Powers Holds On to Win at 81 Speedway
By Randy Fisher
NCRA Media Relations

PARK CITY, Kan. (Aug. 11, 2007) – Brian Powers climbed the ladder to the top side and powered by Mike Jarvis and Marc Hurd to take the lead on the 12th lap of the feature. From there, he held off the challenge of Jeremy Massey to pick up his first win this season in the O’Reilly NCRA Modified Series, presented by ICM/Ethanol.

Powers had jumped to the first-lap lead only to have a caution on lap two bunch the field. It came out for Brian McGowen and Jason Yager, who got together in Turn 2. Both cars left on the hook, which was particularly damaging to McGowen as he had entered the night second in points.

On the restart Hurd took the lead from Powers with Jarvis third. The trio broke away from the others with Massey leading a second pack of drivers.

Up front, it was Hurd showing the way with Jarvis and Powers fighting for second. With Jarvis down low and Powers up top, they crossed start/finish side-by-side for seven consecutive laps.

Powers edged in front for second as they completed lap 11. He caught Hurd through the first two turns and pulled alongside down the backstretch. Holding the high line, Powers took the lead at the end of the lap. Massey was also running the top and followed Powers around Hurd to move into second.

The duo broke away from the field for the rest of the race. Behind them, Hurd had his hands full with Jarvis and Brian Franz. The three of them traded positions on each lap with Hurd generally holding on to third at the starter’s stand.

A caution on lap 20 caused some nervous moments for Powers, but he was able to get the jump and hold off Massey to the end of the 30-lap race. Massey, one of the leading contenders for rookie of the year, followed Powers the rest of the way.

By lap 23, Ryan McAninch had moved up to make it a four-car battle for third place. Three laps later Hurd was third, and extended his margin over the others. That left Franz, McAninch, and Jarvis still dicing for position.

As the leaders completed lap 27 with Franz in fourth, he suddenly slowed and pulled off the backstretch with a flat right front and finished 16th. That allowed McAninch and Jarvis to move up to fourth and fifth, respectively.

It was Powers at the checker for his fourth career NCRA modified series win. Massey finished in the runner-up spot, with Hurd, McAninch, and Jarvis rounding out the top five.

Heat #1:

1. Brian Casey, Hutchinson, Kan.; 2. Jeremy Massey, Park City, Kan.; 3. Jason Yager, El Dorado, Kan.; 4. Dustin Briley, Goddard, Kan.; 5. Nic Baalman, Wichita, Kan.; 6. Richard Wilson, Wichita, Kan.; 7. Jason Roe, Wichita, Kan.; 8. Shawn Govern, Wichita, Kan.

Heat #2:

1. Brian Franz, Halstead, Kan.; 2. Ryan McAninch, Wichita, Kan.; 3. Greg Stephens, Wichita, Kan.; 4. Ted Tolan, Wichita, Kan.; 5. Rick Mueller, Wichita, Kan.; 6. Kevin Kemp, Maize, Kan.; 7. Greg Burt, Enid, Okla.; 8. Troy Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.

Heat #3:

1. Travis Govern, Wichita, Kan.; 2. Mike Jarvis, Wichita, Kan.; 3. Chad McNamara, Blackwell, Okla.; 4. Craig Miller, Hutchinson, Kan.; 5. Brendon Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.; 6. Jim Johnson, Derby, Kan.; 7. Marty Curry, Haysville, Kan.; 8. Bobby Bills, Wichita, Kan.

Heat #4:

1. Brian Powers, Wichita, Kan.; 2. Don Renfro, Wichita, Kan.; 3. Jason Schniepp, Wichita, Kan.; 4. Ross Shipman, Belle Plaine, Kan.; 5. Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.; 6. Scott Miller, Hutchinson, Kan.; 7. Mark Crough, Hutchinson, Kan.

Heat #5:

1. Marc Hurd, Wichita, Kan.; 2. Kenny Sweet, Wichita, Kan.; 3. Brian McGowen, Frontenac, Kan.; 4. Casey McClaskey, Ponca City, Okla.; 5. Kirk Coleman, Wichita, Kan.; 6. Brad Johnston, Peck, Kan.; 7. Gary Nulf, Nickerson. Kan.

C feature:

1. Nic Ballman, Wichita, Kan.; 2. Brendon Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.; 3. Brad Johnston, Peck, Kan.; 4. Craig Miller, Hutchinson, Kan.; 5. Kirk Coleman, Wichita, Kan.; 6. Jim Johnson, Derby, Kan.; 7. Greg Burt, Enid, Okla.; 8. Troy Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.; 9. Jason Roe, Wichita, Kan.; 10. Bobby Bills, Wichita, Kan.; 11. Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.; 12. Scott Miller, Hutchinson, Kan.; 13. Kevin Kemp, Maize; 14. Gary Nulf, Nickerson, Kan.; 15. Marty Curry, Haysville, Kan.; 16. Shawn Govern, Wichita, Kan.

B feature:

1. Jason Yager, El Dorado, Kan.; 2. Greg Stephens, Wichita, Kan.; 3. Brian McGowen, Frontenac, Kan.; 4. Don Renfro, Wichita, Kan.; 5. Troy Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.; 6. Nic Baalman, Wichita, Kan.; 7. Ross Shipman, Belle Plaine, Kan.; 8. Brendon Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.; 9. Dustin Briley, Goddard, Kan.; 10. Greg Burt, Enid, Okla.; 11. Jason Schniepp, Wichita, Kan.; 12. Kirk Coleman, Wichita, Kan.; 13. Ted Tolan, Wichita, Kan.; 14. Rick Mueller, Wichita, Kan.; 15. Jason Roe, Wichita, Kan.; 16. Craig Miller, Hutchinson, Kan.; 17. Casey McClaskey, Ponca City, Okla.; 18. Bobby Bills, Wichita, Kan.; 19. Jim Johnson, Derby, Kan.; 20. Brad Johnston, Peck, Kan.

A feature:

1. Brian Powers, Wichita, Kan.; 2. Jeremy Massey, Park City, Kan.; 3. Marc Hurd, Wichita, Kan. 4. Ryan McAninch, Wichita, Kan.; 5. Mike Jarvis, Wichita, Kan.; 6. Kenny Sweet, Wichita, Kan.; 7. Greg Stephens, Wichita, Kan.; 8. Nic Baalman, Wichita, Kan.; 9. Brian Casey, Hutchinson, Kan.; 10. Don Renfro, Wichita, Kan.; 11. Ross Shipman, Belle Plaine, Kan. 12. Troy Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.; 13. Dustin Briley, Goddard, Kan.; 14. Brendon Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.; 15. Chad McNamara, Blackwell, Okla.; 16. Brian Franz, Halstead, Kan.; 17. Greg Burt, Enid, Okla.; 18. Travis Govern, Wichita, Kan.; 19. Jason Yager, El Dorado, Kan.; 20. Brian McGowen, Frontenac, Kan.