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Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

Just a few notes David, OK??

O'Reilly Auto Parts - Modified
A Main Finish 3/16/2007
West Siloam Speedway, West Siloam Springs, Oklahoma
Finish Driver (starting pos)

1 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (3)
2 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (5)
3 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (1)
4 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (17)
5 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (14)
6 93 - Cale Sponsler -- Grimes, IA (2)
7 12 - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (7)
8 13 - David Mitchell -- Ashdown, AR (15)
9 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (19)
10 89 - Steven Whiteaker -- Corpus Christi, TX (16)
11 7n - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (21)
12 5 - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (12)
13 11 - Brandon Morton -- Coweta, OK (20)
14 37F - Allen Frailey -- Chouteau, OK (22)
15 38 - Jeran Frailey -- Chouteau, OK (9)
16 85d - Mark Dotson -- Cameron, MO (6) Motor
17 88 - Chad Wheeler -- Muskogee, OK (18) Motor
18 76 - Chase Allen -- Midlothan, TX (8) Not Sure
19 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (4) Motor
20 91 - Joe Duvall -- Chelsea, OK (11) Not Sure
21 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (24)DNF
22 19 - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (13) Hit wall running 5th
23 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (23) DNF
24 26x - Brian Williams -- Fayetteville, AR (10) DNS Fuel pressure

Shryock's first time running a USMTS spec motor. Same result! VanderBeek was his main purserer for last year's title and non-specs his way to a second. Multi-time NCRA champion Greg Skaggs surprised folks when he showed up with a USMTS spec. Hopefully we get to see Greg at all the Southern Series races with this good of a start on points but who knows, he may still go National, Southern Region or, mix and match with other series and events. Greg drew pole and led half the race, Kelly drew 3rd and led the second half.

Man! How about Rockin' Rodney Sanders from waaaaayyyy off in Happy Texas! The Teenaged Panhandle Wonder wins a B main and advances from 17th to 4th in his first USMTS start! I'd say it was his first start at West Siloam but I think it was all of them's first start at West Siloam. They redid the track in the off-season. Rodney still has to graduate school so his travel will be restricted by that. Priorities you know but what a talent. Give him a senior trip to Monticello & Fast Trax this July! How 'bout it dad?!!

Hejna who won the two shows in Nebraska last week and 2nd strarting Cale Sponsler give the National Iowans 4 of the top 6 spots. Interestingly enough he the won last 2 USMTS last years with a USMTS spec and the first 2 shows this year without a spec. Somebody offered him good money for the spec so he sold it.

Arkies nailed down 7th, 8th & 9th with the TRE gurus of Johnny Bone, Jr. in 7th and 19th starting Steve Holzkamper getting 9th. In between was one of our ArkLaTex region representatives David Mitchell (former Boothill & Champion Park track champion and probably close to one at SWASS & Mt. Ida in the day too) in that former Bloomquist Shaw-by-Taylor with an 8th. Top ten is good start for all 3!

Big call to another loooooonnnngggg tower Steve Whiteaker, Jr. -- a South Texas Speedway regular representing The Valley -- with a top ten. What chassis is Steve in these days?

I'm hearing the fastest car in the first ten laps, was Louisiana's Jamie Burford. The 2006 ABC Auto Parts MODS champion came from the back of his heat to third. He was 13th and final transferee from the heat races. He drove his TRE-by-Baby Bone up to fifth using the high lane and then hit a small rut while passing Mark Noble and got the wall in turn two. Nothing important bent so he'll be back tonight!

What this tells me so far is Rick and Julie Magnuson may have hit it right when they redid the track this year. Lots of hard work and clay went into the track this off season and really since obtaining the track, Rick has constantly worked to improve it. The knock on it by some going into this weekend was too many rocks in the track and too rough. Hence The Justin Stanfill Memorial -- a great show by the way at a great facility with a near perfect race track and I wouldn't take nothing away from it! -- got 119 cars but WSS did get a respectable and very competitive 55 cars. (That's 174 modifieds 3 and half hour apart for those keeping score!).

Now that the first race is in on WSS's new surface and layout, the reports are good! No flats in the feature caused by anything but good ol' fashion rubbin' and lots of passing! No choo-choo around the bottom as feared by some. In fact, I think it was a little "hooked-up". Some guys even put the RPMs to their motors. From what I understand, a lot of the same folks who worked at Fayetteville's now-gone-to-real-estate Thunder Valley Speedway are at West Siloam and TVS was a real racy place! WSS lost a couple cars maybe that were a little behind last night and maybe one or two that broke but I think they break the 60 mark tonight!

Makes me wish I was there even more! Lets get to West Siloam Speedway and race tonight folks!!!

It was 4 in the morning when I posted, wasn't much for staying up for tidbits as the Viviran was in it's waining moments.

Tri-State had between thirty and thirty-five modifieds, just one hour south of WSS.

It had been a good ten years since I last visited the track but I remember back then that it wasn't really that great of a track. I liken this track to those I have seen ASCS and the WoO on. The racing surface and layout may make you think it won't be that good but the caliper of drivers on hand make it a great show. Yes, it is showing the owners at WSS are going to make it work and from what I understand is tons better than previous years with more to come.

Jeremy Rasmussen of Bentonville wants to run full-time for USMTS rookie of the year honors in 2008 and the kid has tons of talent. Wants to make sure he don't race too many sanctioned USMTS events so he can keep his rookie status for 2008.

If Steve Whiteaker, Jr. of Corpus Christi competes for the Southern Series championship, he will be a force to recogne with and should get honored for his long tow, even though there will be alot of those races closer to his home later in the season.

Hook, you know your modified stuff about like I once did my sprint car stuff. Not too shabby for a Cajun.

USMTS is about like the WoO of sprint car and late model drivers and those regulars make a sprint car junkie actually like modified racing. Don't forget in just two weeks, all these guys and probably twenty or so more will be at Enid Motor Speedway. I say it will be a must see weekend.

David Smith Jr.
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