by Brian Neal

Memphis, MO (Friday, May 4, 2018) – With rain most of the day Wednesday and again over night Thursday, it looked like the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri would go 0 for 4 in getting their 2018 racing season started. But with the sun and some wind early Friday morning the crew went to work to get the track in shape to finally get this season started. Their work would pay off with some great racing that saw Jared Fuller (Modifieds), Nathan Wood (Stock Cars), Daniel Fellows (SportMods), Dustin Griffiths (Hobby Stocks), and Barry Taft (Sport Compacts) pick up wins.

The first feature to take to the track was the 12 lap Sport Compacts, with Brandon Reu and Chuck Fullenkamp drawing the front row. Reu would take advantage of his starting spot to lead lap 1 over Fullenkamp and Kimberly Abbott. While Reu paced the field out front, Barry Taft went three wide thru the middle of Fullenkamp and Abbott off turn 2 on lap 2 to take over the runner up spot. Taft then went to work on Reu for the top spot. With Reu working the bottom of the track, Taft tried to work past Reu on the top of the track over the next couple of laps. Only to have Reu hold him off each lap to keep the lead, that was until lap 5 when Taft edged out Reu at the line for the lead. Reu would come back on the bottom to grab the top spot back on lap 6. When Reu drifted high coming off turn 4 to complete lap 9, Taft shot under him to grab the lead back. One lap later, lap 10, Reu slowed and pulled into the infield with mechanical troubles to end his run up front. This would move Kyle Boyd, who started 6th, into the runner up spot. Coming to the white flag Boyd closed quickly onto Taft’s back bumper. But that was as close as he could get, as Taft held on to pick up his first win of the season at the track and fifth overall in early 2018. Boyd settled for 2nd, Abbott was 3rd, Fullenkamp was 4th, with Jake Dietrich coming home in 5th.

There might have only been 6 Hobby Stocks signed in to do battle on the night. But for the entire 12 lap race you could throw a blanket over those 6 cars, as they raced two wide for positions. Rick Van Dusseldorp and Mike Kincaid led the field to the drop of the green flag, with Kincaid leading lap 1 over Dustin Griffiths and Van Dusseldorp. Kincaid then worked the next 6 laps trying to hold off several challenges from Griffiths, who was looking to get around Kincaid on the top of the track. The side by side action was slowed for the first and only time on lap 7, as debris in turn 1 brought out the yellow. On the restart Kincaid jumped back out front, with Griffiths and Aaron Martin, who started 5th, glued to his back bumper. Griffiths tried the high side and the low side of the track to try an wrestle the lead away from Kincaid over the next couple of laps. But Kincaid was able to hold him off, until lap 10 when Griffiths was able to get under him for the top spot. Griffiths then held off Kincaid over the final 2 laps to score the win. Kincaid settled for 2nd, Martin was 3rd, Van Dusseldorp was 4th, with Brok Hopwood rounding out the top 5.

Dalton McKenney and Cody Agee drew the front row for the 16 lap SportMod feature, with Agee jumping out front to lead lap 1 over Austin Becerra, who started 6th, and Daniel Fellows, who started 7th. The lead for Agee only last for 1 lap, as Becerra slipped under him on lap 2 to take over the top spot. But disaster would strike Becerra coming off turn 4 to complete lap 4, as he lost a motor and bunched the field up. Which caused Agee to spin from piling into the back of Becerra to bring out the only yellow of the race. But the call for the caution was for fluids and debris from Becerra’s motor, which gave Agee the lead back for the restart. On that restart Agee grabbed the lead, with Fellows and Brandon Dale, who started 5th, close behind. One lap later, lap 5, Fellows used the bottom of the track to slip past Agee for the lead. Dale would over take Agee on lap 7 for the runner up spot, and then went to work on chasing down Fellows for the top spot. But without another caution, there was no catching Fellows. As Fellows claimed his first career SportMod feature win. Dale was 2nd, Jeffrey DeLonjay started 8th and finished 3rd, Agee was 4th, with Tom Lathrop finishing 5th.

The best race of the night, and the race that was worth the price of admission alone, was the 16 lap Stock Car feature. Butch Bailey and Dustin Griffiths was scheduled to lead the field to green, but when Bailey elected to go to the rear this moved Derrick Agee to the pole. Griffiths took advantage of his front row outside starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Nathan Wood, who started 5th, and Agee. The first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 2, as Agee came to a stop in turn 1 with a right front flat to end his run up front. On the restart Griffiths jumped back out front, with Wood and Scott Jordan glued to his back bumper. On lap 4 Wood worked the middle of the track to take the top spot away from Griffiths. Then just as it looked like Wood would pull away for an easy win, John Oliver Jr., who started 6th, had different ideas. Oliver Jr., who was working the bottom of the track, quickly closed in on Wood’s back bumper on lap 8. Then on lap 9 Oliver Jr. was able to get up beside Wood, as the two raced side-by-side around the entire track. The lead duo came up on lapped traffic on lap 13, with the two splitting that lapped traffic off turn 4 to complete lap 14. As a result Oliver Jr. would edge Wood at the line by inches to take the top spot. But Wood used the momentum off the corners to grab the lead back on lap 15. Coming off turn 4 side-by-side, Wood was able to edge out Oliver Jr. at the line by a fender for the win. Oliver Jr. settled for 2nd, Griffiths was 3rd, Abe Huls finished 4th after starting in 7th, with Jordan coming home in 5th.

Michael Long and Jared Fuller led the field to green in the 16 lap Modified feature, which was also the final race of the night. Jared Fuller used his starting spot to his advantage, as he grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Jeff Waterman and Long. The action up front was slowed for the first and only time on lap 3, as Long lost the handle and spun to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Jared Fuller jumped back out front, with Jardin Fuller over taking Waterman for the runner up spot. Without another caution to slow the action down, Jared Fuller would pull away to pick up an easy win. Jardin Fuller was 2nd, Waterman was 3rd, Dakota Simmons was 4th, with David Snyder finishing 5th.

The next event tentatively scheduled at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway is set for Friday, June 15th. So make sure you watch their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Scotland-County-Speedway-531042493650646/?ref=br_rs for more details. Or for more information you can contact Mike Van Genderen at 641-521-0330.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Pepsi Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, MO

Friday, May 4, 2018

MODIFIEDS

Feature: 1. Jared Fuller, Memphis, MO; 2. Jardin Fuller, Memphis, MO; 3. Jeff Waterman, Quincy, IL; 4. Dakota Simmons, Douds, IA; 5. David Snyder, Greenwood, MO; 6. Michael Long, Fowler, IL

Heat: 1. Jared Fuller; 2. Jardin Fuller; 3. Michael Long; 4. Jeff Waterman; 5. Dakota Simmons; 6. David Snyder

STOCK CARS

Feature: 1. Nathan Wood, Sigourney, IA; 2. John Oliver Jr., Danville, IA; 3. Dustin Griffiths, Hedrick, IA; 4. Abe Huls, Carthage, IL; 5. Scott Jordan, Wapello, IA; 6. Beau Taylor, Canton, MO; 7. Kevin Koontz, Memphis, MO; 8. Spenscer Hopwood, Ottumwa, IA; 9. Butch Bailey, Moberly, MO; 10. Derrick Agee, Huntsville, MO

Heat 1: 1. Nathan Wood; 2. John Oliver Jr.; 3. Scott Jordan; 4. Abe Huls; 5. Kevin Koontz

Heat 2: 1. Dustin Griffiths; 2. Derrick Agee; 3. Butch Bailey; 4. Beau Taylor; 5. Spenscer Hopwood

SPORTMODS

Feature: 1. Daniel Fellows, Keokuk, IA; 2. Brandon Dale, Arbela, MO; 3. Jeffrey DeLonjay, Quincy, IL; 4. Cody Agee, Huntsville, MO; 5. Tom Lathrop, Ottumwa, IA; 6. Dalton McKenney, Clarksville, MO; 7. Jim Walker, Mystic, IA; 8. Brandyn Ryan, Coatsburg, IL; 9. Steve Berry, Ottumwa, IA; 10. Jeff Frana, Ottumwa, IA; 11. Adam Birck, Canton, MO; 12. Austin Becerra, Carthage, IL; 13. Jason McDaniel, Eldon, IA; 14. Kiel Morton, LaPata, MO; 15. Charles Baker, LaBelle, MO (DNS)

Heat 1: 1. Daniel Fellows; 2. Austin Becerra; 3. Tom Lathrop; 4. Jason McDaniel; 5. Jim Walker; 6. Steve Berry; 7. Jeff Frana; 8. Kiel Morton

Heat 2: 1. Cody Agee; 2. Jeffrey DeLonjay; 3. Brandon Dale; 4. Dalton McKenney; 5. Brandyn Ryan; 6. Charles Baker; 7. Adam Birck

HOBBY STOCKS

Feature: 1. Dustin Griffiths, Hedrick, IA; 2. Mike Kincaid, Cincinnati, IA; 3. Aaron Martin, Richland, IA; 4. Rick Van Dusseldorp, Oskaloosa, IA; 5. Brok Hopwood, Ottumwa, IA; 6. Derek Kirkland, Centerville, IA

Heat: 1. Mike Kincaid; 2. Brok Hopwood; 3. Dustin Griffiths; 4. Rick Van Dusseldorp; 5. Aaron Martin; 6. Derek Kirkland

SPORT COMPACTS

Feature: 1. Barry Taft, Argyle, IA; 2. Kyle Boyd, Ottumwa, IA; 3. Kimberly Abbott, Camp Point, IL; 4. Chuck Fullenkamp, West Point, IA; 5. Jake Dietrich, Keokuk, IA; 6. Jeffrey DeLonjay, Quincy, IL; 7. Dylan Schantz, Luray, MO; 8. Brandon Reu, Donnellson, IA; 9. Mike Hornung Jr., Keokuk, IA; 10. Justin O’Haver, Kirksville, MO; 11. Codey Phillips, Ottumwa, IA (DNS)

Heat 1: 1. Kyle Boyd; 2. Brandon Reu; 3. Chuck Fullenkamp; 4. Mike Hornung Jr.; 5. Dylan Schantz; 6. Codey Phillips

Heat 2: 1. Barry Taft; 2. Kimberly Abbot; 3. Jake Dietrich; 4. Jeffrey DeLonjay; 5. Justin O’Haver