Double-X finishes season

Eldon's Steve Beach celebrates his super stock feature win with team members on Sunday, Aug. 2. Zach Pripusich of Sedalia presented the trophy and displayed the Autisim Awareness ribbon, assisted by Double-X Speedway "Director of Competition' Roy Wood pictured far left.
Eldon's Steve Beach celebrates his super stock feature win with team members on Sunday, Aug. 2. Zach Pripusich of Sedalia presented the trophy and displayed the Autisim Awareness ribbon, assisted by Double-X Speedway "Director of Competition' Roy Wood pictured far left.

The final checkered flag has fallen at Double-X Speedway in California for 2015. All in attendance were "Racing for a Reason" to promote autism awareness. This event saw fundraising efforts to help provide funds for autism awareness, organized by sprint car driver T.J. Muths and his family.

A highlight for many in attendance was the appearance of National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member Bill Utz and his iconic, yellow No. 56 "Ol' Yeller" sprint car.

The evening saw some impressive runs by the drivers, points standings in all divisions were finalized and a few novice drivers got to experience what it is like behind the wheel in the annual powder puff and mechanics races.

With 25 winged sprint cars signed in for the evening, a full card was on tap for the division. The first heat saw point-leader Ricky Stangl and his closest rival Jonathan Cornell both on the grid. However, it was fourth starting Cody Baker that would take the lead on lap one and go the remaining distance to secure the victory and to claim the special, pink pedal car "Racing for a Reason" trophy.

Cornell would place second and Stangl third.

Heat two saw Curtis Boyer secure the victory with Clyde Knipp and J. Kinder in the top three. In heat three Jay Russell led early but Taylor Walton would take the lead on a lap-three restart and held on for the victory. Tyler Blank and Russell finished in second and third.

An eight-lap B feature saw Tyler Elliott lead green to checker and transfer into the A main along with Broc Elliott, Muths, Ben Brown and Faron Crank. When the 25-lap A Feature took the green, pole starter Cody Baker jumped into the lead and steadily increased his margin over the field. Cornell would consistently pace in the top three as Stangl worked to advance from his seventh starting position.

Taylor Walton settled into the second position and would chase the leader the entire distance as the race would run the full 25 laps without caution flags. At the checkered it would be Cody Baker claiming the victory followed by Walton, Cornell, Stangl and Kinder completing the top 5. Blank, Curtis Boyer, Russell, Scott Comstock and Corey Nelson would round out the top 10.

The Street Stock division had the closest point standings heading into the evening, as veteran Steve Beach held a very slim advantage over young Cole Henson. This situation changed during the first heat as Henson would take the victory while Beach would spin in turn three and cross the finish line in fifth. John Clancy, Jr. and Jeff Offerman finished second and third.

In the second heat Dale Berry claimed the victory over Brandon Dunham and Dylan Bias. With Henson and Berry on the front row for the feature, and Beach starting ninth, the 15-lap contest would decide the point champion for the division. Henson would lead the first 12 laps while Beach would steadily climb through the field.

On lap 13, Beach would take over the lead with a pass coming out of turn four to claim the victory. Jeff Offerman drove a steady race to finish second, Zach Smith would claim third, Bias was fourth and Berry would claim fifth after a lap ten spin saw him restart at the tail.

In the Hobby Stock division, it was all Gage Wineland, which was fitting as the driver was running his last race in his familiar 12G machine, after selling the car at the beginning of the night. Wineland would claim the heat race and would lead all twelve laps in the feature event.

While Wineland was working on his victory drive, the rest of the field was jockeying for position. Rudy Wirts came from the rear of the field to finish second, Kevin Prall was third, Tanya Canada was fourth and Katie Goodson completed the top five.

The 600cc Micro Sprint division was completing their first points earning season at Double-X and they have not failed in putting on a good show. Dean Hathman and Ryan Marsch led the field to the green flag after claiming their respective heat race victories. Marsch would take the point on lap one and maintained the lead throughout the 15-lap main event.

Miles Paulus gave chase throughout the event but had to settle for second. Dwayne Benson finished third, Nick Rasa was fourth and Scott Hathman rounded out the top 5.

In the special races held at the conclusion of the event, Marshall Berry claimed the Street Stock mechanics race in the 05, Joni Hammond was victorious in the Hobby Stock Powder Puff driving the 14, Cole Canada drove the 54 to victory in the Hobby Stock mechanics race.

In the 600cc Micro Sprints Sloane Arnold was the powder Puff Champion in the 75 and Tyler Dowell won the Mechanics title in the 88J. The Sprint Car "mechanics" race saw Miles Paulus park the 49B in victory lane.

Special awards and Season points awards were given out at the conclusion of the regular race program. Those results and photos will be featured in next weeks edition.

Double X Speedway Sunday, Aug. 2 Race Results:

Winged Sprint Cars-(25 cars)

Feature Event:

  1. 38-Cody Baker, Lone Jack; 2. 93-Taylor Walton, Warrensburg; 3. 28-Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia; 4. 24S-Ricky Stangl, Lees Summit; 5. 77*-J. Kinder, Holts Summit; 6. 75-Tyler Blank, California; 7. 72- Curtis Boyer, New Haven; 8. 76-Jay Russell, Elwood,Kan.; 9. 41-Scott Comstock, Prairie Home; 10. 34-Corey Nelson, Eugene; 11. 99X-Michael Ell, Raymore; 12. 49E-Tyler Elliott, California; 13. 65-TJ Muths, Sedalia; 14. 24c Lanny Carpenter, Clarksburg; 15. 13-Clyde Knipp, California; 16. 75E-Broc Elliott, California; 17. 49B-Ben Brown, Marshall; 18. 12C-Faron Crank, Sedalia; 19. XX-AJ Wirts, California; 20. 5-Matt Close, LaMonte.

B Feature:

  1. T. Elliott; 2. B. Elliott; 3. Muths; 4. Brown; 5. Crank; 6. 10-Will Register, Sedalia; 7. 48-Dean Hathman, Rocheport; 8. 8-Jeff Wingate, Centertown; 9. 8X-Jase WIngate, California; 10. 61A- John Manley, California.

Heat 1:

  1. Baler; 2. Cornell; 3. Stangl; 4. Nelson; 5. Carpenter; 6. Crank; 7. Register; 8. Jase Wingate; 9. Brown.

Heat 2:

  1. Boyer; 2. Knipp; 3. Kinder; 4. Ell; 5. Close; 6. T. Elliott; 7. B. Elliott; 8. Jeff Wingate.

Heat 3:

  1. Walton; 2. Blank; 3. Russell; 4. Comstock; 5. Wirts; 6. Muths; 7. Hathman; 8. Manley.

Street Stocks

Feature Event:

  1. 10-Steve Beach, Eldon; 2. 8up- Jeff Offerman, California; 3. 12Z-Zach Smith, Centertown; 4. 43-Dylan Bias, Centertown; 5. 05-Dale Berry, Tuscumbia; 6. 7-Evan Hays, California; 7. 31C-Cole Henson, Russellville; 8. 96-John Clancy, Jr., California; 9. 14D-Brandon Dunham, California; 10. 52J-James Keeran, California.

Heat 1:

  1. Henson; 2. Clancy; 3. Offerman; 4. Keeran; 5. Beach.

Heat 2:

  1. Berry; 2. Dunham; 3. Bias; 4. Smith; 5. Hays.

Hobby Stocks

Feature Event:

  1. 12G-Gage Wineland, Syracuse; 2. 2X-Rudy Wirts, California; 3. 14-Kevin Prall, Sedalia; 4. 54-Tanya Canada, Fulton; 5. 15-Katie Goodson, Sedalia; 6. 4A-Laura Atkinson, Eldon; 7. 171-Chuck Coffey, Windsor; 8. 11-Mike Schrader, Sedalia.

Heat Race:

  1. WIneland; 2, Canada; 3. Prall; 4. Schrader; 5. Goodson; 6. Atkinson; 7. Coffey; 8. Wirts.

600cc Micro Sprints

Feature:

  1. 2R-Ryan Marsch, Jefferson City; 2. 98P-Miles Paulus, Marshall; 3. 35B Dwayne Benson, Sweet Springs; 4. 26B-Nick Rasa, Marshall; 5. 56-Dean Hathman, Rocheport; 6. 75-Travis Arnold, Pilot Grove; 7. 56H-Scott Hathman, Columbia; 8. 88J-Jimmy Dowell, Boonville; 9. 15K-Kaitlin Boland, Columbia; 10. 76-Kale Mueller, Savannah; 11. 4-Daniel Steen, Concordia; 12. 5- Paul Alberson, Marshall; 13. 37-Then Green, Boonville; 14. 72-Casey Kempker, Jefferson City.

Heat 1:

  1. D. Hathman; 2. Mueller; 3. Rasa; 4. S. Hathman; 5. Steen; 6. Green; 7. Kempker.

Heat 2:

  1. Marsch; 2. Boland; 3. Paulus; 4. Arnold; 5. Benson; 6. Alberson; 7. Dowell.