Malden Speedway Results - April 14, 2006
by: David Darnell

MALDEN, Mo. (April 14, 2006) - The Malden Speedway opened its 2006 points season with some exciting racing. Shane Stephens made the long trek from Arlington, TN to take the top honors in the Modified division. Scott Gibbs won the first ever Crate Late Model feature. Kyle Berry won a very exciting Hobby Stock feature. Dyersburg’s Barry Daniels topped the Street Stock division. Jeff Jarrell won a DQ infested E-Mod race and David Wofford won the inaugural Mini Stock feature.

16 Modified cars started the feature race with Robert Powers sitting in the pole position. Powers grabbed the lead and led for the first 11 laps, while his competitors jockeyed for position behind him. The race’s lone caution flag fell on lap 11 and was an unfortunate occurrence for Powers. Shane Stephens had moved into second place and was immediately challenging for the lead on the restart. Stephens pulled even down the back straight and completed the pass to the lead by diving low out of turn four. Powers did not give up that easy though and challenged the rest of the race. The fans were standing as the pair went bumper to bumper under the white flag. Stephens held off Power’s final challenge down the back straight to take the checkered flag. Ronnie Vernon ran a strong third, followed by Jared Wagster, and Tony Anglin in the top five. Powers and Vernon won the heat races.

Only 4 Crate Late Models showed for the season opener. This is the first year of racing this division. It is Late Model racing with equal engines and should prove very competitive as the competition grows. Scott Gibbs led from start to finish, holding off a strong mid-race challenge by Scott Tracer to pick up the win. Billy Hopkins took third after Jeff Moss failed tech inspection. Tracer won the heat race.

In the most exciting race of the evening, Kyle Berry piloted the 11Sr car to victory lane in the Hobby Stock feature. The race opened with Tim Winchester in the lead. Berry pulled even on the front straight on lap two and completed the pass a lap later coming out of turn four. A lap five caution reset the field and Berry maintained his lead. The 54 cars of Tony Anglin and Claudie Cook rested second place from Winchester and the trio stayed on Berry’s bumper. With Berry in the lead the trio raced in tandem behind him for four laps as the race neared its end. As they came out of turn four on lap 14, both Cook and Anglin made desperate attempts to pass coming out of turn four and Berry was able to get a couple of car lengths breathing room and went on to win the race. Following Cook, Anglin, and Winchester was Greg Sparks in the # 68 car. This looks like a season long battle could shape up between these competitive drivers and their fine machines. Paul Reeder and Winchester won the heat races.

Barry Daniels won the Street Stock race after he finished second on the track and was moved up following a post race tech violation by Johnny Houart. This was another very competitive race as four different drivers held the lead at times. Ronnie Tilley and Kyle Berry led early with Tilley settling for third and Berry suffering mechanical problems before the end of the race. Next it was Jeff Beeson’s turn to lead as he dove under Tilley on the third lap. He led until Houart took the lead on lap seven. Houart led the rest of the way. Daniels patiently waited his time and took over the apparent second position as he outraced Tilley down the back straight following a lap 11 restart. He challenged Houart the final the next two laps and was awarded the win post race. Coot Wilson moved up three positions the final two laps to take second. Tilley and Berry won the heat races.

Disqualifications were a problem in the E-Mod class this week as four of the eight starters were taken down. On the track, Jeff Jarrell led from start to finish to take the win. Todd Gibbs won a good battle to take second. Gibbs also won the heat race.

Another new division was brought to the speedway for the 2006 season, Mini-stocks. These are the most economical way to get into racing if you have the bug, but not the wallet for the older classes. David “The Wolf” Wofford of Park Hills came down to Malden to take the opening race. The Wolf led from start to finish although he had to hold off a serious last lap challenge from Robert Denny to hold on for the win. Wofford made it a sweep by winning the heat race also.

MODIFIEDS
16 Start Feature


1. 15 Shane Stephens Arlington, TN
2. 02 Robert Powers Campbell
3. G3 Ronnie Vernon Friendship, TN
4. H2 Jared Wagster Portageville
5. G1 Tony Anglin Walnut Ridge, AR
6. 5 Tim Webb Senath
7. 66 Chris Hall Sikeston
8. 78 Larry Hull Old Appleton
9. 10 Troy Fowler Portageville
10. 67 Austin Mathews Dexter


CRATE LATE MODELS

4 Start Feature
1. 34 Scott Gibbs Bloomfield
2. 94 Scott Tracer Rector, AR
3. C23 Billy Hopkins Caruthersville


HOBBY STOCK

11 Start Feature

1. 11 Sr. Kyle Berry Poplar Bluff
2. 54 C Claudie Cook Portageville
3. 54 A Tony Anglin Walnut Ridge, AR
4. 30/30 Tim Winchester Gideon
5. 68 Greg Sparks Bernie
6. 007 Doug Moore Dexter
7 94 Scott Tracer Rector, AR
8. 25 Paul Reeder Malden
9. 50 Gregg Layne Senath
10. 35 Larry Ludwick Caruthersville


STREET STOCK

15 Start Feature

1. 7 Barry Daniels Dyersburg, TN
2. 81 Coot Wilson Portageville
3. 72 Ronnie Tilley Essex
4. 4 Jeff Beeson Jackson
5. 38K Chris Kelley Portageville
6. 357 Jason Simpson Piggott, AR
7. 44 Willis Glass Bragg City
8. 17 Danny Champlin Holcomb
9. 9 Jr. Dale Moore Dexter
10. 90W Tim Doublin Wappapello



E-MODS
8 Start Feature

1. 67 Jeff Jarrell Dexter
2. 34 Todd Gibbs Bloomfield
3. 7A Tim Anderson Doniphan
4. 12 Shane Eubanks Dexter


MINI-STOCKS

8 Start Feature

1. 505 David Wofford Park Hills
2. 01 Robert Denny Barnhart
3. 1 C.J. Wright Park Hills
4. 3 Chris Odom Senath
5. L-74 Lowell Calder St. Francis, AR
6. 08 Harold Dalton Campbell
7. 343 Butch Hartman Perryville
8. 70 Danny Shelby Dyersburg, TN