C Carpenter, Rooks, D Adkins, Win As Valley Season Nears Completion

By Gerry Loudin

With the 2014 Ohio Valley Speedway season down to its final two weeks, three champions have emerged, and two are “up-in-the-air”, now with only the annual Finale remaining. Fans were again treated to five competitive features on this clear, cool Saturday evening.

Nathan Drake continued his domination of the Mineral Wells Tire WRA class, leading the distance for his 14th win of the summer, and clinched the season’s championship during the running of the WRA’s Bill Childers Memorial. Coleman Evans, Lucas Crooks, Roo Roo Dotson, and Toby Wilson finished after Drake; none could muster a challenge for the winner. The top three finishers were all driving new carts built by dirt-racing legend Charlie Swartz–grandfather of Crooks. Members of Childers’ family were on hand to present the evening’s trophies.

The Brothers Carpenter dueded throughout the 25-lap AMRA Late Model feature, as pole-sitter Andy Bond bobbled slightly in turn 2 of the opening lap, enabling Tyler to slip by and race with Chris. Bond and Ed Shuman stayed close to the leaders; Tyler got by Chris on lap 6, only to have Chris retake the point on lap 9. The outcome was in doubt until the checkered flew, with Chris taking the win by a car-length. Bond, Shuman, and C. A. Wentz finshed in the top 5. T. Carpenter was fast qualifier; Bond and C. Carpenter won the heats. Jeromy Misel was in the seat of Larry Bond’s #10 in order to keep up points, as he and Shuman were tied at the top at the start of the evening; Misel was eliminated early finishing 12th, so Shuman will have a slight advantage with one race left.

New Modified track champ Vince Conrad, and the Evanses (champs the two previous years) have weekly put on some of the best racing all season., and this week was no exception, as the trio again went door-to-door for 20 laps. Robbie Evans led the distance for his third win of the season; a late charge by Tyler that nearly had the lead was stopped short by one last caution; Conrad got back by Tyler for second following the restart. Kyle Bond and Jeremy Blake finished behind the three leaders; Bond’s finish was underlined by his spin on lap 6 while running with the leaders; he made up 13 positions in the final 12 laps. R. Evans was fast qualifier; he, Conrad, and T. Evans won the heats; Tyler French won the consi. Conrad clinched the modified championship the week before; he is also the 2014 I77 champion.

The Pure Stock’s championship will also go down to the final race. Scott Rooks won the heat and the feature, leading the entire 12 laps; Glen Underwood managed several late looks at the lead, but couldn’t keep Rooks from his 8th win of the year. Underwood, Aaron Ellis, Mike Mason, and Brad Richardson earned the top 5 spots behind the winner. Underwood will have a slight edge in the point standins going into the final night.

Once again, the FWD 4-cylinder feature went non-stop, with Dennis Adkins claiming feature win #2 on the year; Tom Adkins started 4th, and would take second from Chris Lauer on lap 5. But Dennis was up to the challenge; T. Adkins, Lauer, Don Rufener III, and Don Rufener Jr. finished 2-5. Lauer’s 3rd-place finish–even though it was his season’s “worst”, would clinch his first track championship. D. Adkins was fast qualifier; he and Lauer won the heats.

The 2014 season at Ohio Valley Speedway will conclude this Saturday with the running of the 8th Annual “Finale at the Valley”. All features will be extra distance and increased payouts, with no increase in admission prices. Gates open at 3 pm, with qualifying at 545.

SUMMARY

AMRA LATE MODELS (15)

Fast Qualifier: Tyler Carpenter

Heat 1: Andy Bond, T. Carpenter, Corey DeLancey, C. A. Wentz, Jeromy Misel, Robbie Bostic, Eric Monk, Eric Foster

Heat 2: Chris Carpenter, Ed Shuman, Tony Roush, Ronnie Mayle, Adam Miller, George Klintworth, Mike Taylor

Feature: C. Carpenter, T. Carpenter, Bond, Shuman, Wentz, Roush, Foster, Miller, Taylor, Bostic, Mayle, DeLancey, Misel, Monk, Klintworth

AMRA MODIFIEDS (24, 5 from heats, 3 from consi)

Fast Qualifier: Robbie Evans

Heat 1: R. Evans,Terry Hinkle, Shawn Rhodes, Bill Fordyce, Casey Fritz, Tyler French, Zack Perine, Nathan Perkins

Heat 2: Vince Conrad, Jerrad Willis, Jeremy Blake, Marc Martin, Jeremy Jarvis, Ron Pickens, Cole Perine, Tom Sigler

Heat 3: Tyler Evans, Kyle Bond, Jesse Rupe, Levi Woods, Cody Faulk, Robin Lashley, Tom Arnott, DNS Kevin Dotson

Consi: French, Pickens, Sigler, Lashley, Z. Perine, Perkins, C. Perine, Arnott, DNS Dotson

Feature: R. Evans, Conrad, T. Evans, K. Bond, Blake, Woods, Rupe, Rhodes, Martin, Jarvis, French, Pickens, Sigler, Hinkle, Faulk, Willis, Fordyce, Fritz

PURE STOCKS (9)

Fast Qualifier: Harley Hall

Heat: Scott Rooks, Aaron Ellis, Glen Underwood, Harley Hall, Mike Mason, Brad Richardson, Sarah Klintworth, Brad Stoner, Brandon Francis (DQ-vacuum)

Feature: Rooks, Underwood, Ellis, Mason, Richardson, Francis, Stoner, Klintworth, Hall

FWD 4-CYLINDERS(16)

Fat Qualifer: Dennis Adkins

Heat 1: Adkins, Don Rufener III, Keith Marlow,Don Rufener Jr., Dave Rhodes, Tammy Rufener, John Rankin, Jarrod Heiss

Heat 2: Chris Lauer, Tom Adkins, Randy Seckman, Josh Ayers, John Sinnett, Barry Kitts, Paul Midcap, Sam Dickel

Feature: D. Adkins, T. Adkins, Lauer, Rufener III, Rufener Jr., Ayers, Sinnett, Kitts, Rankin, T. Rufener, Rhodes, Heiss, Midcap, Dickel, Marlow, DNS Seckman

MINERAL WELLS TIRE WRA MINI-WEDGES (12)

Heat 1: Coleman Evans, Grace Misel, Karly Starcher, Joey Lattea, Kasey Rankin, Easton Wilson

Heat 2: Nathan Drake, Lucas Crooks, Kenzie Dotson, Toby Wilson, Shyan Morris, Jacob Zimmerman, Makiya Powell

Feature: Drake, Evans, Crooks, Dotson, T. Wilson, Rankin, Misel, Lattea, Starcher, Morris, Powell, Zimmerman, DNS E. Wilson