Grimes breaks Moore’s fifth consecutive feature win streak at L A Raceway

By Rachel Knight

L A Raceway
June 3, 2011

LAMONTE, Mo. – Slater’s Bryan Grimes got up on the wheel of Tom McGarry’s 305 sprint car and drove it to the winner’s circle breaking Mitchell Moore’s perfect 2011 record at L A Raceway.

After winning their own heat races, Grimes received the pole position in the Gill Signs 305 Sprint Car feature event and Moore took the outside. When the green flag flew, Grimes went to work and moved right to the front of the field with Moore trailing.

Grimes said Moore is a great driver and a good guy, but the victory was bittersweet nonetheless.

“Going into the race, I knew I needed to stay straight and be smooth,” he said.

Two cautions and a red gathered the field of cars back up, but Grimes didn’t give Moore the opportunity to use that to his advantage. When Grimes took the checkered, he had built up almost a full straight away lead over Moore. Rick Suhr, Andrew Turley and Brian Beebe rounded out the top five finishes.

Grimes praised his sprinter, built by McGarry, and the Schure Built Suspensions system for the new shock technology used on the car.

“It worked pretty well in the feature,” Grimes said of the car. “We changed a few things after the heat race.”

In the Jim’s Tire Service Hobby Stocks, Will Register and Ronnie Livengood made up the front row with Michael Tyler and John Simpson in the second row. After a rough start, Livengood was sent to the tail of the field after losing his rear bumper at the very beginning of the feature event.

When the green flag waved again, four cars began the intense battle for first. Register, Simpson, Michael Tyler and Daniel Cary ran close together with Register in the lead and Simpson in pursuit. After two laps of battling, Simpson snuck past Register for the lead.

After a third caution flew on lap eight, Livengood had worked his way through the pack to battle for third place with Tyler and Cary.

Simpson took the feature win with about a six-car lead over Register, who was battling with Livengood down to the finish line. Tyler and Cary finished in the top five positions.

In the Pitts Homes A Modified feature event, Matt Johnson got the edge over Jason Thompson, who started on the pole, but only to have bad luck bring a restart after a modified went off the track over turns three and four. On the complete restart, Thompson came out with the advantage.

Chad Lyle quickly came to third bringing Terry Schultz with him. After the completion of lap three, Lyle took second from Johnson. Justin Moon fell back two positions to sixth from his starting position on lap five when Mickey Burrell moved into fifth.

It looked like a game of follow the leader until Lyle gained ground on Thompson. After several laps of consistent pressure, Lyle took the lead with 12 laps left in the feature event. With an additional four laps, Lyle had stretched his lead over Thompson to almost a full straight away.

Schultz, known for last minute charges through the field, decided he didn’t want to finish fourth. With three laps left, he charged to second in front of Johnson. A drag race to the finish between Thompson and Schultz resulted in Schultz finishing second. Johnson finished fourth with Burrell in fifth.

Starting with seven cars and ending with four, the Xtreme Motors Street Stocks battled for the feature win with a bit of bumping, rubbing and pushing to the finish line.

After two starts and a little real estate shopping, Randy Gilmore took the lead over Jay Prevete. With only one lap complete, the class was already down to four.

Prevete challenged Gilmore numerous times for the lead and succeeded by the end of lap three. The field of cars stretched out with Prevete, Gilmore, Chip Shaddox and Brian Eckhoff finishing the feature event.

Tyler Lewis led the pack for 12-laps in the Pitts Homes B Modified feature event after starting on the pole. Chad Lebsock tried to settle into second but Colt Cheevers had others plans as he took second on lap two.

A caution on lap four allowed Cheevers to set his sights on Lewis and he pressured him going into turn one. Lewis and Cheevers continued to battle back and forth with Lewis keeping the edge by sometimes only a nose.

Lewis held on for the feature win with Cheevers, Lebsock, Justin Metzner and Bob Russell rounding out the top five honors.

L A Raceway invites fans to join them at the track for KIX 105.7 night at the races on Friday, June 10. Gates open at 5 p.m. Hot laps start a 7 p.m. with the racing action beginning at 7:30.

For more information about the track, visit www.laraceway.com.

L A Raceway

June 3, 2011

Official Results

Gill Signs 305 Sprint Feature 

1. 63 Bryan Grimes - Slater, Mo. (1)

2. 51 Mitchell Moore - Edgerton, Kan. (2)

3. 11X Rick Suhr - Windsor, Mo. (3)

4. 14 Andrew Turley - Sedalia, Mo. (9)

5. 37 Brian Beebe - Oak Grove, Mo. (8)

6. 81A Lane Stone - Concordia, Mo. (6)

7. 85 Christi Hoenshell - Greenwood, Mo. (11)

8. 9 Casey Baker - Lone Jack, Mo. (5)

9. 19S Steven Cross - Clinton, Mo. (13)

10. 1K Aaron Kuhn - Kansas City, Mo. (7)

11. 25 Graden Lovelace - New Haven, Mo. (15)

12. 99 Lacy Harrison – La Monte, Mo. (10)

13. 31 Matt Mcgarry - Alma, Mo. (4-DNF)

14. 9S Nick Schaefer - Marshall, Mo. (12-DNF)

15. 27 Mike Schouten – La Monte, Mo. (14-DNS)

Jim’s Tire Service Hobby Stock Feature 

1. 96B John Simpson - Sedalia, Mo. (4)

2. 10 Will Register - Sedalia, Mo. (1)

3. 3 Ronnie Livengood - Sedalia, Mo. (2)

4. Z21 Michael Tyler - Knob Noster, Mo. (3)

5. 44 Daniel Cary - Boonville, Mo. (5)

6. 33 Jeff Buford - Alma, Mo. (11)

7. C4 Douglas Coffey - Windsor, Mo. (7)

8. 90R Rodger Detherage - Smithton, Mo. (10)

9. 17 Ethan Kueck - Concordia, Mo. (9)

10. 7C Danny Crum - Hughesville, Mo. (10-DNF)

11. 171 Chuck Coffey - Windsor, Mo. (8-DNF)

12. 77 Jacob Everts - Knob Noster, Mo. (12-DNF)

13. 17X Dennis Stevson - Sedalia, Mo. (13-DNF)

Pitts Homes of Warsaw A Modified Feature    

1. 96 Chad Lyle - Oak Grove, Mo. (3)

2. 90 Terry Schultz - Sedalia, Mo. (5)

3. 20 Jason Thompson - Concordia, Mo. (1)

4. 16S Matt Johnson - Archie, Mo. (2)

5. 73 Mickey Burrell - Fair Grove, Mo. (7)

6. 112 Justin Moon - Sedalia, Mo. (4)

7. 66T Tyler Schmidt - Easton, Kan. (8)

8. 71 Chris Tonoli - Hermitage, Mo. (11)

9. 12 Nathan Vaughn - Lincoln, Mo. (10)

10. 77W Rusty Weir - Warsaw, Mo. (6)

11. 12M Christopher Moon - Sedalia, Mo. (9-DNF)

12. 86 Corey Weir - Nixa, Mo. (12-DNS)

13. 42 Sam Florence - Trimble, Mo. (13-DNS)

Xtreme Motors Street Stock Feature 

1. 25XXX Jay Prevete - Windsor, Mo. (6)

2. 93 Randy Gilmore - Wheatland, Mo. (1)

3. 1S Chip Shaddox - Wheatland, Mo. (4)

4. 10 Brian Eckhoff - Higginsville, Mo. (2)

5. 73 Zach Crabtree - Cole Camp, Mo. (5-DNF)

6. 1 Kevin Perkins - Sedalia, Mo. (3-DNF)

7. 35M Roger Bell - Knob Noster, Mo. (7-DNS)

Pitts Homes of Warsaw B Modified Feature 

1. 23L Tyler Lewis - Columbia, Mo. (1)

2. 45 Colt Cheevers - Macks Creek, Mo. (3)

3. 29L Chad Lebsock - Centralia, Mo. (2)

4. 211 Justin Metzner - Sedalia, Mo. (4)

5. 41 Bob Russell - Lees Summit, Mo. (7)

6. 73 Ernie Walker - Sedalia, Mo. (9)

7. 18 Darin Claxton - Warrensburg, Mo. (5)

8. 24C Josh Calvert - Hallsville, Mo. (6)

9. 11 Steve Bugg - Sedalia, Mo. (8)

10. 05W Mike Walsh - Warrensburg, Mo. (11)