Double-X Speedway
California, MO
July 22, 2018
By: Dean Reichel
Even though the 2018 season of Sunday Night Thunder at Double-X Speedway is nearing completion, there are still firsts occurring at the familiar 1/4 mile oval. After a layoff from racing of several years, Sedalia,MO driver Tyler Utz returned to the seat at Double-X just over a month ago and Sunday night he picked up his first ever victory in a sprint car. With the support of his family and crew, led by his grandfather and Hall of Fame driver Bill Utz, and with a water pump off of the legendary “Ol’ Yeller” #56, Tyler was standing tall in victory lane. With multiple feature winner Tyler Blank sidelined with mechanical issues, it was assured that a first time winner would emerge at the end of the event. Utz gained the advantage on the start and steadily put down smoother laps as the feature unwound. Ben Brown drove a hard charging race to claim second, Frank Brown came across the stripe third. Ben Brown was victorious in the heat race.
The 600cc winged micro sprints also saw a first time winner. Making the tow from Jacksonville, MO, Tyler Davenport picked up his first career feature win a little over year from the first time he had raced a car. This was also his first time in competition at Double-X. Davenport survived early challenges from veteran Travis Arnold, but was able to fend off the challenge and claim the checkered flag. Finishing second was Aubrey Smith with a strong run after arriving late to the track. Arnold would be third in the running order and Justin Osborn was fourth. Travis Arnold would claim the heat race.
In the street stock division it was a familiar face in victory lane although the finish was much closer than he would have liked. John Clancy put his #8 machine in victory lane another time this year at Double-X. Clancy led the majority of the race, handling challenges from Mark Davis and Cole Henson. At the finish Clancy was able to hold off Joe Miller by half a car to secure the win. Miller was second with fellow “Old Guy” Steve Beach in third. Mark Davis fought handling issues to hold on for fourth and Dale Berry finished fifth. Davis and Clancy won the heat races.
The Hobby Stock class provided some of the most exciting racing of the night. Mike Schrader picked up the feature win in a decisive manner. Isaiah Penton capped off an impressive evening with a second place finish, Kyle Smith ran hard to finish third, Drew Tully was a model of consistency claiming fourth and Chuck Coffey survived a last lap incident to finish fifth. Schrader and Penton claimed the heat races.
Only two more weeks remain in the 2018 season. Be sure to come out and support weekly dirt track racing at the Double-X Speedway, home of Sunday Night Thunder.
Doubl- X Speedway
Results
7/22/2018-
360 Winged Sprint Cars-
Feature Event- 1. 3V-Tyler Utz, Sedalia; 2. 49B-Ben Brown, Marshall; 3. 43-Frank Brown, Marshall; 4. 3-Ayrton Gennetten, Gravois Mills; DNS- 99E-Bailey Elliott, California; 75-Tyler Blank, California
Heat Race- 1. B. Brown; 2. Utz; 3. Elliott; DNS- Blank; Gennetten; F. Brown
600cc Winged Micro Sprints-
Feature Event- 1. 49-Tyler Davenport, Jacksonville; 2. 35-Aubrey Smith, Houstonia; 3. 75-Travis Arnold, Pilot Grove; 4. 42-Justin Osborn, Savannah
Heat Race- 1. Arnold; 2. Davenport; DNS-Osborn; Tom Curran; Smith
Street Stocks-
Feature Event- 1. 8-John Clancy, California; 2. 409-Joe Miller, Centertown; 3. 10-Steve Beach, Eldon; 4. 56-Mark Davis, Grovespring; 5. 05-Dale Berry, Tuscumbia; 6. 52J-James Keeran, California; 7. 54-Brandon Hays, California (DNF) 8. 31C-Cole Henson, Russellville (DNF)
Heat Race 1- 1. Davis; 2. Beach; 3. Miller; 4. Berry
Heat Race 2- 1. Clancy; 2. Henson; 3. Hays; 4. Keeran
Hobby Stocks-
Feature Event- 1. 11-Mike Schrader, Sedalia; 2. 8-Isaiah Penton, Huntsville; 3. 11K-Kyle Smith, Stover; 4. 33-Drew Tully, Carrollton; 5. 171-Chuck Coffey, Windsor; 6. 83-Mlee Brockert, Versailles; 7. 14X-Blaze Belt, Syracuse; 8. 82-Chris Brockert, Versailles (DNF); 9.29C-Ryan Campbell, Jefferson City (DNF) 10. 32-John Canada, Fulton (DNF); DNS-7X Jeremiah Wallingford; DQ-14 Kevin Prall
Heat Race 1- 1. Schrader; 2. Prall; 3. Coffey; 4. Wallingford; 5. Canada; 6. Belt
Heat Race 2- 1. Penton; 2, Smith; 3. M.Brockert; 4. Tully; 5. Campbell; 6. C.Brockert