Double-X Speedway
California, MO
June 7, 2015

Night three of Sunday Night Thunder is in the books with four classes of cars and drivers competing at Double-X Speedway in California, MO. While there was excitement in all four classes, the 600cc Micro Sprint featue event provided some of the closest action on the clay oval. Front row starters Dean Hathman and Ryan Marsch had both earned convincing victories in their respective heat races and set up the possibility of an exciting feature event. Marsch took the lead on lap one and set sail, however it ws by no means an easy cruise. Hathman gave chase early but succumbed to hard charging Jimmy Dowell who set his sights on the leader. Dowell hounded Marsch high and low trying to find a way to pass the leader. As the white flag waved Dowell made one last run on the high side but Marsch held off the Boonville, MO driver by a car length to claim the victory. Dowell claimed a hard fought second with Dean Hathman third, Dwayne Benson fourth and Scott Hathman rounded out the top five.

The Street Stock class put on a very racy feature event again this week, Defending feature winner Steve Beach jumped out to an early lead and was setting a good pace until an incident in turn one saw the leader spin to the inside of the tack. As a result Todd McCoin inherited the lead and was feeling the pressure of Curt Turpin. Ultimately the pace proved too much as McCoin’s engine expired on lap 12 and he retired into the pit area. Turpin led lap 11 but could not hold off veteran Dale Berry who led the last two laps to claim the checkered flag. Turpin was a strong second, Cole Henson drove a smooth race to claim third, Andrew Roark finished fourth and Jeff Offerman claimed fifth. The heat races were claimed by Beach and McCoin.

In the Hobby Stock class Gage Wineland returned to victory lane with another consistent run at the front. Kevin Prall and Rudy Wirts staged a battle for the runner up spot with Prall edging Wirts for second. Wirts finished a strong third in his new ride for this season. Last week’s feature winner Mike Schrader came home in fourth and Chuck Coffey rounded out the top five. Prall and Wineland were the heat race winners.

Returning from racing on the west coast, Jonathan Cornell picked up victory number two of the 2015 season at Double-X in the Winged Sprint Car division. With heat race victors Josh Fisher and Cornell starting on the front row, Cornell won the drag race into turn one at the drop of the green and would hold the point for the duration of the event. Fisher gave chase but got into the backstretch wall trying to avoid a spinning car, ending his night. The restart saw Cornell leading Evan Martin and Tyer Blank. Martin would settle into second and Blank into third until turn one would bite Balnk as well and he retired to the pit area with steering damage. Following Cornell under the checkered flags would be Evan Martin in second, one spot better than his dad Randy Martin, who finished third, Ricky Stangl was fourth and Taylor Walton completed the top five.

The evening was highlighted by a celebration of Ruth Hohman’s birthday. Ruth, the “first lady” of Double-X Speedway has been a fixture at the track for all 26 seasons. Racing action continues next Sunday evening, gates open at 5. If you have not had the chance to make it out yet we would love to see you at Double-X this season. Check out the Double-X Speedway Fan Page on Facebook or log on to www.xxspeedway.com.

Double X Speedway results, June 7, 2015–

600cc Micro Sprints–

Feature- 1. 2R, Ryan Marsch, Russellville; 2. 88J, Jimmy Dowell, Boonville; 3. 56H, Dean Hathman, Columbia; 4. 35B, Dwayne Benson, Sweet Springs; 5. 56, Scott Hathman, Columbia; 6. 75, Travis Arnold, Pilot Grove; 7. 3G, Garret Williamson, Columbia; 8. 11, Tom Curran, Kansas City; 9. 76, Kale Mueller, Savannah; 10. 72, Casey Kempker, Jefferson City; 11. 8, Brian Lunsford, Marshall

Heat 1- 1. D. Hathman; 2. Lunsford; 3. S. Hathman; 4. Williamson; 5. Mueller; 6. Kempker

Heat 2- 1. Marsch; 2. Benson; 3. Dowell; 4. Arnols; 5. Curran

Street Stocks–

Feature–1. 05, Dale Berry, Tuscumbia; 2. 15, Curt Turpin, Jefferson City; 3. 31C, Cole Henson, Russellville; 4. 17, Andrew Roark, Jefferson City; 5. 8UP,Jeff Offerman, California; 6. 99, Kyle Jeffries, Versailles; 7. 58, Jeremiah Wilson, Concordia; 8. 96, Todd McCoin, Barnett; 9. 43, Brad Inlow, Concordia; 10. 10, Steve Beach, Eldon; 11. 7, Evan Hays, California; 12. 52J, James Keeran, California; 13. 19, Brandon Dunham, California (DNS); 14. 002, Tim Cressley, Tipton (DNS); 15. 8,John Clancy Jr., California (DNS), 16. 27D, Derek Henson, Russellville (DNS)

Heat 1- 1. Beach; 2. Keeran; 3. C. Henson; 4. Berry; 5. Offerman; 6. Cressley; 7. Wilson; 8. D. Henson (DNS)

Heat 2- 1. McCoin; 2. Dunham; 3. Inlow; 4. Turpin; 5. Jeffries; 6. Hays; 7. Clancy Jr.; 8, Roark

Hobby Stocks–

Feature–1. 12G, Gage Wineland, Syracuse; 2. 14, Kevin Prall, Sedalia; 3. 2X, Rudy Wirts, California; 4. 11, Mike Schrader, Sedalia; 5. 171, Chuck Coffey, Windsor; 6. 4A, Laura Atkinson, Eldon; 7. 34, Larry Dickson, Speed; 8. 15, Katie Goodson, Sedalia; 9. 54, Tanya Canada, Fulton; 10. 84, Jeremiah Wallingford, Jamestown

Heat 1- 1. Prall; 2. Schrader; 3. Coffey; 4. Goodson; 5. Dickson

Heat 2- 1. Wineland; 2. Canada; 3. Wirts; 4. Atkinson; 5. Wallingford

Winged Sprint Cars–

Feature– 1. 28, Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia; 2. 4, Evan Martin, California; 3. 0, Randy Martin, California; 4. 24S, Ricky Stangl, Lees Summit; 5 93, Taylor Walton, Warrensburg; 6. 31, Mike Trent, Rocheport; 7. 49, Tyler Elliott, California; 8. 49B, Ben Brown, Marshall; 9. 8, Jeff Wingate, Centertown; 10. 75, Tyler Blank, California; 11. 38, Cody Baker, Lone Jack; 12. 72X, Josh Fisher, Jefferson City; 13. 24, Lanny Carpenter, Clarksburg; 14. 12C, Faron Crank, Sedalia; 15 XX, AJ Wirts, California (DNS)

Heat 1- 1. Fisher; 2. R. Martin; 3. Stangl; 4. Trent; 5. Elliott; 6. Crank; 7. Wirts; 8. Baker (DNS)

Heat 2- 1. Cornell; 2. E. Martin; 3. Blank; 4. Walton; 5. Brown; 6. Wingate; 7. Carpenter