FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Park City, Kansas – April 2, 2011 - Series rookie contender Brandon Smith of Amarillo, Texas made the long haul and his first ever visit to 81 Speedway a positive one as he claimed the season opener for the Bob Howard PDC and Mopar National Championship Racing Association presented by Smiley’s Racing Products southern sport modified feature finale Saturday night before a capacity crowd.
Although the Triple B Oil Field Services rookie of the year contender started on the pole for the fifteen lap feature and led every lap, it wasn’t without race long challenges from defending series champion Todd Decker as the Edmond, Oklahoma driver used his Panhandle Performance powered Biscuit Built chassis to move into the runner up position from his fourth starting position.
Smith would hold a five car length advantage over Decker for the first couple of laps before the first and only caution of the feature fell when Donnie McConnell, Greg Deterding, rookie contender Zachery Tippett and Tim Ford got together in turn two.
The restart saw Smith continue to set a somewhat comfortable pace while behind him the battle for the runner up position waged with Decker having his hands full with Kelly Cross as the double file restart behind the leader saw both drivers battle side by side for position. Cross’ strong run up front would come to a quick end as he and another driver made contact down the front stretch causing the Amarillo driver to exit the race track while still under green flag conditions.
On lap five it was fellow Triple B Oil Field Services rookie of the year contender Kinzer Edwards turn to join the mix as he got around fourth running Frank Graven and made his challenge for the runner up position.
At the races midway point it was still Smith, followed by Decker, Edwards and inaugural series champion Chad McNamara of Blackwell, Oklahoma, who had worked his way up from his eighth starting position.
Those four drivers would pull away from the rest of the field during the final five laps and with two laps to go, Decker finally freed himself to settle unchallenged in the runner up position and pressure Smith for the lead. But in the end it was Smith as he held on to take his first career series victory by two car lengths.
Edwards claimed the third position as he got around McNamara and Graven, who both finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Graven, Cross and Smith picked up the three heat race victories while Ford wired the field to take “B” feature honors.
The tour will take a week off before hitting the road for a weekend double header on April 15th and 16th as they make their first and only appearance of the season at the half mile Fairgrounds oval at Thunderbird Speedway in Muskogee, Oklahoma. From there they will head east on I-40 and Van Buren, Arkansas and the series first ever appearance at Crawford County Speedway.
Officials with the National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Smiley’s Racing Products would like to thank the following partners and contingency sponsors for the southern sport modified division on their 2011 race season.
Official Partners: Park City, Kansas, Smiley’s Racing Products, Bob Howard Part Distribution Center (PDC) and Mopar, Triple B Oil Field Services out of Elk City, Oklahoma and Western Flyer Sport Mod Chassis
NCRA Southern Sport Modifieds
4/2/2011
(26 Cars)
1st Heat: 1) Frank Graven 2) Todd Decker 3) Greg Deterding 4) Travis Johnston 5) Dustin Buntin 6) Zachary Tippett 7) Bobby McGehee 8) Vickie Cummings 9) Jeff Autry
2nd Heat: 1) Kelly Cross 2) J.D Choate 3) Ross McCartney 4) Devin Gerrior 5) Tim Ford 6) Bobby Fiest 7) Chris Lyons 8) Brian LaRivere 9) Landon Maddox
3rd Heat: 1) Brandon Smith 2) Chad McNamara 3) Kinzer Edwards 4) Craig Ridgway 5) Donny McConnell 6) Bob Daver 7) Nate Ginest 8) Derick King
B Feature: 1) Tim Ford 2) Zachary Tippett 3) Nate Ginest 4) Jeff Autry 5) Bobby McGehee 6) Landon Maddox 7) Bobby Fiest 8) Bob Daver 9) Vickie Cummings 10) Brian LaRivere 11) Derick King 12) Chris Lyons
A Feature: 1) Brandon Smith 2) Todd Decker 3) Kinzer Edwards 4) Chad McNamara 5) Frank Graven 6) J.D Choate 7) Dustin Buntin 8) Travis Johnson 9) Ross McCartney 10) Devin Gerrior 11) Jeff Autry 12) Nate Ginest 13) Donny McConnell 14) Landon Maddox 15) Craig Ridgway 16) Greg Deterding 17) Zachary Tippett 18) Bobby McGehee 19) Tim Ford 20) Kelly Cross
Laps leaders: Brandon Smith 1-15
Although the Triple B Oil Field Services rookie of the year contender started on the pole for the fifteen lap feature and led every lap, it wasn’t without race long challenges from defending series champion Todd Decker as the Edmond, Oklahoma driver used his Panhandle Performance powered Biscuit Built chassis to move into the runner up position from his fourth starting position.
Smith would hold a five car length advantage over Decker for the first couple of laps before the first and only caution of the feature fell when Donnie McConnell, Greg Deterding, rookie contender Zachery Tippett and Tim Ford got together in turn two.
The restart saw Smith continue to set a somewhat comfortable pace while behind him the battle for the runner up position waged with Decker having his hands full with Kelly Cross as the double file restart behind the leader saw both drivers battle side by side for position. Cross’ strong run up front would come to a quick end as he and another driver made contact down the front stretch causing the Amarillo driver to exit the race track while still under green flag conditions.
On lap five it was fellow Triple B Oil Field Services rookie of the year contender Kinzer Edwards turn to join the mix as he got around fourth running Frank Graven and made his challenge for the runner up position.
At the races midway point it was still Smith, followed by Decker, Edwards and inaugural series champion Chad McNamara of Blackwell, Oklahoma, who had worked his way up from his eighth starting position.
Those four drivers would pull away from the rest of the field during the final five laps and with two laps to go, Decker finally freed himself to settle unchallenged in the runner up position and pressure Smith for the lead. But in the end it was Smith as he held on to take his first career series victory by two car lengths.
Edwards claimed the third position as he got around McNamara and Graven, who both finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Graven, Cross and Smith picked up the three heat race victories while Ford wired the field to take “B” feature honors.
The tour will take a week off before hitting the road for a weekend double header on April 15th and 16th as they make their first and only appearance of the season at the half mile Fairgrounds oval at Thunderbird Speedway in Muskogee, Oklahoma. From there they will head east on I-40 and Van Buren, Arkansas and the series first ever appearance at Crawford County Speedway.
Officials with the National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Smiley’s Racing Products would like to thank the following partners and contingency sponsors for the southern sport modified division on their 2011 race season.
Official Partners: Park City, Kansas, Smiley’s Racing Products, Bob Howard Part Distribution Center (PDC) and Mopar, Triple B Oil Field Services out of Elk City, Oklahoma and Western Flyer Sport Mod Chassis
NCRA Southern Sport Modifieds
4/2/2011
(26 Cars)
1st Heat: 1) Frank Graven 2) Todd Decker 3) Greg Deterding 4) Travis Johnston 5) Dustin Buntin 6) Zachary Tippett 7) Bobby McGehee 8) Vickie Cummings 9) Jeff Autry
2nd Heat: 1) Kelly Cross 2) J.D Choate 3) Ross McCartney 4) Devin Gerrior 5) Tim Ford 6) Bobby Fiest 7) Chris Lyons 8) Brian LaRivere 9) Landon Maddox
3rd Heat: 1) Brandon Smith 2) Chad McNamara 3) Kinzer Edwards 4) Craig Ridgway 5) Donny McConnell 6) Bob Daver 7) Nate Ginest 8) Derick King
B Feature: 1) Tim Ford 2) Zachary Tippett 3) Nate Ginest 4) Jeff Autry 5) Bobby McGehee 6) Landon Maddox 7) Bobby Fiest 8) Bob Daver 9) Vickie Cummings 10) Brian LaRivere 11) Derick King 12) Chris Lyons
A Feature: 1) Brandon Smith 2) Todd Decker 3) Kinzer Edwards 4) Chad McNamara 5) Frank Graven 6) J.D Choate 7) Dustin Buntin 8) Travis Johnson 9) Ross McCartney 10) Devin Gerrior 11) Jeff Autry 12) Nate Ginest 13) Donny McConnell 14) Landon Maddox 15) Craig Ridgway 16) Greg Deterding 17) Zachary Tippett 18) Bobby McGehee 19) Tim Ford 20) Kelly Cross
Laps leaders: Brandon Smith 1-15
