Memphis, MO (Friday, June 15, 2018) - It's been twelve years since the Sprint Invaders last visited the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri. But that drought would come to an end, as the series returned to the widest track in the Midwest on Friday night. All of it couldn't be possible without the support of Pepsi Memphis Bottling Co, Casey's General Store, B&B Propane, Lakeside Towing, KMEM, Walker Motors Collision Repair, Gas & More, NEMO Trader, and Hawkeye Trader. The nice crowd on hand got to witness one driver score his first career Sprint Invaders feature win, and four other driver's claiming their first wins of the season at the track.
The 12 lap Sport Compact feature was first to take to the track, with Josh Barnes and Kevin Garrett drawing the front row for the event. Barnes would use his starting spot to his advantage, as he grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Brandon Housley and Barry Taft, who started 8th. The lead for Barnes only lasted for 1 lap, as Housley would slip past to take over the top spot on lap 2. But Barnes wouldn't give up, as he looked under Housley over the next 2 laps. Housley would hold him off each lap, that was until coming off turn 2 to complete lap 5. Barnes was able to work under Housley, as the two raced down the backstretch side-by-side. Barnes emerged off turn 4 with the top spot. Over the next 5 laps Housley tried to work back under Barnes, before the action was slowed for the first and only time on lap 10. Seth Scholl, who made the long pull down from La Crosse, Wisconsin, came to a stop in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Barnes jumped back out front, with Housley and Taft glued to his back bumper. Housley would try to work under Barnes coming of turn 4 on the last lap for the win. But Barnes was able to hold him off to claim his first win of the season at the track. Housley settled for 2nd, Taft was 3rd, Brandon Reu started 6th and finished 4th, with Kimberly Abbott rounding out the top 5.
Up next was the 10 lap Hobby Stock feature, and despite only four of the five starters taking the green flag the race turned out to be a good one. Derek Kirkland and Aaron Martin made up the front row, with Martin edging out Kirkland at the line to lead lap 1. Kirkland would look under Martin coming off the corners, even getting up beside him on lap 3 and 5. But Martin held the lead at the line each lap. Then coming off turn 4 for the last time Kirkland once again got up beside Martin. But Martin would use the momentum off the top of turn 4 to edge out Kirkland at the line for his first win of the season at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway. Kirkland settled for 2nd, Rick Van Dusseldorp was 3rd, with Catlin Auberlin rounding out the starting field.
Evan Martin and Kyle Bellm led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 25 lap Sprint Invaders feature, with Martin using his starting spot to move out front on lap 1 over Bellm and his father Randy Martin. The fast pace Evan Martin was setting out front put him into lapped traffic on lap 8. Despite the lapped traffic keeping Evan Martin from putting some distance between himself and the battle behind him for second. It looked like he would go unchallenged for an easy win. But the one and only caution of the race appeared on lap 17, which would allow the rest of the field to restart on Even's back bumper. Randy Martin and Cody Wehrle, who were battling for the fourth spot, got together off turn 2 and spun to bring out the yellow. Both cars suffered too much damage to continue. On the restart Bellm went low going into turn 1 and then slid up in front of Evan Martin coming off turn 2 to hold the lead briefly. But Evan would turn back down under him coming off turn 2 to keep the lead at the strip. One lap later, lap 19, Jon Agan, who started 5th, slid past Bellm to take over the runner up spot. Agan then made a few challenges on Evan Martin over the final laps. But Evan was able to hold him off to score his first career Sprint Invaders win. Agan was 2nd, Bellm was 3rd, Brayden Gaylord started 9th and finished 4th, with John Schulz coming home in 5th.
Twenty-four SportMods took to the track next for there 20 lap feature, with Adam Birck and Trent Brink drawing the front row. Birck took advantage of his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Jeffrey DeLonjay and Daniel Fellows. The two and three wide action was slowed for the first time on lap 4, as Austin Becerra, who started 8th and was running 4th, spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Birck moved back out front, with Fellows over taking DeLonjay for second. Fellows then tried to work under and even tried the top of the track to get by Birck over the next 2 laps, when the second caution of the race slowed the action on lap 7. This time Brandon Dale, who started 10th and was running 4th, spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Birck once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Fellows working to hold back Brandon Lennox, who started 12th, in the battle for second. One lap later, lap 9, DeLonjay's run up front came to an end, as he spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Jace Gay spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Birck jump back out front, with Lennox over taking Fellows for second. Lennox, who was working the top of the track, used the momentum off the top of the track coming off turn 4 to grab the top spot away from Birck on lap 11. Birck, who was working the bottom of the track, wouldn't go away, as he tried to work under Lennox over the final laps. But Lennox was able to hold him off to score his first win of the season at the track. Birck was 2nd, Fellows was 3rd, Charlie Weber finished 4th after starting in 11th, with Jim Gillenwater driving Fellows back up car to a 5th place finish.
The 15 lap Stock Car feature was the final event to take to the track, with Derrick Agee and Tom Bowling Jr. on the front row. Just as the green flag waved the caution light would come on, as Eric Glass spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the original restart Agee grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Bowling Jr. and John Oliver Jr., who started 6th. After the completion of lap 1 Beau Taylor and Steve Mast collided in turn 1 to bring out the caution. Agee jumped back out front on the restart, with Oliver Jr. over taking Bowling Jr. for second. After another lap was scored complete, the final caution of the race appeared. Glass would spin in turn 2 to bring out his second caution to end his night. On the restart Agee jumped back out front, with Oliver Jr., Abe Huls and Bowling Jr. glued to his back bumper. Oliver Jr., who was working the top of the track, used the momentum to grab the top spot on lap 6. But Agee, who was working the bottom of the track, came back to take the lead back on lap 7. Huls would make it three wide for the lead, as he worked under both Agee and Oliver Jr. to grab the top spot on lap 8. Over the final 7 laps Oliver Jr. would work the top to try and get the lead away from Huls. But Huls was able to hold him off on the final lap to pick up his first win of the season at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway.
Notes from SCS: Seth Scholl and Justin Anderson both made the long pull down from La Crosse, Wisconsin to compete in the Sport Compact class. Unfortunately both suffered a flat tire in the feature......Hank Billings had mechanical troubles in the heat race that forced him to scratch from the Hobby Stock feature......Brady Barker made the pull over New Berlin, Illinois to compete with the Sprint Invaders. He would start the feature in 10th and finished 7th....John Greenwood finished 8th after starting in 11th....Jarrod Schneiderman got upside down off turn 3 in the heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature....Harold Pohren suffered motor troubles in his heat that forced him to scratch from the feature......Austin Howes started the SportMod feature in 13th and then passed 7 cars to come home in 6th....Austen Becerra recovered from his spin on lap 4 to come back up to finish 7th....Brandon Dale also recovered from his spin on lap 7 to come back up to finish in 8th....Kiel Morton passed 10 cars from his 19th place starting spot to come home in 9th....Rick Barlow Jr., who started 15th, recovered from a flat tire on lap 9 to come back up to finish in 12th....Jace Gay finished 13th after spinning on the lap 9 restart....Jeff Frana started 17th and finished 14th.
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