Harris Speedway March 24th 2012

With the threat of rain in the area Harris Speedway opened the gates for the first night race of the season Saturday, March 24th. It proved to be a good night for racing as the rains held off and the temperatures were mild. The track was in great shape for the nights activities and 1st points race of the season.

In the Young Guns Jon Gustafson took his first ever career win. Casey Towell, Kenny Pearson, and Kyle Fowler were in striking distance for the entire race making Gustafson run a mistake free race. Kelsey Roberts held on to take the 5th spot.

In the Renegades Chris Jackson pulled out a 3 car advantage at the start and went on to lead every lap en-route to his 2nd win of the season. The 11E of Dusty Edmonds moved up to the 2nd spot on lap 9 and held onto until race end. Shane Fortune in the black 28xl ran consistently in top 5 and brought home a 3rd place finish. Lanny Irby finished in 4th place and Willie Teams rounded out the top 5 in his 1st appearance at the Harris Speedway this season.

In the street stock 4 class Clint Dillard visited victory lane for the first time this season. Dillard lead the race from the drop of the green until lap8 when he and the BB2 of Jesse Wall tangled on the backstretch. Both cars had to re-start the race in the rear of the field. Dillard was on a mission as he raced his way back to the front. Dillard finished in 2nd place but was later declared the race winner when the 95 of Vandiver did not pass post-race inspection.

In the Stock 8 class Dustin Taylor seemed to have the field covered as he bolted out to an early lead. Jason Jolley was running 2nd , Josh Hoots was running a close 3rd with Wally Fowler running in 4th. On the 9th circuit Wally and Josh got together in turn 3 & 4 resulting in the 4one of Josh Hoots to go around colleting the 145 of Jackie Foster. On the restart of the race Dustin Taylor broke something in the front of the car and could not make the car turn. After a light touch with the outside wall Taylor continued but Jolley had made the move to the inside and took over the top spot. Wally followed Jolley to move into the 2nd spot. When the white flag came down, Jolley was the leader with Fowler holding onto 2nd. Dale Chapman was 3rd and Taylor was in 4th. In the final turn Jolley car began to slow as something in the engine went sour. Wally made it to the stripe in 1st followed by Dale Chapman and Dustin Taylor. Jolley limped across the line to take the 4th spot.

In the Super Stock 4s, Ray Storay went flag to flag to take the win. Brett Cooper and Jamie Barbrey battled all 12 laps for the runner up spot with Cooper holding onto the spot until the checkered flag came down.

In the Limited Sportsman Wally Fowler held off the hard charging Greg Dimsdale to take another win. Dimsdale stayed right on Fowlers heels for the entire 15 laps but could not make the move past. Sean Thompson settled for the 3rd spot.

In the pure stock Dustin Morris continued his winning ways as he took yet another win in pure stock. The win did not come easy as the #45 of Mitch Sill and #35 of Josh Ayes were challenging Morris the entire race. Sill lost a right front wheel on lap 8 and Ayes took over the second spot where he remained until the end of the race. The 33 of Steve Penson started 5th row outside for the main event and moved up to take 3rd in the main event. Matt Spencer finished 4th from his 6th place start. Derrick Burgess came from the 5th row starting spot in the main event to round out the top 5. It was Derrick’s 1st race of the season in a new ride for the 2012 season.

In the Dwarf cars, BJ Cochcroft made it two in a row as he won his heat race and lead every lap of the main event en-route to the win. David DeBusk took the runner up spot for the second week in a row. Tim Smith followed in 3rd with Jamie Silvers crossing the line in 4th . Bradley Silvers rounded out the top 5.

In the FWD class Jacob Bridges made it two in a row as he jumped out in front at the drop of the green. Branden Swink took over the 2nd spot on lap 9 and held the position until the checkered flag. Heat race winner Brain Barnett finished 3rd.

Full Moon at Harris Speedway

April 11, 2012

The full moon was shining bright Saturday night at Harris Speedway and everyone who knows racing expects it will be a wild and wooly night of racing. Surprisingly!, somehow, the moon did not affect the night of racing as the nights racing was off the hook with close hard racing without the mayhem that is normally associated with a full moon night of racing. The night’s regular racing was finished by 11:35 pm and the only thing left on the nights schedule was the spectator racing.

In the Renegade division Willie Teams took his first win of the season leading all 12 laps. The race was slowed with four cautions in the event and on each re-start Teams pulled out to a two car length lead. Ed Hodgens took over the runner up spot on lap 6 and finished in the second spot. Greg Dimsdale started in the rear of the field and made it to 3rd by race end. Shane Fortune in the 28XL machine finished in 4th and Dusty Edmonds rounded out the top 5.

In the Young Guns class Casey Towell won the first heat race and Kyle Fowler won the second heat race setting the front row for the main event. When the field rolled off turn 4 for the green flag in the main event Towell’s car sputtered allowing Fowler to pull out to the lead and Kenny Pearson was also able to make the pass on Towell through the first turn to take the second spot. Towell’s car eventually cleared out and made it to full speed but it was too late as Fowler had a 3 car length lead on the field. Fowler led every lap on his way to victory lane. Kenny Pearson held on to take second just ahead of Casey Towell. Shenna Alexander moved up to fourth on lap 10 and held on to the position until the checkered flags waved. Cody Barbrey rounded out the top 5.

In the Stock 8 class Chris Lytle took the win in the caution marred event. After two unsuccessful initial starts in the main event the cars were lined up single file. While there were two multi car wrecks there was also a heated battle up front between the #31of Lytle and the 4one car of Josh Hoots. Hoots made it side by side for the lead on numerous occasions but Lytle had enough to pull back out front. At the checkers it was Chris Lytle, Josh Hoots, David Ayers, Dustin Taylor and Wally Fowler.

In the Stock 4’s, Jacob Carver took the win over Kevin Cooper, Allen Sisk, Clint Dillard and Jesse Wall. Carver was protested after the event and survived the protest. Jacob Carver and Allen Sisk were the heat race winners.

In the Limited Sportsman Wally Fowler took yet another victory edging out the zero car of Greg Dimsdale. Dimsdale kept pressure of the #4 car for the entire race but could not make the pass. Stephen Fox took third ahead of Lance Miller and the “Outlaw” Robert Bradley.

With an outstanding line up of cars and drivers in the Super Stock 4 division, Jamie Barbrey lead ever lap and won the caution free event. Donny Atkins kept Barbrey in check every lap of the event just looking for one little mistake to sneak past but Barbrey ran every lap as if the car was on a rail. Larry Teal, in his first appearance at Harris this season, followed the duo to take third place. Cody Ussury started the event on the third row outside and raced his way to a fourth place finish. Andy Madison in the #05 car started 8th on the grid and moved up to a top 5 finish.

After taking the $1000 to win Pure Stock event the previous week Josh Ayers picked up where he left off the following week leading flag to flag to take the victory in the Pure Stocks. Nathan Pierce won his heat race and took the runner up spot in the main event. Matt Spencer in the blue #9 took third place ahead of Chris Jones and Steve Penson.

In the Front Wheel Drive class Jacob Bridges took the win over last week’s winner Billy Barnett. Hayden Jolley took third over Brandon Swink and Richard Webb.

In the Dwarf cars the #57 of David Debusk scored his first win of the season as he held off the hard charges of BJ Cochcroft. Cochcroft had 3 wins in a row coming into Saturday night’s race. Bradley Silvers bested last week’s fourth place finish by 1 as he crossed the line in 3rd. Dalton Senn took 4th place and Ronnie O’Sullivan in the X2 completed the top five finishers.

Bicycles, Bicycles, and more bicycles. It was evident Saturday night at Harris Speedway that it was kids bicycle race night. Racing tends to run in the family so it was not unusual to see a bicycle in the back of the pick-up truck with the spare tires and tools. During intermission the kids got their chance to hit the track and do their own style of racin,, Bicycling! The track was cleared and all the cars were shut down for a little time for the kids to chase their win of the night.

It was a ‘Blues Clues’ night in the Pure Stock division as the ‘Blues Crew’ watched Matt Spencer in the blue #9 lead every lap en-route to his first win of the season. Josh Ayers was not in his usual “Killer” car but drove a #93 to a second place finish. Mitch Sill started the main event from the 4th row inside and worked his way up through the field to cross the line in third. Nathan Pierce rolled across the line in fourth ahead of 5th place Dustin Morris. Josh Ayers leads the points with Matt Spencer in second and Nikki Tucker is in third.

In the Renegade division Josh Hoots took the wheel of the 28XL machine normally driven by Shane Fortune and led the first seven laps of the main event with the 98 of Josh Burgess hot on his heels. Hoots machine had a tire go down which took him out of the chase for the win. Jason Jolley and Chris Jackson were both working their way through the field. Jackson had rolled in late and did not make the heat race relinquishing him to start in the rear of the field. By lap 9 Jackson had moved into the second spot and Jolley moved into third. With a late race caution it set up a green white and checkered with Josh Burgess in the lead, Chris Jackson in second and Jason Jolley in third. On the re-start Burgess could not shake the #15 machine of Jackson and on the white flag lap Jackson made a hard charge to the inside of Burgess. Burgess held on to edge out Jackson at the finish line. Jolley followed the duo across the line to take third place. Randy Huff crossed the line in fourth ahead of the 11E machine of Dusty Edmonds. Willy Teams holds the points lead followed by Dusty Edmonds and Lanny Irby.

In the Young Guns class Casey Towell took over the point on lap 4 and went on to take his second win of the year. John Gustafson and Kenny Pearson tangled on lap 4 sending both cars to the rear of the field. Gustafson and Pearson worked through the field to make it back to the front by race end. Gustafson finished second and Pearson finished in third. Shenna Alexander and Brittanye Evans battled every lap with the 21 car of Alexander holding on to take fourth and Evans rounded out the top five. Casey Towell sits at the top of the points list ahead of Kenny Pearson and Shenna Alexander.

In the Stock 8 class Wally Fowler lead flag to flag to earn his third win of the year. Timmy Smith finished in second ahead of Jason Jolley, Dale Chapman and Ricky Teams. Dale Chapman holds the point lead over Wally Fowler and Dustin Taylor. The top three are separated by only 4 points.

In the Stock 4’s, Justin Ward held off the hard charges of Michael Foster and Kevin Cooper to get his first win of the season. Kevin Cooper fell into the third spot at the drop of the green and made a pass on Foster on lap #3 to take over second spot. Cooper held on to finish second ahead of third place finisher Michael Foster. Clint Dillard and Jesse Wall finished fourth and fifth respectively. Clint Dillard is the current points leader ahead of Jesse Wall and Lee “Gator” Pearson.

In the Limited Sportsman division, Timmy Smith took his first win of the season at Harris Speedway. Smith jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as he led all 15 laps. Stephen Fox and Lance Miller battled hard for the second spot with Fox gaining control of the position. Wally Fowler started the main event from the rear of the field due to three wins in a row. Fowler moved up into 4th place by lap 4 and by lap 5 he moved up to the rear deck of the 32 machine of Stephen Fox. Fox maintained full control of his machine each lap and held onto the second spot. Fowler stayed glued to the rear of the 32 car and finished third. Lance Miller crossed the line in fourth and Ray Roland in fifth. Wally Fowler leads the points ahead of Greg Dimsdale and Lance Miller.

In the Super Stock 4s Jamie Barbrey took the lead away from Donnie Atkins on lap #2 and went on to take the win. It was Barbrey’s third win of the season. Atkins held onto the second spot until the eleventh lap when Bradley Weaver made a late charge and squeezed by Atkins to take over the second spot. Atkins finish third followed by Brett Cooper and Cody Ussery. Jamie Barbrey holds the point lead over Brett Cooper and Donnie Atkins.

In the Front Wheel Drive Jacob Bridges took his third win of the season leading flag to flag. On lap 5the 36D of Glen Hartis and the 75 machine of Brian Barnett tangled sending both cars around. Hartis was able to continue and had to re-start the race from the rear of the field. Hartis raced his way back to a second place finish. In his first appearance at Harris Speedway this season, Frank Roof won his heat race, and brought home a third place finish in the main event. Hayden Jolley finished in fourth just ahead of Richard Webb. Brian Barnett is the current points leader with Brandon Swink and Hayden Jolley tied for second only one point behind Barnett.

In the Dwarf cars BJ Cochcroft returned to victory lane in the orange #26 machine. Coming off a win the previous week the Black #57 of David Debusk kept BJ in his sights but could not make the pass. Debusk had to settle for the runner up spot. Bradley Silvers finished third, Dalton Senn fourth and Tim Smith rounded out the top five. BJ holds the point lead over David DeBusk and Bradley Silvers.

Harris Speedway April 21st, 2012

April 27, 2012

Is it or is it not going to rain was the question Saturday night at Harris Speedway. It looked like it was going to be a sunny afternoon of racing one minute and the next it was dark clouds hanging over the race track. With reports of rain all around the area the hopes were to get the race in before the rains came. The rains stayed away from the track and the races were completed. With the threat of rain the track officials and drivers stayed in rain mode and the show rolled on very quickly. The last checkered flag of the night fell at 11:32 pm.