Memphis, MO (Friday, October 16, 2015) - When the schedule is released every year for the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri, everyone knows that when it comes time for the "Fall Nationals" what the weather will be like. And that is cold! Friday night was no exception, as temps during the day time didn't get out of the high 50's and temps at night fell to the mid 30's, Even though it was cold, the racing action was enough to warm you up.
The first feature to take to the track was the 12 lap Sport Compacts, with Matt Moore and Kimberly Abbott drawing the front row for the event. Abbott would take advantage of her front row starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Brandon Setser and William Michel. While Abbott set the pace out front Setser, and Drew Johnson, who made the long pull from Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, raced side -by-side for the runner up spot. Johnson would grab that spot away from Setser on lap 8 and then went to work on Abbott for the top spot. But Abbott would hold him off in a caution free race to pick up the win. Johnson settled for 2nd, Setser was 3rd, Darin Smith was 4th, Shaun Slaughter came from 14th to finish in 5th, with Michel holding on to the final spot to be locked into Saturday nights feature event.
Up next was the 14 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Nathan Ballard and John Watson leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Watson would edge out Ballard at the line to grab the lead on lap 1, with Mike Hughes close behind in third. While Watson and Ballard worked the top of the track, Hughes would use the bottom of the track to grab the lead on lap 4. The first caution of the race appeared on lap 6 to slow the battle up front. David Saffell spun in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hughes moved back out front, with Ballard and Watson close behind. Ballard tried to work under Hughes over the next 4 laps, when the second and final caution of the race appeared. This time Sierra Wilsey would loose a right rear tire in turn 1 to bring out the caution. Once again Hughes grabbed the lead on the restart, with Ballard and Watson close behind. Ballard again tried to work under Hughes over the final 4 laps. But Hughes was able to hold him off to pick up the win. Ballard settled for 2nd, Watson was 3rd, Nick Ulin came from 12th to finish in 4th, Dustin Griffiths was was 5th, with Jacob Keiser holding on for the final transfer spot into Saturday nights feature event.
Tony Olson and Jeff Roberts drew the front row for the 16 lap SportMod feature, with Olson grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Jared VanDeest and Brandon Dale. The action was slowed for the first time on lap 2, when John Oliver Jr. spun down the backstretch to bring out the caution. On the restart Olson jumped back out front, with Jim Gillenwater, who started 11th, and VanDeest close behind. Two laps later, lap 4, Jared Waterman would spin in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Olson once again moved out front on the restart, with Gillenwater and Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 12th, following behind. While Olson and Gillenwater worked the bottom of the track, Van Der Wal went to the top. Van Der Wal would use the momentum off the top of turn 4 to grab the lead away from Olson on lap 6.Van Der Wal then started to put some distance on the battle behind him, when the third caution of the race brought the field back to his back bumper. This time Eric Flander, who was driving Greg Strohman's #53 machine, slowed to a stop in turn 11 after coming from 21st to 11th to bring out the yellow. On the restart Van Der Wal jumped back out front, with Olson and Gillenwater glued to his back bumper. One lap later, lap 12, Waterman spun in turn 3 to bring out his second solo caution to end his night. Van Der Wal again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Gillenwater over taking Olson for the runner up spot. Gillenwater stayed close to Van Der Wal over the final 4 laps, but wasn't able to mount a charge for the lead. As Van Der Wal held on to claim the win. Gillenwater settled for 2nd. But was disqualified in tech with a illegal transmission. Which would move Olson up to 2nd, VanDeest was moved to 3rd, Brayton Carter was moved up to 4th, with Brandon Lennox edging out Jake McBirnie out at the line to finish 5th, with McBirnie getting the final transfer into Saturday nights feature.
Up next was the 20 lap Stock Car feature, with Cayden Carter and Abe Huls leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But it was fourth place starter David Brandies who went three wide to grab the lead on lap 1 over Carter and John Oliver Jr. Just after the completion of lap 1, Dan Gordon spun in turn 4 to bring out the first caution of the race. On the restart Brandies jumped back out front, with Carter and Mike Hughes, who started 7th, close behind. Hughes, who was working the bottom of the track, would slip under Brandies to take the top spot away on lap 4. After the completion of lap 4 the second caution of the race appeared, as Trever Harris spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hughes moved back out front, with Carter and Brandies close behind. Disaster would strike Brandies on lap 7, when he spun in turn 4 while running 4th to bring out the caution. On the restart Carter would slip under Hughes going into turn three to grab the top spot away, leaving Hughes to battle Jeff Mueller, who started 9th, for the runner up spot. Just as Carter started to pull away from the battle behind him, the fourth and final caution of the race appeared on lap 15. This time Derek Kirkland lost a left front tire, after staring in 14th and running 9th, to bring out the yellow. Carter would jump back out front on the restart, with Hughes and Mueller going back to their battle for second. Mueller was able to take the runner up spot from Hughes on lap 18, but ran out of time to challenge Carter for the lead. As Carter held on to pick up the win. Mueller settled for 2nd, Hughes was 3rd, Andy Altenburg, who made the pull down from Truman, Minnesota, came from 10th to finish in 4th, Todd Reitzler started 11th and finished 5th, with Huls edging out the final transfer spot into Saturday nights feature event at the line.
The final feature to take to the track was the 20 lap Modifieds, with Hunter Marriott and Bill Roberts Jr. leading the field to the green. Marriott would take advantage of his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Kyle Brown and Roberts Jr. While Marriott set the pace out front, Cayden Carter, who started 6th, and Kurt Kile, who started 8th, were using the top of the track to work their way towards the front. The action was slowed for the first and only time on lap 10, when Michael Long, who was running 5th, slowed with a broken right rear suspension to bring out the caution. On the restart Marriott moved back out front, with Kile and Carter close behind. Carter was able to grab the runner up spot away from Kile on lap 13 and then went to work on Marriott for the top spot. On lap 16, Carter was able to slid up in front of Marriott to grab the lead going into turn 1. But Marriott would use a cross over move to keep the top spot coming off turn 2. Carter did the same move going into turn 3 and was able to hold Marriott off coming off turn 4 to take over the top spot on lap 17. Carter then pulled away over the final 3 laps to claim his second win of the night. Marriott was 2nd, Kile was 3rd, Bruce Hanford started 14th and charged to a 4th place finish, Ronn Lauritzen came from 9th to finish in 5th, with Jimmy Gustin charging from 16th to grab the final transfer spot into Saturday nights feature.
Notes from Memphis: 34 Modifieds, 33 Stock Cars, 33 SportMods, 16 Sport Compacts, and 13 Hobby Stocks signed in for night 1 of the "Fall Nationals"......Ryan Havel started the Sport Compact feature in 9th and finished 7th....Devin Still started 13th and finished 9th....Chuck Fullenkamp, who was suppose to start the feature in 8th, was a scratch....Michael Grossman, who was driving Darin Weisinger's number 11 was also a scratch from the feature......Dale Porter finished 8th in the Hobby Stock feature after starting in 12th......John Oliver Jr. recovered from his spin on lap 2 of the SportMod feature to come back up to finish 8th....Michael Guthrie finished 14th after starting in 18th....Tyler Heckart driving the #03 usually driven by Mike Mundell started 24th and finished 17th......Tyler Pickett came from 15th to finish in 9th in the Stock Car feature....Derrick Agee started 12th and finished 10th....Jason Cook started 19th and finished 11th....Brandies recovered from his spin on lap 7 to come back up to finish 12th....Corey Strothman started 17th and finished 14th....Bob Lynch came from 24th to finish 16th....Lonnie Hodges started 23rd and finished 19th....Les Blakley was scheduled to started the feature in 18th. But engine troubles just after the checkered flag in the heat race forced him to scratch from the event......Richie Gustin started the Modified feature in 10th and finished in 7th....Jeff Waterman, who won the B Main, started 21st and passed 13 cars to come home in 8th....Tyler Groenendyk came from 15th to finish in 9th....Andrew Schroeder started 23rd and passed 11 cars to come home in 12th....Carter VanDenBerg came from 19th to finish in 13th....Milo Veloz Jr. came from 22nd to finish in 14th....Dennis Betzer started 24th and finished 18th.
Coming up tonight, Saturday, October 17th, will be the final night of the "Fall Nationals" at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, MO. The Modifieds will be racing for a top prize of $2,000, while the Stock Cars and SportMods are gunning for $1,500 to win. The Hobby Stocks are racing for $1,000 to win and the Sport Compacts are going for a top prize of $750. Hot laps get under way at 6 PM, so come on out and enjoy another hot night of racing!
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