By Lyndal Scranton – Wheatland, Missouri (June 26, 2016) – The first half of the Budweiser Weekly Championship Series 2016 season at Lucas Oil Speedway wound up with a familiar face in victory lane.
Derek Brown of Stoutland made it six victories in nine attempts in the Carson’s Corner NAPA Auto Parts Street Stock division by out-running newcomer Tony Anglin to the finish at the Bolivar Herald-Free Press Midseason Championships.
Other feature winners were Shawn Strong (Ozark Golf Cars B-Mods), Johnny Fennewald (ALPS Food Store ULMA Late Models) and Eric Turner (Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds). Ninety-nine cars checked into the pits as the season’s first half wrapped up.
Brown, already 114 ahead of Steve Beach in the season points chase, picked up $500 in the 25-lap Street Stock feature while clinching the Midseason Championship. Anglin, of Walnut Ridge, Ark., finished ahead of Johnny Coats, James Flood and Sundance Keepper in his debut at the speedway this year.
Shawn Whitman, going from 15th to ninth, picked up the Out-Pace Racing Products Hard Charger Award going to the driver advancing furthest in the week’s featured division.
The always-competitive B-Mod division saw Shawn Strong of Billings prevail as 38 B-Mods checked into the pits. Strong scored his first feature victory of the season as he beat runner-up J.C. Morton, though Morton’s finish was enough to secure him the Midseason Championship after his seventh straight finish of fourth or better. Andy Bryant of Fort Scott, Kan., wound up third.
Fennewald, from Appleton City, grabbed his first ULMA Late Models feature win by holding off Chris Smyser of Lancaster. Third-place Aaron Marrant of Richmond, a winner of four Late Model features this season, wrapped up the Midseason Championship with a solid run, finishing ahead of Bobby Penney and Aaron Poe.
The Keyser Manufacturing Hard Charger Award, which goes to the Late Model driver making the biggest move each week, went to Chris Cain after he advanced from 20th to 11th.
Hermitage’s Turner made it two straight USRA Modifieds victories and three on the season. He again beat reigning track champion Jeff Cutshaw of Bolivar, just as he did the last time the two met on the race track on June 11. But Cutshaw nailed down the Midseason Championship with his finish.
Next up is a special Casey’s General Stores Thursday Night Thunder edition of the Budweiser Weekly Championship Series, Presented by KRBK Fox 5 on June 30. There will be no Saturday racing on July 2.
The ALPS Food Store ULMA Late Models will be the featured class, running a 25-lap, $1,000-to-win feature courtesy of Rains Ice. It’s the first leg of the 2016 ULMA Triple Crown Shootout.
Visit participating area Casey’s locations for $2 discount coupons to the night’s activities. As part of the evening’s “Salute to America” all Veterans with ID and Scouts in uniform will be admitted free. The area’s wildest fireworks show, courtesy of AM Pyrotechnics, will light up the night sky at the conclusion of the racing program as we celebrate our Nation’s Independence.
For complete event information, archived stories, ticket info and schedule information for the season, visit lucasoilspeedway.com
Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With it’s entrance located just outside the pit gate this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks.
Click www.LucasOilSpeedway.com for more information and detailed directions to the speedway or call the Track Hotline at (417) 282-5984.
In addition, fans can get social with Lucas Oil Speedway by following @LucasSpeedway on Twitter, clicking “Like” at www.facebook.com/LucasOilSpeedway and on www.youtube.com/LucasOilSpeedway.