Thomas Roberts Earns Street Stock Win – Dustin Boney Take the Pole for Saturday Night’s $5,000-to-Win Tom Wilson Memorial BBQ Bowl at CMS!

By Sam Stoecklin
Track Announcer/PR
Warrensburg, MO
July 4, 2008

A somewhat cooler than normal July 4^th evening was anything but cool on the race track as night one of the 5^th Annual Tom Wilson Memorial BBQ Bowl weekend of racing got underway at Warrensburg’s Central Missouri Speedway (CMS) last night with Street Stocks and Modifieds headlining the action.  Night two of the weekend event continues tonight, Saturday, July 5^th with a complete brand new program for the Modifieds.  The ULMA Late Models and B-Modifieds also join the program tonight for another great night of racing at CMS.

Dean Wille appeared to have things covered in the Street Stock big $1,500-to-Win 25-lap special event but a post-race inspection led to the Warrensburg driver’s disqualification from the finishing line-up.  Thomas Roberts, one of the strongest Street Stock competitors from the Greater Kansas City area initially came across the line in second spot but was handed the trophy in the tech inspection area, where he learned he was declared the winner of the event.  Brett Nail, who coincidentally drove the car, last year that Roberts won with this year, wound up second in the finishing order.  All total twenty-seven Street Stock heavy hitters made the trip to the track for the special event.  The four heat race winners earlier in the night were Wille, Roberts, Donnie Dannar and Nail.  Regulars Nic Bennett and Michael Mullins raced their way to top five finishes with visitor Robert Brown holding on for sixth position at the finish.  The Street Stocks will not be a part of tonight’s action but will return next Saturday night. 

Whenever big money is on the line you just never know who may check in to race with the already talent-filled pool of local modified drivers at CMS.  Last night, forty of the best were on hand for night one qualifying attempts through heat race and b-main action.  The four heat races were won by Justin Boney, Zack Vander Beek, Terry Phillips, and Don Crnkovich.  Two 20-lap b-mains in addition to the heat races sorted out things for the night.  The b-mains looked like feature races on any other given night with great action all throughout both events.  Three drivers each transferred to the 12-car scramble from the B-main events.  Eric Turner, Aaron Marrant, and Chad Lyle came through b-main number one.  Matt Johnson, Joshua Stephens, and Donnie Dannar transferred through b-main number two.  Passing points were used to determine the line-ups for the night.  After the heat races, the top six in overall passing points came to the front stretch to re-draw for the a-main scramble event.  Those six drivers were Crnkovich, Vander Beek, Philips, Justin Boney, Joe Walker, Dustin Boney.  Phillips redrew starting position number one for the scramble.  The six drivers from passing points later joined the six transfers from the b-mains for a chance to determine the inside row positions for tonight’s 24-car main event.  Phillips got out to an early lead with Dustin Boney in hot pursuit but on lap six his car developed an overheating problem and he pulled off the speedway leaving Dustin Boney at the front.  Phillps’ twelfth-place finish would have had him guaranteed $1,000-to-start tonight’s event and a 23^rd starting position but word from the pits is he will attempt to re-qualify tonight in order to shoot for a better starting position.  Dustin Boney hung on the rest of the way for the win with Vander Beek right on his tail for second.  With his win, Dustin Boney will be your pole sitter for tonight’s big race.

Several normally strong runners are still on the outside looking in and will try again tonight to make the main event.  Kelly Shryock, Chad Kinder, Turner, Jake Neal, Gene Claxton, Jim Moody, Lee Hibner, Tim Karrick, Brandon Lennox, Curt Potter, Allan Lawrence, Tom and Danny Charles, Terry Schultz, Jake Richards, Jason Bodenhamer, and Jeremy Payne are just a few of the drivers who will give it another shot tonight.  Nine of the twelve that are locked in the feature have raced at CMS on numerous occasions, meaning the locals held their own tonight and sending a strong message to those who may have elected not to run that they probably should have been there last night.  Who will show up tonight to join the cars that will try again?  Who knows, fans can be assured of another guaranteed night of fast-paced action with nothing but a talent-filled pool of drivers trying to get in the $1,000-to-Start, $5,000-to-Win big dance!

Things get underway again tonight, Saturday, July 5^th with pit gates opening at 4:00, admission gates open at 4:30, hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:00.  Admission prices for tonight are as follows:  Adults $20, Seniors 65 and up, Military and College Students with proper I.D. just $15, Kids ages six to twelve $12 and children five and under, free.   All pit passes tonight are $35.  For more information check out the CMS Web site at www.centralmissourispeedway.net or call the track report line at 660-747-2166.  Again, tonight’s program is a completely brand-new program for the modifieds, there’s plenty of time to come down and drive your way into tonight’s big main event.  Results from last night follow.  We’ll see you tonight at the ‘Burg!

Results from CMS, Friday, July 4^th