Wibbell Earns First Career USRA Stock Car Win at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway
by Brian Neal

MEMPHIS, Mo, (May 13, 2006) - Chris Wibbell, who is competing in his first full season in the stock car class, took home his first career USRA Stock Car feature win Saturday at the the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway. Tommy Elston (Keith's Foods Late Models), Tony Fraise (Bentz GM Country USRA Modifieds), Tony Dunker (Toni Dunker Advance Trading USRA B-Modifieds), Nathan Wood (USRA Hobby Stocks), Adam Birck (Outlaw Hobby Stocks) and Tyler Schulte (Hornets) also took home top honors in the feature events on Saturday.

First feature to take to the speedway was the Toni Dunker Advance Trading B-Modifieds. Chris Larson and Brandon Savage drew the front row for the 15 lap event, but it was fifth place starter Jim Gillenwater taking the lead on lap 1. Gillenwater would hold the lead until turn one, when Jeff Waterman and Gillenwater made contact, spinning both drivers and sending them to the back. On the restart, Larson jumped into the top spot, with Jack Evans Jr. and Tony Dunker close behind in second. While Larson was out front, Evans Jr. and Dunker had a fierce battling going for second. Then disaster struck on lap 5, when Dunker got into the back of Evans Jr. going into turns three and four, spinning both drivers and sending them to the back. Larson once again grabbed the lead on the restart. Larson would then lead until lap 8, when Dunker came charging back thru the field to take the top spot. Dunker would then pull away from the field on the final seven laps to claim his third win in a row at Memphis. Larson would come home in second, Brandon Savage had a career best third, Michael Browning came from ninth to finish fourth, with Waterman recovering from his lap two spin to finish in fifth. Dunker and Evans Jr. each pick up a heat race win.

Bill Gibson and Jason VanZomeren took the field to the drop of the green flag in the 12 lap USRA Hobby Stock feature. But it was fifth place starter Mike Shelton charging up to lead lap 1. Shelton would continue to lead, as Nathan Wood, who started seventh, was working his way towards the front. Wood would try to get under Shelton on lap 11, but Shelton would fight back on the outside to keep the lead. But Wood got the advantage going into turn three on the final lap to edge out Shelton for his second win of 2006 at the speedway. Gibson held on for third, VanZomeren was fourth, with Chris Hudson coming home in fifth. Heat race win went to Shelton.

The 8 lap Hornet feature was up next, with Brent Hartley and Cody Martin on the front row. Tyler Schulte, who started third, took the lead on lap 1 and never looked back taking home his first win of the season at Memphis. Hartley held off Ronald Kibbe for second, Andrew Hustead was fourth, with Jim Hamilton rounding out the top five. Kibbe and Schulte each took home a heat race win.

Jared Durbin and Ryan Meyer led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 20 lap Bentz GM Country USRA Modified feature, with Durbin jumping into the lead on the start. Durbin would hold the top spot until lap 4, when Tony Fraise, who started twelfth, quickly moved up to take the lead. Fraise would then go on to lead the final 16 lap and held off a late charge from Michael Long, who started tenth, to claim his second win of the season at the speedway. Kevin Cale came home in third, Bob Dale came from fourteenth to finish in fourth, with Brandon Banks coming from sixteenth to round out the top five. Heat race winners were Mark Burgtorf, Meyer and Long.

The 18 lap USRA Stock Car feature turned out to be the best feature of the evening, with a close finish between Chris Wibbell and Jason Cook. Rookie Jeremy Hamlin and newcomer Trent Vrchoticky took the field of twenty-one to the green flag, with Hamlin grabbing the lead on lap 1. Hamlin would hold the top spot until lap 5, when Chris Wibbell slipped under him for the lead. Wibbell continued to pace the field, when a late caution came out on lap five. Wibbell once again grabbed the lead on the restart, but had Jason Cook and another newcomer Howard Gordon Jr. battling him for the top spot. Cook would slip under Wibbell on lap 13 gong into turn two, but Wibbell held tough in the middle of the track, as the two came off of turn four side by side. Wibbell in the middle and Cook on the bottom went around the speedway on the final lap side by side, with Wibbell edging out Cook by less then a foot to claim his first career USRA Stock Car feature win. Gordon Jr. was third, Hamlin held on for fourth, with Mark Holt coming from eleventh to finish in fifth. Wibbell, Gordon Jr. and Hamlin each took home heat race wins.

Jeff Soper and Adam Birck made up the front row for the 12 lap Outlaw Hobby Stock feature, with Birck taking advantage of his front row start to lead lap 1. Birck then held on for all twelve laps to pick up his first win of the season at Memphis. Soper held on for second, Brian Clark came from twelfth to finish in third, Tim Pettibone started fourteenth and finished in fourth, with Beau Taylor coming from tenth to round out the top five. Heat race wins went to Chris Webb, Taylor and Brian Howerton.

The final feature of the evening was the 20 lap Keith's Foods Late Models. Chris Smyser and Jody Wood led the field to the drop of the green flag, with Smyser moving out front on lap 1. Smyser held the lead, as Mark Burgtorf and Tommy Elston battled for second. Elston made in move into the top spot on lap 13, as he slipped to the outside of Smyser to grab the lead. Elston then led the final seven laps to take home the $1,000 top prize. Burgtorf got by Smyser to come home second, Justin Reed came from eighth to finish in fourth, with Kevin Kile coming home in fifth. Elston and Kile each took top honors in there heat race.

Coming up next week at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway will be Ruth Enterprise and Farm Bureau Insurance Night at the speedway. The battle for the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series continues in the Modifieds, Stock Cars, B-Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Outlaw Hobby Stocks and Hornets. Pit gates will open at 4:30, grandstand at 5, hot laps at 6:30, with racing to follow.

Official Results
USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series
Pepsi Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, MO
Saturday, May 13, 2006

Keiths Foods Late Models

Heat 1: 1. 45-Tommy Elston, Keokuk, IA; 2. 1st-Justin Reed, Quincy, IL; 3. 7-Mark Burgtorf, Quincy, IL; 4. 69-Dick Weber, Kirksville, MO; 5. 46-Thad Trump, Kahoka, MO; 6. 24-Terry White, Fowler, IL; 7. 21-Brian Kenning, Quincy, IL

Heat 2: 1. 77-Kurt Kile, Nichols, IA; 2. 25s-Chris Smyser, Lancaster, MO; 3. z4-Jody Wood, Donnellson, IA; 4. 88-Kevin Kile, West Liberty, IA; 5. 33-Rickey Frankel, Quincy, IL; 6. 2-Gordy Grubb, Oskaloosa, IA

Feature: 1. 45-Elston; 2. 7-Burgtorf; 3. 25s-Smyser; 4. 1st-Reed; 5. 77-Kurt Kile; 6. z4-Wood; 7. 88-Kevin Kile; 8. 46-Trump; 9. 2-Grubb; 10. 69-Weber; 11. 24-White; 12. 33-Frankel; 13. Kenning

Bentz GM Country USRA Modifieds

Heat 1: 1. 69M-Mark Burgtorf, Quincy, IL; 2. 45-Tony Fraise, Donnellson, IA; 3. 20-Jared Durbin, Ft. Madison, IA; 4. 29-Dennis Elliott, Mt. Ayr, IA; 5. 05-David Wietholder, Liberty, IL; 6. 22-Brandon Banks, Washington, IA; 7. 5-Tim Sands, Conesville, IA

Heat 2: 1. 82M-Ryan Meyer, Liberty, IL; 2. 6-Kevin Cale, Donnellson, IA; 3. 99-Ted Allen, Canton, MO; 4. 7-Mike Thomas, West Branch, IA; 5. 12-Bob Dale, Gorin, MO; 6. 14R-Jim Redmann, Lockridge, IA

Heat 3: 1. 18-Michael Long, Quincy, IL; 2. 32-Mike Bennett, Des Moines, IA; 3. 14-Tyler Cale, Donnellson, IA; 4. 17-Steve Stewart, Washington, IA; 5. 2R-Jerry Reese Jr., Memphis, MO; 6. G77-Chad Goff, Monmouth, IL

Feature: 1. 45-Fraise; 2. 18-Long; 3. 6-K. Cale; 4. 12-Dale; 5. 22-Banks; 6. 20-Durbin; 7. 32-Bennett; 8. 05-Wietholder; 9. 17-Stewart; 10. 29-Elliott; 11. 14-T. Cale; 12. 2R-Reese Jr.; 13. 5-Sands; 14. 82M-Meyer; 15. G77-Goff; 16. 14R-Redmann; 17. 99-Allen; 18. 69M-Burgtorf; 19. 7-Thomas

USRA Stock Cars

Heat 1: 1. 52-Chris Wibbell, Dallas City, IL; 2. 38-Trent Vrchoticky, Columbus Junction, IA; 3. 27J-Jason Cook, Mt. Pleasant, IA; 4. 05-John Oliver Jr., Danville, IA; 5. 55H-Brandon Elenbaas, Memphis, MO; 6. 93.1-Mike Pothoff, Muscatine, IA; 7. 3k-Kiel Morton, Kirksville, MO

Heat 2: 1. 409-Howard Gordon Jr., Oskaloosa, IA; 2. 29-Matt Greiner, Washington, IA; 3. 8-Randy Phillips, Columbus Junction, IA; 4. 36-Shelly Mizell, Muscatine, IA; 5. 04-Steve Steinkuhler, Camp Point, IL; 6. 7A-Troy Alexander, Memphis, MO; 7. 27R-Ryan Cook, West Point, IA

Heat 3: 1. 95-Jeremy Hamlin, Memphis, MO; 2. 11-Mark Holt, Memphis, MO; 3. 30c-Abe Huls, Carthage, IL; 4. 6s-Jody Small, Rutledge, MO; 5. 77-Todd Salazar, Columbus Junction, IA; 79J-Brian Jackson, Moravia, IA; 7. 87-Les Blakley, Fairfield, IA

Feature: 1. 52-Wibbell; 2. 27J-J. Cook; 3. 409-Gordon Jr.; 4. 95-Hamlin; 5. 11-Holt; 6. 38-Vrchoticky; 7. 05-Oliver Jr.; 8. 8-Phillips; 9. 79J-Jackson; 10. 93.1-Pothoff; 11. 29-Greiner; 12. 77-Salazar; 13. 04-Steinkuhler; 14. 6s-Small; 15. 36-Mizell; 16. 55H-Elenbaas; 17. 3k-Morton; 18. 27R-R. Cook; 19. 30c-Huls; 20. 7A-Alexander; 21. 87-Blakley

Toni Dunker Advance Trading USRA B-Modifieds

Heat 1: 1. 4-Tony Dunker, Quincy, IL; 2. 67-Chris Larson, Keokuk, IA; 3. 1-Joe Hooper, Mendon, IL; 4. 13-Michael Browning, Farmington, IA; 5. 88s-Jerry Shoemaker, Kirksville, MO; 6. 44H-Gordon Hudson, Arbela, MO; 7. 38-Tom Bowen, LaBelle, MO; 8. 11s-John Shaffer, Memphis, MO

Heat 2: 1. 00-Jack Evans Jr., Keokuk, IA; 2. 71-Jeff Waterman, Quincy, IL; 3. 10-Jim Gillenwater, Keokuk, IA; 4. 7s-Brandon Savage, Keokuk, IA; 5. 27-Jesse Garrett, Batavia, IA; 6. 73-Tony Morton, Kirksville, MO; 7. 33-Todd Morton, Kirksville, MO; 8. 14-Jeremy Baker, Canton, MO

Feature: 1. 4-Dunker; 2. 67-Larson; 3. 7s-Savage; 4. 13-Browning; 5. 71-Waterman; 6. 1-Hooper; 7. 27-Garrett; 8. 00-Evans Jr.; 9. 14-Baker; 10. 73-Tony Morton; 11. 10-Gillenwater; 12. 88s-Shoemaker; 13. 38-Bowen; 14. 44H-Hudson; 15. 33-Todd Morton; 16. 11s-Shaffer

USRA Hobby Stocks

Heat: 1. 16-Mike Shelton, Ottumwa, IA; 2. 38-Bill Gibson, Knoxville, IA; 3. 3z-Jason VanZomeren, Oskaloosa, IA; 4. 34H-Chirs Hudson, Memphis, MO; 5. 8up-Daniel Robbins, Greentop, MO; 6. 8R-Clayton Robbins, Liberty, MO; 7. 52-Nathan Wood, Sigourney, IA

Feature: 1. 52-Wood; 2. 16-Shelton; 3. 38-Gibson; 4. 3z-VanZomeren; 5. 34H-Hudson; 6. 8up-D. Robbins; 7. 8R-C. Robbins

Outlaw Hobby Stocks

Heat 1: 1. 33-Chris Webb, Biggsville, IL; 2. 1-Rodger Dresden, Keokuk, IA; 3. 12-Adam Birck, Canton, MO; 4. 23-Jimmy Hooper, Wyaconda, MO; 5. 29H-Ricky Hutcherson, Keokuk, IA; 6. 80c-Kevin Cheney, Quincy, IL; 7. 14-Jason Billings, Keokuk, IA; 8. 11B-Jeremy Buss, Quincy, IL

Heat 2: 1. 2T-Beau Taylor, Canton, MO; 2. 43s-Jeff Soper, Kahoka, MO; 3. 34H-Dave Hudson, Memphis, MO; 4. 24J-Justin Hamelton, Hamilton, IL; 5. 47-Tim Pettibone, Moravia, IA; 6. 2J-Larry Taylor, Canton, MO; 7. 20-Keith Reed, Fowler, IL; 8. 74-Neal Kohlmorgan, Warsaw, IL

Heat 3: 1. 89-Brian Howerton, Hurdland, MO; 2. 4L-Jim Lynch, Donnellson, IA; 3. 88-Brian Clark, Kahoka, MO; 4. 3-Michael St. Clair, Kahoka, MO; 5. 12B-Jessie Buss, Quincy, IL; 6. 25c-Ryan Crandall, Brashear, MO; 7. 15-Amy Mason, Warsaw, IL

Feature: 1. 12-Birck; 2. 43s-Soper; 3. 88-Clark; 4. 47-Pettibone; 5. 2T-B. Taylor, 6. 24J-Hamelton; 7. 33-Webb; 8. 4L-Lynch; 9. 20-Reed; 10. 25c-Crandall; 11. 80c-Cheney; 12. 23-Hooper; 13. 11B-Jeremy Buss; 14. 74-Kohlmorgan; 15. 1-Dresden; 16. 89-Howerton; 17. 34H-Hudson; 18. 15-Mason; 19. 2J-L. Taylor; 20. 3-St. Clair; 21. 29H-Hutcherson; 22. 14-Billings; 23. 12B-Jessie Buss

Hornets

Heat 1: 1. 89R-Ronald Kibbe, Mt. Pleasant, IA; 2. 20-Andrew Hustead, Rutledge, MO; 3. 21x-Cody Martin, Queen City, MO; 4. 77Q-J.D. Murphy, Cincinnati, IA; 5. 21-Bill Young, Drakesville, IA

Heat 2: 1. 96-Tyler Schulte, Montrose, IA; 2. 00-Brent Hartley, Niota, IL; 3. 1-Jim Hamilton, Keokuk, IA; 4. 7T-Tom Irwin, Bloomfield, IA; 5. 03-Cody Phillips, Rhodes, IA

Feature: 1. 96-Schulte; 2. 00-Hartley; 3. 89R-Kibbe; 4. 20-Hustead; 5. 1-Hamilton; 6. 7T-Irwin; 7. 21x-Martin; 8. 21-Young; 9. 77Q-Murphy; 10. 03-Phillips