Cody Morris
I44 Riverside Speedway Public Relations
I44 Riverside Speedway / Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Saturday, August 17th / Event 12 of 19 / Point Race 8 of 13
Easily the most uniquely cool August night greeted several hundred race fans to the third weekend of hearty racing action at I44 Riverside confines since the reopening following a massive restoration effort due to the May 20 tornado.
An extremely critical event in the race to the 2013 season championship, three racers earned their second victories of the season, two in streak fashion, while stock competition welcomed a couple of first time winners.
A CLASS
Anadarko rookie Sierra Davis paced the pole of the 25 lap main event with nearby Moore native Michael Millwee alongside.
Destructive chaos ensued on the opening start as a slight delay from the first few cars resulted in a bunched up field on the front straightaway as the field passed the green flag heading into turn one.
David Millwee and Bryan Nebgen had nowhere to go, colliding with each other as well as the wall, sending both into a wild series of flips as the field dodged the fracas.
Bethany native Greg Moore was tagged by the flipping pair, sending his 7g up and over with Caleb Thompson clipping Moore and four cars airborne for a few brief moments. All four driver’s were ok, but all were forced to early exits, with damage to Moore’s mount appearing most severe.
The next start fared much better, with Derrick McBride launching into the early lead on a very heavy, fast surface. Fletcher’s Tyler Gordon challenged McBride at the onset, but minimal contact created enough bobble that McBride was able to distance himself from the Gordon.
McBride led by a half straightaway at the halfway point and reached lapped traffic a short time later. The tail of the field slowed up McBride’s pace just enough to allow A Class point leader Blake Dacus to close within a few car lengths.
The pair waged high speed war with Dacus battling into the lead as the flagman showed five laps remaining.
Dacus blazed a trail the final five laps to earn his first A Class feature win of the season aboard the Dacus Heating & Air and Baker’s Body Works sponsored no. 29 with assembled support to Dirty Margerites Taco’s - the best kind.
Leading 80% of the feature, McBride chased Dacus to the stripe earning his first top five finish in A Class action while Windthorst, Texas’ Sterling Hoff fought his way from 17th to claim third at the finish line and remain just 100 points behind Dacus in the A Class championship hunt.
Anadarko’s Ryan Padgett advanced from 15th at the start of the race and took fourth by just inches over Cody Carter, the latter adding a top five finish to a Non Wing score about an hour earlier.
Sierra Davis, Sterling Hoff, and Blake Dacus earned heat race wins over the 23 car field.
“A CLASS” A Feature (25 laps): 1. 29 Blake Dacus (18); 2. 98 Derrick McBride (10); 3. 39 Sterling Hoff (17); 4. 898 Ryan Padgett (15); 5. 007 Cody Carter (20); 6. P40 Aaron Dromgoole (5); 7. 71 Roy Maxwell (22); 8. 7D Sierra Davis (1); 9. 28v Junior Vickman (9); 10. 22 Teri Burk (11); 11. 93 Greg Emetario Jr. (21); 12. 97 Weston Walker (23); 13. 18 Michael Millwee (2); 14. 11k Michael Kearns (3); 15. 09 Tyler Gordon (16); 16. 95 Michael Hall (7); 17. 4T Caleb Thompson (6); 18. 7g Greg Moore (14); 19. 60 Bryan Nebgen (8); 20. 27 David Millwee (4); DNS: 67 Joe Martin, 83 Jim Woods, 13 Bobby Springer
Lap Leaders: McBride 1-19, Dacus 20-25
Hard Charger: Blake Dacus +17
NON WING
The first feature out of the gate each week, but number two in each release, Lawton’s Brandon Boggs was slated to start pole, but elected to tag the tail of the field following the loss of a cylinder.
Tuttle’s Cody Carter moved up to the pole of the 20 lap Non Wing main event with Rick Oller alongside.
Carter seized the opportunity and grew a sizeable lead on the ultra fast surface while former USAC West champ Tommy White blasted up to third from his fourth row starting spot.
A lap 7 stoppage did little to curb Carter’s momentum as the 28 year old once again developed a straightaway’s advantage. White moved underneath Oller a circuit past the halfway point, but the pair became hooked exiting turn two which made for a disaster in turn three as the contact sent White straight up the track in turn three with both White and Oller flipping moments later, Rick Kirkes was the unlucky pilot with nowhere to go - hitting White hard as he came back down the track.
With three of the top five now sidelined, Carter led Derrick McBride, Jim Woods, and a Sterling Hoff looking to gain some ground on Greg Moore in the Non Wing title push.
McBride threatened several times, but Carter held the point through a slowdown on the 15th round. Accidents in the top five weren’t over yet as defending Non Wing champ Jim Woods lost brakes and could not avoid getting too fast and too far under Hoff before tumbling to an early end.
A three lap shootout was in order for eager fans, but Carter turned in a fine defense of the top spot to snare his first Non Wing feature score of the season aboard the Wildcat Trucking and Divot Studios sponsored no. 007 with special thanks to Jimmy Smith and a nod to Paul Albers Performance Plus after picking his power plant up just hours before locking it in and scoring the win.
McBride held on to the runner up spot before earning another in A Class action.
In a huge reversal of fortune, Sterling Hoff was headed to finish a few spots ahead of Non Wing point leader Greg Moore. But the lap 17 misfortune with Woods forced Hoff to an early exit - while Moore moved up to finish third and extend his lead in the Non Wing title chase.
Hometown favorite Shelby Burk moved two spots to claim fourth - her first top five finish of the campaign and fifth top ten run. Burk entered the event 4th in points and exits within close distance of both Hoff and McBride as the trio battle for first challenger status to Moore.
Former Non Wing track champ Greg Emetario turned in the Hard Charger performance in his first outing of the season, moving from 15th to complete the top five finishing order.
Roy Maxwell, Junior Vickman, and Cody Carter each claimed heat wins over the 20 car Non Wing field.
“NON WING” A Feature (20 laps): 1. 007 Cody Carter (1); 2. 98 Derrick McBride (8); 3. 7g Greg Moore (11); 4. 50 Shelby Burk (6); 5. 93 Greg Emetario (15); 6. 28v Junior Vickman (9); 7. 7x Jordan McPherson (13); 8. 2B Brandon Boggs (18); 9. 58 Phillip Fessler (3); 10. 39 Sterling Hoff (12); 11. 83 Jim Woods (10); 12. 71 Roy Maxwell (16); 13. 2 Jimmy Smith (5); 14. 11R Rick Oller (2); 15. 25w Tommy White (7); 16. 72k Rick Kirkes (4); 17. 43 J.J. Jefferson (17); 18. 51x George White (14); DNS: 10 Matt Pagel, 13 Bobby Springer
Lap Leaders: Carter 1-20
Hard Charger: Greg Emetario, Brandon Boggs +10
TURF TIRE
A bid among competitors to the August 10th turnout of only 5 Turf Tire entries was a big success, as 12 entries checked in for I44 Riverside action, including three pilots making their first appearance in weekly action.
Banner’s Scott Patraw paced his 5m on the pole with Texas native Cleamon Sluder alongside for the 15 lap Turf Tire main event.
As the yellow flew for a stalled Ray Sluder on the opening start, somehow five of the dozen were forced to retire with mechanical woes along with one that didn’t show for the main event.
With half their ranks depleted, Cache, Oklahoma’s Josh Bigger took advantage to lead the first couple of laps, but August 10th winner Willie Vickman stole that spot on the third round.
Last week’s scenario played out once more with Vickman leading and Tony Penick quickly moving up to provide a lofty challenge. Just like the standoff one week prior, Penick was all over the leader but unable to complete the pass for the point.
Vickman held on for each of the final dozen laps, placing his Vickman owned and Vickman operated no. 75 in victory lane for the second consecutive week.
A two time Turf winner in his own right and minus a visor on his helmet for the final dozen laps; Penick was relegated to runner up status for the 2nd straight week, but only sacrificing ten points off a 135 point lead entering the contest.
Jammin Jimmy Smith took the Hard Charger effort in a bid from 11th to third, with Josh Bigger claiming fourth and Yukon’s Zach Van Zant moving up one spot to complete the top five finishing order.
Willie Vickman and Cleamon Sluder grabbed heat wins over the 12 car Turf Tire field.
“TURF TIRE” A Feature (15 laps): 1. 75 Willie Vickman (7); 2. 88 Tony Penick (9); 3. 2 Jimmy Smith (11); 4. 21 Josh Bigger (5); 5. 14v Zach Van Zant (6); 6. 6 Randall Gilmore (8); 7. 29 Cleamon Sluder (2); 8. 15 Kasey Gilmore (10); 9. 5m Scott Patraw (1); 10. 4 Landon Bruce (12); 11. 88s Ray Sluder (4); DNS: 11 Johnathan Doyle
Lap Leaders: Josh Bigger 1-2, Willie Vickman 3-15
Hard Charger: Jimmy Smith +8
RESTRICTED
Hauling from Justin, Texas; Noah Key paced the pole of the 15 lap Restricted main event with Hunter Kirkes alongside.
Key was off to an early lead, but Fletcher’s Mason McGuire rocketed into the lap five lead with Tanner Conn and Logan Davis in tow.
Davis and Conn are in a dogfight in the 2013 Restricted points, with Davis a mere 5 points ahead entering the night. Mechanical woes forced Davis to the infield at the halfway point.
No cautions marred this 15 lapper as McGuire made short work for his second win of the season aboard the UltraSound Technologies, Supreme Lending, Sweet Pro Premium Feed, and Charlie’s Backhoe & Demolition sponsored #18.
Key held on to the runner up spot in his second visit to I44 Riverside weekly action. Defending Restricted champ (and two time Junior Sprint champ) Tanner Conn claimed the show position - turning a five point deficit into a 30 point advantage in a tight race to the Restricted title.
Kaylee Cole claimed fourth with Kyle Thompson earning a top five finish in his first I44 Riverside points race.
“RESTRICTED” A Feature (15 laps): 1. 18 Mason McGuire (4); 2. 14 Noah Key (1); 3. 78 Tanner Conn (6); 4. 72c Kaylee Cole (3); 5. 57T Kyle Thompson (8); 6. 17k Hunter Kirkes (2); 7. 14D Logan Davis (5); DNS: 28 Tracy Hill
Lap Leaders: Key 1-4, McGuire 5-15
JUNIOR SPRINTS
Jessie Kelley paced the pole of the 15 lap Junior Sprint main event with Macy Roulain alongside, but this night was all Team Green.
Coming off his first career victory just one week ago, Bridge Creek’s Chris Wells rocketed from the third row to an immediate lead.
With Team Green in rowdy support, Wells built a huge lead as defending Junior Sprint champ Nathan Rainey battled hard with Kelley for second.
The red flag flew on the sixth round as Dylan Pendergrass hooked hard into the turn two wall, severing the right front tire. Pendergrass was in good shape, but with a wounded mount.
Rainey moved into second on the ensuing restart, but Wells has clearly found a new gear, moving back out to a full straightaway lead and taking a commanding victory for the 2nd straight week aboard the HasWells Diversified Services with twice as much thanks to Bryan and Mary Wells, and the ever spawning and rowdy Team Green.
Wells’ second consecutive win was even bigger than Team Green knew, moving the 10 year old Bridge Creek gasser from 4th to second in Junior Sprint points, just 120 behind Rainey’s leading pace with five point shows remaining.
Rainey held his ground in a runner up effort, his 7th top five finish in 8 point outings. Brant Woods claimed the show position, his best effort of the 2013 campaign.
Kelley held on to finish fourth with Jacob Long moving up a couple of spots to nad his 6th top five finish of the season.
“JUNIOR SPRINT” A Feature (15 laps): 1. 72 Chris Wells (5); 2. 99 Nathan Rainey (8); 3. 16 Brant Woods (4); 4. 12s Jessie Kelley (1); 5. 007 Jacob Long (7); 6. 125 Macy Roulain (2); 7. 72c Kaylee Cole (3); 8. 22 Dylan Pendergrass (6)
Lap Leaders: Wells 1-15
Hard Charger: Nathan Rainey +6
I44 Riverside continues the 2013 campaign next Saturday, August 24th.
Ever since the grand reopening of the speedway at the 14th Annual Mini Sprint Nationals, we’ve had two action packed Saturday Night Specials before the largest crowds the speedway has hosted in many years.
We encourage all area racers to come out and showcase your talents, your efforts, and your sponsors before hundreds of avid spectators, many happily championing Lawn Chair Alley.
Far be it from planting a pole in the middle of a field and doing circles, trade in fear of actually going fast while racing for some courage and bravery in doing just that at the only track in central Oklahoma, as exceptionally large crowds are gathering in praise of those who are and have been championing their talents at the only 200mph dirt track in the Nation!
As is custom, gates will open at 4pm with hot laps at 6pm and the program kicking off at 7pm.
General admission is $10, pit admission $20.
For more detailed pricing or inquiries, contact I44 Riverside Speedway at 405.633.1583, i44riversidespeedway@gmail.com, or Like and Follow I44 Riverside Speedway on Facebook.
Points will be calculated and featured alongside a preview of next week’s action on Monday. We will feature several important announcements for each of our five divisions, as well as release the full score on the highly anticipated Prelude to Nationals Midget event on September 7th and Stock 600 & Midget Nationals on October 11-12.
I44 Riverside Speedway Remaining Schedule:
Saturday, August 24th - points race (A Class, Non Wing, Turf Tire, Restricted, Junior Sprints)
Saturday, August 31st - OFF
Saturday, September 7th - points race + Prelude to Midget Nationals
Saturday, September 14th - points race
Saturday, September 21st - points race
Saturday, September 28th - The Inaugural Jimmy King Class / Championship Night
Saturday, October 5th - OFF
Friday, October 11th - Stock 600 & Midget Nationals - Night One (A Class, Non Wing, Midgets)
Saturday, October 12th - Stock 600 & Midget Nationals - Night Two - 2013 Season Finale