CALIFORNIA - Double-X Speedway was able to thwart the efforts of mother nature and hosted the 2015 edition of "The Tribute to Jesse and Freddie" Sunday night. The annual event was originally scheduled for Memorial Day weekend. But that event was washed out and re-scheduled for Father's Day, which was quite fitting as they were not only able to honor Jesse Hockett but were also able to honor the "Father of Double-X" Freddie Hohman on this special event.
The cars and stars of the ASCS Warrior Region were on hand to do battle on the 1/4-mile clay oval. Adding to the evening was the offer to the top eight sprint car drivers to "Take it to the Tail Hockett Style" and potentially earn an additional $4,150 if one of them would take the challenge and start at the rear of the feature and race the field for the win.
Four heat races and a B feature event set the field for the A feature in the ASCS Warrior division. The top eight drivers in passing points convened on the front straightaway at intermission to draw for their main event starting position and to see who would be brave enough to take the challenge. Jonathan Cornell was the first driver in the draw and was offered first chance at the challenge. Much to the delight of fans, Cornell accepted the challenge and started at the tail of the 20-car field, in honor of the guy that taught him how to drive the tight quarter mile known as Double-X Speedway.
After the remaining drivers drew, the field was set, which saw Andy McElhannon and Austin Alumbaugh starting on the front row. Alumbaugh, who has been on a hot streak lately in sprint car competition, won the battle on lap one with McElhannon and the rest of the field in pursuit. During the opening laps, Aumbaugh opened up about a 10-car length lead on the field. But as he started encountering lapped traffic on lap-three, McElhannon started closing the gap.
An eighth lap caution bunched the field behind the leader and the crowd was abuzz as Jonathan Cornell had already made his way into the top 10. When green flag racing resumed, Alumbaugh continued to hold the point as Cornell continued picking off cars.
As the laps clicked off, it became apparent that another caution would be needed for Cornell to make a run to the lead. But it was not to be as the next 17 laps clicked off quickly as Alumbaugh would claim his second ASCS Warrior Region feature of the weekend.
Ninth starting Derek Hagar would make a charge to claim second in the Hockett Racing No. 75H, McElhannon claimed third in his first visit to the track, Tyler Thomas crossed the stripe fourth, and Cornell's charge would net him a fifth place at the checker. Ricky Stangl, Josh Fisher, Jay Russell, Corey Nelson and Brandon Hanks would complete the top ten.
Another special event, the "Cory Weirman Turn 1" memorial dash-for-cash was a five-lap dash for the four qualifying heat race winners. Jonathan Cornell picked up $500 for winning this event. Tyler Thomas, Tyler Blank and Danny Thoman rounded out the field. Heat race victories were claimed by Cornell, Thoman, Thomas and Blank. The B feature was won by Kevin Ulmer and along with the winner, Evan Martin, Dean Hathman and TJ Muths also transferred to the A feature.
In the Super Stock division, Derek Henson was the victor. He earned the feature victory by holding off the cagey, hard charging veteran Steve Beach. Following them across the line was Clayton Campbell with a narrow margin to claim third over Cole Henson and Brandon Dunham in fifth. Cole Henson and Campbell battled hard in the closing laps keeping fans excited watching the duel. Heat races were claimed by Dunham and Derek Henson.
The Hobby Stock division was also on the card and Gage Wineland was able to put another notch on his steering wheel, claiming the feature event over Rudy Wirts in second, Kevin Prall in third, Mike Schrader in fourth and Chuck Coffey completing the top five. Wineland also claimed the lone heat race in the division.
Rounding out the evening were the 600cc Micro Sprints with Marshall Shoe Miles Paulus picking up feature win number two on the season at Double-X. Running a strong second and pressuring the leader the entire 15 laps, Ayrton Gennetten would cross the line No. two, third was Derrick Ortega, fourth was Travis Arnold and Kyle Spry claimed fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Jimmy Dowell, Nick Schaefer, Dean Hathman, Scott Hathman and Ryan Marsch. Gennetten and Paulus claimed heat race victories in this division.
Racing will resume next Sunday evening, as Double-X hosts the "Racing for a Reason" event helping to raise awareness for autism. Sprint car driver T.J. Muths and his family have put a lot of effort into this event and will be having a fundraising auction at intermission to help raise funds for this cause. It is also said that the famed "Ol' Yeller" No. 56 sprint car of Muths' grandfather Bill Utz will be on hand this evening also.
The ASCS "Red White and Bue Tour" will be kicking off at Double-X July 2 and will again conclude at the track July 5.
In between, the tour will make stops at Callaway Raceway and Randolph County Raceway. More special events are coming in July with the annual "Race for Riley" featuring the ULMA Late Models and the "Battle of the Badges" will return in July, as will the ASCS Warriors for the annual "Clyde Wood Memorial".
Keep up with these events at www.xxspeedway.com, on the Double-X Speedway Facebook page or the Double-X Speedway Fan Page on Facebook.
ASCS Warrior Region Sprint Cars
A Feature Event
- 33-Austin Alumbaugh, Higginsville; 2. 75H- Derek Hagar, Marion, AR; 3. 42-Andy McElhannon, Nesbit, MS; 4. 86-Tyler Thomas, Tulsa, OK; 5. 28-Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia; 6. 24S-Ricky Stangl, Lees Summit; 7. 72X-Josh Fisher, Jefferson City, MO; 8. 76-Jay Russell, Elwood,KS; 9. 34-Corey Nelson, Eugene; 10. 84-Brandon Hanks, Burleson, TN; 11, 4-Evan Martin, California; 12. 75-Tyler Blank, California; 13. 93-Taylor Walton, Warrensburg; 14. 65-TJ Muths, Sedalia; 15. 99X-Michael Ell, Raymore; 16. 20K-Kevin Ulmer, Sedalia; 17. 48-Dean Hathman, Rocheport; 18. 24C-Lanny Carpenter, Clarksburg; 19. 27-Danny Thoman, Higginsville; 20. 75E-Broc Elliott, California
B Feature
- Ulmer; 2. Martin; 3. Hathman; 4. Muths; 5. 49-Ben Brown, Marshall; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp, California; 7. XX-AJ Wirts, California; 8. 12C-Faron Crank, Sedalia
Cory Weirman Memorial Dash for Cash-
- Cornell; 2. Thomas; 3. Blank; 4. Thoman
Heat 1-
- Cornell; 2. Alumbaugh; 3. Stangl; 4. Ell; 5. Brown; 6. Wirts
Heat 2-
- Thoman; 2. Russell; 3. Nelson; 4. Hagar; 5. Ulmer; 6. Martin
Heat 3-
- Thomas; 2. McElhannon; 3. Hanks; 4. Elliott; 5. Walton; 6. Knipp
Heat 4-
- Blank; 2. Fisher; 3. Carpenter; 4. Hathman; 5. Crank; 6. Muths
Street Stocks
Feature Event
- 27D-Derek Henson, Russellville; 2. 10-Steve Beach, Eldon; 3. 30C-Clayton Campbell, Otterville; 4. 31C-Cole Henson, Russellville; 5. 14D-Brandon Dunham, California; 6. 8UP-Jeff Offerman, California; 7. 12Z-Zachary Smith, Centertown; 8. 52J-James Keeran, California; 9. 7-Evan Hays, California; 10. 05-Dale Berry, Tuscumbia; 11. 21W-Ted Welschmeyer, Tebbetts; 12. 15 Curt Turpin, Jefferson City (DNS)
Heat 1-
- Dunham; 2. Offerman; 3. C. Henson; 4. Hays; 5. Berry; 6. Welschmeyer
Heat 2-
- D. Henson; 2. Beach; 3. Campbell; 4. Keeran; 5. Smith; 6. Turpin (DNS)
Hobby Stocks
Feature Event
- 12G-Gage Wineland, Syracuse; 2. 2X-Rudy Wirts, California; 3. 14-Kevin Prall, Sedalis; 4. 11-Mike Schrader, Sedalia; 5. 54-Tanya Canada, Fulton; 6. 171-Chuck Coffey, Windsor; 7. 15-Katie Goodson, Sedalia
Heat 1-
1, Wineland; 2. Wirts; 3. Prall; 4. Schrader; 5. Canada; 6. Coffey; 7. Goodson
600cc Micro Sprints
Feature Event
- 98P-Miles Paulus, Marshall; 2. 3-Ayrton Gennetten, Versailles; 3. 74-Derrick Ortega, Albequerque,NM; 4. 75-Travis Arnold, Pilot Grove; 5.. 3K-Kyle Spry, Columbia; 6. 88J-Jimmy Dowell, Boonville; 7. 9S-Nick Schaefer, Marshall; 8. 56H-Dean Hathman, Rocheport; 9. 56-Scott Hathman, Columbia; 10. 2R-Ryan Marsch, Jefferson City; 11. 02-Austin Crane, Ashland; 12. 3G-Garret Williamson, Columbia; 13. Jordan Howell, Columbia; 14. 11-Tom Curran, Kansas City; 15. 35B-Dwayne Benson, Sweet Springs; 16. 18E-Owen Evinger, Odessa; 17. 37-Ethan Greene, Wooldridge; 18. 72-Casey Kempker, Jefferson City
Heat 1-
- Gennetten; 2. Ortega; 3. Dowell; 4. S. Hathman; 5. Marsch; 6. Evinger; 7. Williamson; 8. Benson; 9. Kempker
Heat 2-
- Paulus; 2. Spry; 3. Arnold; 4. D. Hathman; 5. Schaefer; 6. Curran; 7. Crane; 8. Howell; 9. Greene