Lucas Oil Speedway championship chases come to wire with Fennewald and Morton earning titles with feature wins

 

WHEATLAND, Missouri (Aug. 26, 2018) – Lucas Oil Speedway’s championship battles came down to the wire in three of the four Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series divisions on Saturday night and it took feature wins to nail down two of the titles.

Johnny Fennewald captured the Warsaw Auto Marine and RV ULMA Late Model main event and championship with JC Morton doing the same to take home the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod crown on Bill Roberts Chevrolet-Buick Season Championship Night Presented by KTTS.

As Toby Ott prevailed in the Big O Tires Street Stocks feature, David Hendrix took  the season championship with a third-place feature finish.

Though he had plenty of breathing room in the Pitts Homes USRA Modified points race, Darron Fuqua finished the weekly action in style with his eighth feature win of the season.

A total of 105 cars checked into the pits as the regular season came to an exciting conclusion.

Fennewald emerges from trio of contenders: The three-man battle for the Warsaw Auto Marine & RV ULMA Late Model championship lived up to its billing with Fennewald emerging with his second straight track championship.

In a snappy, caution-free feature, Fennewald led all the way with the other two contenders in a chace separated by only four points at the start of the night – Kaeden Cornell and Aaron Marrant – finishing second and third.

“We’ve been working on it really hard to get it where it needs to be,” Fennewald said. “This is a track that Aaron Marrant really runs good on, fast and wide open. I was looking at times all night long, hot laps to heat race. I usually change a lot and I probably shouldn’t. All we did was change gears and put some fuel in it.

“We had a good night. They got a lot of rain this week and the track was a little choppy and rough. But at the end of the day, we got it done and got a points championship.”

Fennewald, of Appleton City, began the action two points behind Marrant and two ahead of Cornell. Fennewald started from the pole and set a blistering pace with Cornell chasing him from outside the front row.

Marrant started fifth and moved into third by lap three. The trio broke away from the field and spent the final half of the race weaving in and out of lapped traffic.

“We won the championship last year. I thought that was all right,” Fennewald said. “But I told myself, ‘See how good you are, see if you can back it up.’ ”

Marrant and Cornell unofficially wound up tied for second in points, seven points behind Fennewald. Marrant won the tie-breaker with more feature wins on the season.

Morton steps up in B-Mod battle: JC Morton doubled up in the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods, winning the feature and the season championship as he made the winning pass of Tyler Brown with three laps remaining.

It was the second track championship in three years for the Springfield driver. Morton began the night five points ahead of Taylor Moore, who finished third. The two battled side by side at times during the race as Morton advanced from a ninth-starting position to earn his second win of the season.

“There were three or four laps we were side by side, door to door and never touched,” Morton said of Moore. “I slid him, he slid me back. No big deal there.

“It was a heck of a run,” Morton added. “Two years ago we were in a similar position and we didn’t really have to worry about (winning) the race. We came down to a last-lap pass. It just feels good to be out here by yourself (in victory lane) on championship night.”

The battle for the race win took a dramatic turn on lap 15 when leader Brown and second-place Kris Jackson – just as they were starting to work through lapped traffic – tangled on the front straightaway with Jackson hitting the wall.

That ended Jackson’s night and bid for his fifth straight feature win. Brown was able to continue, with some front-end damage, with Morton and Moore right behind with five laps to go.

Morton sailed past Brown and into the lead coming out of turn four to complete lap 17. He held on from there, with Brown finishing second, Moore in third and Mitchell Franklin fourth.

Ott wins race, Hendrix captures Street Stocks title: Big O Tires Street Stock 2017 track champion Toby Ott dominated the final-night feature for his first win of the season, but David Hendrix of Waynesville nailed down the championship.

Hendrix started on the pole and finished third – two positions ahead of Brian Schutt who began the night eight points behind in the points chase. He was a deserving champion, having reeled off six straight feature wins earlier in the season.

But without a win since July 5 and Schutt gradually cutting into the points margin, Hendrix had to take care of business to take home the title.

“It was tough,” Hendrix said. “We were on a streak there for a while. Just this week we found a bent upper control arm and I think that was giving us fits. We couldn’t get the car freed up – and tonight we had it too free. But it was nice to have it free for once. It’s been pushing the last five or six weeks.”

Car owner Jay Prevete, who finished 10th in the feature, joined Hendrix in victory lane.

“He owns both these cars and he let me drive this car and I appreciate it,” Hendrix said. “He already told me I could drive it again next year.”

Ott, who started third, took the lead over from Hendrix on lap two and opened about a three-second command over Hendrix and James Flood when a caution came out on lap 15. Ott had no trouble over the final five laps, finishing well ahead of Flood in second with Hendrix third and Tim Brown in fourth.

“I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Ott said of his run. “I could still hear them back there (on the restart) and I just kept pushing, pushing, pushing. It couldn’t excite me to win against a group of guys any more than this.”

Fuqua finishes USRA Modified title run: Darron Fuqua finished off a dream season in style, clinching the Pitts Homes USRA Modified track title with his eighth feature win of the season at Lucas Oil Speedway.

Fuqua, of Mayetta, Kansas, wired the field, leading all 20 laps. Seventh-starting Jason Pursley finished a season-best second with Fuqua’s teammate, Lance Town, taking third.

“We’ve had a good year here. I hate to see it end,” Fuqua said. “It’s been a great year here and pretty much everywhere, we’ve been pretty fast.”

Fuqua, the USRA Modified national points leader, had not raced at Lucas Oil Speedway prior to the 2018 season. He made the 3 1/2-hour drive each week well worth it.

“I love racing the USRA cars and the open motors,” Fuqua said. “There’s some great competitors out here. They’re tough to beat here. That’s part of what brings us here.”

Fuqua ended the run of Jeff Cutshaw, who had won the last four Lucas Oil Speedway USRA Mod championships. Cutshaw wound up second in points and fifth in the feature.

The biggest mover of the race was fourth-place Jon Sheets, who started 19th. Sheets’ right-side sported one of Fuqua’s No. 87 panels after a heat-race accident sheered off his sheet metal on that side.

 

LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY RESULTS (August 25, 2018)

Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series

Warsaw Auto Marine & RV ULMA Late Models

A-Feature – 1. Johnny Fennewald Appleton City, Mo. 2. Kaeden Cornell Willard, Mo. 3. Aaron Marrant Richmond, Mo. 4. Jesse Stovall Billings, Mo. 5. Josh Poe Peculiar, Mo. 6. Tommy Cordray Browning, Mo. 7. Kanyan Methvin Yellville, Ar. 8. Lane Ehlert Republic, Mo. 9. Daniel Jessen Joplin, Mo. 10. Walt Imhoff Jamestown, Mo. 11. Aaron Poe Warrensburg, Mo. 12. Phil Edmondson Marionville, Mo. 13. Chad Richwine Lee’s Summit, Mo. 14. Gregg Truelove Liberty, Mo. 15. Ashlee Lancaster Sturgeon, Mo. 16. Bob Cummings Sedalia, Mo. 17. Jimmy Jobe Odessa, Mo. DNF. Larry Jones El Dorado Springs, Mo. DNF. Cole Henson Russellville, Mo. DNS. Eddie Tidwell Collinsville, Ok.

Heat 1 – 1. Walt Imhoff Jamestown, Mo. 2. Kaeden Cornell Willard, Mo. 3. Gregg Truelove Liberty, Mo. 4. Lane Ehlert Republic, Mo. 5. Chad Richwine Lee’s Summit, Mo. 6. Kanyan Methvin Yellville, Ar. 7. Larry Jones El Dorado Springs, Mo. 8. Bob Cummings Sedalia, Mo. 9. Jimmy Jobe Odessa, Mo. 10. Ashlee Lancaster Sturgeon, Mo.

Heat 2 – 1. Josh Poe Peculiar, Mo. 2. Johnny Fennewald Appleton City, Mo. 3. Aaron Marrant Richmond, Mo. 4. Tommy Cordray Browning, Mo. 5. Jesse Stovall Billings, Mo. 6. Daniel Jessen Joplin, Mo. 7. Aaron Poe Warrensburg, Mo. 8. Cole Henson Russellville, Mo. 9. Eddie Tidwell Collinsville, Ok. 10. Phil Edmondson Marionville, Mo.

Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods

A-Feature – 1. J C Morton Springfield, Mo. 2. Tyler Brown Richland, Mo. 3. Taylor Moore Bois D Arc, Mo. 4. Mitchell Franklin Camdenton, Mo. 5. Brian Webster Holts Summit, Mo. 6. Robert Heydenreich Bolivar, Mo. 7. Rusty Rickard Shell Knob, Mo. 8. Mike Striegel Hermitage, Mo. 9. Michael Bowers Rogersville, Mo. 10. Greg Woodcock Neosho, Mo. 11. Mark Long Willard, Mo. 12. Jimmy Ill Body Diamond, Mo. 13. Mike Shaddy Lebanon, Mo. 14. Austin Joplin Willard, Mo. 15. Dillon McCowan Urbana, Mo. 16. Phillip Caddy Neosho, Mo. 17. Dayton Pursley Hermitage, Mo. 18. Greg Scheffler Pittsburg, Mo. 19. Hannah Frazee Cleveland, Mo. 20. Jerry Ellis Richland, Mo. 21. Ricky Watkins Brookline, Mo. DNF. Kris Jackson Lebanon, Mo. DNF. Blake Davidson Mokane, Mo. DNF. Timothy West West Fork, Ark.

B-Feature – 1. Mike Striegel Hermitage, Mo. 2. Ricky Watkins Brookline, Mo. 3. Blake Davidson Mokane, Mo. 4. Phillip Caddy Neosho, Mo. 5. Hannah Frazee Cleveland, Mo. 6. Timothy West West Fork, Ar. 7. Jerry Ellis Richland, Mo. 8. Dillon McCowan Urbana, Mo. 9. Cody Acklin Flippin, Ar. 10. Rich Reynolds Ash Grove, Mo. 11. Daniel Yocom Ash Grove, Mo. DNF. Kenny Shaw Joplin, Mo. DNF. Quentin Taylor Wheatland, Mo. DNS. Billy Pearce Camdenton, Mo. DNS. Kyle Long Walnut Grove, Mo. DNS. Jake Hereford Fort Scott, Ks. DNS. Brian Williams Fayetteville, Ar.

Heat 1 – 1. Mitchell Franklin Camdenton, Mo. 2. Brian Webster Holts Summit, Mo. 3. Rusty Rickard Shell Knob, Mo. 4. Jimmy Ill Body Diamond, Mo. 5. Mark Long Willard, Mo. 6. Phillip Caddy Neosho, Mo. 7. Daniel Yocom Ash Grove, Mo. 8. Billy Pearce Camdenton, Mo. 9. Hannah Frazee Cleveland, Mo. DNF. Kyle Long Walnut Grove, Mo. DNF. Blake Davidson Mokane, Mo.

Heat 2 – 1. Taylor Moore Bois D Arc, Mo. 2. Robert Heydenreich Bolivar, Mo. 3. Mike Shaddy Lebanon, Mo. 4. Michael Bowers Rogersville, Mo. 5. Greg Scheffler Pittsburg, Mo. 6. Austin Joplin Willard, Mo. 7. Jerry Ellis Richland, Mo. 8. Ricky Watkins Brookline, Mo. 9. Jake Hereford Fort Scott, Ks. 10. Cody Acklin Flippin, Ar. DNF. Kenny Shaw Joplin, Mo.

Heat 3 – 1. Kris Jackson Lebanon, Mo. 2. Tyler Brown Richland, Mo. 3. J C Morton Springfield, Mo. 4. Dayton Pursley Hermitage, Mo. 5. Dillon McCowan Urbana, Mo. 6. Greg Woodcock Neosho, Mo. 7. Timothy West West Fork, Ar. 8. Rich Reynolds Ash Grove, Mo. 9. Mike Striegel Hermitage, Mo. DNF. Quentin Taylor Wheatland, Mo. DNS. Brian Williams Fayetteville, Ark.

Big O Tires Street Stocks

A-Feature – 1. Toby Ott Wheatland, Mo. 2. James Flood Crane, Mo. 3. David Hendrix Waynesville, Mo. 4. Tim Brown Stoutland, Mo. 5. Brian Schutt Lebanon, Mo. 6. Burl Woods Republic, Mo. 7. Bobby Barnett Republic, Mo. 8. Clayton Campbell Otterville, Mo. 9. Darren Turner Hartsburg, Mo. 10. Jay Prevete Windsor, Mo. 11. Tim Petty Niangua, Mo. 12. Chris Tonoli Hermitage, Mo. 13. Daniel Deason Bolivar, Mo. 14. Aaron Poe Warrensburg, Mo. 15. Johnny Coats Joplin, Mo. 16. Francisco Escamilla Niangua, Mo. 17. Chip Shaddox Wheatland, Mo. DNF. Marc Carter Warrensburg, Mo. DNF. Harlan Kennedy Wheatland, Mo. DNF. Larry J Ferris Kansas City, Ks. DNF. Ted Welschmeyer Tebbetts, Mo. DNF. Kenny Carroll Camdendon, Mo. DNF. Kyle Slader Muskogee, Ok. DNF. Eric Hammons Smithton, Mo.

B-Feature – 1. Eric Hammons Smithton, Mo. 2. Clayton Campbell Otterville, Mo. 3. Johnny Coats Joplin, Mo. 4. Jay Prevete Windsor, Mo. 5. Ted Welschmeyer Tebbetts, Mo. 6. Aaron Poe Warrensburg, Mo. 7. Chip Shaddox Wheatland, Mo. 8. Chris Tonoli Hermitage, Mo. 9. Josh Dugan Fair Grove, Mo. 10. Bradley Gideon Ozark, Mo. 11. John Scott Warsaw, Mo. 12. Devin Irvin Cleveland, Mo. DNF. Chris Kircher Drexel, Mo. DNF. Josh Halbrook Springfield, Mo. DNF. Nicholas Gibson(r) Garden City, Mo. DNF. Steve Scott Pittsburg, Mo. DNS. James Hume Eldorado Springs, Mo.

Heat 1 – 1. Toby Ott Wheatland, Mo. 2. James Flood Crane, Mo. 3. Bobby Barnett Republic, Mo. 4. Daniel Deason Bolivar, Mo. 5. Jay Prevete Windsor, Mo. 6. Chip Shaddox Wheatland, Mo. 7. Devin Irvin Cleveland, Mo. 8. Steve Scott Pittsburg, Mo. DNF. Johnny Coats Joplin, Mo.

Heat 2 – 1. Marc Carter Warrensburg, Mo. 2. Kenny Carroll Camdendon, Mo. 3. Tim Petty Niangua, Mo. 4. Harlan Kennedy Wheatland, Mo. 5. Aaron Poe Warrensburg, Mo. 6. Josh Halbrook Springfield, Mo. 7. Chris Tonoli Hermitage, Mo. 8. Ted Welschmeyer Tebbetts, Mo.

Heat 3 – 1. David Hendrix Waynesville, Mo. 2. Kyle Slader Muskogee, Ok. 3. Francisco Escamilla Niangua, Mo. 4. Darren Turner Hartsburg, Mo. 5. Eric Hammons Smithton, Mo. 6. Josh Dugan Fair Grove, Mo. 7. Chris Kircher Drexel, Mo. 8. Nicholas Gibson(r) Garden City, Mo.

Heat 4 – 1. Burl Woods Republic, Mo. 2. Tim Brown Stoutland, Mo. 3. Brian Schutt Lebanon, Mo. 4. Larry J Ferris Kansas City, Ks. 5. Clayton Campbell Otterville, Mo. 6. John Scott Warsaw, Mo. 7. Bradley Gideon Ozark, Mo. 8. James Hume Eldorado Springs, Mo.

Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds

A-Feature – 1. Darron Fuqua Mayetta, Ks. 2. Jason Pursley Hermitage, Mo. 3. Lance Town Wellsville, Ks. 4. Jon Sheets Liberal, Mo. 5. Jeff Cutshaw Bolivar, Mo. 6. Paden Phillips Chanute, Ks. 7. Tracy Wolf Buffalo, Mo. 8. Mike Striegel Hermitage, Mo. 9. Jim Body Diamond, Mo. 10. Daniel Franklin Berryville, Ar. 11. Scotty Bough Nevada, Mo. 12. Donnie Fellers Wheatland, Mo. 13. Skip Miller Branson, Mo. DNF. Brian Williams Fayetteville, Ar. DNF. Dalton McKenney Clarksville, Mo. DNF. Brian Green Pierce City, Mo. DNF. Mike Hines Van Buren, Ar. DNF. Chase Jones Eldorado Springs, Mo. DNF. Jason Payton Ft. Smith, Ar. DNS. Lucas Gibbs Udall, Ks.

Heat 1 – 1. Lance Town Wellsville, Ks. 2. Darron Fuqua Mayetta, Ks. 3. Paden Phillips Chanute, Ks. 4. Jason Pursley Hermitage, Mo. 5. Jason Payton Ft. Smith, Ar. 6. Jim Body Diamond, Mo. 7. Daniel Franklin Berryville, Ar. 8. Skip Miller Branson, Mo. 9. Scotty Bough Nevada, Mo. DNS. Lucas Gibbs Udall, Ks.

Heat 2 – 1. Tracy Wolf Buffalo, Mo. 2. Jeff Cutshaw Bolivar, Mo. 3. Brian Green Pierce City, Mo. 4. Brian Williams Fayetteville, Ar. 5. Dalton McKenney Clarksville, Mo. 6. Mike Hines Van Buren, Ar. 7. Donnie Fellers Wheatland, Mo. 8. Chase Jones Eldorado Springs, Mo. 9. Mike Striegel Hermitage, Mo. 10. Jon Sheets Liberal, Mo.

 

Up next: It’s a big Labor Day Weekend with the 8th annual Diamond Drag Boat Nationals, Friday through Sunday, on Lake Lucas. On Saturday night at the dirt track, it’s the Lucas Oil MLRA Larry Phillips Memorial with the winning collecting $5,075. Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods also are on the program, paying $750 to win.

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Category: Missouri