Danny Smith & Ed Dixon take Open Wheel Wednesday Honors!
Pevely, MO (June 12, 2002) Severe thunderstorms rolled through I-55 Raceway on Monday and Tuesday and were forecast for Wednesday, putting a big question mark on whether the Open Wheel Wednesday show would even be run. But the only thunder on Wednesday at I-55 Raceway was provided by the racecars on the track.
The action on the track kept the fans on their feet. Four different drivers swapped the lead nine times in the twenty-five lap sprint car feature. Bobby Hawks jumped out to the early lead and lead until the caution came out on lap ten. On the restart, Joey Montgomery, Tommy Worley and Danny Smith moved up and challenged for the lead. Hawks began to fade, and Montgomery and Smith swapped the lead several times in the closing laps with Worley close behind. Then on lap twenty-two, Montgomery and Smith made contact coming out of turn four, Montgomery's car spun backwards coming down the front stretch and flipped over onto it's top and came to rest on the inside wall. Montgomery was alright, but was done for the night. On the restart, Worley battled side-by-side with Smith for the lead. On the final lap, the two cars got into lapped traffic and it was Smith who found the best way through the traffic and picked up the win by two car lengths over Worley. Jim Moughan was third, Jerrod Hull fourth and Paul Sides completed the top five.
The UMP Late Models weren't to be outdone, although Dave Jumper appeared to be on his way to a decisive victory. Jumper took the lead on the opening lap and pulled away to big lead until the caution came out on lap eight for a hard crash on the front stretch involving Dean Motsinger and Ron McQuerry. On the restart, Chad Zobrist pulled even with Jumper for the first lap but Jumper once again pulled away. In the meantime, Ed Dixon and Roger Long worked their way up through the field to position themselves to battle for the lead. Jumper thought he was on his way to an easy win as he had opened up a full straightaway lead, but with just two laps remaining, the caution flag flew again as Jason Frankel rolled to a stop in turn four. On the restart, defending track champion Ed Dixon made his move to the high side to claim the lead from Jumper and went on to victory. Roger Long followed Dixon past Jumper to claim second. Jumper was third, Zobrist fourth and Matt Taylor fifth.
Sprint Cars (35 Cars)
Heat 1:
1. 5H Bobby Hawks
2. 1M Jim Moughan
3. 72 Mike Deavers
4. 77 Chris Urish
5. 22 Robbie Standridge
Heat 2:
1. 25J Jay Landolt
2. 14 Todd Rowland
3. 11K Kraig Kinser
4. 71M Paul May
5. 24 Keith Burch
Heat 3:
1. 97 Tommy Worley
2. 21 Joey Montgomery
3. 12 Jared Webb
4. 10 Ron Standridge
5. 35 Timmy Moss
Heat 4:
1. 51 Danny Smith
2. 69 Casey Barnhouse
3. 11J Paul Sides
4. 8 Steve Short
5. 19 Jason Hunt
Semi #1:
1. 2 Lowe Cannell
2. 1C Alex Shanks
3. 28 Jason Keith
4. 4B Tom Busch
5. 98 Bryan Matthews
6. 47 Brett Samonds
DNS. 29 Rod Crabdree
DNS. 32 Tim Montgomery
Semi #2
1. 77 Bob Thoman
2. 87 Paul Patterson
3. 45 Matt Rogerson
4. 7 Marce Kronk
5. 20 Danny Lens
6. 20 Robbie Neubauer
DNS. 22 Gary Burns
Feature:
1. 51 Danny Smith
2. 97 Tommy Worley
3. 1M Jim Moughan
4. 12 Jerrod Hull
5. 11J Paul Sides
6. 11K Kraig Kinser
7. 69 Casey Barnhouse
8. 72 Mike Deavers
9. 77 Chris Urish
10. 25J Jay Landolt
11. 5H Bobby Hawks
12. 14R Todd Rowland
13. 19 Jason Hunt
14. 24 Keith Burch
15. 21 Joey Montgomery
16. 2 Lowe Cannell
17. 77 Bob Thoman
18. 35 Timmy Moss
19. 10 Ron Standridge
20. 8 Steve Short
21. 71M Paul May
22. 87 Paul Patterson
23. 1C Alex Shanks
24. 22 Robbie Standridge
UMP Late Models (37 Cars)
Heat 1:
1. 117 Matt Taylor
2. 50 Ed Dixon
3. 112 Tim Ratajczyk
4. 33 Jason Frankel
5. 51 Steve Shive
Heat 2:
1. 2J Dave Jumper
2. 78 Chad Zobrist
3. 27 Rodney Melvin
4. 32 Danny Maguire
5. 8UP Ron McQuerry
Heat 3:
1. 26 Billy Faust
2. 36 Roger Long
3. 00 Randy Korte
4. 3D Jim Durbin
5. 67 Mark Oller
Heat 4:
1. 77 Clay Baumann
2. 82 Roger Brickler
3. 69 John Scott
4. 41 Steve Maisel
5. 84 Brian Stephens
Semi:
1. 44 Dean Motsinger
2. 47 Danny Haynes
3. 3S Brian Shirley
4. 51 Mark Faust
5. 16 Mike Hammerle
6. 11A Mike Abney
7. 99 Ken Schrader
8. 35 Cody Hupp
9. 71 John Bohn
10. 23 Brian Garner
11. 10 Rodney Pense
DNS. 6s Kevin Seago
DNS. 25 Joe Garson
DNS. 1A Justin Allgaier
DNS. 6 Michael Kloos
DNS. 4 Wayne Downing
DNS. 11 Mark Gansmann
Feature:
1. 50 Ed Dixon
2. 36 Roger Long
3. 2J Dave Jumper
4. 78 Chad Zobrist
5. 117 Matt Taylor
6. 51 Steve Shive
7. 112 Tim Ratajczyk
8. 67 Mark Oller
9. 26 Billy Faust
10. 27 Rodney Melvin
11. 3D Jim Durbin
12. 32M Danny Maguire
13. 47 Danny Haynes
14. 82 Roger Brickler
15. 84 Brian Stephens
16. 33 Jason Frankel
17. 77 Clay Baumann
18. 3S Brian Shirley
19. 69 John Scott
20. 41 Steve Maisel
21. 51 Mark Faust
22. 00 Randy Korte
23. 44 Dean Motsinger
24. 8UP Ron McQuerry
