Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

Hey Hooked, I WILL be there on Saturday night as it is in the budget for this pay period. South Texas was not budgeted for last weekend so I missed a great time it sounded like. I would go for both nights at Batesville but to miss a ASCoT show at OKC? Don't think so.

My question too you is this, where do you think Terry Phillips and Jeremy Payne will be headed that weekend? Batesville and two nights of USMTS southern series races or Lucas Oil Speedway for $25,000 to win late models?

Just an question too you as you have more "in the knows" in the modified world than I.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

That's an easy one. Payne and Phillips will be Late Model racing. $25,000 vs. $5000.

We're still going to have plenty of Mods and a great show though.

Is there advantages to having a USMTS Southern Series license? Yes. Even if you're not running for points.

The license costs $100. Now first place pays the same whether you have a license or not but start money is $50 more per race and for other spots, the difference may be even more than that. Make two USMTS Southern Series features and the license will pay for itself at the very least. Also, if you pre-enter the races, you save $20 on the entry fee if your licensed. Normally that's 5 days ahead of the race but Todd also gives you up to 30 minutes after the race to enter the next day's race at the pre-entry rate.

You must have a license before you can earn USMTS points. The Southern Series has it's own point fund too. To earn points you must run the American Racer kk704 tires. Stamped Hoosier G60s tires are also legal but since the American Racer tire is the official tire of USMTS, you don't receive any points unless you run the ARs.

Now after the two Batesville races this weekend, the next Southern Series events will be at Monticello Speedway in Arkansas on July 27th and Fast Trax Speedway in Chatham, Louisiana on July 28th and each night is $2000 to win. After that, they head for Joe Madore's Clinton Motorsports Park in Oklahoma for a possible $6000 to win weekend on September 13th through 15th. Man is there going to be some passing and racing at these next seven USMTS Southern Series races!

There are several more late season shows scheduled for Texas and maybe another weekend in Louisiana too to end the year so you will have plenty more opportunities to put that license to good use in 2007!

USMTS Southern Series points got real interesting for every position but one after Houston.  Naturally after a win, a 2nd and a 7th, not much changed at the top spot as 8-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock continues to lead the Southern Series points.  Shryock plans on running all the Southern Series races as long as he's in that top spot too.  The point fund makes the long tows from Iowa worth the trip and he travels with fellow Iowan, 22-year old Zack VanderBeek -- the 2004 USMTS Rookie of the Year and the 2006 runner-up to Shryock in the points last year.  VanderBeek is currently fourth in points and has also taken a liking to Batesville's big 3/8 mile oval having finished third there on the Friday night of the Batesville Modified Madness week last year. 

The two big movers in Houston though were Gentry, Arkansas racer and TRE Chassis designer & builder Steve Holzkamper who moved up two spots to second in the standings and Bixby, Oklahoma racer Grag Skaggs who jumped up 6 spots to third!  Holzkamper had solid finishes of 4th, 5th and 6th in Houston while Skaggs -- racing in one of Kelly's Skyrocket Chassis cars -- really got it going with a win, a third and a fifth and came up just 2 points shy of beating Shryock for the Rinehart Trucking weekend points bonus ($500) for the 3 Houston races.  Shryock leads the Southern Series in wins having won 4 of the 7 events so far over an average car count of 56 cars per race.  Skaggs, Texan Chris Brown and Iowan Jay Noteboom have the other wins.  In Southern Series dollars, Shryock leads with $13,000 won so far with Skaggs a distant second at $5,575.  3rd is VanderBeek at $4625, 4th, Holzkamper, $3700 and 5th, Timms at $3625.  In spite of only being at 2 shows all year, Jeremy Payne, who is racing out of Missouri with Terry Phillips in 2007, is sixth in money won with $3500 on the strength of two second places.

Wheatland, Oklahoma's Randy Timms had a good weekend going in Houston with a 6th and a 7th, but wound up the first DNF in the last race at Cleveland, TX which hurt him in the poin points and dropped him to 5th in the standings.  The narrow groove at 105 Speedway made racing tough but Timms made a provisional-saving pass in the B main on Josh Landers (a heartbreaker for Josh though!) with one lap to go.  USMTS allows you one provisional in your series every ten events.  Of the top ten drivers, only Shryock, Timms and Tommy Weder, Jr. have not used a provisional yet.  Timms is very strong in his Taylor-Shaw at Batesville though as evidenced by his third in last year's Madness final and he was closing on pole winner Kelly Shryock at the end of the Wednesday night Madness feature there last year and was runner-up to Kansan David Murray in Monday's No-Arkies race last year as well.

Woodward, Oklahoma's Tommy Weder, Jr. stayed at 6th in points while his 2007 teammate Jason Hughes slipped one position to 8th.  Hughes has had some success at Batesville in the past though.  Rodney Sanders missed a feature in Houston and had already burned his provisional earlier in Oklahoma.  The 17-year old Happy, Texas high school senior is still 7th in points  though and last I heard, was planning on making this weekend his first ever visit to Batesville Motor Speedway.

A couple of Ark-La-Tex area racers round out the top ten in points and each moved up in the standings.  After burning his provisional on Friday at Motorama in spite of having fast car, Jamie Burford of Keatchie, Louisiana rebounded with a third place finish in his TRE-by-Baby-Bone Chassis at Gator Motorplex after a thrilling battle at the front of the pack with Skaggs and Shryock.  Burford then put in in the show at 105 and moved from 15th to 9th in points at the weekend's end.  Ashdown, Arkansas's David Mitchell in a Taylor-Shaw made all three shows and burned his provisional at Gator, but with a 13th & a 14th after the weekend, he moved up three spots to tenth in points.  David and crew chief Scott Young along with Burford and his crew chief most nights, Jim Burford seem to help each other quite a bit on this tour and both teams seem to be making gains.  Jamie doesn't have a great track record at Batesville though.  He did have a top ten at the No-Arkies race last year but that's about it.  Mitchell has had  some decent Batesville runs in the past and now he's driving the very car that won the Alltell 100 in 2004 with Scott Bloomquist at the wheel so you know they are looking forward to Batesville this week!  On top of that, Mitchell just got married Saturday night!  The same fate, huh, I mean pleasure (ha, ha, just kidding Amanda!) awaits Jamie Burford in the not so distant future but this past Saturday, he was finishing fourth in Doug Murphrey Memorial at Fast Trax where the USMTS Southern Series will invade on July 28th.  Hey, I've seen Amanda handle a rivet gun at Motorama so that impending marriage.....will work out just fine!

Back to the points though, Kansan Scott Green has been to all seven Southern Series events so far, has a top five finish and is 11th in points.  He's followed by Texan Chase Allen, Okie Brandon Morton and another Texan, Steve Whiteaker, Jr. and all 3 also have perfect attendance so far.  In 15th, is a Red Oak, Texas racer who had a pretty good weekend in Houston that concluded with a fine fourth place effort at 105.  In spite of missing one of the Oklahoma shows, Bobby Malchus vaulted up to 15th place in points with that fourth and he's averaging over $300 payback per USMTS Southern Series show which can help keep you on the road in Modified racing.  Lady racer Dena Wilson, Brandon Kenny and Derek Ramirez -- all three from Oklahoma -- are 16th through 18th in the points and only Ramirez has missed a show (1).  Texans Charles Lasater and 2006 Red River Shootout winner Brandon Melton are tied for 19th in points and neither one has missed a Southern Series race yet.

Kansan John Allen and Pea Ridge, Arkansas's Johnny Bone, Jr. both skipped the Houston shows and fell to 21st & 22nd in points.  If Bone doesn't have a Late model ride at Wheatland this weekend, we could see him in Batesville. 

John Whittington of Vidor, TX missed all the Oklahoma races because he was welcoming his new born son, Jaxon Whittington to the world.  John-O said earlier he planned on making all the Southern Series races left in 2007.  He's 24th in points now after making 2 of the 3 Houston races and finsihing 4th and 8th in those!  So, look for perhaps the best finish in a long time by a Hot Chassis this weekend at Batesville.  Whittington runs Batesville pretty well when he has all four wheels on the ground!

Kyle Pleasant of Robeline, LA made all 3 Houston features for his first USMTS starts of the year, scored a top ten and is 26th in points.  He also made that Alltell 100 field in Batesville out of 300 entries that year and has the car that won the $100 Grand in 2005 for Terry Phillips. 

Bentonville, Arkansas racer Jeremy Rasmussen had some good runs in the beginning of the year including a qualifying feature win in that 200-car Texas Motor Speedway field.  Rasmussen skipped Houston and is 27th in points. 

Chris Brown of Cleveland, TX entered all 3 Houston shows with his Skyrocket for his first USMTS starts of the year and only made one feature.  He made that one count though as he won at 105 Speedway and concluded a Skyrocket Chassis sweep of the weekend!  That has Brown 28th in points and he runs very well at Batesville and made the Alltell 100, the $100 Grand and the Madness features.

30th in points is Michael Robertson of Minden, Louisiana.  He took his Kraft Kars to Houston for his first USMTS events of the year and scored a top five in the one he was able to finish.  He's been strong every where he's raced at recently including Batesville where he won the Friday night part of the 2006 Madness to start on the front row.  In fact, he outran Bill Frye and VanderBeek that night to do that.  Later at the Topless 100 support shows, he reportedly blew a V6 motor up while running away with a heat race win.

In addition to the AR tires also being legal for USMTS as well as the stamped Hoosier G60s, quick change rears being legal and the USMTS spec-motor package option, another rule difference between USMTS and Batesville track rules is the weight limit in USMTS is all cars must weigh 2400 pounds (vs. 2350 I believe) and aluminum head engines must have 50 of that bolted on in front of the motor plate.

I'll preview some of the home boys next.  They are about the toughest bunch to beat anywhere in the country and you know this is Shaw-GRT country and not Skyrocket-land.  Hmmmm...

The following is my bit of "tidbits" for the USMTS southern series thus far:

153 different drivers from ten states have competed in seven USMTS southern series races held thus far with states represented from the following: Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, California and Wisconsin. With that said, 79 of those drivers have a USMTS license and are eligible for special bonus' and benefits.

As of the completed South Texas events at the end of April, eighteen drivers representing six states have competed in all seven USMTS southern series races with two drivers only missing one scheduled race. Those drivers who have competed in every USMTS southern series event thus far include the following: Shryock, Holzkamper, Skaggs, Vanderbeek, Timms, Weder, Sanders, Hughes, Burford, Mitchell, Green, Chase Allen, Morton, Whiteaker, Wilson, Kenny, Lasater and Melton. Those drivers only missing two events include Malchus and Ramirez.

The state of Oklahoma is representing the new southern series well as eight of the drivers mentioned above have followed the tour while Texas has six drivers in the top ninteen in the point standings.

Shryock leads the series with feature wins (4), followed by Skaggs, Chris Brown and Jay Noteboom all with one each.

The inaugural season of the USMTS southern series has been quite successful through the first seven races with an average car count of 58 at each event. Enid Speedway Park in Enid, Oklahoma's first ever USMTS event had the largest car count (67) with the smallest car count coming at Gator Motorplex (52) in Willis, Texas.

Rick Gifford, who lists Bakersfield, California as his hometown, has the early destinction of having furthest tow, twenty hours and twenty minutes from the streets of Bakersfield to Enid Speedway Park back in March.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

Cool! We got the same thread going over at midsouth and who won. Add that there too if you don't mind David.

You going to Batesville?

Going Saturday night, ASCoT at OKC is a high priority for Friday night or I would be there for both nights.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

Who will defend the home turf? The Batesvile local racers may be the toughest anywhere!

There's a long list of likelys & probables....

In addition to the obvious choices of Mid-America Modified champion Peyton Taylor and his brother Jeff Taylor -- the Taylor in Taylor-Shaw, -- Brandon Smith of Floral, Arkansas has to jump out next. He ran fourth at the MAMC and has won 3 of the 4 features run since then.

The Batesville point leader though is Shaw driver Ronnie Jeffrey who is running stronger than ever now in car 28. A youngster named Tyson Franks is second in points in car #F1 on the strength of 3 top five finishes. Both made the finals of the MAMC back in March too.

The Bad Boy Mower colors are being carried on the #777 Shaw being driven by the always tough Jared Landers -- the 2005 MAMC champion and sixth in this year's version.

There's a new name to me at speedway that maybe some of you Batesville folks can fill me in on. James Emerson #99. He was the feature winner on 4-21 with Batesville Shaw drivers Kevin Salter and Jason Wilkey in 2nd & 3rd so he can't be no slouch! I see where Emerson has had a 4th and 6th too and he's 4th in track points with the always tough to beat Salter, 5th in track points.

99 is a popular number for contendors up that way too. Allen Motorsports Chassis driver Eric Turner of Hermitage, Missouri had a 6th place finish at the MAMC. 2nd generation racer Brad Buck also runs the number and has a top 5 at Batesville this year and Memphis racer Brandon Poppenheimer has a Shaw #99 and runs Batesville well too.

Northeast Arkansas's Robby Arnold has a Taylor-Shaw now which as you all know are Taylor-made for Batesville and he had a ninth at this year's MAMC along with dozens of other wins and top finishes in many classes throughout the area in the past decade. One of his runnin' buddies, TJ Herndon out of Atwood, Tennessee is also close to the Taylor-Shaw camp and had a third on April 6th.

Ash Flat's Shawn Walsh is very fast with his Shaw at Batesville as well. He was fourth behind that trio of P. Taylor-Shryock-Timms in the Madness last year and was pressuring Timms at the end of that one. Had an 11th at the MAMC and I think made the two $100,000 to win shows as well.

Can't forget the Shaw Modified master Wayne Brooks. If it weren't for bad luck last November, Brooks could have collected a $10,000 pay day at Southern New Mexico's Fall Nationals. He dri-- ves a lot for the Waughs now -- Jerry and Greg who by the way, make their share of the big shows at their hometrack in Batesville as well.

And we can't forget "The Kid", Micheal Murphree from Little Rock! He's the Modified track champion for two years running now. Correct? And he's also made a lot of them big money features at Batesville too. And speaking of Little Rock drivers, Patrick Linn had a third at Batesville last Saturday. Is Tim Crawley going to get a Modified again? If he has one, that would be another Little Rock racer to contend with.

On the GRT side of things, the possibilities are 2006 Oklahoma Open champion Mike Bowers from North Little Rock, Texas Motor Speedway Pro-Cuts winner over a field of 200, Johnny Virden who was 13th in the MAMC, 2-time World Modified Champion Jack Sullivan and former Late Model pilot Chuck McGinty. One has to wonder if USMTS star Jon Tesch from South Dakota would also brong his GRT down as he runs very well at Batesville. Of course, GRT's two biggest Modified guns should be Late Model racing in Missouri this weekend.

Stilwell, Oklahoma's Eddie Martin may be the best shot D&M Chassis has at Batesville. He was tenth at the MAMC this year and won that $10,000 show last November at Las Cruces. He might have Alan Sharpensteen from Dumas, Texas with him if he does come.

In addition to Poppenheimer and Herndon, Tennessee has also had Ashley Newman in a Batesville field this year and from the Arkansas side of the river, Dustin Billingsly from Marion. Bart Richardson used to come alot but haven't seen him at Batesville in a while and the same can be said for Ricky Arms who I think is Late Model racing.

Hot Springs driver Robbie McClain likes Batesville alot and enough that he's pretty much been a regular there the last few years. Robby is 7th in track points this year. Odie Green from Fouke, Arkansas missed last week's Murphrey Memorial after finding a suspected problem with the rear gear and sure enough broke one at SWASS last week but could end up at Batesville this weekend.

Shay Knight's been over from Mississippi this year as have the Brock Brothers -- Jason and Bryan -- in their Shaws. Missourian Jesse Stovall put his Hoffman Chassis into the MAMC A Main this year and tends to run the USMTS stuff whenever it comes to southwest Missouri as does Terry Beckham II.

Who else? There's no telling! How about Micah Gavin, Jonathan and Jeremy Russell, Brandt Barksdale, Heath Davenport (the runner-up to Virden at TMS by-the-way!), Alvin Maple, Billy Shearer, etc., etc., the list is big!

Got some rule differnces that these guys need to notice. 5 inch spoilers allowed in USMTS. 2400 pound weight limit. I'm sure there are still a lot of American Racer tires still around Batesville these days even though it's not legal at the weekly shows. The locals' Hoosiers are also legal for USMTS.

I have couple wild cards left to talk about BUT....

I hope it ain't for naught. I'll have my eye on the weather radar tonight and in the morning and lets hope the track doesn't get too much water. It would be a shame to loose these shows to mother nature with the possibility of all this talent and equipment showing up!

60% chance of rain today but so far, nothing!

If it rains out Friday, the plan is to go for two shows in one day -- a day show and an evening show -- on Saturday!

Mooney's done those before.  If a special event race CAN be run at Batesville, it gets run.  You can count on the track giving 100% effort there.

Just a reminder, don't let weather forecasts scare you of at Batesville. This track has a great record of pulling it off when weather tries to mess up a show. The rocky soil drains well there. Mooney has assured Todd that they will do everything possible to get in a double show on Saturday should Friday rain out. And when he says it, he means it. There was a 60% chance of rain called for on Thursday in Batesville. It's all missed the track so far!

Wildcards?

How about Kraft Kar racer, recent newleywed & recent $2500 Doug Murphrey Memorial winner Chris Henigan of Marshall, Texas. Chris really likes the way his KK is driving and feels pretty good about Batesville. And the weather forecast for Saturday up there is better than it is down here!

Also, 16-year old and soon to have a summer job at Larry Shaw Race Cars in Batesville, Timmy Culp of West Monroe, Louisiana. Timmy was one caution away from making the MAMC A main back in March and is fast in his new Shaw.

Speaking of new jobs, got word from Jeremy Haddox last Saturday that he was headed to Greenbriar to work for BILL FRYE MOTORSPORTS. Jeremy is the younger brother of former Hav-a-Tampa Late Model racer Lee Jay Haddox.

How 'bout you Brian Sugg? You were an A-main finalist at the MAMC too!

Heard there were about 8 cars from Texas up there but...

There is rain headed for the track from the north. Never a good thing but I think Mooney's got his game face on for this one. He's determined to get these shows in this weekend. So...

Let's look at the bright side...

You now have extra time to get to the track. I see where NCAS rained out tonight so you foks that were headed there, take a chance....I think you'll see racing tonight in Batesville. This stuff will die down after dark and the Batesville staff are some of the best at recovering from rain showers. (kind of like Johnny Stokes at Columbus!) If for some reason they can't go tonight, look for that double show tomorrow but I'm betting on them not against them!

Friday night rained out and is rescheduled for Thusday, July 26th. Monticello is Fri, July 27th and Fast Trax is Saturday, July 28th. All of those are $2000 to win.

Saturday's (May 12th) $3000 to win is still on at Batesville!

from Jeff Nunn at USMTS,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, May 11, 2007

USMTS SOUTHERN SERIES RAINED OUT FRIDAY, STILL A GO FOR SATURDAY AT BATESVILLE

LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (May 11) - The USMTS Southern Series event slated for Friday, May 11, at the Batesville Motor Speedway was rained out, but the second half of the weekend doubleheader is still on for Saturday with $3,000 awaiting the winner.

Friday's rained-out event has been rescheduled for Thursday, July 26, and will also pay $3,000 to win. That event will precede the Friday, July 27, show at Monticello (Ark.) Speedway and the Saturday, July 28, show at Fast Trax Speedway in Chatham, La. All three events will be USMTS Southern Series events.

Officials also announced today that all three of those events will carry a $3,000 top prize -- up from the previously announced $2,000 to win.

Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks, E-Mods and the Front-Wheel-Drive class will also compete on Saturday night. Gates open at 5 p.m. with racing at 8 p.m.

The Batesville Motor Speedway is a 3/8-mile semi-banked dirt oval located 8.0 miles west of Batesville at the junction of SR 14 and SR 25 on Heber Springs Rd. For more info, call (870) 251-1817 or (870) 251-1200 on raceday or visit www.batesvillespeedway.com online.

To learn more about the O'Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series or USMTS Southern Series, call the headquarters office at (515)832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online.

And more good news...

Today's weather in Batesville:

Morning clouds give way to afternoon sun. Clear tonight. High 85 Low 61

Major adrenaline rush also predicted between 8 and 10:30PM!