The fourth, fifth, and sixth races of the year kept Lucas Cattle Company ULMA Drivers busy over the weekend with Aaron Marrant, Chris Smyser, and Jason Bodenhamer capturing victories. Marrant, the current leader in the Hoosier Tire Midwest battle for Rookie of the Year, prevailed with his first-ever Late Model win at Lucas Oil Speedway on Saturday. Smyser also captured a win on Saturday at Randolph County Raceway for his sixth-career ULMA win. Bodenhamer’s 33rd career ULMA bell ringer came on Friday at Callaway Raceway.
Randolph County Raceway (RCR) in Moberly, Missouri hosted ULMA cars for the first time in the 2016 season last Saturday with 11 drivers competing in a pair of heat races to sort out the lineup for the Late Model a-main. Kenny Mudd and Chris Smyser claimed victory in the heat races, which determined the a-main grid.
Smyser, a five-time winner at RCR last season started on pole-position alongside Ryan Petersheim of Harrisburg, Misssouri. Smyser’s car was strong from the onset as the Lancaster, Missouri driver never looked back, sailing on to his first main-event win of the year over defending Lucas Cattle Company ULMA Champion Jon Melloway. Mudd started and finished in third with I-35 Speedway winner David Melloway claiming fourth as Ptersheim slipped to fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Terry Wilson, Dustin Hodges, Ashlee Lancaster, Richard Kimberling and Devan Wiss.
The next event at Randolph County Raceway is set for Saturday, May 7th with gates opening at 5, Hotlaps beginning at 6:15 p.m. and racing at 7 pm. For general track information and event schedules be sure to visit the track at www.randolphcountyraceway.com.
Saturday at Lucas Oil Speedway, 21 drivers took to the track for three qualifying heat races. Lane Ehlert of Foristell, Missouri paced the first heat for the win while Browning, Missouri’s Tommy Cordray claimed victory in heat number two. Another northern-missouri based driver, Aaron Marrant of Richmond, raced to the win in the final heat race of the night.
Marrant and Larry Jones started the main event on the front row but it was Marrant who put his #1x car to the test eventually claiming the victory over ninth-starting Justin Russell of Henley, Missouri. Had it not been for a run-in with a lapped car last week, it could have easily been Marrant’s second-consecutive trip to Lucas Oil Speedway victory lane. Cordray raced steady to hold on to the third position followed by tenth-starting Ethan Young in fourth. Former ULMA Champion Jon Binning held his position from the start to finish in fifth.
Nineteenth-starting Larry Ferris passed 13 drivers on his way to a solid run to the sixth position while Ehlert finished seventh. Phil Edmondson, previous week’s winner Todd McCoin and Lawson, Missouri-based driver Bobby Penney rounded out the top ten.
Weekly championship racing returns to Lucas Oil Speedway this Saturday, April 30th. Special $5 ticket prices are in effect for all adults, seniors, military and youth with kids 5-and-under admitted free. Gates open at 5 with hot laps at 7 and racing at 7:30. A limited number of VIP Suites are available for Saturday’s event. Contact Anna Harnden at (417) 282-5984 or via email at [email protected]. For upcoming special event information, archived stories, and ticket info visit lucasoilspeedway.com. Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri.
On Friday at Callaway Raceway in Fulton, Missouri, 11 drivers competed in a pair of heat races and the main event. Terry Wilson of Bowling Green, Missouri and Jason Bodenhamer of Centerview, Missouri were the preliminary heat-race winners.
Bodenhamer and Wilson led the field to the initital green flag for the main event with Bodenhamer quickly assuming command of the race in search for his second-consecutive Callaway Raceway win. Bodenhamer did just that as Wilson slipped from contention finishing tenth in the final rundown. Rounding out the top ten were Cody Holtkamp in third, Dustin Hodges, Todd McCoin, Chris Cox, Wesley Briggs, Chuck Melloway, Ashleee Lancaster, David Miller, and Wilson.
Upcoming ULMA Events
Friday, April 29 – Lakeside Speedway
Saturday, April 30 – Lucas Oil Speedway
Friday, May 6 – Callaway Raceway
Saturday, May 7 – Central Missouri Speedway
Saturday, May 7 – Randolph County Raceway
Friday, May 13 – Callaway Raceway
Saturday, May 14 – Lucas Oil Speedway
Friday, May 20 – Callaway Raceway
Saturday, May 21 – Lucas Oil Speedway
Friday, May 27 – Callaway Raceway
Friday, May 27 – Lakeside Speedway
Saturday, May 28 – Randolph County Raceway
Sunday, May 29 – Central Missouri Speedway
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