National Championship Racing Association

Franz Holds off McAninch for NCRA Modified Win at 81 Speedway
 
By Randy Fisher

PARK CITY,   Kan. (July 5, 2008) -- Brian Franz is tough to beat any time. But when you put him on the pole, he’s even tougher.  

Just ask Ryan McAninch, who unsuccessfully tried to chase him down for 25 laps tonight at 81 Speedway. 

“I sure wish it had been him trying to pass me, rather than the other way around,” he said.  

Despite four restarts, Franz led wire-to-wire for his second feature win of the season in the O’Reilly NCRA Modified Series, presented by ICM/Ethanol.  

The five-time defending series champion from Halstead, Kan., started on the pole by virtue of winning his heat race from eighth on the starting grid. McAninch, of Wichita, Kan., won his heat from the sixth spot and captured the outside front row spot. 

Franz kept the lead at the green and not even four restarts could slow him down. He would head up to the rim each time and keep McAninch, who would look inside each time, at bay.  

“I saw him and knew he was coming,” Franz said. “I just drove in as hard as I could comfortably.” 

The duo broke away from the field after the fifth lap and on all the ensuing restarts, except for the last one with nine laps to go. On that one, McAninch again looked down low but had to get out of the gas and move back up. That initially caused third-place Marc Hurd to check up a bit, but then he tried to pass for second on the inside. McAninch held the position but that little twitch was all Franz needed to pull away for his 26th career NCRA modified win. 

“Track conditions weren’t conducive to passing late in the race,” said McAninch, the 1998 NCRA Late Model Series Rookie of the Year.  

“The car was awesome,” Franz said of his Bills Built machine. “It was a little loose at first but the longer we ran, the better it got.” 

Dan Daniels of Humboldt, Kan., entered the night with a slim 20-point lead in the standings. After a disappointing 11th-place finish in the feature, he will relinquish that lead to Marc Hurd, second in points.  

Hurd started fourth and moved into third on the first lap, which is where he finished. He held off late challenges from fellow Wichitans Brian Powers and Nic Baalman, who were fourth and fifth, respectively.  

Three-time series champion John Allen, Friday’s winner on the Belleville (Kan.) High Banks, was sixth. Rounding out the top 10 were Greg Stephens, Allen Adams, Ross Shipman and rookie of the year contender Brandon Morton. 

Jeremy Massey, the winner when the series last visited 81 Speedway on May 3, won the C feature. His fourth-place finish in the B feature finish advanced him to the A, where he was 12th. Stephens took the B feature checker and was seventh in the A. In addition to McAninch and Franz, Hurd and Baalman also won heat races.
The series returns to the track July 25-26 at the 52nd annual Hutchinson (
Kan.) Grand National Auto Races at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Troy Gemmill of Ponca City, Okla., is the defending Nationals modified champion.
 

 
O'Reilly Finish Line

Heat 1: 1. Ryan McAninch, Wichita, Kan.; 2. Brian Powers, Wichita, Kan.; 3. Jimmie Hobbs, Wichita, Kan.; 4. Tyler Davis, Wichita, Kan.; 5. Dan Daniels, Humboldt, Kan.; 6. Jordan Whitehead, Andover, Kan.; 7. Don Renfro, Wichita, Kan.; 8. Jeremy Massey, Park City, Kan.; 9. Travis Govern, Wichita, Kan.; 10. Rick Leatherman, Benton, Kan.  

Heat 2: 1. Marc Hurd, Wichita, Kan.; 2. Marlin Farr, Nickerson, Kan.; 3. John Allen, Chanute, Kan.; 4. Jason Yager, El Dorado, Kan.; 5. Kirk Coleman, Wichita, Kan.; 6. Shawn Langhover, Haysville, Kan.; 7. Brendon Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.; 8. Jim Johnson, Derby, Kan.; 9. Tad Davis, Mt. Hope, Kan.; 10. Troy Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.  

Heat 3: 1. Nic Baalman, Wichita, Kan.; 2. Allen Adams, Valley Center, Kan.; 3. Ross Shipman, Belle Plaine, Kan.; 4. Craig Miller, Hutchinson, Kan.; 5. Tyler Propps, Edmond, Okla.; 6. Cecil Dymond, Goddard, Kan.; 7. Kevin Newell, Wichita, Kan.; 8. Gary Kilbourn, Hutchinson, Kan.; 9. Jeremy Green, Enid, Okla.  

Heat 4: 1. Brian Franz, Halstead, Kan.; 2. Brandon Morton, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 3. Greg Stephens, Wichita, Kan.; 4. Casey McClaskey, Ponca City, Okla.; 5. Brian Casey, Hutchinson, Kan.; 6. Rick Mueller, Wichita, Kan.; 7. Shane Gerber, Wichita, Kan.; 8. Scott Miller, Hutchinson, Kan.; 9. Bob Lane, Andover, Kan.  

C feature: 1. Jeremy Massey, Park City, Kan.; 2. Jordan Whitehead, Andover, Kan.; 3. Jim Johnson, Derby, Kan.; 4. Rick Mueller, Wichita, Kan.; 5. Shawn Langhover, Haysville, Kan.; 6. Tad Davis, Mt. Hope, Kan.; 7. Cecil Dymond, Goddard, Kan.; 8. Brendon Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.; 9. Troy Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.; 10. Shane Gerber, Wichita, Kan.; 11. Scott Miller, Hutchinson, Kan.; 12. Travis Govern, Wichita, Kan.; 13. Gary Kilbourn, Hutchinson, Kan.; 14. Kevin Newell, Wichita, Kan.; 15. Don Renfro, Wichita, Kan.  

B feature: 1. Greg Stephens, Wichita, Kan.; 2. Casey McClaskey, Ponca City, Okla.; 3. Jimmie Hobbs, Wichita, Kan.; 4. Jeremy Massey, Park City, Kan.; 5. Marlin Farr, Nickerson, Kan.; 6. Brian Casey, Hutchinson, Kan.; 7. Jim Johnson, Derby, Kan.; 8. Dan Daniels, Humboldt, Kan.; 9. Tyler Davis, Wichita, Kan.; 10. Kirk Coleman, Wichita, Kan.; 11. Jordan Whitehead, Andover, Kan.; 12. Brendon Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.; 13. Troy Gemmill, Ponca City, Okla.; 14. Shawn Langhover, Haysville, Kan.; 15. Tad Davis, Mt. Hope, Kan.; 16. Rick Mueller, Wichita, Kan.; 17. Cecil Dymond, Goddard, Kan.; 18. Shane Gerber, Wichita, Kan.; 19. Craig Miller, Hutchinson, Kan.  

A feature: 1. Brian Franz, Halstead, Kan.; 2. Ryan McAninch, Wichita, Kan.; 3. Marc Hurd, Wichita, Kan.; 4. Brian Powers, Wichita, Kan.; 5. Nic Baalman, Wichita, Kan.; 6. John Allen, Chanute, Kan.; 7. Greg Stephens, Wichita, Kan.; 8. Allen Adams, Valley Center, Kan.; 9. Ross Shipman, Belle Plaine, Kan.; 10. Brandon Morton, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 11. Dan Daniels, Humboldt, Kan.; 12. Jeremy Massey, Park City, Kan.; 13. Jim Johnson, Derby, Kan.; 14. Brian Casey, Hutchinson, Kan.; 15. Marlin Farr, Nickerson, Kan.; 16. Kirk Coleman, Wichita, Kan.; 17. Casey McClaskey, Ponca City, Okla.; 18. Tyler Davis, Wichita, Kan.; 19. Jason Yager, El Dorado, Kan.; 20. Jimmie Hobbs, Wichita, Kan.