By JEFF MILLS
FARMINGTON, Mo. -- The 2005 racing season at the St. Francois County Raceway featured everything from seasoned racers adding to their storied history to rookie racers doing the almost unthinkable and winning a track championship.
Joey Montgomery of Fredericktown captured his second consecutive sprint car track championship at SFCR. Joey cruised to the title with a 138 point distance between himself and second place finisher Tommy Worley Jr. of Bismarck.
Timmy Montgomery finished third in points at SFCR after running a limited schedule. He did captured his third Queen’s Royale championship in October, earning more than $6,900 for the victory.
Jimmy Hurley of Springfield, Ill. also posted an outstanding season at SFCR in 2005 by picking up three feature wins and finishing fourth in points. On the year, only Joey (8 feature wins) and Tim Montgomery (5 feature wins), Hurley (3), Worley (1 feature win), and Jerrod Hull of Sikeston (2 feature wins) were able to find victory lane during the sprint car feature events. Randy Hannagan won a special All-Star Circuit of Champions race at SFCR in July.
Mike Francis of Fredericktown captured his first Modified class track championship at the St. Francois County Raceway after holding off the challenge from a talented and well-balanced group of racers for the title. Despite finishing in second place in points, Jeremy Greenwalt of Potosi never won a feature race at SFCR during the season. His second place finish was a tribute to his outstanding consistency during the season. Greenwalt was in his first full season in the Modified class after being crowned the Hobby Stock class champion the year before.
Veteran, popular racer Tommy Worley Sr. of Farmington was also in the hunt for a title during the 2005 season by finishing in third place.
Just how balanced was the Modified class this past season? Check this out involving feature wins. Tied for the most feature wins was Kenny Kennedy of Farmington and Francis with four feature wins each. They were followed by Kasey Burch of Farmington, Billy “The Kidd” Smith of Park Hills and Brent Thompson of Farmington with three feature wins each, John Bohn of Farmington with a pair of feature wins and Robert Powers of Caruthersville with one.
The St. Francois County Raceway welcomed the Pure Street class in 2005 as a full-time member of the racing family. And during his rookie season behind the wheel of the #31 Pure Street, Mark Todd of Jackson not only picked up the track championship he put some distance between himself and the rest of the pack. Michael Abney Jr. finished in second place with Chris Webb third, Derek Shipman fourth and Bill Skaggs fifth. Like the Modified class, the Pure Street drivers put on an outstanding show every week for the fans with feature wins going to nine different drivers. Todd won the most features (5) while Jeff Beeson captured four, Theran Pearl and Mike Savage with a pair of wins, while Shipman, Abney, Travis Goodman, Webb and Pete Koenig each earned a feature win apiece.
The year’s closest race for a track title occurred in the 600cc Multi class and had to be decided by a tie-breaker between Tom Dickerman and Andy Moss. Both finished the season with 880 points, but the title was awarded to Dickerman based on his 5-1 edge in feature wins.
The Multi class had seven feature winner during the 2005 season with Dickerman and Derek King tying for the most wins with five each. Joey Boyd of Farmington picked up three feature wins with Casey Barnhouse of Farmington earning a pair of wins while Moss and Jimmy Bridgeman each earned one feature victory.
And finally the St. Francois County Raceway said “good-bye” to a class of racers who had been a part of the track’s program for a long time. Formerly known as the Hobby Stock class, the Sportsmen class once again featured a points race that went right down to the wire with Matt Eaton of Park Hills taking the title. Last year’s champion, Doug Savage of Farmington, finished a close second with Randy Forster of Farmington third. Leonard Betsch, who made huge strides as a driver during the 2005 season, finished an impressive fourth place with Kevin and Donnie Mosier finishing fifth and sixth respectively.
Amazingly, the driver who picked up the most feature wins in the Sportsmen class was Kasey Nations who finished seventh in points. Nations won seven features during the 2005 season at SFCR with Eaton winning five, Savage two, Betsch one and Kenny Harris with one.
The track will race the Sprints, Modifieds, Pure Streets and Multis during the 2006 season. With only four full-time classes it will allow track promoters more freedom to bring in special classes and conclude the racing program earlier in the evening.
For more information on the St. Francois County Raceway visit the track’s website at: www.sfcr.net or phone (573) 438-4546 or (573) 438-7337.
FARMINGTON, Mo. -- The 2005 racing season at the St. Francois County Raceway featured everything from seasoned racers adding to their storied history to rookie racers doing the almost unthinkable and winning a track championship.
Joey Montgomery of Fredericktown captured his second consecutive sprint car track championship at SFCR. Joey cruised to the title with a 138 point distance between himself and second place finisher Tommy Worley Jr. of Bismarck.
Timmy Montgomery finished third in points at SFCR after running a limited schedule. He did captured his third Queen’s Royale championship in October, earning more than $6,900 for the victory.
Jimmy Hurley of Springfield, Ill. also posted an outstanding season at SFCR in 2005 by picking up three feature wins and finishing fourth in points. On the year, only Joey (8 feature wins) and Tim Montgomery (5 feature wins), Hurley (3), Worley (1 feature win), and Jerrod Hull of Sikeston (2 feature wins) were able to find victory lane during the sprint car feature events. Randy Hannagan won a special All-Star Circuit of Champions race at SFCR in July.
Mike Francis of Fredericktown captured his first Modified class track championship at the St. Francois County Raceway after holding off the challenge from a talented and well-balanced group of racers for the title. Despite finishing in second place in points, Jeremy Greenwalt of Potosi never won a feature race at SFCR during the season. His second place finish was a tribute to his outstanding consistency during the season. Greenwalt was in his first full season in the Modified class after being crowned the Hobby Stock class champion the year before.
Veteran, popular racer Tommy Worley Sr. of Farmington was also in the hunt for a title during the 2005 season by finishing in third place.
Just how balanced was the Modified class this past season? Check this out involving feature wins. Tied for the most feature wins was Kenny Kennedy of Farmington and Francis with four feature wins each. They were followed by Kasey Burch of Farmington, Billy “The Kidd” Smith of Park Hills and Brent Thompson of Farmington with three feature wins each, John Bohn of Farmington with a pair of feature wins and Robert Powers of Caruthersville with one.
The St. Francois County Raceway welcomed the Pure Street class in 2005 as a full-time member of the racing family. And during his rookie season behind the wheel of the #31 Pure Street, Mark Todd of Jackson not only picked up the track championship he put some distance between himself and the rest of the pack. Michael Abney Jr. finished in second place with Chris Webb third, Derek Shipman fourth and Bill Skaggs fifth. Like the Modified class, the Pure Street drivers put on an outstanding show every week for the fans with feature wins going to nine different drivers. Todd won the most features (5) while Jeff Beeson captured four, Theran Pearl and Mike Savage with a pair of wins, while Shipman, Abney, Travis Goodman, Webb and Pete Koenig each earned a feature win apiece.
The year’s closest race for a track title occurred in the 600cc Multi class and had to be decided by a tie-breaker between Tom Dickerman and Andy Moss. Both finished the season with 880 points, but the title was awarded to Dickerman based on his 5-1 edge in feature wins.
The Multi class had seven feature winner during the 2005 season with Dickerman and Derek King tying for the most wins with five each. Joey Boyd of Farmington picked up three feature wins with Casey Barnhouse of Farmington earning a pair of wins while Moss and Jimmy Bridgeman each earned one feature victory.
And finally the St. Francois County Raceway said “good-bye” to a class of racers who had been a part of the track’s program for a long time. Formerly known as the Hobby Stock class, the Sportsmen class once again featured a points race that went right down to the wire with Matt Eaton of Park Hills taking the title. Last year’s champion, Doug Savage of Farmington, finished a close second with Randy Forster of Farmington third. Leonard Betsch, who made huge strides as a driver during the 2005 season, finished an impressive fourth place with Kevin and Donnie Mosier finishing fifth and sixth respectively.
Amazingly, the driver who picked up the most feature wins in the Sportsmen class was Kasey Nations who finished seventh in points. Nations won seven features during the 2005 season at SFCR with Eaton winning five, Savage two, Betsch one and Kenny Harris with one.
The track will race the Sprints, Modifieds, Pure Streets and Multis during the 2006 season. With only four full-time classes it will allow track promoters more freedom to bring in special classes and conclude the racing program earlier in the evening.
For more information on the St. Francois County Raceway visit the track’s website at: www.sfcr.net or phone (573) 438-4546 or (573) 438-7337.
