By Randy Fisher
BELLEVILLE, Kan. (Sept. 2, 2007) –
Three-time series champion John Allen survived an early
crash fest to win his third feature of the season Sunday
in the O’Reilly NCRA Modified Series, presented by
ICM/Ethanol.
Pole sitter Brian Casey stayed in front at the green
followed by Dustin Hill, who started to Casey’s outside.
But the race was stopped with two red flags in the first
three laps.
The first red came on the second lap when Hill spun in
turn three. Four drivers got together trying to avoid
him, with two of them leaving the track on the hook.
Hill went to the pits for repairs and was able to return
to the track before they resumed racing.
On the restart, it was
still Casey leading the way with Marc Hurd having taken
second when Hill spun. Allen, from Chanute, Kan., had
moved from eighth to third on the first two laps.
Hurd and Allen crossed start/finish side-by-side at the
end of lap three before Allen moved into second coming
out of turn two onto the back straight. But his pass
went for naught as a spectacular flip in turn four
stopped the racing again.
Grant Junghans lost
control of his car, bounced off the wall, and went
end-over-end. He was OK but the car was demolished.
Allen wasted little time
passing Hurd again for position on the restart. Allen
completed his charge to the front as he moved around
Casey to take the lead on lap five.
Hurd was able to take
second from Casey on lap six. Casey held on to third
with Brendon Gemmill fourth and Jason Roe running fifth.
Allen had opened up his
lead before a caution bunched the field on lap nine. He
stayed in front on the restart but with Hurd now on his
tail. Casey was third before something broke and he
retired on lap 10, with Gemmill moving up to third.
By this time, Hill had charged his way from last on the
second-lap restart to fifth place. He took fourth away
from Jeremy Massey on lap 11.
The field became strung
out when Hurd, running second on lap 13, slowed and
pulled into the infield, done for the evening. That
elevated Gemmill to second, closely followed by Hill and
Massey.
The three youngsters ran nose-to-tail in a tussle for
position the rest of the 20-lap feature. During that
time, Allen moved out to a full straightaway lead over
them.
Massey moved around Hill
for third on lap 18. Coming out of turn two on lap 19,
Hill was able to get around both Massey and Gemmill for
the runner-up spot. But no one could touch Allen as he
won for the third time this season in only four races.
Hill finished second
after restarting at the end of the field on lap two.
Massey held back Gemmill for third with four-time
defending series champion Brian Franz in fifth.
Hurd, Hill, Gemmill, and
Jason Roe all won heat races. Brian McGowen and Greg
Stephens won B-features.