Beaver, Oklahoma – May 21, 2011 - The Bob Howard PDC and Mopar National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Smiley’s Racing Products southern sport modified division entered unchartered territory Saturday night and in the end it was Robert Elliott of Clinton, Oklahoma passing race long leader Brandon Smith during the midway portions of the event to claim the victory at Beaver County Raceway in Beaver, Oklahoma.
Smith, who came into the night tied for the Triple B Oil Field Services rookie of the year point’s battle, started on the pole for the twenty-five lap feature and quickly set the pace at the drop of the green flag. 2009 series champion Chad McNamara of Ponca City, Oklahoma, defending series champion Todd Decker and Elliott gave chase as the Amarillo driver opened up a ten car length lead by lap two.
Elliott, who started fourth aboard the #09 Dunsworth Ford powered Rocket chassis passed Decker for the third position before the first of two caution flags would wave on lap three when Jared Baird came to a stop at the top of turn four.
On the restart Elliott wasn’t done yet as he took over the runner up position from McNamara and set his sights on the leader. Using the top side of the track, Elliott pulled even with Smith on lap five with the pair racing side by side for several laps before Smith would enjoy a slim three car length lead.
While the two front runners were battling for position, eyes were also on the battle for positions three through seven as McNamara, rookie contender Kinzer Edwards, Decker, Travis Johnson and Joe Adams swapped positions several times throughout the event.
The final caution flag would slow the pace on lap eleven when Baird would slow down the front stretch.
Smith would lead the field to the final restart and would lead one lap before Elliott got a run coming out of turn four and would take the lead coming down the front stretch on lap twelve.
Smith would stay just a couple car lengths behind but would soon have his hands full for the runner up position as McNamara would lead a group of cars back up to the front runners and would take over the position on lap seventeen.
By this time Johnson, aboard the familiar #86J Carroll’s Racing Engines powered Big Chief chassis worked his way up from the 21st starting position began pressuring McNamara for the runner up position and with four laps to go, took of the spot and set his sights on the lead.
Elliott would continue to work the top side with Johnson finding the bottom of the track to his liking but could not get close enough to mount a serious threat for the lead allowing Elliott to hang on for his first series victory of the season and fourth in the series brief three year history.
“I was watching the a-modified feature and saw they were running the top of the track so I figured there was something up there, “said Elliott. “It was a little choppy up there but we were just fast enough to where it really didn’t upset the car that much. I kinda knew Johnson was back there at the end so I just tried to hang on.”
For Johnson, his runner up finish put an end to a climatic night as the tours career feature winner blew a motor in hot laps forcing a complete engine change. “We had our new motor in, it blew up so we put in our old motor and it worked great. I knew I had to be patient getting up through there but we’ll settle for second.
McNamara held on for the third position as Smith faded to fourth. Edwards held off Adams to claim the fifth position.
Elliott, Smith and McNamara claimed the three, eight lap heat races for the twenty-two car field with Smith claiming the special $100 to win Dash for Cash.
The next stop for the Bob Howard PDC and Mopar National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Smiley’s Racing Products will be at the beautiful Route 66 Motor Speedway in Amarillo, Texas on Saturday night, June 11th.
The series would like to thank the following for their partnership of the southern sport modified division for the 2011 race season:
Park City, Kansas, Smiley’s Racing Products, Bob Howard PDC, Mopar and Triple B Oil Field Services
NCRA Southern Sport Modifieds
Beaver County Raceway/Beaver, Oklahoma
22 Cars
1st Heat: 1) Robert Elliott 2) Jeff Kaup 3) Keith Estes 4) Landon Maddox 5) Darin Busch 6) Johnie Rauschenberg 7) Jared Baird DNS) Chris Lyons
2nd Heat: 1) Brandon Smith 2) Kinzer Edwards 3) Kip Hughes 4) Joe McAdams 5) Ross McCartney 6) Mark Wilson 7) Devin Gerrior
3rd Heat: 1) Chad McNamara 2) Todd Decker 3) Doug Gillipsie 4) J.D. Choate 5) Bobby McGehee 6) Zachery Tippett DNS: Travis Johnson
Dash for Cash: 1) Brandon Smith 2) Doug Gillipsie 3) Kinzer Edwards 4) Robert Elliott 5) Todd Decker 6) Chad McNamara
A Feature: 1) Robert Elliott 2) Travis Johnson 3) Chad McNamara 4) Brandon Smith 5) Kinzer Edwards 6) Joe Adams 7) Todd Decker 8) Jeff Kaup 9) Ross McCartney 10) JD Choate 11) Keith Estes 12) Mark Smith 13) Jared Baird 14) Johnie Rauschenberg 15) Devin Gerrior 16) Doug Gillipsie 17) Bobby McGehee 18) Landon Maddox 19) Zachery Tippett 20) Darin Busch 21) Kip Hughes DNS: Chris Lyons
Lap Leaders: Smith 1-11; Elliott 12-25
Smith, who came into the night tied for the Triple B Oil Field Services rookie of the year point’s battle, started on the pole for the twenty-five lap feature and quickly set the pace at the drop of the green flag. 2009 series champion Chad McNamara of Ponca City, Oklahoma, defending series champion Todd Decker and Elliott gave chase as the Amarillo driver opened up a ten car length lead by lap two.
Elliott, who started fourth aboard the #09 Dunsworth Ford powered Rocket chassis passed Decker for the third position before the first of two caution flags would wave on lap three when Jared Baird came to a stop at the top of turn four.
On the restart Elliott wasn’t done yet as he took over the runner up position from McNamara and set his sights on the leader. Using the top side of the track, Elliott pulled even with Smith on lap five with the pair racing side by side for several laps before Smith would enjoy a slim three car length lead.
While the two front runners were battling for position, eyes were also on the battle for positions three through seven as McNamara, rookie contender Kinzer Edwards, Decker, Travis Johnson and Joe Adams swapped positions several times throughout the event.
The final caution flag would slow the pace on lap eleven when Baird would slow down the front stretch.
Smith would lead the field to the final restart and would lead one lap before Elliott got a run coming out of turn four and would take the lead coming down the front stretch on lap twelve.
Smith would stay just a couple car lengths behind but would soon have his hands full for the runner up position as McNamara would lead a group of cars back up to the front runners and would take over the position on lap seventeen.
By this time Johnson, aboard the familiar #86J Carroll’s Racing Engines powered Big Chief chassis worked his way up from the 21st starting position began pressuring McNamara for the runner up position and with four laps to go, took of the spot and set his sights on the lead.
Elliott would continue to work the top side with Johnson finding the bottom of the track to his liking but could not get close enough to mount a serious threat for the lead allowing Elliott to hang on for his first series victory of the season and fourth in the series brief three year history.
“I was watching the a-modified feature and saw they were running the top of the track so I figured there was something up there, “said Elliott. “It was a little choppy up there but we were just fast enough to where it really didn’t upset the car that much. I kinda knew Johnson was back there at the end so I just tried to hang on.”
For Johnson, his runner up finish put an end to a climatic night as the tours career feature winner blew a motor in hot laps forcing a complete engine change. “We had our new motor in, it blew up so we put in our old motor and it worked great. I knew I had to be patient getting up through there but we’ll settle for second.
McNamara held on for the third position as Smith faded to fourth. Edwards held off Adams to claim the fifth position.
Elliott, Smith and McNamara claimed the three, eight lap heat races for the twenty-two car field with Smith claiming the special $100 to win Dash for Cash.
The next stop for the Bob Howard PDC and Mopar National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Smiley’s Racing Products will be at the beautiful Route 66 Motor Speedway in Amarillo, Texas on Saturday night, June 11th.
The series would like to thank the following for their partnership of the southern sport modified division for the 2011 race season:
Park City, Kansas, Smiley’s Racing Products, Bob Howard PDC, Mopar and Triple B Oil Field Services
NCRA Southern Sport Modifieds
Beaver County Raceway/Beaver, Oklahoma
22 Cars
1st Heat: 1) Robert Elliott 2) Jeff Kaup 3) Keith Estes 4) Landon Maddox 5) Darin Busch 6) Johnie Rauschenberg 7) Jared Baird DNS) Chris Lyons
2nd Heat: 1) Brandon Smith 2) Kinzer Edwards 3) Kip Hughes 4) Joe McAdams 5) Ross McCartney 6) Mark Wilson 7) Devin Gerrior
3rd Heat: 1) Chad McNamara 2) Todd Decker 3) Doug Gillipsie 4) J.D. Choate 5) Bobby McGehee 6) Zachery Tippett DNS: Travis Johnson
Dash for Cash: 1) Brandon Smith 2) Doug Gillipsie 3) Kinzer Edwards 4) Robert Elliott 5) Todd Decker 6) Chad McNamara
A Feature: 1) Robert Elliott 2) Travis Johnson 3) Chad McNamara 4) Brandon Smith 5) Kinzer Edwards 6) Joe Adams 7) Todd Decker 8) Jeff Kaup 9) Ross McCartney 10) JD Choate 11) Keith Estes 12) Mark Smith 13) Jared Baird 14) Johnie Rauschenberg 15) Devin Gerrior 16) Doug Gillipsie 17) Bobby McGehee 18) Landon Maddox 19) Zachery Tippett 20) Darin Busch 21) Kip Hughes DNS: Chris Lyons
Lap Leaders: Smith 1-11; Elliott 12-25
