Alexander and Blankenship Jr. Claim First Wins of the Season at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway
by Brian Neal

MEMPHIS, MO (July 15, 2006) - RPM-Off Road Cooper Tires / Verly Gordy / Pam's Cakes Night at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway provided the fans with some great side-by-side racing action. After all the action was completed, Troy Alexander (USRA Stock Cars) and Gordon Blankenship Jr. (Hornets) picked up there first feature win of the season at Memphis, while Mark Burgtorf (Bentz GM Country USRA Modifieds), Wyatt Lantz (Toni Dunker Advance Trading USRA B-Modifieds), Bill Gibson (USRA Hobby Stocks) and Jeff Soper (Outlaw Hobby Stocks) claimed repeat wins.

Starting off the night was the 15 lap Toni Dunker Advance Trading USRA B-Modified feature, with Brandon Savage and Tony Dunker drawing the front row for the event. Dunker would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1, with Jim Gillenwater and Jerry Poor close behind in second and third. Dunker held the top spot until lap 6, when Wyatt Lantz, who started eighth, jumped to the outside to grab the lead. Lantz then held on for the final nine laps to claim his second win in a row at the speedway. Dunker would finish second, Gillenwater was third, Poor finished in fourth, with Joe Hooper coming from thirteenth to round out the top five. Heat race winners were Lantz and Gillenwater.

The 15 lap Outlaw Hobby Stock feature was next, with Michael St. Clair and Jeff Soper leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Soper would grab the lead on lap 1, with Beau Taylor, St. Clair and Brian Clark all battling it out for second. Soper and Taylor brought the crowd to there feet with two laps to go, as the two ran side-by-side all the way around the 3/8th mile track. Soper, who was working the bottom of the track, and Taylor, who was up top, came across the finish line side-by-side with Soper edging out the win by inches over Taylor. Clark came home in third, St. Clair was fourth, with Jim Lynch coming home in fifth. Brian Howerton and Clark each picked up a heat race win.

Brian Lemen and J.D. Murphy led the field to the green in the 8 lap Hornet feature, but it was eighth place starter Gordon Blankenship Jr. charging thru the field to lead lap 1. Blankenship Jr. would pull away from the field to claim his first win in his first visit of 2006 at the speedway. Brent Hartley came from seventh to finish in fifth, Adam Swanson was third, Andrew Hustead was fourth, with Matt Moore coming home in fifth. Blankenship Jr. also claimed the win in the heat race.

Up next was the 15 lap Bentz GM Country USRA Modified feature, with Ryan Meyer and David Wietholder drawing the front row for the event. But it was fourth place starter Mark Burgtorf edging out Meyer at the line to grab the lead on lap 1. Burgtorf would pull away from the field to lead all 15 laps for his second win of the season at the track. Tony Fraise came from eighth to finish in second, Kevin Cale started seventh and finished in third, Jared Durbin was fourth, with Chris Eggers coming from thirteenth to round out the top five. Heat race winners were Martin Bennett and Burgtorf.

Bob Lynch and Jason VanZomeren led the field to the green in the 15 lap USRA Hobby Stock feature, with VanZomeren edging out Lynch at the line to lead lap 1. VanZomeren would hold the top spot until lap 3, when Lynch came back on the bottom of the speedway to grab the lead. Lynch then held on to the lead until lap 6 when Bill Gibson made it three wide, as he went thru the middle of Lynch and VanZomeren, to grab the lead. Gibson then held off Mike Shelton, who started eighth, over the final nine laps to claim his second win of the season at the speedway. Nathan Wood came from seventh to finish in third, VanZomeren held on for fourth, with Tim Kraber coming from tenth to round out the top five. Wood and Derek Kirkland each claimed wins in the heat races.

The final feature of the night was the 15 lap USRA Stock Car, with Chris Wibbell and Eric Flander drawing the front row for the event. Flander would take advantage of his front row start to grab the lead on lap 1. Flander would hold the top spot until a restart on lap 8, when Troy Alexander would slip under him for the lead. Alexander then held off Matt Greiner, who started eighth, to pick up his first win of 2006 at the track. Jason Cook came home in third, Ryan Cook was fourth, with Wibbell holding on to finish in fifth. Heat race winners were R. Cook and Greiner.

Coming up next week at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway will be Gas & More Night. The battle for the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series national and track points continue in the Bentz GM Country Modifieds, Stock Cars, Toni Dunker Advance Trading B-Modifieds and Hobby Stocks, with the Outlaw Hobby Stocks and Hornets also in action. Gates will open at 5 p.m., 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, July 15, 2006 - RPM-Off Road Cooper Tires / Verly Gordy / Pam's Cakes Night

Bentz GM Country USRA Modifieds

Heat 1: 1. 99x-Martin Bennett, Ankeny, IA; 2. 20-Jared Durbin, Ft. Madison, IA; 3. 05-David Wietholder, Liberty, IL; 4. 6-Kevin Cale, Donnellson, IA; 5. 12-Bob Dale, Gorin, MO; 6. 2R-Jerry Reese Jr., Memphis, MO; 7. 9-Charles Baker, LaBelle, MO
Heat 2: 1. 69M-Mark Burgtorf, Quincy, IL; 2. 82M-Ryan Meyer, Liberty, IL; 3. 45-Tony Fraise, Donnellson, IA; 4. 18-Michael Long, Quincy, IL; 5. 21-Lynn Monroe, Memphis, MO; 6. 32-Mike Bennett, Des Moines, IA; 7. 20/20-Chris Eggers, Lancaster, MO
Feature: 1. 69M-Burgtorf; 2. 45-Fraise; 3. 6-Cale; 4. 20-Durbin; 5. 20/20-Eggers; 6. 2R-Reese Jr.; 7. 82M-Meyer; 8. 21-Monroe; 9. 05-Wietholder; 10. 12-Dale; 11. 99x-Martin Bennett; 12. 18-Long; 13. 32-Mike Bennett; 14. 9-Baker

USRA Stock Cars

Heat 1: 1. 27R-Ryan Cook, West Point, IA; 2. 12-Eric Flander, What Cheer, IA; 3. 95-Jeremy Hamlin, Memphis, MO; 4. 52-Chris Wibbell, Dallas City, IL; 5. 04-Steve Steinkuhler, Camp Point, IL; 6. 93-Mark White, Kirksville, MO; 7. 11-Mark Holt, Memphis, MO
Heat 2: 1. 29-Matt Greiner, Washington, IA; 2. 7A-Troy Alexander, Memphis, MO; 3. 27J-Jason Cook, Mt. Pleasant, IA; 4. 6s-Jody Small, Rutledge, MO; 5. 13-Michael Browning, Farmington, IA; 6. 21-Jared Miller, Pulaski, IA
Feature: 1. 7A-Alexander; 2. 29-Greiner; 3. 27J-J. Cook; 4. 27R-R. Cook; 5. 52-Wibbell; 6. 95-Hamlin; 7. 11-Holt; 8. 12-Flander; 9. 6s-Small; 10. 21-Miller; 11. 93-White; 12. 13-Browning; 13. 04-Steinkuhler

Toni Dunker Advance Trading USRA B-Modifieds

Heat 1: 1. 22-Wyatt Lantz, Bowen, IL; 2. 7s-Brandon Savage, Keokuk, IA; 3. 6Y-Ron York, Edina, MO; 4. 5-Rob Carter, Quincy, IL; 5. 44H-Gordon Hudson, Memphis, MO; 6. 1-Joe Hooper, Mendon, IL; 7. 14-Jeremy Baker, Canton, MO
Heat 2: 1. 10-Jim Gillenwater, Keokuk, IA; 2. 86-Jerry Poor, Novelty, MO; 3. 71-Jeff Waterman, Quincy, IL; 4. 4-Tony Dunker, Quincy, IL; 5. 13-Michael Browning, Farmington, IA; 6. 7L-Josh Larson, Keokuk, IA; 7. 38-Tom Bowen, LaBelle, MO
Feature: 1. 22-Lantz; 2. 4-Dunker; 3. 10-Gillenwater; 4. 86-Poor; 5. 1-Hooper; 6. 71-Waterman; 7. 7s-Savage; 8. 13-Browning; 9. 5-Carter; 10. 38-Bowen; 11. 44H-Hudson; 12. 7L-Larson; 13. 6Y-York; 14. 14-Baker

USRA Hobby Stocks

Heat 1: 1. 52-Nathan Wood, Sigourney, IA; 2. 4J-Bob Lynch, Ottumwa, IA; 3. 38-Bill Gibson, Knoxville, IA; 4. 2M-Mark Moore, Ottumwa, IA; 5. 27F-Rick Sands, Milan, MO; 6. 07-Ernie Bunch, Kirksville, MO; 7. 8R-Clayton Robbins, Liberty, MO
Heat 2: 1. 2k-Derek Kirkland, Centerville, IA; 2. 34F-Robby Sands, Centerville, IA; 3. 16-Mike Shelton, Ottumwa, IA; 4. 3z-Jason VanZomeren, Oskaloosa, IA; 5. 27k-Tim Kraber; 6. 34H-Chris Hudson, Memphis, MO; 7. 8UP-Daniel Robbins, Greentop, MO
Feature: 1. 38-Gibson; 2. 16-Shelton; 3. 52-Wood; 4. 3z-VanZomeren; 5. 27k-Kraber; 6. 2k-Kirkland; 7. 2M-Moore; 8. 27F-Rick Sands; 9. 34H-Hudson; 10. 4J-Lynch; 11. 34F-Robby Sands; 12. 07-Bunch; 13. 8UP-D. Robbins; 14. 8R-C. Robbins

Outlaw Hobby Stocks

Heat 1: 1. 89-Brian Howerton, Hurdland, MO; 2. 43s-Jeff Soper, Kahoka, MO; 3. 2T-Beau Taylor, Canton, MO; 4. 1-Rodger Dresden, Keokuk, IA; 5. 23-Jimmy Hooper, Wyaconda, MO; 6. 24J-Justin Hamelton, Hamilton, IL; 7. 20-Bobby Anders, Hull, IL
Heat 2: 1. 88-Brian Clark, Kahoka, MO; 2. 3-Michael St. Clair; 3. 25c-Ryan Crandall, Brashear, MO; 4. 4L-Jim Lynch, Donnellson, IA; 5. 12B-Jessie Buss, Quincy, IL; 6. 16-Matt Burgtorf, Quincy, IL
Feature: 1. 43s-Soper; 2. 2T-Taylor; 3. 88-Clark; 4. 3-St. Clair; 5. 4L-Lynch; 6. 1-Dresden; 7. 23-Hooper; 8. 25c-Crandall; 9. 24J-Hamelton; 10. 89-Howerton; 11. 20-Anders; 12. 16-Burgtorf; 13. 12B-Buss

Hornets

Heat: 1. 17-Gordon Blankenship Jr., Keokuk, IA; 2. 00-Brent Hartley, Niota, IL; 3. 20-Andrew Hustead, Rutledge, MO; 4. 23A-Adam Swanson, Burlington, IA; 5. 12-Matt Moore, Ottumwa, IA; 6. 21-Bill Young, Ottumwa, IA; 7. 77Q-J.D. Murphy, Cincinnati, IA; 8. 84L-Brian Lemen, Cincinnati, IA
Feature: 1. 17-Blankenship Jr.; 2. 00-Hartley; 3. 23A-Swanson; 4. 20-Hustead; 5. 12-Moore; 6. 21-Young; 7. 77Q-Murphy; 8. 84L-Lemen