 Entries - 20 Start Feature
1. 4 Jeff Beeson - Benton
2. 97 Paul Reeder - Malden
3. 00 Kyle Berry - Poplar Bluff
4. 42 Greg Casey - Sikeston
5. 92 Eric Lacy - Poplar Bluff
6. 29 Aaron Darby - Portageville
7. 34 Johnny Houart - Gideon
8. 1 Greg Cutler - Dyersburg
9. 33 Tony Copeland - Cooter
10. J 19 Jason Palmer - Bernie
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris Kelly & Brandon Moore won an early duel with McChristian & Magouirk and went on to win the opening Cruiser race of the 2004 season. Those two cars also won the heat races.
CRUISERS
12 Entries - 11 Start Feature
1. 38 K Kelly & Moore - Portageville
2. 23 S McChristian & Magouirk - Piggott, AR
3. 357 Simpson & Simpson - Piggott, AR
4. 32 S Smart & Smart - Pollard, AR
5. F-50 Dunlap & Dunlap - Piggott, AR
6. 610 Oliver & Arnold - Dudley
7. 90 W Doublin & Simpson - Wappapello
8. 911 Champlin & Champlin - Campbell
9. 84 Null & Null - Puxico
10. 66 Rutherford & Reed - Qulin
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Racing continues next Friday with racing in the same five classes. The 2004-point season begins May 7th.
