National Championship Racing Association

Hughes Leads flag-go-flag to win NCRA Modified vs. USMT Showdown
 
By Randy Fisher

PARK CITY,   Kan. (Aug 5, 2008) -- Jason Hughes kept the lead from the pole and led all 35 laps to win the feature in the O’Reilly NCRA Modified Series, presented by ICM/Ethanol, at 81 Speedway. Co-sanctioned with the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS), 59 drivers signed in. 

By virtue of redrawing the top eight qualifiers from heat races to determine their starting order in the feature, Hughes drew the pole position, quite an improvement for the number seven qualifier. Once in front he stayed there, beating back several challengers for his second career NCRA victory. 

Starting on the outside of the first row was NCRA point leader Marc Hurd, who had qualified eighth. Hughes and Hurd got the jump at the green, but Zack VanderBeek slipped around Hurd into second at the end of the first lap. Rounding out the early top five were John Allen and Tommy Weder Jr. 

VanderBeek took the low line around the 3/8ths-mile oval and pulled right up behind the leader. He dipped low a couple of times going into turn 2, but eased back into second on the back straight. VanderBeek made the pass stick momentarily, nosing in front at the start/finish to end lap four, only to see Hughes pull back in front. 

Five-time defending NCRA champion Brian Franz was the top qualifier but started eighth, He put together a strong run, much as he had done in his heat race, and moved to fifth by the sixth circuit.

As Hughes and VanderBeek pulled away from the field, they encountered lapped traffic by the tenth lap. Their half-straightaway lead evaporated when Brian Powers slowed and stopped in front of the packed grandstands to bring out the first caution on lap 12.

Weder briefly took the lead on the restart, only to relinquish it back to Hughes. But Franz stuck the nose of his racecar on the bottom and moved from fifth to second on the first lap following the restart.

Hughes, Franz and VanderBeek pulled away from the others, leaving Weder and John Allen locked in a battle for third. They were soon joined in the fray by Jon Tesch.

By lap 18, Franz poked the racecar down low several times going into turn 2, trying to slip by for the lead. Each time, Hughes had enough momentum going onto the back straight to hold on to the point.

A restart of lap 20 saw Hughes keep the lead, followed by Franz, VanderBeek, Weder and Allen. On the next lap, Hughes pulled away from Franz and VanderBeek, leaving them to fight it out for second. VanderBeek then dropped to the inside and powered by Franz for second.

Hughes continued to pull away as VanderBeek did the same to Franz. By the 25th circuit, Allen and Tesch had moved up to challenge Franz for third.

The third and final caution of the race came on lap 30 for NASCAR’s Kenny Wallace, who spun in turn 2. That set the stage for a five-lap shootout.

Hughes got the jump on the restart and that was all the Westville, Okla., driver needed to hold them off the rest of the way. Tesch was able to get by Franz into third on lap 3, with Jason Krohn having moved up to fifth. On lap 33, Franz spun in turn 2, finishing 19th, which allowed Krohn to take the position.

Hughes took the double-checker by a comfortable margin over VanderBeek in second. Tesch finished third, with Krohn fourth and Allen fifth.

Action in the three B-features was also fast and furious, with the top three drivers transferring to the A-feature. Brandon Kenny, Wallace and Ross Shipman qualified in the first B; Kelly Shryock, Tesch and Krohn in the second and Ken Schrader, Scott Green and Jim Johnson in the third.

Winners of the six heat races were Marlin Farr, Rodney Sanders, Hughes, Franz, Hurd and VanderBeek.

It was the first time the NCRA Modified Series had ever co-sanctioned an event.
 
O'Reilly Finish Line

Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. (29) Marlin Farr, Nickerson, Kan.; 2. (1d) Don Renfro, Wichita, Kan.; 3. (21b) Brandon Kenny, Woodward, Okla.; 4. (14) Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.; 5. (3k) Kirk Coleman, Wichita, Kan.; 6. (19t) Travis Govern, Wichita, Kan.; 7. (D8) Don Hodge, Wichita, Kan.; 8. (19b) Nic Baalman, Wichita, Kan.; 9. (4) Bill Stahl, Newton, Kan.; DNS (37) Ryan Stringfellow, Wichita, Kan. 

Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. (20) Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas; 2. (20r) Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.; 3. (02) Tommy Weder Jr., Woodward, Okla.; 4. (117) Jason Teague, Tahlequah, Okla.; 5. (92) Marc Robe, Wichita, Kan.; 6. (77b) Brad Johnston, Haysville, Kan.; 7. (4r) Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. DNF; 8. (7k) Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn. DNF; 9. (87) Kenny Sweet, Wichita, Kan. DNF; 10. (44) Brian Powers, Wichita, Kan. DNF. 

Heat 3 (8 laps): 1. (12) Jason Hughes, Westville, Okla.; 2. (50) Rodney Dodds, Haysville, Kan.; 3. (3) Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa; 4. (77) Mike Jarvis, Wichita, Kan.; 5. (33) Bo Key, Colwich, Kan.; 6. (15) Greg Stephens, Wichita, Kan.; 7. (9) Ken Schrader, Concord, N.C.; 8. (19) Jamie Burford, Keatchie, La.; 9. (69) Cecil Dymond, Goddard, Kan.; 10. (27) Kevin Patton, Wichita, Kan. 

Heat 4 (8 laps): 1. (86) Brian Franz, Halstead, Kan.; 2. (98) John Allen, Chanute, Kan.; 3. (36) Kenny Wallace, Concord, N.C.; 4. (96) Jim Johnson, Derby, Kan.; 5. (65) Tyler Davis, Wichita, Kan.; 6. (90) Shane Gerber, Wichita, Kan.; 7. (16r) Richard Leatherman, Andover, Kan. DNF; 8. (65t) Tim Leiker, Garden City, Kan. DNF; 9. (25) Scott Green, Derby, Kan. DNF; 10. (71) Patrick McManus, Derby, Kan. DNF. 

Heat 5 (8 laps): 1. (10) Marc Hurd, Wichita, Kan.; 2. (32) Bobby Bills, Wichita, Kan.; 3. (3d) Dan Daniels, Humboldt, Kan.; 4. (91) Ross Shipman, Belle Plaine, Kan.; 5. (97) Lincoln Moore, Wichita, Kan.; 6. (12d) Scott Drake, Webb City, Mo.; 7. (21j) Jason Schniepp, Wichita, Kan.; 8. (16v) Vickie Leatherman, Andover, Kan.; 9. (12g) Jeremy Green, Enid, Okla. DNF; 10. (22b) Brian Casey, Hutchinson, Kan. DNF. 

Heat 6 (8 laps): 1. (33z) Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa; 2. (2b) Jason Bodenhamer, Centerview, Mo.; 3. (8w) Jordan Whitehead, Andover, Kan.; 4. (13) Brent Burkhart, Hutchinson, Kan.; 5. (18) Justin Boney, Leavenworth, Kan.; 6. (911j) Straun Taylor, Hutchinson, Kan.; 7. (K1) Ron Lundry, Wichita, Kan.; 8. (2w) Richard Wilson, Wichita, Kan.; 9. (26) Jimmie Hobbs, Wichita, Kan. DNF. 

B feature 1 (12 laps, top 3 advance): 1. Brandon Kenny, 2. Kenny Wallace, 3. Ross Shipman, 4. Brian Powers, 5. Shane Gerber, 6. Kenny Sweet, 7. Don Hodge, 8. Bo Key, 9. Lincoln Moore, 10. Justin Boney, 11. Brian Casey, 12. Vickie Leatherman, 13. Jason Schniepp, 14. Richard Leatherman DNF, 15. Nic Baalman DNF, 16. Jeremy Green DNS. 

B feature 2 (15 laps, top 3 advance): 1. Kelly Shryock, 2. Jon Tesch, 3. Jason Krohn, 4. Dan Daniels, 5. Scott Drake, 6. Dereck Ramirez, 7. Kirk Coleman, 8. Richard Wilson, 9. Brad Johnston, 10. Cecil Dymond, 11. Marc Robe DNF, 12. Jimmie Hobbs DNF, 13. Jason Teague, Tahlequah DNF, 14. Ron Lundry DNS, 15. Kevin Patton DNS. 

B feature 3 (15 laps, top 3 advance): 1. Ken Schrader, 2. Scott Green, 3. Jim Johnson, 4. Jordan Whitehead, 5. Straun Taylor, 6. Tim Leiker, 7. Brent Burkhart, 8. Travis Govern, 9. Patrick McManus, 10. Mike Jarvis, 11. Jamie Burford DNF, 12. Bill Stahl DNF, 13. Greg Stephens DNF, 14. Tyler Davis DNF, 15. Ryan Stringfellow DNS. 

A feature (35 laps): 1. Jason Hughes, 2. Zack VanderBeek, 3. Jon Tesch, 4. Jason Krohn, 5. John Allen, 6. Brandon Kenny, 7. Tommy Weder Jr., 8. Kelly Shryock, 9. Ken Schrader, 10. Marc Hurd, 11. Dereck Ramirez, 12. Scott Green, 13. Marlin Farr, 14. Dan Daniels, 15. Jamie Burford, 16. Ross Shipman, 17. Don Renfro, 18. Rodney Dodds, 19. Brian Franz DNF, 20. Jim Johnson DNF, 21. Jason Bodenhamer DNF, 22. Kenny Wallace DNF, 23. Bobby Bills DNF, 24. Bryan Rowland DNF, 25. Rodney Sanders DNF, 26. Brian Powers DNF.