Double-X Speedway
California, MO
July 24, 2016

For Immediate release–

Sunday night saw the 14th Annual Clyde Wood Memorial Race take place upon the clay oval in California, MO where the race’s namesake used to wave the flags every Sunday night. Clyde Wood would be proud of the support that this race has received from racers and fans alike. The 2016 edition was once again a stop on the ASCS Warrior Region Sprint Car Tour with 22 drivers on hand to vie for the $2500 Winner’s share. Drivers towed in from Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Texas to try their hand at taming the home of Sunday Night Thunder. Three Heat races in the division were run to determine who would make the redraw to set the first four rows of the feature event. Heat one saw veteran competitors JR Topper and Randy Martin on the front row for the start. Martin would jump into the lead on the opening lap and claim the victory by a comfortable margin. Topper would finish second, Taylor Walton third and Austin Alumbaugh completed the top four. The second heat featured two young guns on the front row with Topeka KS shoe Wyatt Burks and Broc Elliott leading the field to green. Burks would claim the victory over Jonathan Cornell, Josh Baughman and Curtis Boyer. The third and final heat has Evan Martin and Ben Brown on the front row at the green with Martin securing the victory. Tony Bruce,Jr. finished second, Jay Russell was third and Brad Ryun claimed fourth. The top 8 drivers in passing points would redraw to set the first four rows for the 25 lap feature event.

Wyatt Burks and Randy Martin drew the top two numbers and were on the front row for the main event. At the drop of the green flag, Martin took command of the race opening up a comfortable lead over the field. Behind the leader the racing was intense as Tony Bruce Jr., Josh Baughman, Burks and others were racing side by side trying to catch the leader. First TBJ and then Baughman would hold the second spot but a driver very familiar with Double-X was moving forward from his eighth starting spot. By lap 16 Jonathan Cornell had raced his way into second and began slowly reeling in Martin. Running the top line in 1 & 2 and the bottom in 3 & 4, Cornell would pass Martin on lap 19 to take command. A red on lap 20 for Taylor Walton, who turned over in turn 1 would bunch the field and would give Martin another chance at regaining the lead. With Cornell keeping a steady line, Martin tried the bottom, middle and top lines but could not muster a pass on the 28 machine. Cornell would be the victor with Martin second, Baughman third, Tony Bruce,Jr. finished fourth and Tyler Blank came to fifth from his 16th starting spot. Jay Russell was sixth, Austin Alumbaugh finished seventh, Corey Nelson eighth, Evan Martin ninth and Lanny Carpenter completed the top ten.

The Street Stock division was also on the card and is a race that many of these drivers have on their radar each season as well. Two heat races were run with Harlan Dowell claiming the first and Cole Henson claiming the second. With Dowell and Henson leading the pack to the green flag. Henson won the race into turn one and maintained a steady lead over Dowell, Derek Henson, John Clancy Jr. and Steve Beach. These five separated themselves from the remainder of the field and raced hard until a yellow on lap 11 slowed the pace. On the restart, an incident involving Dowell and Derek Henson bunched the field after they both retired to the pit area. After a consecutive yellow for Clancy, the restart saw veteran Steve Beach move into the second spot behind the youngster Henson. Beach had found the high line to his liking and on the white flag lap took the high line in turn 1 and drove around Henson exiting turn 2 to lead the final lap and claim the victory. Beach and Henson were followed under the checkered flag by Clancy who did a great job recovering to finish third, Destiny Dowell drove a great race to finish fourth and James Keeran came home fifth. Dylan Bias was the final car completing the event in sixth.

The 600cc Micro Sprints were the final division in competition for the evening with 15 cars on hand. Two heat races would set the starting field for the event. Kale Mueller claimed the first heat over Brian Wood, Braydon Cromwell and Branigan Roark. The second heat was won by Kameron Key finishing ahead of Nick Rasa, Travis Arnold and Tyler Dowell. With the field set, Mueller and Key led the field to green. Mueller used the front row start to his advantage and would lead the opening three laps with Rasa side by side. Rasa would lead the next three before Mueller took command for good on lap seven. Rasa would fade as Kameron Key moved into second after a lap ten restart. At the checkered Mueller and Key were followed by Braydon Cromwell in third, Rasa in fourth and Kaitlin Boland rounding out the top five.

The 2016 season of Sunday Night Thunder will come to a close next Sunday night with the crowning of season champions and other special awards with the mechanics and powder puff races to conclusion the evenings events.

Double-X Speedway
Clyde Wood Memorial Results-

ASCS Warrior Region Sprint Cars-
Feature Event-
1. 28-Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia; 2. 14-Randy Martin, California; 3. 17-Josh Baughman, Odessa,TX; 4. 86-Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal,KS; 5. 75-Tyler Blank, California; 6. 76-Jay Russell, Elwood,KS; 7. 33-Austin Alumbaugh, Higginsville; 8. 34-Corey Nelson, Eugene; 9. 4-Evan Martin, California; 10. 24-Lanny Carpenter, Clarksburg;11. 75K-Derek Hagar, Marion,AR; 12. 49B-Ben Brown, Marshall; 13. 72-Curtis Boyer, New Haven; 14. 27-Danny Thoman, Higginsville; 15. 11W-Wyatt Burks, Topeka, KS; 16. 1X-Brad Ryun, Higginsville; 17.0-Mike Trent, Rocheport; 18. 48-Miles Paulus, Marshall; 19. Taylor Walton, Warrensburg; 20. 75E-Broc Elliott, California; 21. 92J-JR Topper, St. Joseph; 22. 9M-Cody Baker, Lone Jack
Heat 1-
1. R.Martin; 2. Topper; 3. Walton; 4. Alumbaugh; 5. Blank; 6. Nelson; 7. Hagar; 8. Paulus
Heat 2-
1. Burks; 2. Cornell; 3. Baughman; 4. Boyer; 5. Thoman; 6. Trent; 7. Elliott
Heat 3-
1. E. Martin; 2. Bruce Jr.; 3. Russell; 4. Ryun; 5. Carpenter; 6. Brown; 7. Baker

Street Stocks-
Feature Event-
1. 10-Steve Beach, Eldon; 2. 31C-Cole Henson, Russellville; 3. 8-John Clancy Jr., California; 4. 29D-Destiny Dowell, Tipton; 5. 52J-James Keeran, California; 6. 43-Dylan Bias, Centertown; 7. 29-Harlan Dowell, Tipton; 8. 27D-Derek Henson, Russellville; 9. 7-Evan Hays, California; 10. 05-Da;e Berry, Tuscumbia
Heat 1-
1. H. Dowell; 2. Beach; 3. D. Dowell; 4. Keeran; 5. Berry
Heat 2-
1. C. Henson; 2. D. Henson; 3. Clancy; 4. Hays; 5. Bias

600cc Micro Sprints-
Feature Event-
1. 76-Kale Mueller, Savannah; 2. 7JR-Kameron Key, Warrensburg; 3. 4C-Braydon Cromwell, Lone Jack; 4. 26B-Nick Rasa, Sedalia; 5. 15-Kaitlin Boland, Columbia; 6. 92-Brian Wood, California; 7. 75-Travis Arnold, Pilot Grove; 8. 88J-Tyler Dowell, Marshall; 9. 44-Branigan Roark, Lincoln; 10. 81T-Rudy Reyes, Marshall;11. 18-Steve Flinn, Collinsville IL; 12. 5-Paul Alberson, Marshall; 13. 22A-Mitch Workmann, Belle; 14. 9S-Nick Schaefer, Marshall; 15. 4R-Braydon Renfro, Tipton

Heat 1-
1. Mueller; 2. Wood; 3. Cromwell; 4. Roark; 5. Boland; 6. Reyes; 7. Schaefer
Heat 2-
1. Key; 2. Rasa; 3. Arnold; 4. Dowell; 5. Renfro; 6. Flinn; 7. Alberson