CMS Public Relations
May 28, 2017

(Warrensburg, MO) One day after strong storms forced the cancellation of planned events at Central Missouri Speedway (CMS) over the Memorial Day weekend, Sunday afternoon into evening greeted drivers, crews, and fans with outstanding weather for an action-packed night of racing.

Fans packed the stands to watch 129 drivers in five divisions headlined by 37 USRA Modifieds. In addition, 31 USRA B-Mods, 27 Pure Stocks, 20 Mod-Lites, and 14 Street Stocks competed throughout the evening in a 25- race program.

The track conditions presented challenges for drivers and the track maintenance crew, who did their best to keep the track safe for racing. Although the prep work added more time to the evening, all but a small minority in attendance agreed it was the best thing to do as the result was an improved race surface.

Highlighting the evening was a one-day $3,000-to-win USRA Modified program. The shortened format was obviously popular as 37 drivers came out in full force to compete. Ultimately, it was one of the largest Memorial Day weekend car counts in the storied history of Promoters Earl and Susan Walls years of hosting big-money summer holiday specials dating back to 1999.

Preliminary USRA Modified heat-race action saw Matt Dotson, James Dean Eaton, Kerry Davis, and Kevin Blackburn score victories. Jim Moody and Jon Sheets each won their respective B-mains. For the main event, Matt Dotson, who was hot off first and second-place finishes already during the weekend started on the pole alongside Chanute, Kansas’ John Allen.

From the drop of the green flag it was obvious that Dotson was there to defend his win in last year’s May special event as he kept Allen and a strong running Ryan Middaugh behind him. Outside of the three-car tandem of Dotson, Allen, and Middaugh, a furious battled ensued with Kerry Davis, James Eaton, Chad Lyle, and Terry Schultz for several laps.

While Eaton eventually ran into troubles, the battle for fourth continued with Gunner Martin and Kevin Blackburn moving forward to challenge. A series early race cautions led to some anxious moments as drivers worked the surface to gain positions. At one point Schultz pulled up to challenge Allen and Middaugh in heavy lapped traffic using the high side. Meanwhile, Jim Moody and Shad Badder advanced several positions through the field until late in the race when both retired from the event, ending their bids for a victory.

As the laps wore down, Middaugh found a way to make the move for second as Allen slipped to third during a long green-flag period of racing. It was during the later portion of the event high-line driving Jon Sheets slipped over the berm in turns and ended up flipping over in a scary moment; however, Sheets gave the responding crew a thumb’s up that he was okay much to the delight of the crowd. The flip ended a strong run inside the top ten after Sheets transferred through a b-main.

Mayetta, Kansas driver Darron Fuqua found the middle lane to his liking in a fantastic battle with low-side running Allen and Lyle and high-line driving Schultz, which left the fans pleased with the fierce competition and close-quarters racing. The middle-lane paid benefits to Fuqua as he eventually made his way to a top-three finish.

At the close of the event, Dotson’s driving style made it look as though the car was guided by a rail, never becoming upset or losing momentum from the decisions he made to hit his marks and set himself up in the best racing line. Ultimately, this was the difference for Dotson, who sailed on to victory and defending his win from one year ago.

Ryan Middaugh of Fulton, Missouri did all he could to gain ground on Dotson but once again posted a solid performance to add to his outstanding season so far by finishing second. Fuqua advanced from row eight to grab the third position with John Allen fourth and Gunner Martin fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Lyle, Schultz, Dalton Kirk, Kerry Davis, and Paden Phillips.

Pure Stocks also shared the spotlight with their annual $500-to-win track special event with a record car count of 27 drivers on hand. It took four heat races to sort out the running order for the main event. Victories went to Kansas drivers Byron Glotzbach, Bud Wallis, and Darrin Christy along with Liberty, Missouri’s Tim Billings, making a rare appearance in the division.

Glotzbach and Christy brought the large field of cars to the initial green flag. Christy assumed command of the early laps, which were unfortunately plagued with several caution flags, tarnishing the early circuits as drivers could not seem to settle into a patient race rhythm.

Christy’s night came to an unexpected end as he pulled off the track during a caution period while leading the race and dashing his hopes for the win. Several incidents also led to the unfortunate demise of early strong runs by Billings, Gale and Joey Harper and Glotzbach.

Former track champion Rodger Detherage made his way to the front of the field for the time-shortened race with Jason Ryun, who had recovered from an earlier spin to challenge for the lead. Eight-starting Jimmy Smith used patience and chose the right lines to run among the leaders in the race’s closing laps along with fifteenth-starting John Shaver, who also came towards the front.

Detherage eventually pulled away for the victory, his second feature win of the season and his first special-event victory. Ryun advanced from ninth to second with Smith finishing in third. Tyler Schoen of Halfway, Missouri scored the fourth-place run with Shaver finishing fifth. Completing the top ten were Larry Norris, Jason Ballard, Zach Johnson, Wallis and Jonathan Evans.

Midwest Mod Lite drivers also came out in record numbers with 20 drivers participating in the night’s action. The Raffurty men from Kansas City had a strangle-hold on the heat race victories with Justin, Dillon, and David all claiming victories.

For the 15-lap event, Cody Miller along with Justin Raffurty earned the front-row starting positions after accumulating the most passing points. Miller, who has run strong so far this season was in search of his first main-event win over a tough field and what seemed like the entire Raffurty family. Justin Raffurty grabbed the early lead with Miller a close second, but their battle only helped Dillon Raffurty to size up the two leaders and make the move he needed to score his second win of the year, once again leaving Miller just short of claiming a win. Behind Dillon Raffurty and Miller at the finish were early leader Justin Raffurty in third, early season winner Mike Raffurty and Donnie Dannar of nearby Oak Grove. The patient drivers provided a crowd-pleasing caution-flag free run to the checkered flag.

Thirty-one USRA B-Mod drivers raced their way through a series of heat races and a b-main event to establish the starting grid of the originally planned 20-lap event. Former track champion Brad Smith of Belton, Missouri started the night off with a heat-race victory. Troy Carlyle made his return to racing a successful one by advancing through the field to score a heat win as did Jim Moody and Dean Bachner. Luke Nieman mastered the field to score the B-main win as the field was now set for the main event.

Carlyle and Cole Campbell accumulated the highest passing points to earn the front row starting spots with Bachner and Steve Clancy close behind. Like the Pure Stock drivers, the B-Mod contingent struggled with finding a race rhythm throughout the caution-plagued and lap-shortened event.

Despite the challenges, several drivers displayed their skills and came up through the ranks to record strong finishes and there were some outstanding battles within the top five with Brad Smith, Jake Richards, and Jim Moody as the trio swapped lanes and lines until Moody eventually grabbed the point and captured the win in the Bobby Russell-owned 7b car. Smith registered a strong return to CMS with a runner-up finish while two-time 2017 feature winner Richards finished third.

One of the best drives of the night was registered by Cody Brill who advanced from 16th to claim the fourth position, one spot in front of Steve Clancy, who recovered nicely to make his way back to a solid fifth-place finish. The bottom half of the top ten also saw strong and steady performances turned in by Carlyle, who finished in sixth just ahead of Lucas Isaacs, Luke Nieman turned his b-main victory into a strong run to eighth, Russ Niehoff was ninth and 18-year old Jace Gay rounded out the top ten.

Fourteen Street Stocks were on hand for the night’s competition in the full-bodied division with Jimmy Ngo making a rare CMS appearance to claim victory in heat number one while defending track champion and multiple-time 2017 feature winner Clayton Campbell securing victory in heat number two.

Campbell and Ngo started side-by-side on row one with a pair of former class champions behind them as Marc Carter and Brett Wood occupied row two. The Street Stock drivers also displayed their prowess and patience with each other, giving the fans a fantastic run with only one caution flag slowing the race.

In a fierce battle for the lead, Campbell and Ngo seemed locked together as Ngo was hoping for a slip by Campbell as the pair left Carter, Wood, Jay Prevete and Aaron Poe to race for third. This battle was another classic right to the finish as drivers maneuvered their way around the track in search of any advantage to come out ahead of the competition.

Ultimately, Campbell ruled the night, despite a thrilling last-lap battled to the very end with Ngo, who used a low-line run off turn four on the final lap to come up just a bit short. Behind Campbell and Ngo were previous winner Jay Prevete in third, Aaron Poe racked up another strong finish in fourth while Chad Eickleberry’s comeback to racing continues to improve as he scored his best finish of the year in fifth, one spot ahead of Wood in sixth.

CMS returns to regular weekly championship racing next Saturday evening. Start times are, Pit Gates open at 4:30, grandstands at 5, driver pill draw closes at 6:15. Warning: late drivers will not be awarded passing points. The pit meeting takes place at 6:30, hot laps roll out at 7:00 and racing begins at 7:30. General admission adults $12, Military w/I.D. and Seniors 65 to 74 $10, kids ages six to twelve $5, five years and under are free, seniors 75 and older are also free. Seniors 80 and older may receive free pit admission courtesy of promoter Earl Walls, who recently celebrated his own 80th birthday in 2017 last April! All pit passes for the weekend are $30 per person.

Just announced, CMS is in search of the ‘Master of the Q at CMS’ during this year’s Tom Wilson Memorial BBQ Bowl on Independence Day weekend. The Master of the Q will take home $500 for their winning BBQ! Master chefs should head over to the CMS Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Central-Missouri-Speedway and private message the track with their intent to enter the contest. Complete details are listed on the Facebook page and www.centralmissourispeedway.net! If additional entries are not received in the next week, the event will not take place, so far just two chefs have thrown their name in the hat, CMS would like to get that number to at least four or five to continue with the cookoff.

CMS reminds drivers and fans to be alert and take alternate routes to CMS beginning May 8th as bridge construction begins on Highway 13 just north of Warrensburg over the Blackwater River, Highway 13 will close just north of Warrensburg at the bridge. Alternate routes to CMS from the West include 50 Highway past Warrensburg to the Highway 13 north bypass or Interstate 70 from the Higginsville Exit then 12 miles south to the track. From the South on Highway 13 simply stay on the bypass around Warrensburg, the track is just north of the final roundabout. From the East, simply exit on the Highway 13 bypass north to the track. From the Hwy 50 bypass, the track is 5 miles north.

Keep up with CMS on Twitter @CMSgoing_green. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Missouri-Speedway. Join our email group by emailing info@centralmissourispeedway.net. Find CMS on YouTube at CMS Going Green! Keep up with CMS news and information by pointing your browser to www.centralmissourispeedway.net. The Website includes standings, results, schedule, news, and much more!

CMS wishes to thank its 2017 primary sponsors for their support including Cliff Harris Warrensburg Ford, Budweiser, KMZU 100.7 FM, Sunoco Race Fuels, 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, College Town Apartments of Warrensburg, and Heartland Waste.

The list of 2017 business partners includes: Batliner Recycling, Kleinschmidt’s Western Store, OK Wheel Alignment, OK Tire Stores, Blue Springs Truck Line Inc., Brooks Auto LLC, Rick Darling Racing Engines/Head Porting, KMMO Radio, Sabre Solar LLC, KDKD Radio, LJS Graphics, Wilderness Ridge Tent & Canvas, DQ Grill & Chill of Warrensburg, Zaxby’s, Miller Lite, Victory Trophies & Plaques, Joslins Jewelry, Eickleberry Concrete & Construction, RockAuto.com, R & B Septic Services, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Wilderness Ridge Tent and Canvas, and Seeburg Mufflers. To join the CMS business partner team, call Susan Walls at (816) 229-1338. No calls after 8 p.m. please.

Feature results for May 28, 2017. Full results at www.centralmissourispeedway.net.

USRA MODIFIEDS

USRA B-MODS

PURE STOCKS

MIDWEST MOD LITES

STREET STOCKS