Sam Stoecklin
ULMA Public Relations
July 23, 2012
Last weekend in Lucas Cattle Company ULMA action, one track hosted late model drivers and fans in race #31 for the year. Twenty-three drivers took to the track at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri competing in three heat races and a special-event 25-lap feature paying $1,000 to the winner.
For Rod End Supply heat race one, Larry Jones of Eldorado Springs drove his car to victory lane over Joe Walkenhorst, Ethan Young, and current overall ULMA point leader, Jason Russell. Binning came from his eighth starting position to claim BuyRaceParts.com heat race number two over Zeke Langley, Kevin Coyne and Chris Cox. In Photo Graphics by Shelly Payne heat race three, J.D. Hubert raced to the win ahead of Mike Berger and former track champion Tommy Cordray.
Binning easily scored the most passing points during the preliminary heat races to claim the pole position for the night’s main event alongside Walkenhorst. Both drivers have recorded strong runs this season at Lucas Oil Speedway but although each driver had already visited ULMA victory lane in 2012, neither one had ever recorded a feature victory at the track. During the last special event at the track, Binning led several laps before eventually finishing second. Walkenhorst also recorded a runner-up finish earlier this season.
In recent weeks, Binning has either run strong or experienced mechanical gremlins, which have kept him from posting even stronger finishes. However, tonight was a different story as he watched the green flag wave in the air to start the main event with determination to take away the victory. Walkenhorst ran strong early with Larry Jones as the pair tried to settle out second place. Hubert and Russell also ran strong early on inside the top five while Zeke Langley was competitive near the front along with Brandon Imhoff.
For 20 straight laps, Binning paced the field as the race appeared to be going green to checkers, that is until the cars of Tommy Cordray and Mike Montague touched on the back straightaway in a racing incident that left Montague’s car veering nearly head-on into the back straightaway wall. After impacting the wall, Montague’s car veered back into the racing lane where Bob Test was racing just outside of the top ten. Test did not have time or room to maneuver around the stalled car and made hard contact on the right side and ultimately flipping one time. Luckily, both drivers walked away unscathed but the same could not be said for their cars, which received extensive damage.
The race resumed once the incident was cleared; however, another caution flag flew on the restart as Young’s car became tangled with another competitor coming to a rest on the high side of turn one, placing the race back under yellow-flag conditions. The cars were lodged together but the crew worked diligently to get them unhooked and the race back to green-flag conditions. Once the cars were separated, both Young and Mark Penticuff’s cars had received too much damage to continue.
When the race resumed, there were just five laps remaining with Binning in command. By now, Hubert made his way past Jones for the runner-up position with Jones, Russell, and Walkenhorst still inside the top five. Binning quickly smashed the gas pedal to restart the race and never looked back as he pulled away from Hubert in the closing laps. Hubert held Jones at bay to come away with the second position. Jones’ third-place run was his strongest of the year, Russell was fourth with Walkenhorst fifth. Imhoff, Langley, Cordray, track point leader Jeremy Kelley, and Chris Cox rounded out the top ten.
ULMA returns to Valley Speedway in a big way this Friday July 27 for a three-week consecutive stretch of late model action, which culminates on Friday, August 10 when late models compete in a 40-lap special featured race as the invited support class to the Monsters in the Valley truck show! Stay tuned to the ULMA website at www.ulmaracing.com and www.valleyspeedway.com for further details.
Action at Callaway Raceway was canceled last week due to an excessive heat warning. Callaway gears up for another planned regular program this Friday, July 27, visit www.callawayraceways.com for further details. Lucas Oil Speedway has a non-circle track event at the speedway this Saturday and will return to circle-track action on August 4. Visit the track online at www.lucasoilspeedway.com for additional details.
ULMA’s title sponsor is Lucas Cattle Company. Contingency sponsors are Rod End Supply and Buyraceparts.com. Affiliate sponsors include Imhoff Construction, Bone Cutter Body Shop, PhotoGraphics by Shelly Payne, General Fence LLC, Midland Printing, and Taylor Tire Distribution. Email requests to join ULMA’s email group to unitedlatemodelassociation@hotmail.com. ULMA is a proud supporter of Homes for Our Troops. Visit the association’s website for schedule of events, race history, results, points, and much more at www.ulmaracing.com or like ULMA on Facebook.
ULMA t-shirts are now available at various sanctioned tracks for just $10. Shirts come in all sizes in four different colors of white, grey, tan, and pink. Moisture-wicking shirts are available for special order. See a ULMA official at any of the ULMA tracks to purchase yours today!
Current Lucas Cattle Company ULMA Point Standings:
POS CAR # NAME STARTS POINTS
1st 2J Jason Russell 23 1774
2nd 86 Brandon Imhoff 22 1687
3rd 23Z Zeke Langley 18 1524
4th 1T Chris Cox 20 1500
5th 22 Kevin Coyne 16 1480
6th 133 Chris Hawkins 14 1445
7th 1 Bob Test 14 1421
8th 90 Joe Walkenhorst 13 1368
9th 65 Jon Binning 13 1318
10th 3K Jason Bodenhamer 12 1290
11th 0X Justin Russell 13 1217
12th 7 Brett Wood 12 1172
13th 7X Todd McCoin 11 1027
14th 99 Larry Jones 10 1020
15th 8 Darren Turner 10 1006
16th 5 Tommy Cordray 9 974
17th 12 Gage Wineland 11 961
18th 12C Steve Clancy 9 891
19th O4 Jeremy Kelley 8 862
20th 9M Jimmy Morris 9 850
Upcoming ULMA Races:
Friday, July 27th – Callaway Raceway
Friday, July 27th – Valley Speedway
Friday, August 3rd – Callaway Raceway
Friday, August 3rd – Valley Speedway
Saturday, August 4th – Lucas Oil Speedway
Friday, August 10th – Callaway Raceway
Friday, August 10th – Valley Speedway Friday, August 17th – Callaway Raceway
Saturday, August 18th – Lucas Oil Speedway
Friday, August 24th – Callaway Raceway, Fulton Mo
Friday, August 24th – Valley Speedway, Grain Valley
Saturday, August 25th – Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland Mo
Friday, August 31st – Callaway Raceway, Fulton Mo
Friday, Sept 7th – Callaway Raceway, Fulton Mo
Friday, Sept 14th – Callaway Raceway, Fulton Mo
Friday, Sept 21st – Valley Speedway, Grain Valley (ULMA Points End)
Saturday, Oct 20th – Valley Speedway, Grain Valley (Non ULMA Points)