By Alan Miller
CMS Announcer/PR
September 11, 2011

(Warrensburg, MO) Waterloo Storage Products Fan Appreciation night concluded the final season championships for Earl and Susan Walls ending 18 years of exciting weekly racing at Central Missouri Speedway, although it was a night to highlight the 2011 track champions. This special weekend included fan appreciation events along with the Homes for Our Troops Organization activities to help assist our severely injured veterans that need specialized custom built homes. Saturday night’s program was the final night of weekly points racing at CMS to gain valuable points to settle the final 2011 standings for the Modifieds, ULMA Late Models, Street Stocks and B-Modifieds.

Another special event at the track was the “Homes for Our Troops” fundraiser. Directly from their website at homesforourtroops.org, “We are strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to our country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries since September 11, 2001. It is our duty and our honor to assist severely injured Servicemen and Servicewomen and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and to coordinate the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently.“ The organization has already built 100 homes and plans to build 100 additional homes by 2014. They drove their sport modified with the American flag to kick-off the evening at the track for the fans along with a medical rescue vehicle to honor the 9/11 first responders during the national anthem.

The season point’s champions were crowned last night after the features and final points were totaled with Sedalia driver, Terry Schultz claiming his first CMS Modified division championship for his second of the season, Jason Bodenhamer from Centerview in the ULMA Late Models grabbed his second track title in a row, Brain Ziegler out of Bates City, in Street Stocks for his first CMS championship and Jacob Ebert from Oak Grove in the B-Modifieds for his first championship. Each of these drivers won several features at the track this year with Jacob Ebert on top of the list with 11 feature victories and zero did not finish results over 18 races.

After the B-Modified drivers completed the previous weekend special event with Brad Smith taking home the big money for his third CMS feature win, 17 drivers registered their cars in the pits for two heat races to set the grid for the final feature of the year. Heat race winners last evening included Ebert over Darin Claxton in heat one. In heat two Bronson Combs took the checkered flag for his second win of the season past Chris Whalen.

As the feature began Ebert shot into the lead on the opening laps with Claxton and Combs battling it out for the second spot. After numerous cautions and some three-wide action in turn four Jason Billups was tagged and spun into the in-field. Several drivers had to depart the track for mechanical and caution flags with Ebert holding off the charging Claxton and Combs on the re-starts. Towards the end of the feature when Combs went high in turn two, Chris Brockway, who started 13th moved up into the third spot with a low side pass.

As the double checkers flew for the feature finish it was Ebert for his 11th win of the season with the Waterloo Storage Products victory lane celebration. Claxton looks steady in second, Brockway comes home third, Combs stayed in fourth and Chris Whalen fifth.

The street stock division had 14 drivers registered to race in two heat races when Nate Barnes claimed his sixth heat race win in front of Bryce McMillin. Then the heat race two winner, Steven Littrell grabbed the victory for his first heat win past John Clancy.

Barnes led the opening laps with Ziegler making his presence felt early in the race in second. Again the cautions flew for a good part of this feature with numerous drivers taking their machines into the pits ending their night. On lap seven with Ziegler leading, the race was for second with Barnes and Ray Smith until Barnes spun his car in turn four on lap ten. Barnes eventually worked his way back up into the top-five later in the race. Meanwhile, Ziegler drives his usual smooth race with Smith attempting to move up behind him.

In the end with the checkers flying, Ziegler garbbed the win for his seventh feature triumph of the season. Smith looks strong and took second, Mullins, Barnes and with his best finish of the season, Brett Cox completed the top-five finishers.

The ULMA late model points race has been tight lately with Jason Bodenhamer making another run for a repeat season championship, but would he be able to hold off Brett Wood of Warrensburg pursuing his brother-in-law. Late Models drivers had 14 cars checked in for two heat races. In the first heat, Jon Binning takes the win in front of Kevin Coyne. Heat two had Brett Wood with the victory in front of Bob Test.

Binning dove into the low grove to lead the initial circuit with Test and Wood close in pursuit. Binning held the lead until Test challenged him diving into the low groove on lap three. The close side-by-side action was fun to watch when Test finally grabbed the lead. Wood and then Bob King entered the picture. At the half way point, Test was on top, Binning second and King third with Kevin Coyne now entering the into the top four. Wood drove hard around Binning, but Binning fought off his buddy and drove in low to take the second spot back with four laps remaining in the feature. Test was smooth in lapped traffic throughout the caution-free feature event and claimed his first CMS season feature win. Binning stayed strong with a second for his best finish late this year. Wood third, King fourth and Coyne completing the top-five.

The always talented field of modified drivers lined up in the pits with 13 cars in the two heat races. Heat race number one winner was Aaron Marrant in front of Matt Johnson and Steve Twenter. Heat two had Jason Bodenhamer with the win over Tim Karrick and Dean Wille. As the feature started Marrant and Bodenhamer led the starting field into turn one grabbing the early lead on the initial laps of the final feature of the night. They were side-by-side early on with Johnson and Wille charging up into contention in third and fourth. Early on, David McVey took his machine into the in-field on the front side as the race continued. Bodenhamer then drove into lapped traffic, but the veteran late model driver handled it with ease. Wille then took advantage of a Matt Johnson blown motor and climbed into the second spot. Late in the race, Wille, Marrant and Karrick waged a good battle in the top-five with Richard Layne coming on strong.

In the end with the double checkers flying, Bodenhamer celebrated his second CMS feature win of the year after winning the first modified feature of the season in April with hard-charging Dean Wille second, Marrant third, Karrick fourth, and Layne for his best recent finish in fifth.

The excitement continues for the final night of CMS special events racing in the storied Earl and Susan Walls era on October 1st for the Modified Hog Roast Nationals with a
$3,500-to-win feature event to close the final chapter at track in the “Burg“. All classes of drivers can now pre-register and save money if they register by September 23. The registration form on the website is good for all classes. Just cross-out modified and replace your registration with the division that you are registered for at your home track.

Join us on Monday evening at 5:30 on KOKO 1450 radio for the KOKO track report program with the latest news, results and driver interviews. CMS is located 3.5-miles north of Warrensburg, MO from the junction of Highways 50 and 13 in Warrensburg or from the Higginsville exit off of I-70, travel south on Highway 13 for twelve miles. For more information call the Track Report line at (660) 747-2166. For more information call the track report line at 660-747-2166 or visit us on the web at www.centralmissourispeedway.net.

Business partners at Central Missouri Speedway for the 2011 season include, Waterloo Storage Products, KOKO AM 1450 Radio and 98.5 FM The Bar, Comfort Inn Warrensburg Station, KMMO Radio, LJS Graphics, Army National Guard, RSC Equipment Rental, Heartland Waste, Pepsi Racing, Bad Boy Mowers, and Midwest Coating.