Moler Raceway Park Results 5-2-2014

Early in the week it looked as if racing action at Moler Raceway Park might be cancelled for a second straight week with heavy rains pounding the area but the severe weather moved out just in time for the Sunoco Race Fuels Night presented by L&M Performance show to go on at MRP. With $1,500 on the line for the Mt. Orab Ford Late Models the drivers were undeterred by the unseasonably cool temperatures and overcast skies. In the first heat it would be Bethel Ohio’s Chris Shannon jumping to an early lead but a spin on lap 3 would send him to the tail of the field, handing the lead to Bryan Casey of Coshocton Ohio who would go on to claim the victory. The second heat was dominated by a man who is no stranger to victory lane at MRP as “Insane” Duane Chamberlain would take the checkers to set the lineup for the feature event. In the 30 lap feature event Chamberlain would jump to an early lead from the outside pole with Marty Oneal and Chad Stapleton in hot pursuit. With a few cautions for debris Oneal would challenge for the lead on the restarts but Chamberlain was not to be denied on this night setting a blistering pace to lap all but the top 3 by the time the checkers dropped in his St. Henry’s Night Club, Rocket Chassis 20c machine. Oneal would come home second followed by John Whitney Jr. as the only cars left on the lead lap.

In the UMP Modified division “Racin’ Dave” McWilliams would claim heat one after starting from the tail and young Adam Stricker of Batavia fresh off his first feature victory at MRP taking the win in heat two to set what looked to be a very evenly matched front row for the feature. At the drop of the green in the feature the two drivers did not disappoint with McWilliams and Stricker racing side by side and swapping the lead several times throughout the first half of the race. The caution would come out for debris on the track that turned out to be the entire right side body panel of the McWilliams 18 machine and with Stricker leading the last lap at the line he would take the pole on the single file restart. After the restart the McWilliams machine was not quite the same and Stricker would put some distance between the two on his way to claiming his second straight victory at the track in the Stricker Auto Parts, Lightning Chassis number 68. McWilliams would come home second followed by Jimmy Lennex Jr., Patrick Alcorn, and Boog Verdon rounding out the top 5.

The Crazy Compact division would once again live up to it’s name with more of the side by side racing action that has become a staple of the weekly shows at MRP. Rex Smith Jr. and TJ Dalton would set the front row of the feature lineup after each taking a win in their heat races (Dalton from the tail). Things got crazy right away with both cars making some contact and Smith spinning just after completing the first lap, however it was Dalton who was sent to the tail after a rough driving call was made by track officials. On the restart Smith would get out to a big lead and never look back on his way to his first victory of the season in his 11s Ford Escort. Jerry Gibson III, Tony Reed, TJ Dalton charging back through the field from the tail, and Dillan Harris would make up the top 5 finishers.

In the Chevette division it was Mike Clark and Jeff Watson taking wins in the heats but at the drop of the green it was the man who has dominated the class at MRP thus far this year, Rusty Yarger, challenging Watson for the lead on the first lap. Yarger would lose control though coming out of turn two on the second lap and be forced to the tail. Watson would cruise to victory from there as the former track champion would take home his first feature win since returning to the track after taking a year off from driving. Yarger would put on quite a show mowing down the field to charge back from the tail to finish second, with Mike Clark, Jim Hunt, and Jerry Florence Jr. rounding out the top 5.

MRP’s newest division the Sport Modifieds would close out the night’s action with Andy Trout on the pole after taking the hear race win. Trout would lead the first two laps with Chris Shelton Jr. taking over on lap 3 as all the cars raced very closely for the lead. Shelton would bring out the caution and drop from the race after lap 5 and from there it was young Harrison Hall of Circleville Ohio stepping up to claim the win in his first ever visit to MRP in his Donely Concrete, Mike’s Trucking, Precision Grading sponsored 99 machine.