Russell captures featured ULMA Late Model win as Lucas Oil Speedway season begins

Wheatland, Missouri (April 9, 2017) – The curtain rose on the 2017 season and the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series at Lucas Oil Speedway on Saturday night with Jason Russell prevailing in the featured Warsaw Auto Marine & RV ULMA Late Model event.

Russell’s 25-lap, flag-to-flag triumph was worth $1,000 courtesy of ALP Food Store in Pittsburg, Mo.

Other feature winners during a program Presented by KOLR 10 and KOLZ 27 included Kris Jackson (Ozark Golf Cars B Mods), Jeff Cutshaw (Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds) and Darrin Crisler (Big O Tires Street Stocks).

A total of 125 cars checked into the pits on the pleasant early spring evening, including 44 in the B-Mod division, 31 ULMA Late Models, 28 USRA Mods and 22 Street Stocks.

Russell, of Eugene, led all the way to grab the night’s spotlight win. He pulled away from runner-up Dylan Hoover of Mexico, Mo., following the race’s third caution forced a lap-20 restart.

Hoover was able to hold off Warrensburg’s Jason Poe with fourth-place Larry Ferris of Nevada close behind. Chris Smyser wound up in fifth.

Russell, back in a Late Model after driving Modifieds the last few seasons, started on the front row. He said setting the early pace was key.

“I was kind of hoping we’d start up front so I’d get the preferred line and (then) I was able to hit my marks,” Russell said. “It’s been a few years, but I always enjoy driving (Late Models) and am glad to have the opportunity.”

Jackson takes B-Mod thriller: Lebanon’s Kris Jackson led the final 14 laps, holding off Billings’ Shawn Strong by a car length at the finish, to prevail in the Ozark Golf Cars B-Mod feature.

Jackson slid underneath Strong in turn two on lap seven after the race’s lone caution. While he led the rest of the way as the two pulled away from the rest of the field, Jackson had to negotiate lapped traffic over the final two laps as Strong closed in.

“I have to thank my sponsors and my cousin (Tony Jackson Jr.) at TJR (Motorsports),” Jackson said. “This is the fastest I’ve been in a long time.”

It was well back to third-place Andy Bryant.

USRA Mod champ prevails: Jeff Cutshaw’s pursuit of a fourth straight Pitts Homes USRA Modified track championship is off and running as the Bolivar driver prevailed in the opener.

Cutshaw, who started the feature sixth, passed Kerry Davis coming out of turn four to complete lap 14 and led the rest of the way. Davis, of Parkville, wound up second and Robert Reed of Mexico Mo., was third.

“There’s nothing better than starting out with a win on the first night,” Cutshaw said. “The track was slick, but it was smooth and you could get around it pretty good.”

Davis applied heavy pressure to Cutshaw over the final three laps, but was unable to get past the three-time reigning track champ.

“That was a fun race. I like racing with Kerry, he’s a good guy,” Cutshaw said.

Crisler earns Street Stocks win: Darrin Crisler of Clever held off a fast-closing Burl Woods to prevail in the Big O Tires Street Stocks feature.

Crisler passed Brian Schutt for the lead with seven laps remaining. While Schutt wound up third, Republic’s Woods was charging from the back of the pack after spinning while running in the top-five and bringing out a caution on lap five.

“Brand-new car and brand-new everything this year,” Crisler said, thanking his sponsors and family in victory lane. “It’s an amazing car.”

Next up: The first special of the season arrives next weekend with the 4th annual Lucas Oil MLRA Spring Nationals Presented by RacingJunk.com, Friday and Saturday nights. It marks the season openers for the MLRA Late Models with the USRA Modifieds and Street Stocks also on the programs. Gates will open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7 and racing at 7:35 p.m. both nights.

Lucas Oil Speedway Results
Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series
Saturday, April 8
Big O Tires Street Stocks
Feature: 1. Darrin Crisler 9 2. Burl Woods 135 3. Brian Schutt 51 4. Bobby Barnett 27 5. James Flood 42 6. Toby Ott 27. 7. Marc Carter 21 8. Clayton Campbell 30C 9. Scott Chism 8X 10. Kenny Carroll 94 11. Jay Prevete 25XXX 12. Chad Coleman 22C 13. Josh Halbrook 3 14. Shawn Hendren 64M 15. Bradley Gideon 11X 16. Ted Welschmeyer 21W 17. Steve Scott 44S 18. Kenny Carter 111 19. Brian Webster 91 DNS Zach Zeugin 35Z DNS Dalton Imhoff 96I DNS Shawn Whitman 13.
 Heat 1:  1. Brian Schutt 51 2. Toby Ott 27OTT 3. Jay Prevete 25XXX 4. Scott Chism 8X 5. Chad Coleman 22C 6. Shawn Hendren 64M 7. Kenny Carter 111 8. Steve Scott 44S .
 Heat 2: 1. Bobby Barnett 27 2. Brian Webster 91 3. James Flood 42 4. Bradley Gideon 11X 5. Zach Zeugin 35Z 6. Dalton Imhoff 96I 7. Shawn Whitman 13.
 Heat 3:  1. Darrin Crisler 9 2. Marc Carter 21 3. Kenny Carroll 94 4. Burl Woods 135 5. Josh Halbrook 3 6. Ted Welschmeyer 21W 7. Clayton Campbell 30C.

Warsaw Auto Marine & RV ULMA Late Models
 Feature: 1. Jason Russell 2J 2. Dylan Hoover 6H 3. Aaron Poe 45 4. Larry Ferris 51 5. Chris Smyser 25S 6. Jon Sheets 8S 7. Shad Badder 173 8. Aaron Marrant 70 9. Todd McCoin 7X 10. Jon Binning 65 11. Chris Cox 1TC 12. Joe Walkenhorst 90 13. Tommy Cordray 5 14. David Melloway 14X 15. Jonothan Melloway 74X 16. Walt Imhoff 69 17. Daniel Jessen 17 18. Devin Crockett 72 19. Chad Richwine 42H 20. Garrett Essary 5g 21. Cody Holtkamp 23H 22. Lane Ehlert 42 23. Larry Jones 99J 24. Dustin Hodges 22H.
B feature: 1. Chris Cox 1TC 2. Tommy Cordray 5 3. Cody Holtkamp 23H 4. Daniel Jessen 17 5. Garrett Essary 5g 6. Wesley Briggs 28B 7. Ashlee Lancaster 16 8. Bob Cummings 6 9. John Willard 10 10. Clint Nimmo 29C DNS Jon Sheets 8S DNS Johnny Fennewald 21,
Heat 1:  1. Lane Ehlert 42 2. Chad Richwine 42H 3. Aaron Marrant 70 4. Shad Badder 173 5. Jon Binning 65 6. Walt Imhoff 69 7. Chris Cox 1TC 8. Wesley Briggs 28B 9. Cody Holtkamp 23H DQ Garrett Essary 5g.
Heat 2: 1. Chris Smyser 25S 2. Aaron Poe 45 3. Dylan Hoover 6H 4. David Melloway 14X 5. Joe Walkenhorst 90 6. Dustin Hodges 22H 7. Tommy Cordray 5 8. Daniel Jessen 17 9. Ashlee Lancaster 16 10. Bob Cummings 6.
 Heat 3:  1. Jason Russell 2J 2. Larry Ferris 51 3. Todd McCoin 7X 4. Jonothan Melloway 74X 5. Devin Crockett 72 6. Larry Jones 99J 7. John Willard 10 8. Clint Nimmo 29C 9. Jon Sheets 8S 10. Johnny Fennewald 21.

Ozark Golf Cars B Mods
Feature: 1. Kris Jackson 65 2. Shawn Strong 14X 3. Andy Bryant 28 4. Paden Phillips 31 5. Taylor Moore 00T 6. Mike Hailman 85H 7. Rodney Corden 17R 8. Michael Maggard 160 9. Kaeden Cornell 50 10. Robb Ewing 32 11. Rex Harris 30 12. John Briggs 5 13. Jim Cihy 99 14. Jared Whitney 4W 15. Justin Pike 87 16. Johnny McGinnis 10J 17. Donald Jackson 42J 18. Doug Wetzel 10X 19. Quentin Taylor 14T 20. Cory Johnson C88 21. Hunter Byers 88B 22. Randy Gilmore 93 23. Kameron Grindstaff 14 DQ David Hendrix 54.
B feature 1:  1. Rodney Corden 17R 2. Doug Wetzel 10X 3. Jim Cihy 99 4. Donald Jackson 42J 5. Reggie Jackson 356 6. Jared Adams 134A 7. Andy Chrisenberry 11C 8. Jeff Scroggins 8S 9. Brad Moore 72 10. Darren Phillips 21PD 11. Mark McGuire 72M 12. Kevin York Y3 DNS Matt Rose 101M DNS Eric Graves 2G.
 B feature 2: 1. Kameron Grindstaff 14 2. Rex Harris 30 3. Robb Ewing 32 4. Jared Whitney 4W 5. Dalton McKenney 21M 6. Michael Bixby 20B 7. Alan Ferguson 20 8. Alexys Vanzandt 25 9. Matthew Hendren 64H 10. Jeff Gray 36G 11. Matthew Cihy 00 12. Cody Brill 96b 13. Kenny Shaw 10K DQ Donnie Fellers 24d.
Heat 1: 1. Kris Jackson 65 2. Justin Pike 87 3. Quentin Taylor 14T 4. Cory Johnson C88 5. Donnie Fellers 24d 6. Alan Ferguson 20 7. Reggie Jackson 356 8. Andy Chrisenberry 11C 9. Dalton McKenney 21M DNS Matthew Cihy 00 DQ Matt Rose 101M,
 Heat 2:  1. Andy Bryant 28 2. Shawn Strong 14X 3. Michael Maggard 160 4. Paden Phillips 31 5. Rex Harris 30 6. Rodney Corden 17R 7. Jeff Gray 36G 8. Doug Wetzel 10X 9. Jared Adams 134A 10. Jeff Scroggins 8S 11. Michael Bixby 20B.
Heat 3: 1. Mike Hailman 85H 2. John Briggs 5 3. Hunter Byers 88B 4. Randy Gilmore 93 5. Eric Graves 2G 6. Darren Phillips 21PD 7. Brad Moore 72 8. Cody Brill 96b 9. Kevin York Y3 10. Alexys Vanzandt 25 DQ Jared Whitney 4W.
 Heat 4: 1. David Hendrix 54 2. Taylor Moore 00T 3. Johnny McGinnis 10J 4. Kaeden Cornell 50 5. Donald Jackson 42J 6. Kameron Grindstaff 14 7. Kenny Shaw 10K 8. Robb Ewing 32 9. Matthew Hendren 64H 10. Jim Cihy 99 11. Mark McGuire 72M.

Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds
 Feature:  1. Jeff Cutshaw 98 2. Kerry Davis 16S 3. Robert Reed 5R 4. Ronnie Woods 53 5. Ryan Middaugh 21R 6. Terry Schultz 90 7. Trevor Latham 27L 8. Jason Pursley 38C 9. Lance Town 21T 10. Chase Domer 27JR 11. Lucas Gibbs G51 12. Kyle Westerhold 17K 13. Daniel Wosoba 89 14. Lewis Jackson 3J 15. Tyler Shaw 85S 16. John Cammon 25C 17. Lee Heiligenthal 87 18. Alex Cammon 52C 19. Rex Merritt 25 20. Doug Wetzel 10X 21. Jesse Willard 40W 22. Ethan Young 23 23. Nathan Vaughn 12V 24. Charles Benedict Jr 86B 25. Christopher Moon 12M 26. Robert Baltzel 16 27. Gunner Martin 75M DNS Jon Sheets 8S.
Heat 1: 1. Terry Schultz 90 2. Ryan Middaugh 21R 3. Jesse Willard 40W 4. Jason Pursley 38C 5. Lewis Jackson 3J 6. Ronnie Woods 53 7. Nathan Vaughn 12V 8. Ethan Young 23 9. Robert Baltzel 16 10. Gunner Martin 75M.
 Heat 2: 1. Trevor Latham 27L 2. Kerry Davis 16S 3. Kyle Westerhold 17K 4. Daniel Wosoba 89 5. Alex Cammon 52C 6. Doug Wetzel 10X 7. Rex Merritt 25 8. Charles Benedict Jr 86B DQ Chase Domer 27JR USRA Modifieds.
Heat 3: 1. Robert Reed 5R 2. Jeff Cutshaw 98 3. Lucas Gibbs G51 4. Lee Heiligenthal 87 5. Tyler Shaw 85S 6. Lance Town 21T 7. John Cammon 25C 8. Christopher Moon 12M DNS Jon Sheets 8S.

Category: Missouri