Johnson Earns Career First in Junior Sprints | Moore continues to Dominate Restricted | Bayer Sweeps POWRi West Midgets and A Class | Dodson a Three-time Non Wing Winner | Vickman Bests Turf Tire for a 2nd time | Joey Baker Cooks Outlaws
All and more from this past Saturday night at THE one and only speedway in Tornado Alley
Cody Morris
I-44 Riverside Speedway Official Release
Enid, Oklahoma's Emme Johnson before opening ceremony on Kids Night three weeks ago. Emme won the first race of her young career Saturday night at I-44 Riverside Speedway before a record audience and against an exceptionally strong Junior Sprint field. Flying High Photography snapshot.
Tornado Alley
I-44 Riverside Speedway
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Following a much needed week off to tend to the ongoing rebuild and restoration of I-44 Riverside Speedway, The Only 200mph Dirt Track in the World blasted back with a stellar card featuring 7 classes of premium open wheel racing led by the Lucas Oil POWRi West Midget Series.
With a race day forecast near 100 degrees, there were widespread concerns for the condition of the racing surface with seven classes combing for a few thousand laps on it.
Those concerns were as understandable as they proved to be unfounded, as speedway promoter Mark Banister worked the red clay tirelessly for nearly a week to deliver a high quality surface for nearly 110 race teams.
The result was phenomenal and should have been expected from the same captain who delivered a string of a dozen perfect surfaces with almost no equipment to work with after last year’s devastating tornado.
It was an extremely fun night among the Sooner State racing family, with thrilling wheel to wheel racing before a packed house. As the many drivers sang praise of Banister’s huge effort to deliver them a great surface, a record audience since last year’s reopening came to champion the efforts of the 100+ racers on hand at central Oklahoma’s only auto racing facility.
Bixby’s Kevin Bayer nabbed his first career Lucas Oil POWRi West Midget score in a sensational main event that left hundreds wanting more. And more is what they will get when the POWRi West warriors return on Saturday, August 9th. For a complete angle from the POWRi West program, please visit www.powri.com or Like and Follow POWRi West on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
But those fans did get more, a WHOLE LOT more as still 80 laps of main event action remained in the program.
Six classes - 120 main event laps. The fuse on The Rundown has been lit, but first - a couple of important updates and acknowledgements!
First, a proverbial high five to our promoter on not just the awesome surface in the heat, but the effort over a holiday weekend to get the 2nd section of the stands together and open for the weekend’s race. Our racing community is very blessed to have a promoter that works so hard, at times in the face of tremendous adversity, too.
For those who saw what the tornado did to the speedway and the travails since that time, nothing comes easy. What we have here, this speedway, this racing community - has all been fought for extremely hard since May 20th last year.
THAT is something to celebrate. Not only to our promoter with a handshake or encouraging word, but with your fellow racer or fan. Speaking of fans, when you look up and see crowds 7-10x the size of anything the speedway has known…..this is also something to celebrate. We’re entering an era where the speedway has a legitimate fan base, which means each of our supportive racers do as well!
The 15th Annual Mini Sprint Nationals are just around the corner. With a Thursday, July 31st practice followed by racing on Friday and Saturday, August 1st and 2nd - official event info and pre-registration will open in a matter of hours!
This will be the one year anniversary of the reopening of the speedway following last year’s tornado. And we will doing it BIG! On the third and final night of MSN, Team Green Racing and the speedway will present a HUGE fireworks show!
And speaking of Team Green Racing, this crew formed for Bridge Creek youngster Jeramiah Green early last year. Jeramiah was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of cancer when he was just 1 year old.
Since then Jeramiah, “Champ” as his parents Tracy and Keith call him, has defied every doctor’s prognosis and just celebrated his TENTH birthday at the speedway in May.
I-44 Riverside recognized our #1 fan and held our first Going Green event for Jeramiah last September, and also a 2nd event for Champ back on May 17th.
Well, check this out in case you haven’t heard - our #1 race fan will be adding that title this week as he will launch his racing career in the Junior Sprints!
It has been the most heart warming blessing to have such a remarkable young man and his family embrace not just I-44 Riverside Speedway, but the entire racing community in this area. Team Green Racing has swelled to 8 drivers racing for Jeramiah as Bridge Creek’s Zach Wells launched his racing career too this past Saturday in the Restricted ranks.
This coming Saturday will be #9 in the Team Green Stable, and number 1 in the hearts of his racing family and every patron on either side of the fence.
The speedway wishes Jeramiah the best of luck in a racing career that isslates to begin this Saturday, and welcomes everyone to come share that wish with Champ and watch a dream come true!
The Champions Cup Round 13 Rundown
OUTLAW
Making just their second visit of the season and first since the Blue River Classic on April 12th, the Outlaws shared in the spotlight as they gear up for their headlining role of the 15th Annual Mini Sprint Nationals on August 1st and 2nd.
El Reno’s Blake Dewberry paced the pole of the 20 lap main event with Broken Arrow’s Joey “Front Row” Baker alongside.
Baker gunned into an early lead he never relinquished. Dewberry shadowed at times, but Joey showed why he has the nickname and wired the field for the win in the Dust Bowl Customs, Metric Cycles, and Garnett Storage #34. Keep an eye for out for Joey at Nationals - I believe he has expressed his intent to where he plans to start!
Dewberry settled for the runner up with Bixby’s Kevin Bayer completing the podium after wins in POWRi West Midget action as well as winged A Class competition.
Owasso’s two-time Port City track champ Ty Hulsey crossed in fourth place with Amarillo’s Danny Davidson finishing as he started in the 5 spot.
Baker and Hulsey scored heat wins over the 14 car field.
Outlaw A Feature (20 laps): 1. 34 Joey Baker (2); 2. 29D Blake Dewberry (1); 3. 91B Kevin Bayer (4); 4. 21H Ty Hulsey (3); 5. 16x Danny Davison (5); 6. 83x Shane Weeks (7); 7. 22 Teri Burk (10); 8. 007 Jimmy Smith (6); 9. 88 Tony Penick (8); 10. 28 Junior Vickman (11); 11. 25s Bobby Springer (9); DNS: 57T Kyle Thompson, 4T Caleb Thompson, 95 Michael Hall
Lap Leaders: Joey Baker 1-20
A CLASS
Enid’s Jared Dunkin and Moore’s Chris Kelly earned the front row start of this one as the speedway champions a new racing format in which feature starting position is aided in large part by heat race finish, and it was Dunkin into the early lead in CC Round 13.
Dunkin held steady on that lead until Bixby’s Kevin Bayer rocketed up from row 5 to lead the 7th round.
Bayer had just won POWRi West Midget action 20 minutes before and matched that finish with his first A Class win aboard the Factor One Racing #91.
What stood out about this race, apart from the blistering speed and manuevering from top to bottom around the 1/5th mile oval, was Amarillo’s Danny Davidson.
Moving up fromt 9th to second, Davidson had the front struts of his wing snap and the wing serve as a rudder to slow his speed. Chris Lloyd and Jared Dunkin closed in on Davidson, but contact was made when the trio went 3 wide into turn three with a couple laps left, resulting in Dunkin stalled along the fence as Lloyd and Davidson kept going. Frustrating end to a great race for Dunkin, an Enid racer who has been progressing in strides each week.
Under the ensuing yellow, Davidson unbuckled a few restraints so he could reach out of the right side of the car and pull the wing back down.
The awesome part was that after the restart, Davidson raced the final few laps with just his left hand, while his right hand was out of the cockpit holding the wing down so it wouldn’t fly off!!
Never seen that before, don’t think many others had either! Fans loved it though as he got second and proudly proclaimed after the race that if he had both hands on the wheel he would have won! And such is the legend of Danny Davidson - who did settle for 2nd with Chris Lloyd earning another strong podium finish.
Chickasha’s Jim Woods, an A Class winner in CC Round 11, placed fourth with Moore’s Chris Kelly earning his first top five finish of the season.
Jim Woods, Teri Burk, and the Mad Man Danny Davidson earned heat race wins over the 20 car field.
A Class A Feature (20 laps): 1. 91 Kevin Bayer (10); 2. 16x Danny Davidson (9); 3. 28c Chris Lloyd (6); 4. 83 Jim Woods (5); 5. 32k Chris Kelly (2); 6. 83x Shane Weeks (11); 7. 36 Lloyd Smith (15); 8. 34 Joey Baker (18); 9. 22 Teri Burk (3); 10. 21 Michael Meek (17); 11. 58 Philip Fessler (13); 12. 27 David Millwee (16); 13. 27D Jared Dunkin (1); 14. 17m Mike Matherly (4); 15. 29D Blake Dewberry (7); 16. 74E Jessica Estes (19); 17. 29B Joey Starnes (12); DNS: 4T Caleb Thompson, 12T Trey Robb, 2B Brandon Boggs
Lap Leaders: Jared Dunkin 1-6, Kevin Bayer 7-20
Hard Charger: Joey Baker +10
NON WING
Jeff Rury and Bobby Springer paced the front row of this 20 lapper, but it was Cyril’s Cord Dodson moving up from outside row #3 to lead after the first two starts were called back due to spins.
Dodson wired the event, but not without challenge as Scurry, Texas racer Joey Starnes moved up from 8th to throw a slider on Dodson. Scurry, Texas - fitting hometown….
Dodson beat back the slider and worked tirelessly to put a few car lengths between he and Starnes. Dodson went on for his 2nd consecutive Non Wing score and third overall at I-44 Riverside this year.
Starnes earned a season best runner up, with Gage Robb achieving third. Jeff Rury rebounded from some bad luck early to place fourth with Newcastle’s Shelby Burk earning another strong top five finish.
Non Wing heats were aced by Rury and Dodson over the 18 car field..
Non Wing point leader by-way-of Lawton, Oklahoma, Brandon Boggs, had a steering arm break in hot laps sending his Fliptastics Gymnastic #2B hard into the wall and upside down in hot laps, scratching Boggs for the night and making for an interesting development in both A Class and Non Wing points.
Non Wing A Feature (20 laps): 1. 7 Cord Dodson (6); 2. 111J Joey Starnes (8); 3. 12 Gage Robb (4); 4. 96R Jeff Rury (1); 5. 50 Shelby Burk (3); 6. 32k Chris Kelly (13); 7. 88 Tony Penick (5); 8. 58 Philip Fessler (9); 9. 28v Junior Vickman (10); 10. 11x Tyler Alexander (11); 11. 007 Jimmy Smith (12); 12. 898 Ryan Padgett (15); 13. 12T Trey Robb (7); DNS: 11k Michael Kearnes, 37 CJ Brewer, 25s Bobby Springer, 2B Brandon Boggs
Lap Leaders: Cord Dodson 1-20
Hard Charger: Chris Kelly +7
JUNIOR SPRINTS
Jessie Kelley and Macy Roulain rode the front row of this 20 lapper with Roulain darting out to the early lap 1 lead after the third attempt to get a lap in. And if that paragraph sounds simple, please trust that it was not. It took 15 minutes lol.
Enid’s Emme Johnson battled past Macy to lead the 2nd round and moved out to a couple car length advantage as the action intensified dramatically between a half dozen flying youngsters over the mid stages of the race.
Emme Johnson, in pursuit of her first career racing win, had sturdy challengers right behind in the form of Brant Woods (who just earned his first career win two weeks ago), as well Junior Sprint phenom Chris Wells, tested Junior titlist Grady Mercer, Rowdy Ryder Laplante, Double Deuce Dylan Pendergrass, and Kayden Cole - who will be nicknamed at a later date.
Emme Johnson, just in her 2nd year of her racing career, has been here several times, but never had she led a race past the halfway point - and with so many proven foes chasing her either.
Mercer got by Wells for 2nd and turned up the heat big time on Johnson, but the 11 year old lady didn’t falter at all, splicing lapped traffic with surgical precision and striking for her first career racing win to the raucous cheer of hundreds in the Clay’s Collision and Shepard Fabricators #12E.
Grady No Mercy Mercer settled for a quality runner up finish with Brant Woods winding his way into third. Ragin’ Ryder Laplante bested the double Deuce 2D Racing of Pendergrass to complete the top five finish.
Wells and Laplante scored 25’s on their heat race tests over the 16 car field. And yes I’m just firing nicknames and platitudes left and right, as there is everything to love about the excellent Junior Sprint division in this era. Either the racer’s or their parent’s like them…..or this was a sizeable and amateurish fail lol.
Either way, our young pilots should be commended by ALL. Great bunch of young racers, stars of tomorrow shining today!
Junior Sprint A Feature (20 laps): 1. 12E Emme Johnson (4); 2. 42 Grady Mercer (8); 3. 16 Brant Woods (3); 4. 88R Ryder Laplante (5); 5. 22 Dylan Pendergrass (7); 6. 72 Christopher Wells (6); 7. 72c Kayden Cole (15); 8. 125 Macy Roulain (2); 9. 12 Jessie Kelley (1); 10. 14 Talon Hoahwah (12); 11. 28 Connor Thompson (14); 12. 59JR Richard Harvey Jr. (9); 13. 05c Jordan Williams (10); 14. 37 Jack Hall (11); 15. 1 Bryce Barnett (13)
Lap Leaders: Macy Roulain 1, Emme Johnson 2-20
Hard Charger: Kayden Cole +8
RESTRICTED
Layden Pearson, a fine young man from nearby Newcastle, continues to be plagued by motor gremlins and was forced to scratch from the pole position, moving Texan Sarah Walls into the top spot with Pauls Valley’s Blake Scott alongside.
This race was chaos, with four stoppages and several of destructive nature.
Koda Oller’s lap 1 spin was likely the most harmless, but contact with the leading Walls and Tanner Conn and Mason McGuire ended with Oller slamming into the stalled group and getting into the turn 2 wall.
Walls led the first four laps amid the fracas, but Bethany’s Matt Moore flew by on the fifth round and vaporized the field to the tune of his SEVENTH win of the year aboard The Vapor Hut #9m.
Ryan Anderson, himself a two time Restricted winner, bested Sarah for the runner up spot with Tulsa area racer TJ Thompson earning fourth in his first ever trip to I-44 Riverside.
Carson Meek finished fifth in the infield.
Moore and Conn aced Restricted heats over the 13 car field.
Restricted A Feature (20 laps): 1. 9m Matt Moore (5); 2. 00R Ryan Anderson (9); 3. 12s Sarah Walls (1); 4. 74T TJ Thompson (8); 5. 12 Carson Meek (4); 6. 29/13 Blake Scott (2); 7. 57T Kyle Thompson (10); 8. 78 Tanner Conn (6); 9. 18 Mason McGuire (3); 10. 10K Koda Oller (7); DNS 11 Layden Pearson, 72c Kaylee Sue Cole, 72z Zach Wells
Lap Leaders: Sarah Walls 1-4, Matt Moore 5-20
Hard Charger: +7
TURF TIRE
Zach Van Zant earned the pole position over El Reno’s R9 Turf winner Brian Penick for the 20 lap TT main event.
Van Zant led the first half dozen laps, until spinning in turn 2, handing the lead off to Brian Penick, who lost it just a few laps later to Junior Vickman.
Vickman led from the midway point on - and hey Junior - thanks for not selling your stuff yet!! Great to have you run multiple classes with us!!
Anyhow - Junior went on to score his 2nd TT score of the year in the Action Auto Collision #28v/1st/27+1.…………take your pick lol
Jeremy Penick pulled a high side move on young cousin Brian and secured his 28th runner up finish of the year, with Brian happy for a podium.
Shorty Burks pulled the Hard Charger effort of the night with a run from 11th to fourth. Brandon Jones completed the top five finish.
Turf Tire A Features (20 laps): 1. 28v Junior Vickman (6); 2. 28 Jeremy Penick (8); 3. 33 Brian Penick (2); 4. 1x Shorty Burks (11); 5. 6J Brandon Jones (3); 6. 30 Bobby Chapa (4); 7. 5m Scott Patraw (10); 8. 14v Zach Van Zant (1); 9. 21 Josh Bigger (12); 10. 20x Dusty Devine (9); 11. 75 Willie Vickman (5); 12. 93 Jeremy Morris (7)
Lap Leaders: Zach Van Zant 1-6, Brian Penick 7-9, Junior Vickman 10-20
Hard Charger: Shorty Burks +7