By Chad Buford
Usually when Gary Wright starts on the front row of a feature, the race is many times over before it begins. But, tonight was an exception at West Plains Speedway in the co-sanctioned ASCS/WOW race. Wright jumped out into an early lead from the pole and easily led the first two laps. On lap three, Jake Martens made contact with the rear of Terry Hinck's car and spun in turn three. This left Jerrod Hull, Jon Corbin, and Nick Smith with nowhere to go with Hull running into the spun machine and Smith getting into the melee, hitting the wall, and flipping. Corbin was able to continue after replacing a nose wing.
On the restart, Wright again jumped into the lead and the race looked to be over, but youngster Hunter Schuerenberg had other ideas. The second year driver from Sikeston, MO used the high line of the raceway to start reeling in Wright. On lap six, Schuerenberg went around Wright and into the lead. Schuerenberg would build a few car lengths advantage until Wright started using the high line as well. Wright was able to get back to Schuerenberg in lapped traffic and would retake the lead, but Schuerenberg was up to the challenge and passed Wright back in heavy traffic a couple of laps later. As the lead duo continued to encounter heavy lapped traffic, Wright made a bold move between a lapped car and the wall and was given the breathing room needed to go on to the victory. Schuerenberg finished an impressive second followed by Zach Chappell in third, Marshall Skinner in fourth, and seventeenth starting Tim Montgomery in fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Jan Howard, newly crowed WOW champion Randy Martin who started nineteenth, Lee Sowell, Sam Hafertepe Jr, and Tony Bruce Jr.
Heat races were won by Schuerenberg, Wright, Sowell, and Skinner. The B Feature was won by Montgomery.
September 17
West Plains Speedway results
30 cars
A Feature-25 laps
1. 9-Gary Wright, Hooks, TX(1) 2. 35-Hunter Schuerenberg, Sikeston, MO(3) 3. 50Z-Zach Chappell, Talala, OK(2) 4. 26-Marshall Skinner, West Memphis, AR(6) 5. 01-Tim Montgomery, Fredericktown, MO(17) 6. 46-Jan Howard, Byhalia, MS(8) 7. 14-Randy Martin, California, MO(19) 8. 51-Lee Sowell, Nesbit, MS(4) 9. 15-Sam Hafertepe Jr, Sunnyvale, TX(15) 10. 18-Tony Bruce Jr, Liberal, KS(12) 11. 22-Travis Senter, Osceola, AR(5) 12. 91-Darren Stewart, Bixby, OK(7) 13. 10-Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN(13) 14. 21H-Terry Hinck, Boonville, MO(9) 15. 94- Ernie Ainsworth, Bartlett, TN(11) 16. 4M-Toby Brown, Carthage, MO(18) 17. 33-Jon Corbin, Carrollton, MO(14) 18. 48-Jake Martens, Fairview, OK(10)-DNF 19. 12-Jerrod Hull, Sikeston, MO(16)-DNF 20.15S-Nick Smith, Broken Arrow, OK(20)-DNF
B Feature-12 laps(top 4 to A)
1. 01-Montgomery(3) 2. 4M-Brown(1) 3. 14-Martin(2) 4. 15S-Smith(5) 5. 12C-Faron Crank, Sedalia, MO(4) 6. 66-Kenny Taylor, Little Rock, AR(7) 7. 4T-Justin Sturch, Bryant, AR(6) 8. 23-Eric Jobe, Kansas City, MO(12) 9. 3P-Rusty Potter, Boonville, MO(10) 10. 24L-Lanny Carpenter, Clarksburg, MO(10) 11. 9C-Tony Crank, Sedalia, MO(9) 12. 18C-Scott Bolden, West Memphis, AR(13) 13. 9L-Josh Lett, Odessa, MO(11) 14. 4-Rex Combs, Tipton, MO(DNS)
Usually when Gary Wright starts on the front row of a feature, the race is many times over before it begins. But, tonight was an exception at West Plains Speedway in the co-sanctioned ASCS/WOW race. Wright jumped out into an early lead from the pole and easily led the first two laps. On lap three, Jake Martens made contact with the rear of Terry Hinck's car and spun in turn three. This left Jerrod Hull, Jon Corbin, and Nick Smith with nowhere to go with Hull running into the spun machine and Smith getting into the melee, hitting the wall, and flipping. Corbin was able to continue after replacing a nose wing.
On the restart, Wright again jumped into the lead and the race looked to be over, but youngster Hunter Schuerenberg had other ideas. The second year driver from Sikeston, MO used the high line of the raceway to start reeling in Wright. On lap six, Schuerenberg went around Wright and into the lead. Schuerenberg would build a few car lengths advantage until Wright started using the high line as well. Wright was able to get back to Schuerenberg in lapped traffic and would retake the lead, but Schuerenberg was up to the challenge and passed Wright back in heavy traffic a couple of laps later. As the lead duo continued to encounter heavy lapped traffic, Wright made a bold move between a lapped car and the wall and was given the breathing room needed to go on to the victory. Schuerenberg finished an impressive second followed by Zach Chappell in third, Marshall Skinner in fourth, and seventeenth starting Tim Montgomery in fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Jan Howard, newly crowed WOW champion Randy Martin who started nineteenth, Lee Sowell, Sam Hafertepe Jr, and Tony Bruce Jr.
Heat races were won by Schuerenberg, Wright, Sowell, and Skinner. The B Feature was won by Montgomery.
September 17
West Plains Speedway results
30 cars
A Feature-25 laps
1. 9-Gary Wright, Hooks, TX(1) 2. 35-Hunter Schuerenberg, Sikeston, MO(3) 3. 50Z-Zach Chappell, Talala, OK(2) 4. 26-Marshall Skinner, West Memphis, AR(6) 5. 01-Tim Montgomery, Fredericktown, MO(17) 6. 46-Jan Howard, Byhalia, MS(8) 7. 14-Randy Martin, California, MO(19) 8. 51-Lee Sowell, Nesbit, MS(4) 9. 15-Sam Hafertepe Jr, Sunnyvale, TX(15) 10. 18-Tony Bruce Jr, Liberal, KS(12) 11. 22-Travis Senter, Osceola, AR(5) 12. 91-Darren Stewart, Bixby, OK(7) 13. 10-Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN(13) 14. 21H-Terry Hinck, Boonville, MO(9) 15. 94- Ernie Ainsworth, Bartlett, TN(11) 16. 4M-Toby Brown, Carthage, MO(18) 17. 33-Jon Corbin, Carrollton, MO(14) 18. 48-Jake Martens, Fairview, OK(10)-DNF 19. 12-Jerrod Hull, Sikeston, MO(16)-DNF 20.15S-Nick Smith, Broken Arrow, OK(20)-DNF
B Feature-12 laps(top 4 to A)
1. 01-Montgomery(3) 2. 4M-Brown(1) 3. 14-Martin(2) 4. 15S-Smith(5) 5. 12C-Faron Crank, Sedalia, MO(4) 6. 66-Kenny Taylor, Little Rock, AR(7) 7. 4T-Justin Sturch, Bryant, AR(6) 8. 23-Eric Jobe, Kansas City, MO(12) 9. 3P-Rusty Potter, Boonville, MO(10) 10. 24L-Lanny Carpenter, Clarksburg, MO(10) 11. 9C-Tony Crank, Sedalia, MO(9) 12. 18C-Scott Bolden, West Memphis, AR(13) 13. 9L-Josh Lett, Odessa, MO(11) 14. 4-Rex Combs, Tipton, MO(DNS)
