By Jon Mooney
BELLEVILLE, IL (Sunday, July 27, 2003):
Joey Montgomery restarted from the tail following an opening race tangle with Mike Hess and sliced his way through the field to claim the 30 lap Midwest Auto Racing Association (MARA) Shannon Finley Memorial midget car race at Belle-Clair Speedway Sunday night.
Before a single lap could be scored, the race was stopped three times for accidents. The third attempt at a restart saw contact between front row starters Montgomery and Hess coming out of turn two. The resulting tangle led to a seven car pile-up where Dave Camfield, Sr turned over. There were no injuries but Hess was done for the night and Montgomery was sent to the tail of the field.
The accident put fifth row starter Jeff Flesher at the head of the race line-up when the race restarted.
Flesher, using the tracks inside groove, battled Kenny Brown and then Aaron Andruskevitch who were both running the heavy outside cushion.
It took Montgomery just nine laps to work his way up to fifth, and by lap 15 was battling Andruskevitch and Flesher for the race lead.
An epic battle ensued between laps 18-26 when young Shane Hollingsworth entered the race for the top spot.
Flesher, Montgomery, Andruskevitch and Hollingsworth exchanged positions at every turn with Montgomery officially scored for leading laps 23-24 and Flesher leading laps 25-26.
Montgomery got around Flesher for the lead on lap 27 before the yellow was displayed for Hollingsworth who had stopped on the track in turn one.
When the race went back to green, it was all Montgomery as he went on to lead the rest of the way to claim his first MARA midget feature of the year. Flesher finished second. Donnie Lehmann overcame a flat left front tire to hold on for third. Andruskevitch and Chad Branson rounded out the top five.
Heats for the 32 MARA midgets on hand went to Dean Franklin, Lehmann, Justin Allgaier and Brian Gerster. Tim Siner won the semi.
Derek O'Dell took the lead from Brad Loyett on lap 13 and went on to win the 20 lap 600 cc micro-sprint feature.
The next MARA midget/micro show at Belle-Clair will be the Arnie Knepper Memorial Race held during the St. Clair County Fair on Wednesday, August 6th. Stay tuned for a special announcement regarding this show.
M.A.R.A. Midget Feature: Belle-Clair Speedway, Belleville IL Sunday, July 27, 2003 (30 laps)
Shannon Finley Memorial Race
OFFICIAL FINISH/starting positions in ( ):
1. #5o Joey Montgomery (1*), 2. #72 Jeff Flesher (9), 3. #31 Donnie Lehmann (6), 4. #21a Aaron Andruskevitch (14), 5. #44 Chad Branson (11), 6. #15 Tim Siner (17), 7. #99 Korey Weyant (19), 8. #01 Greg Lueckert (15), 9. #17 Kenny Brown (4), 10. #78 Dave Camfield, Sr. (20), 11. #85 Shane Hollingsworth (16), 12. #87 Rich Camfield (12), 13. #24 Dean Franklin (5), 14. #7 Cole Carter (18), 15. #4d Bruce Donaldson (8), 16. #55 Steve Knepper (10), 17. #51 Mike Hess (2), 18. #94x Brian Gerster (3), 19. #85a Justin Allgaier (7), 20. #86 Dave Camfield, Jr. (13).
LAP LEADERS:
1-22 Jeff Flesher, 23-24 Joey Montgomery, 25-26 Flesher, 27-30 Montgomery
*Winner Joey Montgomery started the race on the pole but was involved in an accident at the start of the race with outside front row starter Mike Hess. Montgomery was sent to the tail following the accident and came up through the field to win the race.
*Dave Camfield, Sr. turned over during the Montgomery/Hess accident which involved seven cars total. Hess and Gerster were the only cars unable to restart.
Winged 600 c.c. Micro-Sprint Feature: Belle-Clair Speedway, Belleville IL Sunday, July 27, 2003 (20 laps)
OFFICIAL FINISH/starting positions in ( ):
#11d Derek O'Dell, 2. #67 Gary Altig, 3. #25 Brett Anderson, 4. #132 Dereck King, 5. #61 Jeremy Boyer, 6. #7 Tony Roney, 7. #111 Blake Buchholz, 8. #40 Tessa Wyzard, 9. #3 Tommy Croft, Jr., 10. #21 Brent Beauchamp, 11. #65 Jordan Goldeberry, 12. #63 Mike Russell, 13. #51 Brad Loyett, 14. #96 Mark Gass, 15. #93 Jason Brinkman, 16. #34 Josh Agans, 17. #14 Gabe Maycock, 18. #24 Daniel Robinson, 19. #1 Kent Buckley, 20. #37 Cameron Dodson.
LAP LEADERS:
1-12 Brad Loyett, 13-20 O'Dell.
*Tessa Wyzard flipped after the checkered.
BELLEVILLE, IL (Sunday, July 27, 2003):
Joey Montgomery restarted from the tail following an opening race tangle with Mike Hess and sliced his way through the field to claim the 30 lap Midwest Auto Racing Association (MARA) Shannon Finley Memorial midget car race at Belle-Clair Speedway Sunday night.
Before a single lap could be scored, the race was stopped three times for accidents. The third attempt at a restart saw contact between front row starters Montgomery and Hess coming out of turn two. The resulting tangle led to a seven car pile-up where Dave Camfield, Sr turned over. There were no injuries but Hess was done for the night and Montgomery was sent to the tail of the field.
The accident put fifth row starter Jeff Flesher at the head of the race line-up when the race restarted.
Flesher, using the tracks inside groove, battled Kenny Brown and then Aaron Andruskevitch who were both running the heavy outside cushion.
It took Montgomery just nine laps to work his way up to fifth, and by lap 15 was battling Andruskevitch and Flesher for the race lead.
An epic battle ensued between laps 18-26 when young Shane Hollingsworth entered the race for the top spot.
Flesher, Montgomery, Andruskevitch and Hollingsworth exchanged positions at every turn with Montgomery officially scored for leading laps 23-24 and Flesher leading laps 25-26.
Montgomery got around Flesher for the lead on lap 27 before the yellow was displayed for Hollingsworth who had stopped on the track in turn one.
When the race went back to green, it was all Montgomery as he went on to lead the rest of the way to claim his first MARA midget feature of the year. Flesher finished second. Donnie Lehmann overcame a flat left front tire to hold on for third. Andruskevitch and Chad Branson rounded out the top five.
Heats for the 32 MARA midgets on hand went to Dean Franklin, Lehmann, Justin Allgaier and Brian Gerster. Tim Siner won the semi.
Derek O'Dell took the lead from Brad Loyett on lap 13 and went on to win the 20 lap 600 cc micro-sprint feature.
The next MARA midget/micro show at Belle-Clair will be the Arnie Knepper Memorial Race held during the St. Clair County Fair on Wednesday, August 6th. Stay tuned for a special announcement regarding this show.
M.A.R.A. Midget Feature: Belle-Clair Speedway, Belleville IL Sunday, July 27, 2003 (30 laps)
Shannon Finley Memorial Race
OFFICIAL FINISH/starting positions in ( ):
1. #5o Joey Montgomery (1*), 2. #72 Jeff Flesher (9), 3. #31 Donnie Lehmann (6), 4. #21a Aaron Andruskevitch (14), 5. #44 Chad Branson (11), 6. #15 Tim Siner (17), 7. #99 Korey Weyant (19), 8. #01 Greg Lueckert (15), 9. #17 Kenny Brown (4), 10. #78 Dave Camfield, Sr. (20), 11. #85 Shane Hollingsworth (16), 12. #87 Rich Camfield (12), 13. #24 Dean Franklin (5), 14. #7 Cole Carter (18), 15. #4d Bruce Donaldson (8), 16. #55 Steve Knepper (10), 17. #51 Mike Hess (2), 18. #94x Brian Gerster (3), 19. #85a Justin Allgaier (7), 20. #86 Dave Camfield, Jr. (13).
LAP LEADERS:
1-22 Jeff Flesher, 23-24 Joey Montgomery, 25-26 Flesher, 27-30 Montgomery
*Winner Joey Montgomery started the race on the pole but was involved in an accident at the start of the race with outside front row starter Mike Hess. Montgomery was sent to the tail following the accident and came up through the field to win the race.
*Dave Camfield, Sr. turned over during the Montgomery/Hess accident which involved seven cars total. Hess and Gerster were the only cars unable to restart.
Winged 600 c.c. Micro-Sprint Feature: Belle-Clair Speedway, Belleville IL Sunday, July 27, 2003 (20 laps)
OFFICIAL FINISH/starting positions in ( ):
#11d Derek O'Dell, 2. #67 Gary Altig, 3. #25 Brett Anderson, 4. #132 Dereck King, 5. #61 Jeremy Boyer, 6. #7 Tony Roney, 7. #111 Blake Buchholz, 8. #40 Tessa Wyzard, 9. #3 Tommy Croft, Jr., 10. #21 Brent Beauchamp, 11. #65 Jordan Goldeberry, 12. #63 Mike Russell, 13. #51 Brad Loyett, 14. #96 Mark Gass, 15. #93 Jason Brinkman, 16. #34 Josh Agans, 17. #14 Gabe Maycock, 18. #24 Daniel Robinson, 19. #1 Kent Buckley, 20. #37 Cameron Dodson.
LAP LEADERS:
1-12 Brad Loyett, 13-20 O'Dell.
*Tessa Wyzard flipped after the checkered.
