National Championship Racing Association

Massey Outruns Franz at Enid, Earns first NCRA Victory

By David Smith, Jr.
ENID, Ok (May 26, 2007) - In one of the most exciting finishes in the series history, Jeremy Massey caught leader Brian Franz with one lap to go to win the O'Reilly National Championship Racing Association modified, presented by ICM/Ethanol feature Saturday night at Enid Speedway Park in Enid, Oklahoma. The event was the first appearance for the series division since June of 2004 when Scott Green picked up his first career series victory.
 
   Massey and Mike Jarvis started on the front row for the thirty lap feature with Massey jumping out front as the green flag waved. Jarvis, Marc Hurd, Casey McClaskey and Jason Teague followed as the leader used the bottom portion of the three-eighths mile oval to open up a five car length advantage. Massey kept the pace out front while behind him, all eyes were on four-time and defending series champion Franz as he worked his way up into fifth from his eighth starting position.
 
   The first of two caution flag fell on laps seven when Greg Burt and Brandon Gemmill got together on the backstretch with damage ending both drivers night.
 
   Despite the caution erasing the full-straightaway lead Massey had built to that point, that didn't detour the leader from staying out front as he opened a five car length lead once racing resumed. The restart did allow Franz to start flexing his muscle as he used the top portion of the track to move pass Hurd for third and and Jarvis for the runner up position on lap nine, setting his sights on the leader. Massey had built a comfortable lead but his pace was again slowed on lap thirteen when the final caution of the evening fell when Brian McGowen and Rodney Dodds got together with McGowen coming to a stop in turn four.
 
   The final restart resulted into a battle of the Bills Built Chassis with Massey continuing his run on the bottom and Franz sticking to the top. The two drivers had raced away from the rest of the field and continued to use their lines on the track for a couple laps before Franz got a run underneath the leader coming out of turn two on lap fifteen to take the lead.
 
   It looked as though Franz was on his way to his second victory of the season as he quickly built a five car length lead by lap eighteen. But Massey, still content down low, closed the gap to two car lengths for several laps before Franz opened the advantage again with five laps to go.
 
   Franz looked to have the feature all too himself with one lap to go but Massey had other ideas. After observing Franz having problems in the middle of turn two, the Park City, Kansas driver took advantage of Franz' bobble and got a run underneath the defending champion. Both drivers raced side by side down the backstretch entering turn three with Massey out dragging Franz down the front straightway to take the one car length victory. Hurd got around Jarvis late to take the third position with Teague rounding out the top five.
 
   For Massey, it was his first career NCRA feature victory and by far the biggest of his racing career. "Wow I am beat," said Massey. When asked if he was saving his tires midrace to set up his run at the end, "No, we were going all out all race. I watched (Brian) bobble in the ruts in turn two and I kept gaining ground each time. He had to gather it up there on that last lap and we just got underneath him. Anytime you can beat somebody who is the best in the business like Brian then that is a huge accomplishment." Among the many sponsors Massey thanked were BillsBuilt chassis, Pro Motorsports, Rodriguez Concrete, Hillsboro Engine Service, TNY Trophies out of New York and Finish Line Automotive.
 
   The eight lap heat races for the forty cars on hand were won by Jarvis, Hurd, Massey, Scott Miller and Casey McClaskey. Travis Govern of Wichita won the twelve lap "C" feature while Greg Stephens paced the field from the start to win the fifteen lap "B" feature. The event showed signs of the feature finale to come as local and second generation driver Troy Gemmill of Ponca City showed drivers there would be a top groove for the rest of the evening. Starting eighteenth after transferring from his eighth finishing position in the "C" feature, Troy used the top of the track to move his way up towards the front in a hurry. His pace was slowed about mid-race in eighth position as the red flag waved for Bud Longpine, whose modified burst into flames. Bud escaped unhurt and the fire was quickly extinguished. 
 
   Gemmills drive caught drivers attention as Powers, who restarted just in front of Gemmill, moved up to the same line with both drivers making their way to the front of the field and finishing second and third respectively.
 
   The next event for the O'Reilly NCRA modified presented by ICM/Ethanol will be held on Sunday night, June 30th, at 81 Speedway in Wichita, Kansas. (David Smith Jr./oklahomatidbits.com)
 
O'Reilly Finish Line 
A Feature: (30 Laps): 1) Jeremy Massey 2) Brian Franz 3) Marc Hurd 4) Mike Jarvis 5) Jason Teague 6) Brian Powers 7) Jason Friesen 8) Greg Stephens 9) Troy Gemmill 10) Casey McClaskey 11) Scott Green 12) Brian McGowen 13) Rodney Dodds 14) Scott Miller 15) Craig Miller 16) Jim Johnson 17) Brian Casey 18) Grant Junghans 19) Brandon Gemmill 20) Greg Burt

B Feature: (15 Laps): 1) Greg Stephens 2) Brian Powers 3) Troy Gemmill 4) Brian McGowen 5) Brian Casey 6) Jason Friesen 7) Jim Johnson 8) Grant Junghans 9) Scott Green 10) Greg Burt 11) Ryan McAninch 12) Kip Hughes 13) Kenny Morris 14) Joe Adams 15) Jim Ciampi 16) Jason Roe 17) Dena Wilson 18) Travis Govern 19) Martin Farr 20) Bud Longpine

C Feature: (12 Laps): 1) Travis Govern 2) Martin Farr 3) Bud Longpine 4) Greg Burt 5) Scott Green 6) Dena Wilson 7) Ryan McAninch 8) Troy Gemmill 9) Jim Ciampi 10) Joe Adams 11) Randy Salleee 12) Joe Herring 13) Dusty Robbins 14) Todd Decker 15) Mark Crough 16) Lance Sessions 17) Richard Shearon 18) Shane Gerber

1st Heat: (8 Laps): 1) Mike Jarvis 2) Rodney Dodds 3) Brian Casey 4) Kip Hughes 5) Shane Gerber 6) Mark Crough 7) Jim Ciampi 8) Dusty Robbins

2nd Heat: (8 Laps): 1) Mark Hurd 2) Craig Miller 3) Brandon Gemmill 4) Grant Junghans 5) Bud Longpine 6) Randy Sallee 7) Richard Shearon 8) Jason Schniepp

3rd Heat: (8 Laps): 1) Jeremy Massey 2) Brian Franz 3) Jason Friesen 4) Jim Johnson 5) Troy Gemmill 6) Scott Green 7) Joe Adams 8) Pat McVicker

4th Heat: (8 Laps): 1) Scott Miller 2) Greg Stephens 3) Brian Powers 4) Brian McGowen 5) Martin Farr 6) Dena Wilson 7) Todd Decker 8) Lance Sessions

5th Heat: (8 Laps): 1) Casey McClaskey 2) Jason Teague 3) Kenny Morris 4) Jason Roe 5) Travis Govern 6) Greg Burt 7) Ryan McAninch 8) Jon Herring.