9/5/2021
RacinBoys
Wesley Smith tops USAC MWRA Sprints at I-35 Speedway
By Ray Cunningham (Winston, MO) -- Saturday night at I-35 Speedway Wesley Smith driving the John Helm/WSR #12 broke the curse of bad results at I-35 to win the 1st annual Lawson Memorial for USAC MWRA Sprint Cars over Wyatt Burks, Kory Schudy, Luke Howard, Don Droud Jr., Chris Parkinson, Tom Curran, Chad Goff, Brad Wyatt, and Chad Frewaldt rounding out the top 10 in the 22 car field.
PHOTO CREDIT: John Lee of High-Fly'n Photos -- http://www.highfly-nphotos.com
The change of fortune for the Nixa, Missouri chauffeur came after rains blasted the greater Kansas City area causing cancellations throughout the region on Saturday night. But in contrast led to a lightning fast and tacky surface at I-35 Speedway which was perfect for Smith who blasted his way to victory using both the high side, and then the low side, to pass the leader Burks for his 3rd Wholesale Batteries USAC MWRA Sprint Car victory in 2021. And a career best “Lucky Number 7” sprint car win in all groups this season after a DNF cost him the points lead at the Winston track last time out.
“The Sheriff” Wyatt Burks from Topeka, Kansas, had a great night of racing as well driving the late Don Rumsey’s #11w finishing 2nd place, after taking the lead at the start of the 25 lapper until being passed by Smith.
Point Leader Kory Schudy of Battlefield, Mo. racing the JSR #28 of Jon Sawyer continued to impress with yet another finish on the podium in MWRA after winning the first two races at I-35 Speedway in 2021. While Overland Park, Kansas driver “Cool Hand Luke” Howard, fresh of the football field playing under the Friday Night Lights, would top his best result earlier this year of 5th place at the Northwest, Missouri track by coming home in 4th, and Lincoln, Nebraska’s Don Droud Jr. racing the Mark Burch #1m would duplicate his 5th place result the Huskers had the last time they ran at I-35 on August 21st.
After sitting out a few races for health concerns, Chris Rupard of Kansas City, Kansas would win the Design Source Flooring Hard Charger Award last night at Winston racing from 21st place to 12th. While earlier, Parkinson, Burks, and Smith, would take the three heat race victories on a great night of racing at I-35 Speedway.
Tonight the USAC MWRA Sprint Cars return to action at Bethany Speedway for a fair tilt at the Northwest Missouri State Fairgrounds. Earlier in the season at this iconic old school track 2nd place in points Wesley Smith was victorious over the “X-Man” Xavier Doney, and looks to duplicate that result to further apply pressure for the championship in 2021 to point leader Schudy with only two races left on the schedule this year. Photos by John Lee High Fly’N Photos
USAC Racing
Wholesale Batteries, Inc.
I-35 Speedway Winston
Design Source Flooring
Bethany Speedway
NON-WINGED SPRINTS
A Feature 1: 1. 12-Wesley Smith[5]; 2. 11W-Wyatt Burks[2]; 3. 28-Kory Schudy[7]; 4. 2-Luke Howard[6]; 5. 1M-Don Droud Jr[3]; 6. 65-Chris Parkinson[4]; 7. 11X-Tom Curran[11]; 8. 9-Chad Goff[16]; 9. 41-Brad Wyatt[14]; 10. 4F-Chad Frewaldt[1]; 11. 26-Zach Clark[10]; 12. 22R-Chris Rupard[21]; 13. 33L-Mark Lane[12]; 14. 7X-Lance Silvers[13]; 15. 93-Buddy Parker[20]; 16. 45-Jesse Bebee[19]; 17. 27J-Justin Johnson[17]; 18. 81A-Chris Morgan[15]; 19. 74-Xavier Doney[9]; 20. 717-Garrett Alexander[22]; 21. 2X-Kyle Lewis[8]; 22. 7J-Nathan James[18]
Heat 1: 1. 65-Chris Parkinson[3]; 2. 1M-Don Droud Jr[6]; 3. 4F-Chad Frewaldt[7]; 4. 33L-Mark Lane[1]; 5. 7X-Lance Silvers[4]; 6. 45-Jesse Bebee[2]; 7. 7J-Nathan James[8]; 8. 717-Garrett Alexander[5]
Heat 2: 1. 11W-Wyatt Burks[2]; 2. 2-Luke Howard[4]; 3. 26-Zach Clark[1]; 4. 2X-Kyle Lewis[6]; 5. 81A-Chris Morgan[3]; 6. 41-Brad Wyatt[7]; 7. 22R-Chris Rupard[5]
Heat 3: 1. 12-Wesley Smith[2]; 2. 28-Kory Schudy[4]; 3. 11X-Tom Curran[1]; 4. 74-Xavier Doney[6]; 5. 9-Chad Goff[3]; 6. 27J-Justin Johnson[5]; 7. 93-Buddy Parker[7]
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
