CMS Public Relations
September 4, 2016

(Warrensburg, MO) The 2016 race season at Central Missouri Speedway officially came to a close Sunday evening for night two of the annual Labor Day Special event weekend. Seventy-five drivers signed in for competition among USRA Modifieds, ULMA Late Models, USRA B-Mods, and the Allstar Midget Series.

The evening was highlighted by a $3,000-to-win special event for USRA Modifieds, which saw Jim Moody of Odessa, Missouri claim the victory. Don Droud, Jr., of Lincoln, Nebraska was victorious in Allstar Midget Series action. Russ Niehoff claimed the USRA B-Mod main event by mere inches, while Aaron Marrant snagged the ULMA Late Model a-main.

USRA B-Mod heat race winners included Rex Harris ahead of Niehoff and Doug Wetzel and former track champion Brad Smith over Chad Staus and Kris Jackson. The main event was a classic right to the very finish as Russ Niehoff and Dakota Foster fought hard for the win over the last few laps. The main event was one of the best of the night with no less than five cars gunning for the win. Through several series of caution flags Niehoff repelled all challengers until the final moments when 16th starting Dakota Foster drove to the low side of Niehoff on the competitive track surface as Niehoff held strong up high. As the pair came to the finish, it was unclear who had won but Niehoff prevailed in the end for his second triumph of the season. Foster ran a strong second, with Luke Nieman in third, Staus fourth, Jackson fifth, and Smith in sixth.

After a heart-breaking run the night before in the main event when he missed claiming the main event by three laps, Austin Lambert began the night strong with a row four run to the front to score the win in heat one over championship contender Robert Bell and Kory Schudy. Riley Kreisel of Warsaw, Missouri prevailed in heat two over Don Droud, Jr., and Hunter Lane. Lambert looked to score the win in the main event but it was not meant to be as hard luck struck once again in the main event as he came up just short of the win retiring with just a handful of laps to go. This race was a race inside a race as Robert Bell and Merril Lamb were trying to claim the Allstar Midget Series title, whoever finished in front of the other would claim the title. Don Droud Jr. was the man to beat for the second-consecutive night of racing for the series as he ultimately prevailed in the main event for his second score of the season. Kreisel finished in the runner-up spot while Hunter Lane, Robert Bell, Jason Walls, and Pat Schudy completed the top six. With his fourth-place finish, Bell earned the title of 2016 Allstar Midget Series champion, just edging Merril Lamb.

ULMA Late Models returned to CMS for their sixth appearance of the year as 17 drivers signed in for racing. Current ULMA point’s leader Dustin Hodges started the night strong with a heat win over Aaron Marrant and Garry Billings. In preliminary heat-race action, Lane Ehlert encountered wheel problems as his car went pirouetting several times off turn three. Although a little sore, Ehlert was otherwise okay. Former track champion Jon Binning of Warrensburg, Missouri claimed heat race two ahead of Tommy Cordray and Todd McCoin. In the main event, Binning led the field at the start with Marrant stalking the leader and not letting him get out of his sights. Lap-after-lap, Marrant hounded Binning for the lead in and out of lapped traffic until the closing laps. By lap 15, Marrant’s setup proved the most successful as he was finally able to have a good run off turn four to claim the lead and ultimately the win over Binning in second. Cordray registered his second-consecutive strong CMS run with Chris Cox posting his best-ever finish in fourth. Garry Billings’ return to CMS proved beneficial as he claimed fifth, one spot in front of Smyser in sixth, who was making his first-ever visit to CMS.

The final event of the night was the USRA Modified special 35-lap main event, paying $3,000 to the winner. Ryan Middaugh, Darron Fuqua, and Dalton Kirk finished 1-2-3 in the opening heat race. Terry Schultz returned to CMS with a win in heat two over previous night main event winner Chad Lyle and Mickey Burrell, also returning to CMS after a long absence. Jim Moody crossed the finish line first in heat three over Dean Wille and Johnny Fennewald.

Moody flexed his muscle at the start edging Schultz to lead lap one with Fuqua and Middaugh in hot pursuit. Johnny Fennewald, who started in eighth began moving forward in the mid portion of the race as he broke into the top five. Lyle, Middaugh, Kirk, and Jon Sheets also fought for top ten runs until Sheets spun from contention. With just two quick slowdowns for a pair of cautions, the races’ final green-flag run featured a torrid battle as Wille, Schultz, and Fennewald searched for a way to close in on Moody in heavy lapped traffic.

Moody never flinched and even threaded the needle going three-wide with lapped cars to maintain his lead. In the end, Moody’s decision to race full steam ahead paid off as he eventually scored his fifth CMS victory of the season and third in the last four USRA Modified a-mains at CMS. The win was worth $3,000 giving him two consecutive years of special-event wins as he claimed the $5,000-to-win main event last year. Schultz looked strong in second in front of an impressive run by Warrensburg driver Dean Wille in third. Fennewald advanced from eighth to fourth with Lyle, Fuqua, Kevin Blackburn, Dalton Kirk, Ryan Middaugh, and Shad Badder rounded out the top ten.

The 2017 race season preview is now available on the track’s website at www.centralmissourispeedway.net. On the main page, look for the tab titled “Tentative 2017 CMS Race Schedule!” Tickets are now on sale for the 2016 championship banquet, which once again will be held in partnership and conjunction with Lakeside Speedway. The event takes place at the Blue Springs Elks Lodge on Saturday, November 5th. For ticketing and event information, call Susan Walls at 816-229-1338. No calls after 8 p.m. please.

Find CMS on Twitter @CMSgoing_green, keep up with CMS news and information by pointing your browser to www.centralmissourispeedway.net, or join our email group at info@centralmissourispeedway.net. Find us on YouTube at CMS Going Green. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Missouri-Speedway.

CMS wishes to thank its 2016 primary sponsors for their support this season! Cliff Harris Warrensburg Ford, Budweiser, KMZU 100.7 FM, Sunoco Race Fuels, KMMO FM 102.9, Midwest Coatings, Better Country KIX 105.7, KSDL, and KSIS FM, Comfort Inn Warrensburg Station, KRLI FM 103.9 & KAOL 101.3 FM The Grenade, Pepsi, 610 Sports Radio Kansas City, Heartland Waste, and ‘Today’s New Hit Country’ 95.3 FM KDKD. This list of 2016 outstanding business partners includes: Victory Trophies & Plaques, Joslins Jewelry, Batliner Recycling, DQ Grill & Chill of Warrensburg, Economy Lumber, Kleinschmidt’s Western Store, OK Tire Stores, Eickleberry Concrete & Construction, LJS Graphics, Finish Line Performance, Wolf Tire Service, JA Performance and Outdoor Services, RockAuto.com, and Seeburg Mufflers.

Main Event Finishes from Sunday, September 4th