Benton race report 2001-07-14

Alex Shanks of Marion, Ill, held off hard charges from Tommy Worley Jr. to pick up his first Winged Sprint win at Auto Tire and Parts Racepark, Saturday night. In the Cruiser Cars main event, Darren and Travis McFall earned their first checkered flag of the year. Greg Casey was the victor in the Pure Street division and Brent Thompson nailed the Open-Wheel Modified main event.

Fans enjoyed a fierce battle in the Winged Sprint car main event between Andy Holden, Alex Shanks, Tommy Worley Jr., Lee Dunn and Shawn King.

Holden and Shanks made up the first row of the main event. On the start Holden jumped out to a quick lead with Shanks in tow. By the second lap Holden had quickly fell back to third getting passed by Shanks and Dunn.

The caution flag flew for Joey Allcock and Bob Thoman on third lap as the pair got together coming out of turn two. Thoman was making his return to the track after a vicious wreck earlier in the season.

At the drop of the green Shanks controlled the lead with Dunn behind him. Holden, King and Worley Jr. rounded out the top five.

Holden made the move around Dunn on the sixth lap to take over second. Todd Rowland was in control of the fifth position after starting 12th.

Two laps later Holden slid around Shanks to move into the top position.

Holden led for the next seven laps being pressured by Shanks when the caution flag flew for Randy Dukes, Jason Keith, and Todd Rowland. Worley Jr. had moved from fourth to second before the flagged waved. The dazzling move was negated as scoring reverted back to the last completed lap, which Worley Jr. was in fourth.

When the start of racing began after the second caution flag Holden enjoyed the lead with Shanks, Dunn, Worley Jr., and King making up the top five.

On the 15th circuit Dunn made the move around Shanks for second and held the position for the next five laps. Shanks moved around Dunn on the 20th lap to regain the position. Dunn fell back to fourth after the pass with Worley Jr. also sneaking around him also.

The last caution of the evening came out as Keith Burch and Rowland made contact in turn four.

When the green flew Holden couldn't hold onto the position very long as Shanks slid around him for the lead. ON the next lap Worley Jr. also passed Holden to take over second.

Shanks would go onto lead the final four laps of the race to earn his first Winged Sprint car victory at Auto Tire and Parts Racepark. Worley Jr. made several last attempt charges for the win but couldn't make the pass, Jr. settled for second. After leading 12 laps of the event Holden settled for a career best second. Last weeks feature winner King finished fourth. After starting tenth Jeff Davis finished fifth.

Open-Wheel Modified standout Brent Thompson earned a trip to victory lane in his first Open-Wheel appearance at the track.

At the start of the race Robert Powers quickly jumped out the lead after starting fourth. Front-row starters John Barnett and Thompson fell back to second and third.

Thompson moved into second on the next lap with Barnett falling back to fifth. Danny Sissom moved into the fourth spot on the same lap.

Powers didn't hold onto the lead long as Thompson moved around him on the third lap. Thompson never looked back as Powers would pressure him for the next 17 laps but would never make the pass.

Powers ended up second, Joseph Geisler finished third, Barnett finished fourth. Terry Johnson started 18th on the field and was able to work his way up to fifth. Gross fell out of the race after running third on lap 19 with a broken axle and finished 15th.

In Pure Street Leo Kiefer jumped out to a quick lead after starting from the pole. Kiefer led for three laps when Billy Hopkins moved around him for the top position. Hopkins led for next 11 laps and took the white flag for one remaining lap.

Greg Casey, who moved into second 11th circuit, was behind the lead going down the backstretch. As the leader went into turn three the left-rear rim broke on his machine pulling the center out of the rim leaving him with only three wheels.

Casey saw the mishap by the leader and quickly reacted moving around the limping 23 machine of Hopkins to the Checkered Flag. Jared Wagster finished second after starting 14th, Tim Cater finished third and Hopkins crossed the finish line fourth. Kiefer fell from his from row starting position to finished fifth.

Cruiser action saw Scott Austin and Darrell Hamm cross the finish line in first with Travis and Darren McFall second. Tim Borgfield and Al Besher was third. Austin and Hamm had a claim made on their cruiser car and refused to sell the car thus giving the McFall team the win and disqualifying the team from the event.

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The Results

Winged Sprint

1. Alex Shanks 2. Tommy Worley Jr. 3. Andy Holden 4. Shawn King 5. Jeff Davis 6. Paul Hart 7. Robbie Standridge 8. Randy Dukes 9. Lee Dunn 10. Tonya Rowland

Open-Wheel Modified

1. Brent Thompson 2. Robert Powers 3. Joseph Geisler 4. John Barnett 5. Terry Johnson 6. Danny Sissom 7. Bob Waterhouse 8. Ralph Southard 9. Terry Baker 10. Mark Warren

Pure Street

1. Greg Casey 2. Jared Wagster 3. Tim Cater 4. Billy Hopkins 5. Leo Kiefer 6. Patrick Naeger 7. Dennis Shelby 8. Jeff Bradley 9. Cline Myers Jr. 10. Danny Little

Cruisers

1. Darren and Travis McFall 2. Tim Borgfied/Al Besher 3. Paul Vanpool/Brian Hahs 4. Chris Williams/Tracey Redden 5. Dwain Cooper/Kevin Keys 6. Dana Rowland/Melanie Vanpool 7. Garrett Moll/Wesley Short 8. Allen Smith/Tim Adams 9. Melissa Williams/Jill Davis 10. Fonz Wright/Billy Davis

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