Whitney Takes DRC Defrost 40 At Moler Raceway Park

Opening night at Moler Raceway Park was a great night to kick start the season. In the late model division there were 17 cars on hand and all hoping to take home the $1500 prize money. In heat race action it was Winchester, Ohio’s Nick Latham claiming victory in his Carpet Outlet, Showcase Cattle Co, Club 29 machine with Fayetteville,Ohio’s Mike Meyers coming home in second spot. In heat race #2 it was former track Champion John Whitney taking the win in his Stephan’s Heating & Cooling,Tom & Jerri Adams sponsored machine while Hanover, Indiana’s Cody Mahoney coming home in second spot. In the feature event it was a missing man formation to start the event in honor of Mark Morrison who lost his life in the off-season. At the green it was Whitney jumping to the early lead with Mahoney in close pursuit. On lap 15 Mahoney would take the lead and Chad Stapleton would take over second spot. Following a restart on lap #23 Whitney would charge from 3rd position to the top spot but Mahoney would come charging back and retake the lead on lap 29. On lap #32 Mahoney would have problems off of turn #4 and collect Stapleton in the process. On the restart it was Whitney out front but Nick Latham would again charge to the inside and be a side by side battle for the last 8 laps as the two would exchange the lead at the line but it was Whitney taking the win in his OH1O machine. Latham would come home second with Meyers, Stapleton (who restarted from tail with 8 to go) and Joe Brewer rounding out the top 5 spots.

In the UMP Modified division there were 23 cars on hand with 3 heat races needed to set the starting lineup. Heat # 1 was won by Columbus,Indiana driver Devin Gilpin in his Vallery Chevy, Dasco Race Supply, Scott Sales & Service sponsored machine. In heat #2 it was Liberty, Indiana’s Gary Dunaway taking the win in his first visit to the speedway. The third and final heat was won by Churchill, Tenn Shon Flanery in his MB Customs, Custom Suspension, Penske Shocks sponsored machine. The 20 lap feature event would be a struggle to get going as outside pole sitter Dunaway would spin in front of the field coming to the green flag causing a complete restart. After two more attempts at a start that failed the field was forced to start single file with Flanery out front and Kyle Schornick starting in second spot. Once underway Devin Gilpin would waste no time in taking the top spot and running away with the win in his Impressive Chassis. Flanery would come home second with Schornick, Joey Kramer, and Jimmy Lennix completing the top five spots.

In the Diamond Cut Lawn Care Sport Mods it was defending track champ Andy Trout in his Seip’s Auto Parts, Puckett Tire & Lube, Jones Farm, Fahrenheit graphics sponsored machine claiming the win in both the heat race as well as the feature event. In the feature it was Tony Seibert battling on the outside but coming up short with Derek Richmond and Bethany Moler completing the order.

In the Tarvin Auto Service Freedom 4 division it was Mike Clark and Dustyn Fisher taking heat race wins and setting the lineup for the 15 lap A-main. In the feature it was Clark and Fisher trading the lead and it appeared as if Fisher would take control of the race on lap 7 but he made hard contact with outside wall ending his night. On the restart it was Eric Weaver jumping to outside and taking the lead from Clark and holding him off to claim the first feature win of the season in his Northwest Transmission, Wilsons Body Shop sponsored machine. Johnny Jump would come home second with Joey Wickoff, Mike Clark Jr., and Mike Clark completing the top 5 positions.

In the final event of the night it was the DRC.net Crazy Compacts battling for 15 laps in the feature event and it was Michael Hensley filling in as a substitute driver in the Dalton Gang Motorsports #329 machine and Hensley would take the feature win over Blake Gibson, Tony Reed, Brandon Stephens, and Ashley Alsip. In heat race action it was Gibson and Willie Butler claiming victories.