Monday, October 3, 2016

Carter and Taft Sweep Bottom Heavy Nationals

Memphis, MO (Saturday, October 1, 2016) - Saturday night wrapped up the second and final night of the "Bottom Heavy Nationals" at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri. Back in action was the Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts, with the Lee County Late Models joining the card for the night.

The 14 lap Sport Compacts was the first feature to take to the track. When Josh Barnes scratched from the event, this would move Barry Taft to the pole next to Darin Smith for the start. Taft would take advantage of being moved to the pole by grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Smith and Brandon Reu, who started 5th. One lap later, lap 2, Reu over took Smith for the runner up spot and then went to work on Taft for the top spot. Reu tried to work under Taft over the next 10 laps, but Taft was able to hold him off each lap. Then coming off turn 4 to get the white flag, Reu was able to get a fender under Taft. But the first and only caution of the race slowed Reu's momentum on that lap. Jaden DeLonjay would spin in turn 1 to bring out the yellow and set up a 2 lap over time shoot out. On the restart Taft moved back out front, with Reu and Ron Kibbe, who started 7th over taking Smith for third, close behind. Taft would hold on over the final laps to pick up his second win of the weekend at the track. Reu was 2nd, Kibbe was 3rd, Smith was 4th, with Jake Benischek rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 20 lap Stock Car feature, with John Oliver Jr. and Jason Cook leading the field to the green flag. But just as the green flag waved the caution light would come on, as Jake Wenig spun in turn 2 and collected Dallon Murty, Jeremy Pundt, Abe Huls, and Kevin Koontz to bring out the yellow. On the restart Oliver Jr. jumped out front on lap 1 over Mike Hughes and Cook. Cook over took Hughes for second on lap 2 and then tried to work under Oliver Jr. for the lead over the next 4 laps. When David Brandies, who was running 7th, spun in turn 1 to bring out the caution. Oliver Jr. once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Hughes and Cook continuing their battle for second. While Oliver Jr., Hughes and Cook worked the bottom of the track, Cayden Carter, who started 7th, was working the top to make it a four car battle for the lead. Disaster would strike two of the top runners on lap 17. Hughes was able to get under Oliver Jr. coming off turn 2 to take the lead away, with Oliver Jr. trying to get back under him going into turn 3. Coming off turn 4 contact between the two would send Hughes spinning and bringing out the yellow.

Cook inherited the lead on the restart, with Carter and Jeff Mueller, who started 6th, following close behind. Coming off turn 4 to the white flag Carter, who was up top, pulled even with Cook for the lead. The two would race side-by-side, with Mueller looking for a way around. Then coming off turn 4 to get the checkered, Cook slid high and made contact with Carter. Which allowed Mueller to get up beside Cook, as the two drag raced down the front stretch for the win. Cook was able to inch out the win at the line. Mueller settled for 2nd, Carter was 3rd, Todd Reitzler started 11th and finished 4th, with Nathan Wood coming from 12th to round out the top 5.

Jeff Guengerich and Tommy Elston starting the Lee County Late Model 25 lap feature from the front row, with Elston jumping out front on lap 1 over Guengerich and Sam Halstead. The action was slowed for the first and only time on lap 2, when Brandon Ruffcorn spun in turn 2 and collected Tegan Evans to bring out the yellow. On the restart Elston moved back out front, with Halstead over taking Guengerich for the runner up spot. Elston quickly moved in to start lapping cars, which also cost him the race. When Ruffcorn slowed in turn 4 on lap 10, Elston would run into the back of him. But with no damage done, Elston would pull away to cruise to an easy win. Halstead was 2nd, Guengerich was 3rd, Derek Liles was 4th, with John VanDenBerg coming from 7th to finish 5th.

The 25 lap Modified feature was next, with Andrew Schroeder moving to the pole next to Cayden Carter when Steve Stewart was a scratch. Carter took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Schroeder and Bill Roberts Jr. The Modifieds had troubles getting going, as three cautions in the first 5 laps slowed the action. Kelly Buckallew spun in turn 1 on lap 3 to bring out the first caution. Then Larry McConnell went for a spin in turn 2 on lap 4 to bring out the second yellow. The final caution of the race appeared on lap 5, when Scott Simotavich spun in turn 3. On the restart Carter moved back out front, with Schroeder and Roberts Jr. following. While Schroeder tried to keep pace with Carter, the battle was for third. As Roberts Jr., Kyle Brown, Bruce Hanford, who started 8th, Jeff Waterman, and Kurt Kile, who started 13th, raced two wide at times for the spot. Without a late race caution there was no catching Carter, who claimed his second win of the weekend. Schroeder was 2nd, Kile won the battle for 3rd, Brown was 4th, with Hanford coming home in 5th.

Damon Murty, who was driving Bill Bonnett's #19, and Nathan Wood led the field to the green flag in the 14 lap Hobby Stock feature. But it was third place starter Nick Ulin who grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Murty and Dustin Griffiths. Ulin then held the top spot until lap 3, when Murty used the momentum off the top of the track to take the top spot away. Murty then held off several challenges from Ulin over the final laps to pick up the win. Ulin was 2nd, Griffiths was 3rd, Wood was 4th, with Mike Kincaid finishing in 5th.

The final feature to take to the track was the 18 lap SportMods, with Kyle Hill and Jim Gillenwater making up the front row for the event. Gillenwater would jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Logan Anderson and Curtis Van Der Wal. Just like the Modifieds, the SportMods had troubles getting going, as four cautions in the first 4 laps slowed the action. Hill, who was running 4th, spun in turn 2 on the completion of lap 1 to bring out the first yellow. Then John Oliver Jr. went for a spin in turn 2 on lap 2 to bring out the second caution. Cory Van Zante, who was running 6th, would spin in turn 2 on lap 3 to bring out the third yellow. The fourth and final caution of the race appeared on lap 4, when third place runner Van Der Wal appeared to break something on the front and went over the track in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Gillenwater jumped back out front, with Brayton Carter and Anderson close behind. Anderson would over take Carter for the runner up spot on lap 6, and then went to work on Gillenwater for the lead. But Gillenwater would hold him off to claim the win. Anderson settled for another 2nd, Sean Wyett started 9th and finished 3rd, Tim Plummer had another impressive run after starting in 14th and finishing 4th, with Carter VanDenBerg passing 10 cars from his 15th place starting spot to come home in 5th.

Notes from Night 2: 31 SportMods, 23 Modifieds, 23 Stock Cars, 14 Lee County Late Models, 14 Sport Compacts, and 10 Hobby Stocks made up the 115 cars signed in on the final night of the "Bottom Heavy Nationals"......Trent Orwig started the Sport Compact feature in 10th and then passed 4 cars to finish 6th....Kenny Smith also passed 4 cars from his 12th place starting spot to finish in 8th....Josh Barnes lost a motor just after the checkered flag of his heat race and was forced to scratch from the pole of the feature......David Brandies, who spun on lap 6 of the Stock Car feature while running 7th, recovered to come back up to finish 6th....Mike Hughes recovered from the lap 17 spin to come back up to finish 8th in just 3 laps....Jim Lynch, who drove Brian Hoener's #66, finished 9th after starting in 18th....John Oliver Jr. recovered from the lap 17 caution to come back up to finish 11th....Jeremy Pundt recovered from the crash on the start to come back up to finish 13th....Abe Huls also recovered from the crash on the start to come back up to finish 15th....Bob Lynch finished 17th after starting in 21st....Carl Yaw started 23rd and finished 18th....Dalton Lynch had troubles in the heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature......Laine VanZandt started the Lee County Late Model feature in 9th and finished 7th...Charles VanZandt finished 8th after starting in 11th....Lynn Richard recently purchased another Late Model, and jumped back in the driver's seat. He would finish 11th in the feature after starting in 12th......Jardin Fuller finished the Modified feature in 9th after stating in 14th....Gatlin Leytham started 15th and finished 10th....Martin Bennett came home in 12th after starting in 16th....Dugan Thye passed 7 cars from his 20th place starting spot to come home in 13th....John Fellman was 15th after starting in 18th....Larry McConnell, who started 19th, recovered from his spin on lap 4 to come back up to finish 16th....Steve Stewart scratched from his pole position after troubles in his heat race......Kenser Ellis made the long pull down from Spencer, Iowa to make his first ever start in the Hobby Stocks. He started the feature in 9th and stayed out of troubles to bring home a 7th place finish......Brandon Lennox started the SportMod feature in 12th and then passed 6 cars to finish in 6th....Tony Olson also passed 6 cars from his 13th place starting spot to come home in 7th....Tony Dunker came from 17th to finish in 9th....John Oliver Jr. recovered from his spin on lap 2 to come back up to finish 10th....Cory Van Zante recovered from his spin on lap 3 to come back up to finish 11th....Ethan Braaksma passed 9 cars from his 21st starting spot to come home in 12th....Sam Wieben started 20th and finished 13th....Kyle Hill recovered from his spin on lap 1 to come back up to finish 14th....Michael Goodwin started 19th and finished 15th....Michael Guthrie finished 16th after starting in 22nd....Jason Riegel started 24th and finished 18th.

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