Jacobs still has Midas touch at ATP Racepark

Local racing news

Here are the weekend's racing results from tracks around the area.

ATP RACEPARK

BENTON -- Dean Jacobs seems to have acquired the Midas touch when running with the NCRA Outlaw Wing Sprint Series. The Wooster, Ohio native raced to his third straight NCRA victory at the Auto Tire and Parts NAPA RacePark on Saturday.

It was the first ever appearance at Auto Tire and Parts NAPA RacePark for the NCRA and Jacobs picked up his seventh NCRA career victory and captured the series point lead from defending champion Brooke Tatnell. Jacobs started sixth after winning his third heat over a field of 32 cars.

Sixth starting Kelly Kinser followed Jacobs out front to finish second. Pole sitter Jim Moughan fell back to third, Jan Howard finished fourth and Jerrod Hull worked his way to fifth.

Defending champion Tatnell won his opening heat and started second row inside, but ended up with a 12th place finish. The best runs of the night came from Timmy Montgomery and Aaron Berryhill. Montgomery the B main winner then worked his way up from 17th position to finish sixth in the main event. Berryhill was only ninth in the B main but drove from 21st position in the A main to finish seventh. A huge crowd turned out to watch the NCRA Outlaw Sprints Saturday night at Auto Tire and Parts NAPA RacePark and several fans complimented the facility management for a job well done, including NCRA Race Coordinator Tom Knight who was very impressed with the facility.

"This is a very nice and clean racing facility and we have really enjoyed our visit and hope to be invited back", Knight said.

Overall, Promoter Jerry Wolsey was very pleased with the fan turn out and happy with the professional performance that the NCRA Outlaw Wing Sprint Series brought to his RacePark. In other racing action Saturday evening at ATPR 2002 Defending Street Stock Champion Jeff Beeson captured the Feature event in the Street Stock class. In the Cruiser class the team of Hancock/Guardian won the Cruiser main event.

Racing action will resume on June 7 at Auto Tire and Parts NAPA RacePark with the Outlaw Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds, Pure Street Stock, and Cruisers.

SEMO RACEWAY

BLODGETT -- The Semo Raceway, near Blodgett, hosted Kart racing Saturday night with 73 drivers competing for the various purses. Dusty Baggett of Paducah took the victory lap in the Heavy class with Derek Hogue of Dongola, Ill., finishing in second.

Jason Randolph of Kentucky took the Victory in the Medium class with Abe Martin from Vienna finishing in second. The Light class was won by Billy Vandergriff from Ledbetter, Ky., with Sean O'Brien of Paducah finishing a very close second place.

Billy Vandergriff would take the checkered flag in the Over 35 holding James Sullivan of Paducah to a second place finish. Super Heavy had Cody Elliott , all the way from Mansfield, Mo., taking the checkered flag victory, holding the kart of Jeff Patterson from Paducah to the second spot.

The Star Champs, running a 10 H.P Star motor, made their first appearance at Semo Saturday night with Cary Lowens of Calvert City taking the Victory Lap holding Cary King of Benton, Ky., to a second place finish.

The Jr Stock class was won by Eric Harris of Murphysboro with Derrick Rucker of Paducah taking 2nd spot. Jr Champ Class had Matthew Williamson taking the Victory lap holding the kart of Justin Stearnes to a 2nd place finish. Jr. Sportsman Champ class had Colby Burge taking his familiar place in Victory lane with cousin, Taylor Burge of Puxico taking second place.

The Rookie Class, one of the largest classes represented Saturday night at Semo, had Devin Fraser of Symsonia, Ky., taking his first victory lap at Semo holding the kart of Zachary Ashcraft of Murray to a second place finish.

The "ever growing" Yard Kart Class had Destiny Scott of Jackson taking her Victory lap while holding the kart of Elijah King of Risco to a second place finish. The next race at SEMO is June 7, with gates opening at 2 p.m.

MALDEN SPEEDWAY

MALDEN -- Good weather and 110 cars returned to the Malden Speedway Friday night, highlighted by the first appearance of the Winged Sprint Cars. Joey Montgomery of Fredericktown took the top honors in the 19-car field.

The Sprint feature began with the top four cars of Lowe Cannell, Jerrod Hull, Joey Montgomery, and Daron Clayton jumping out to a good start. After jockeying for position, the lead group reached lapped traffic by lap 6 with Jerrod Hull leading the way. Hull built on his lead early in traffic, but was soon run down by Joey Montgomery and Clayton. In an exciting pass on the front straight on lap 16, Clayton came around the outside and Montgomery came low simultaneously, and Hull quickly found himself in third. As they raced into turn four, Hull and Clayton came together, with Clayton suffering a flat. He left for repairs and came back through the pack to finish 6th. Hull and Montgomery locked into a duel for the next six laps before Hull got loose in turn four and fell back to fourth.

Tim Montgomery and Tommy Worley were quick to move up, but never challenged Joey Montgomery for the lead. Heat winners were Cannell, Hull, and Joey Montgomery.

In an excellent Modified Feature, Greg King and Bart Richardson locked into a 20 lap duel. King was back racing after sitting out with an injury the past 3 weeks, and he made it a triumphant return. Richardson grabbed the lead from the opening flag and held it until the final 20 feet of the race, when King, who had challenged seriously since lap 15 won the drag race out of turn four to take the lead and the checkered flag by inches. The race for third was just as tough as Jared Wagster outlasted Robert Powers and Jason Sullivan in a battle that saw plenty of 2-wide action.

Heat winners were Richardson, King, and Larry Hull.

Tony Anglin made it three in a row in the Hobby Stock Class. Anglin lead from start to finish this week, although the race was no walk over. Jared Wagster returned to pilot the 007 car and hounded Anglin from the sixth lap on.

Wagster moved through the pack and had moved to second by lap 6. A caution a lap later put him on Anglin's rear bumper. Anglin met the challenge, as Wagster looked both high and low for an opportunity to pass to no avail. Jamie Robards drove to a solid third place finish. Jason Pennington and Dicky Jackson rounded out the top five.

Heat winners were Anglin and Tim Winchester.

Chuck Tilley took over the lead on the second lap and held on through a caution filled final 10 laps to become the fifth winner in five weeks of racing in the Pure Street Division. The final four laps were caution free and quite a race developed between Tilley and Jared Wagster. Wagster looked low coming out of turns 2 and 4 on laps 8 and 9.

Wagster got a good run on lap 10 and ran side by side under the white flag a lap later. Tilley had the power to hold on and take the checkered flag. Wagster settled for second. Greg Casey, Danny Hampton, and Larry Ludwick rounded out the top five.

Heat winners were Johnny Houart, Tilley, Casey, and Steve Henley. Jeff Beeson won the B-Feature. Scott Austin and Brian Williams piloted the BS19 Cruiser to victory lane to break the four week winning streak of McChristian and Magouirk's 23S. Dunlap and Faulk used a late pass to take second.

Heat winners were Dunlap/Wright and Austin/Williams.

FREDERICKTOWN RACEWAY

FREDERICKTOWN -- Mike Hammerle proved once again he's the man to beat at the Fredericktown Raceway in the UMP Late Model class Friday night as he sailed to an impressive feature win. Kenny Rumble finished in second place with Paul Belkin Jr. taking third, Mike Abney fourth and Rodney Pense fifth. They were followed by Ronnie Jarrells, Brian Stephens, Gary Phillips, Ron McQuerry and Bryan Parsons.

Belkin won the first heat race with Jarrells second and Brad Long third. Hammerle won the second heat with Pense second and Abney third. Belkin won the dash with Hammerle second and Pense third. In the RAMS Mini Stocks class, Rick Ruch of Perryville was a triple crown winner (winning his heat, the dash and the feature). In the feature Ruch picked up the win with Dave Wofford taking second, Wes Kintz third, Kevin Buckley fourth and Jason Brewington fifth.

They were followed by Bill Nickelson, Phil Hannah, Jon Paul Reando, Brian Cox and Jeff Gibson. Ruch won the first heat race with Kintz second and Jathon Cruse third. Nickelson won the second heat with Brewington second and Rusty Voyles third. Ruch won the dash with Nickelson second and Cruse third.

In the Modified class, Billy Ames picked up his first feature win of the season at Fredericktown while Chris Boyd (on his 30th birthday) finished second, Tommy Worley Sr. third, Scott Carron fourth and Butch Lyons fifth. They were followed by Adam Parmley, Gary Johnson, Nick Werner, Doug Brewster and Bruce Cortez.

Johnson won the first heat race with Carron second and Jeff Canterberry third.

Ames won the second heat with Worley second and Kevin Gegg third. Pete Koenig won the third heat with Boyd second and R.C. Hovis third.