Jeff Koz Rolls To 3rd Straight Keysor Memorial At Limaland
5 min read
(6/13/14) – The 2014 racing season at Limaland Motorsports Park has become more of the same for veteran Budweiser Thunderstocks driver Jeff Koz. That has come to mean bad news for his fellow competitors. Koz has continued his historic success in dominating the two contested Memorial races at the track. On May 30, Koz won a third consecutive Steve Brown Memorial and on this June 13th date, he added the Keysor Memorial checkered flag to his list of accomplishments, also for an unprecedented third straight time.
A field of 22 cars took the green flag for the 15-lap feature and Koz wasted little time moving to the front as he led the opening lap by a nose over Barney Craig. That would turn out to be the closest anyone would get to threatening Koz through the duration of the event. Craig was left to battle with Tony Anderson, Emily Gade and 2014 two-time winner Tim Cole.
While all of those drivers were staying close to Koz during the most of the race, no one seriously threatened him for leadership. With limited traffic in front of him for much of event, Koz cruised with authority using the middle and high sides of the racing surface to comfortably complete the 15-lap distance.
“Winning these Memorial races means a lot to me,” explained Koz. “Gaining points for the championship is nice, but I like to win races the most. My crew, car owner and sponsors deserve so much of the credit for me to park this car here for a third year in a row.” The win marked the 15th in the division for Koz at Limaland Motorsports Park in his career.
The Elwer Fence sprints have been a playground for former World of Outlaws campaigner Randy Hannagan for the past few seasons and this night would be no different. Starting from inside row number two, it took the California native seven trips around the fast ¼-mile track to complete a sliding pass from the bottom up and around Hud Horton to take the lead. It was a lead he would not surrender and roared to a second 2014 Limaland triumph and 16th of his career.
“The car was downright awesome and fun to drive,” said Hannagan. “I could get right thru the middle of the track with ease. I hope the track will be like this for the Doty Classic and maybe I’ll have something for the Outlaws.”
The evening would not be complete until the Reineke Modifieds settled their business with the 20-lap feature. Outside front row starter Casey Luedeke held that preferred position ultimately through the opening 18 laps of the event. Luedeke was very fast working the high side of the race track while 2014 winners Jerry Bowersock and Todd Sherman were content to muscle their machines around using the shorter distance at the bottom.
A crowded racetrack of would-be frontrunners followed Luedeke including Matt Westfall and UNOH Racer Joel Ortberg, along with Sherman and Bowersock. Quietly working his way among this field of genuine contenders, was a first time 2014 Limaland racer Randy Lines. He waited to make his defining move following a restart on lap number 18. Lines slipped between Luedeke and Todd Sherman in a three-car wide move to take the lead just before the white flag came out. Shortly thereafter, Lines took the prized checkered flag in winning his first-ever feature at the track. The win qualifies Lines for the August 15 King of the Quarter Mile race that matches the season feature winners on the 17th Annual Championship night at the track.
“I was trying to be patient and sort of finesse my way around,” explained the Marion, Indiana driver. “It was about just racing cleanly and saving my big move for the right moment. I really like this place and it seems like every time I come here we get a little faster.”
Limaland Motorsports Park is back in action on Friday, June 20, with the Run for the Rabbit, a 25-lap feature for the K & L Ready Mix NRA Sprint Invaders. The Reineke Modifieds and Budweiser Thunderstocks will also battle on the famed ¼ mile oval. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. with hot laps beginning at 6:30 p.m. Racing begins promptly at 7:30 p.m.
All the latest news and information can be found at www.limaland.com. You can also find 2014 Limaland Motorsports Park on Facebook and Twitter.
Limaland Motorsports Park – 6/13/2014
McDonalds Dash – (5 laps) – Sprints
1. 23-Devon Dobie; 2. B20-Butch Schroeder;
3. 8J-Jess Stiger; 4. 28-Hud Horton
Bud Thunderstocks
Heat 1 – (4 Laps – Top 8 Transfer)
1. 22T-Tony Anderson; 2. 16-Jeff Koz; 3. 71C-Barney Craig; 4. 1W-Mark Woten;
5. 410-Paul Pando; 6. 1X-Jerry Butler; 7. 17J-Jarrod Klay; 8. 2-Bridgett Clifford
Heat 2 – (4 Laps – Top 8 Transfer)
1. 48-Tim Cole; 2. 9-Chris Douglas; 3. 27-Frank Paladino; 4. OO-Charlie Sanborn;
5. 89-Keith Shockency; 6. 7-Dan Wooten; 7. 1J-Jj Butler
Heat 3 – (4 Laps – Top 8 Transfer)
1. 7C-Jordan Conover; 2. 501-Emily Gade; 3. 25-Nick Bowers; 4. 26-Justin Long;
5. O1-Shane Aeschlimall; 6. 32-Scott Boyd; 7. 1-Colton Glaicar
A-Main – (15 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 16-Jeff Koz[5]; 2. 48-Tim Cole[7]; 3. 71C-Barney Craig[2];
4. 22T-Tony Anderson[8]; 5. 501-Emily Gade[3]; 6. 89-Keith Shockency[14];
7. 7C-Jordan Conover[6]; 8. 27-Frank Paladino[1]; 9. 26-Justin Long[12];
10. O1-Shane Aeschlimall[15]; 11. 7-Dan Wooten[17]; 12. 32-Scott Boyd[18];
13. 1J-Jj Butler[20]; 14. 2-Bridgett Clifford[22]; 15. 1-Colton Glaicar[21];
16. 17J-Jarrod Klay[19]; 17. 25-Nick Bowers[9]; 18. OO-Charlie Sanborn[11];
19. 9-Chris Douglas[4]; 20.1W-Mark Woten[10]; 21. 410-Paul Pando[13]
Elwer Fence Sprints
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 6 Transfer)
1. 49-Shawn Dancer; 2. 57-Mike Dunlap; 3. 12-Tim Hunter; 4. 8J-Jess Stiger;
5. 23M-Jack Miller; 6. 14C-Andy Conley
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 6 Transfer)
1. 28H-Hud Horton; 2. 23-Devon Dobie; 3. B20-Butch Schroeder; 4. 22R-Kevin Roberts; 5. 12R-Nick Roberts; 6. 10J-Jarrod Delong
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 6 Transfer)
1. 22H-Randy Hannagan; 2. 6M-Max Stambaugh; 3. 10X-Dustin Stroup;
4. 6S-Jr Stewart; 5.11-Tim Allison
A-Main – (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 22H-Randy Hannagan[3]; 2. 28H-Hud Horton[2]; 3. B20-Butch Schroeder[8];
4. 57-Mike Dunlap[4]; 5. 49-Shawn Dancer[1]; 6. 6M-Max Stambaugh[6];
7. 10X-Dustin Stroup[9]; 8. 6S-Jr Stewart[12]; 9. 12-Tim Hunter[7];
10. 23-Devon Dobie[5]; 11. 11-Tim Allison[15]; 12. 12R-Nick Roberts[14];
13. 23M-Jack Miller[13]; 14. 22R-Kevin Roberts[11]; 15. 8J-Jess Stiger[10];
16. 10J-Jarrod Delong[17]; 17. 14C-Andy Conley[16]
Reineke Modifieds
Heat1 – (8 Laps – Top 8 Transfer)
1. 65-Todd Sherman; 2. 22T-Tony Anderson; 3. 11H-Mike Holhbein;
4. 10L-Nathan Loney; 5. 23J-Jeff Koz; 6. 07-Damen Bock; 7. 34X-Brandon Vaughan
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 8 Transfer)
1. 10-Scott Bowersock; 2. 54-Matt Westfall; 3. L5-Casey Luedeke; 4. 2B-Daryl Banks;
5. 40-Terry Hull; 6. 28-chad Rosenbeck; 7. 19-Ryan Ordway; 8. 18n-Derrick Noffsinger
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 7 Transfer)
1. 18-Randy Lines; 2. 01-Joel Ortberg; 3. 34-Jerry Bowersock; 4. 3W-Dylan Woodling;
5. 83K-Josh Kehle; 6. 29-Chad Rennaker; 7. 00-Anthony Flannery
A-Main – (20 Laps)[#]-Starting Position
1. 18-Randy Lines[7]; 2. 65-Todd Sherman[9]; 3. L5-Casey Luedeke[2]; 4. 54-Matt Westfall[5]; 5. 22T-Tony Anderson[6]; 6. 34-Jerry Bowersock[1]; 7. 01-Joel Ortberg[4]; 8. 3W-Dylan Woodling[12]; 9. 10-Scott Bowersock[9]; 10. 2B-Daryl Banks[11]; 11. 10L-Nathan Loney[10]; 12. 00-Anthony Flannery[20]; 13. 11B-Mike Hohlbein[3]; 14. 07-Damen Bock[15]; 15. 18N-Derrick Noffsinger[21]; 16. 19-Ryan Ordway[19]; 17. 28-Chad Rosenbeck[16]; 18. 83K-Josh Kehle[14}; 19. 34X-Brandon Vaughan[18]; 20. 40-Terry Hull[13]; 21. Chad Rennaker[17]
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