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MOBERLY, MO (July, 20) - What a night, with a good car count, good size crowd enjoying the great weather and great racing action, and a celebration of the Whitehead family and friends at 24 Raceway in the 3rd version of the Bob Whitehead Memorial at 24 Raceway this past Saturday. Whitehead was the builder and primary owner of 24 Raceway, formerly called Moberly Motorsports Complex, completed in 1989. It was his dream to have a speedway in Mid-Missouri. The track began as a 1/3 mile oval construction project in 1988, but was gradually developed into the half mile track that it is today and built with high banking to accomodate the sprint cars. Bob's son, Jeff Whitehead, and daughter Jill Creed, along with other family members, came to the track for what is becoming a reunion to commerate the memory of the builder of 24 Raceway's facility. The family brought a plaque for this year's re-dedication, and this will hang on a wall in the booth below the tower. The visible racing member of the Whitehead family, grandson Jordan, came in with his A-modified and used it for the memorial parade lap carrying the American Flag during the National Anthem. Jordon brought his # 8w racecar to the track from the Wichita area, and after running in 4th during his feature race, the engine expired on the 4th lap and he was done for the night. A special thanks goes out to the Whitehead family for their support in this 20th year celebration since completion of the facility. Another thanks goes to former flagman Greg Embree, who was back in town for the weekend after moving to Atlanta six years ago. Greg got to flag the A-modified feature, didn't miss a beat and seemed to really enjoy a return to the flagstand. The family reunion promises to be a part of the Whitehead anniversary in July for years to come. In racing results, Kevin Blackburn now has his 3rd feature win of the 2009 season when competing at 24 Raceway in the Alan McCormack-owned A-modified. Vance Wilson and Blackburn got the front row start with Blackburn going into the lead when the green dropped. But on turn 2, it was Wilson sliding up to take over and lead the way to the first lap. Wilson held that lead over Blackburn through lap 14 when a blown right rear tire on Wison's car forced a 2nd caution of the race and relegated him to the rear of the field, following a quick tire change. Wilson charged through the field in the next five laps, getting by Kenny Mudd and Curt Potter late in the process to take over 3rd. And that's where he finished, just behind Blackburn and Collins, but ahead of Mudd. Potter exited to the pit on lap 18, allowing Matt Dotson to nab a 5th place finish. These A-modifieds were just as hooked up to the track for their 20 laps as the sprints would be a little later in the evening. The A-modified class was sponsored this week by Glenn's Garage Doors of Moberly. B-modifieds had some great competition in their 15-lap feature with Galen Hassler showing the way for the first 14 laps over Brian Robinson, Chad Hickam, Chad Lebsock and Gary Wilson. Hickam and Robinson were swapping places for 2nd in some exciting side by side racing in the early going, and then in the later laps, Wilson and Lebsock both moved ahead of those two. Hassler held the lead until a final hard charge out of turns 3 & 4 by Lebsock got him across the white line by a slim margin over Hassler. And all four scorers in the tower had the unanimous results, with Hassler getting 2nd just behind Lebsock and ahead of season points leader Wilson in the tightest of the night's finishes. For his effort, Lebsock is now tied with Hassler for 2nd in season points, and only 6 points behind Wilson in the closest of the five points races at 24 Raceway. In the fendered classes, Sportsman driver Rick Girard led all laps for his win No.2 to go with two 2nd's this 2009 season. And that's enough to give him the lead in the season points standings by 8 points over the next closest competitor, Derrick Agee, in the next closest of the five classes' standings. Chad Walter had a final lap/final turn charge at Girard, but came up just short in his attempt and finished in 2nd. Butch Bailey nailed a 3rd after battling with Walter for last half of the race in side-by-side action just behind Girard. Jeff Creed came in 4th and ahead of Ben Fischbeck, who was back in town after quite some time in North Carolina, changing those front tires on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s race car on the NASCAR Cup circuit. Fischbeck is a former Sportsman class champion at 24 Raceway, knows his way around this facility and says he misses it dearly. And the Sportsman class was sponsored this week by Macon-Atlanta State Bank Rob Chase and Cody Melloway had a good, clean start to their 4 cylinder Hornet race from the front row. By lap 3, it was Andrew Hurley moving into 2nd and staying there throughout the 12-lap race, in which Chase led all of the laps. With only a single caution flag on lap 10, a green-white-checker situation came into play, and Brooke Hassler made a good move on the restart to grab 3rd and hold it to the finish, coming in behind Chase and Hurley. The Hobby Stock class saw Jerry Warren get the pole position, but in some 3-wide racing, Warren got a flat right front tire and had to exit the track before the 2nd lap to replace it. Kevin Renzelmann then took over the lead for keeps and won this caution-free race by leading the rest of the 12-lap feature. Warren returned to the track after going a few laps down, and brought a spirit to the race that just is seldom seen by drivers in race competion. Towards the end of the race, the car of Darren Morgan lost power and was slowing on the backstretch. Warren nosed his car up to the rear of Morgan's and pushed it until Morgan could re-fire his engine and to get across the finish line. Warren may have been able to pass Morgan and might have gone on to finish just ahead of him by completing a couple more laps. This would be providing that Morgan couldn't get to the finish on his own and would have had to head into the pits without that push. Warren finished behind Morgan and a lap or so down by doing this. Warren thus becomes the early nominee for Sportsman of the Year, an annual award given out after the season is completed, to the driver showing the best spirit of competition during the season. Pretty unselfish on his part and an "atta boy" goes out to Jerry Warren for that exhibit. UPCOMING EVENTS: July 25 - Weekly racing series with B-Mod mechanic's race following features. Aug 1 - Weekly racing series with A-Mod mechanic's race following features. Aug 8 - USMTS 2nd annual challenge The top five finishers from the all six classes of Sprints, A-mods, B-mods, Sportsman, Hobby Stocks & 4 clyinder Hornets are listed below, but the complete list is available on the website of www.24racewayinmoberly.com by hitting the results button at the top of the home page. Season points can be viewed in the same fashion on that website and both are a direct link with connection to www.speednetdirect.com . A complete and current 2009 season schedule is also available there in the same fashion. Action photos from 24 Raceway can be viewed at www.photogliff.com with ordering available off that website, for professional shots of both driver and racecar, and that too, is only a click away on that same home page. PROMO: This coming Saturday, July 25th, there will be racing with the five regular classes of both A & B-modifieds, Sportsman, Hobby Stocks and 4 cylinder Hornets. Adult admission is $10 to the grandstand, with kids, aged 12 and under, admitted free to see all the action. Pit passes are $25 per person. The grandstands will open at 4 p.m. Hot laps at 6:15 following a short drivers' meeting. "Dirt Track Racing at its Best" will take place again at 7pm at 24 Raceway, east of Moberly, Missouri on U.S. Highway 24. This week, following the five features, will be mechanic's race for the B-modified guys (and gals too in this one) who usually get to turn the wrenches. This time, they'll get to turn the steering wheel in a six-lap event. Each race night, kids, ages 0 to 7 and 8 to 12, can enter a coloring of the night's picture at the Junior Fan Club table and enter the drawing for a chance to win prizes or souvenior booth gift certificates, or maybe even a bicycle donated by a race team. This last week, a bicycle was the big prize, courtesy of Wal-Mart, for the Jr. Race Fan Club, and won by Ryan Breid of Paris. In the 50/50 drawing, the season high prize of $185 was won by Russell Elliott of Mexico. Lastly, another thanks goes out to Rochara Knight of Moberly for her rendition of the National Anthem.
Ron Lueck - 24 Raceway, Moberly, MO Of 87 race
team entries, the Top 5 finishers are as follows: W.O.W. 360 Sprints (of 13 entries) 20 laps 1) 3P Rusty
Potter, Boonville
A-Modifieds (of 18 entries) 20 laps 1) 71 Kevin
Blackburn, Fulton (heat 2 winner)
B-Modifieds
(of 21 entries) 15 laps
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