Haley Arnold picks up first career 305 sprint
car win at L A Raceway
By Rachel Knight
L A Raceway
LAMONTE, Mo. – After two seasons of racing 305 Sprints, Haley Arnold of Sedalia finally got her dream victory.
Arnold said her biggest goal this year was to win in her 305 sprinter. She also has a 360 sprinter and has added that to her next biggest goal since she accomplished this one.
The feature event was restarted three times. The first time, Arnold took the lead over outside pole-sitter Mitchell Moore before a caution flew for James Gill, who had spun out in turns three and four. The second restart, Arnold said she got a little low and was on the berm causing her to lose ground and Moore to get the lead. Thanks to Matt Close, Arnold would get her chance to correct the small mistake made.
The race was on as Arnold move her line up a little bit off the berm and ran away from Moore. Ryan Schlender moved into third with Matt McGarry and Michael Schouten trailing him.
The laps winded down and Arnold continued to charge. Schouten got a little loose in turn two on the final lap and spun out.
Arnold picked up the win with ease and Moore, Schlender, McGarry and Miranda Arnold finished in the top five honors in the Gill Signs/Specialty Sportswear 305 Sprints.
“A big thank to all the fans and everyone who helped me,” Arnold said. “I’m so excited to show them they didn’t waste their time.” Arnold’s sponsors included Mid-Mo Auto, Cooper Racing, Impact Sign & Lighting, Buso’s AA Muffler, Fastenal Industrial and Hardscapes.
“Thank you mom (Kelly), dad (Bryan), Miranda, Chase Gibson, John “Bub” Simpson, Allen Williams, Donny Cooper, Brian Ash and Steve Jackson for helping me this season and making this feature win that much better,” Arnold said. “I really appreciate all your support.”
In the Jim’s Tire Service Hobby Stocks, Donald Grotzinger started on the pole after a very strong run in his heat race. Michael Tyler started on the outside of row one. Luke Skidmore, who has been almost undefeated this season, started on the inside of row three.
Three cars got together in the middle of turns three and four causing a caution and a complete restart. The accident sent two cars out of the race early.
Grotzinger quickly took the lead with Ronnie Livengood coming from sixth to take second. Luke Skidmore was third with Will Register in fourth. Tyler lost a lot of ground on the start and ended up in sixth with one lap complete.
Grotzinger went off the backstretch and by time he regained control, both Skidmore and Livengood made their way past with Skidmore gaining the leaders position.
A caution flew on lap three as Register, who was in fourth, got crossed up and everyone was able to clear him without an accident. A couple more cautions slowed the feature down, but once it was underway again, it was smooth sailing.
Harold Dump and Michael Tyler began to pick up the pace and work their way to the front battling for fourth and fifth. Livengood was pressuring Skidmore for the lead and “flat driving the wheels off the (No.) 3 car,” according to Hollywood Bob Ramey, track announcer.
With just a little over three laps left in the feature event, Livengood’s car began smoking and he slowly started losing positions. Grotzinger took second then Tyler took third.
Skidmore took the checkered with Grotzinger and Tyler behind him. Livengood managed to hold on for fourth with Dump taking fifth.
In the Pitts Homes of Warsaw A Modified feature event, Matt Dotson started on the pole with Terry Vantrump on the outside. After three complete restarts, Dotson took the lead with Schultz taking second from fifth starting position weeding out Vantrump going into turn three.
A caution cause by Steve Twenter in turn one gave Schultz the advantage he needed. On the restart, he took the lead from Dotson. From tenth starting position, Stovall moved into third by lap four with Justin Moon on his bumper.
Leaders caught lap traffic by lap nine and Stovall used that to his advantage as he made the pass for second. A caution gathered the field back together with another caution following shortly after. Stovall tried to pass Schultz using the bottom of the track but was unsuccessful. So he tried the high side the second time and almost lost control but regrouped before losing any positions.
Out of nowhere, Luke Feeback came charging through the field moving into third with only seven laps left in the feature. Feeback worked his way to the feature event by competing in the B Main.
With four laps left, Schultz slipped off the top of the track and by time he gained control, Stovall moved into first with just three laps to finish the race.
Stovall picked up the win with Schultz, Feeback, Dotson and Terry Kirk finishing in the top honors.
The Xtreme Motors Street Stocks feature event was an emotional one as Ted Welschmeyer took the track for his final feature race before being deployed overseas for the next year. Marc Carter and Sundance Keepper made up the front row with Welschmeyer and Scott Krause in the second row.
Keepper quickly took the lead with Carter, Welschmeyer, Perkins and Krause in the top five. A couple of cautions didn’t change up the running order except for Perkins losing control in turns three and four sending him to the tail of the field.
It looked as if Keepper had this feature solidly won when he went off pace and tried to work his car to the infield with only seven laps left. The next two restarts were interesting as a couple of cars decided to swap a little paint resulting in both cars being dismissed from the race.
Carter quickly took over leading the field of cars around the track with Welschmeyer trying out all the real-estate to gain ground on the leader. Carter got caught in heavy traffic with two laps left and Welschmeyer couldn’t make the pass he had been waiting for.
Carter took the feature win with Welschmeyer, Krause, Perkins and Victor Sims placing in the top five.
Both Colt Cheevers and Chris Brockway were looking “racy” in the Pitts Homes of Warsaw B Modified feature event. This feature went straight from green to checkered with no cautions.
Cheevers took the lead and by the completion of lap seven, he had stretched his lead over Brockway to a full straight away.
Gary Lewis was running in third until he steered hid modified off the track and to the trailer on lap four. This gave Jacob Grotewiel the advantage to pass Josh Calvert for third. The most interesting battle was for fifth place between Steve Bugg and Adam Belt.
Cheevers took an overwhelming feature win over Brockway, Grotewiel and Calvert. Bugg beat out Belt for the fifth place finish.
L A Raceway invites fans to join them Friday, Aug. 27, for a night of entertainment and family fun as the United States Modified Touring Series hit the track with a supporting class of L A Raceway B Modifieds.
For more information about the track, ticket prices, and other upcoming events, visit www.laraceway.com.
L A Raceway
August 6, 2010
Official Results
Pitts Homes of
Warsaw A Modified Feature
1. 00X Jesse Stovall, Galena, Mo. (10)
2. 90 Terry Schultz, Sedalia, Mo. (5)
3. 22L Luke Feeback, Harrisonville, Mo. (3)
4. 88D Matt Dotson, Clark, Mo. (1)
5. 55 Terry Kirk, Urbana, Mo. (14)
6. 12V Nathan Vaughn, Lincoln, Mo. (12)
7. 24D Donnie Fellers, Wheatland, Mo. (16)
8. 5J John Fellers, Flemington, Mo. (15)
9. 23 Steve Twenter, Sedalia, Mo. (3)
10. 35 Tylere Dowell, Booneville, Mo. (4)
11. 10 Johnny McGinnis, Hardin, Mo. (8)
12. 67 Tim Dotson, Sturgeon, Mo. (11)
13. 55D Michael Dotson, Lathrop, Mo. (5)
14. 5K Ralph King, Marshall, Mo. (6)
15. 47 Ed Griggs, Pleasant Hill, Mo. (4-DNF)
16. 58 Terry Vantrump, Richmond, Mo. (2-DNF)
17. 112 Justin Moon, Sedalia, Mo. (7-DNF)
18. 73 Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove, Mo. (6-DNF)
19. 15R Jamie Ragland, Lebanon, Mo. (9-DNF)
20. 12M Christopher Moon, Sedalia, Mo. (13-DNF)
Gill
Signs/Specialty Sportswear 305 Sprint Feature
1. 165 Haley Arnold, Sedalia, Mo. (1)
2. 51 Mitchell Moore, Edgerton, Kan. (2)
3. 15S Ryan Schlender, Sedalia, Mo. (3)
4. 31 Matt McGarry, Alma, Mo. (6)
5. 27 Mike Schouten, LaMonte, Mo. (10)
6. 5M Miranda Arnold, Sedalia, Mo. (8)
7. 81A Lane Stone, Concordia, Mo. (9)
8. 56 Tyler Utz, Sedalia, Mo. (7)
9. 07S Greg Smith, Lincoln, Mo. (12)
10. 14 Andrew Turley, Sedalia, Mo. (11)
11. 5 Matt Close, LaMonte, Mo. (5)
12. 55 Denny Moore, Edgerton, Kan. (13)
13. 1 James Gill, Sedalia, Mo. (4-DNF)
14. 99 Lacy Harrison, LaMonte, Mo. (1DNF)
Xtreme Motors
Street Stock Feature
1. 10 Marc Carter, Warrensburg, Mo. (1)
2. 21W Ted Welschmeyer, Tebbetts, Mo. (3)
3. 66 Scott Krause, Concordia, Mo. (4)
4. 1 Kevin Perkins, Sedalia, Mo. (5)
5. 66X Victor Sims, Peculiar, Mo. (8)
6. J25 Jay Prevete, Windsor, Mo. (7)
7. 05 Martin Crabtree, Florence, Mo. (11)
8. 03 Clayton Campbell, Otterville, Mo. (10-DNF)
9. 25 Chad Eckhoff, Concordia, Mo. (6-DNF)
10. 6 7/8 Sundance Keepper, Everton, Mo. (2-DNF)
11. 15G Jeremy Gordon, Sedalia, Mo. (12-DNF)
12. 65 Brian Ziegler, Bates City, Mo. (9-DNF)
13. 7 Anthony Burks, Hallsville, Mo. (13-DNF)
14. 35M Roger Bell, Knob Noster, Mo. (14-DNS)
Pitts Homes of
Warsaw B Modified Feature
1. 45 Colt Cheevers, Macks Creek, Mo. (1)
2. 03 Chris Brockway, Warrensburg, Mo. (2)
3. 96 Jacob Grotewiel, Clifton Hill, Mo. (6)
4. 24C Josh Calvert, Hallsville, Mo. (4)
5. 11 Steve Bugg, Sedalia, Mo. (8)
6. 7 Adam Belt, Syracuse, Mo. (5)
7. 18 Darin Claxton, Warrensburg, Mo. (9)
8. 72 Ernie Walker, Sedalia, Mo. (10)
9. 22 John Thomason, Holden, Mo. (11)
10. 6X Michael Garrison, Odessa, Mo. (12)
11. E76 Ethan Mullins, Green Ridge, Mo. (13)
12. 60 Brad Fredrickson, Sedalia, Mo. (14)
13. 82 Sam Thomason, Holden, Mo. (82-DNF)
14. 12L Gary Lewis, Columbia, Mo. (3-DNF)
Jim’s Tire Service
Hobby Stock Feature
1. 21S Luke Skidmore, Green Ridge, Mo. (5)
2. Z16 Donald Grotzinger, LaMonte, Mo. (1)
3. Z21 Michael Tyler, Knob Noster, Mo. (2)
4. 3 Ronnie Livengood, Sedalia, Mo. (6)
5. 43 Harold Dump II, Calhoun, Mo. (8)
6. 25 Will Register, Sedalia, Mo. (4)
7. 2 Rick Anderson, Marshall, Mo. (10)
8. 58 Jeremiah Wilson, Concordia, Mo. (7)
9. 96B John Simpson, Sedalia, Mo. (3-DNF)
10. 99 Mark Harrison, LaMonte, Mo. (9-DNF)
11. 7C Danny Crum, Hughesville, Mo. (11-DNF)
12. 99W John Williams, Excelsior Springs, Mo. (12-DNF)