Kansas City, Kansas (August 18, 2024)………Cody Baker blasted his way to victory in Friday night’s Weld Memorial USAC Wholesale Batteries Midwest Wingless Racing Association Sprint Car feature at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.
Baker seized the lead on lap three, then expertly navigated the 1/3-mile dirt oval track to win the $2,500 top prize and a trophy that towered over him and everyone else in victory lane.
The Lone Jack, Mo. racer accomplished this feat while driving for his grandfather, Ted Hall, in the THR Racing No. 9H. Hall, a lifelong friend of the Weld family and an integral part of their racing heritage and success, was just as excited to win the race as his grandson.
For the family race team from Missouri, the win was also their third triumph with USAC MWRA after previously winning points paying races at Nevada Speedway and Valley Speedway during the Helm Memorial in 2022.
While Baker controlled the point after taking the lead early, racing throughout the pack in the 25-lapper was intense and featured several changes of position between second and sixth.
At the finish, point leader Wyatt Burks (Topeka, Kan.) came home second in his WBR No. 11w over Kobe Simpson (Bonham, Texas) and his KSR No. 21K in third. Samuel Wagner (Lone Jack, Mo.) grabbed fourth at the wheel of his Wagner Brothers Racing/Jesse Hockett Racing No. 73 in fourth. Fellow Lone Jack, Mo. gasman Braydon Cromwell rounded out the top-five in his own BCR No. 4.
Positions fifth through 10th featured Tom Curran (Kansas City, Mo.) having another solid result as he drove to a sixth place finish in his TCR No. 11x. Zach Clark (Raymore Mo.) took seventh in the ZCR No. 26. Dakota Earls (Independence, Mo.) scored eighth at the control of his DER No. 15E.
Chris Parkinson (Gladstone, Mo.) earned the Country Kids Day Care of Olathe, Kan. Hard Charger award by advancing from 18th to 9th aboard his CPR No. 65. Chad Goff (Spring Hill, Kan.) completed the top-10 at Lakeside with a 10th place finish in the CGR No. 9.
In the feature event, after completing the opening lap, Michael Moore (Camden, Mo.) was involved in an accident on the backstretch, resulting in his car flipping and catching fire. Moore quickly exited his machine and was okay. Unfortunately, his car received significant damage.
Jack Wagner (Lone Jack, Mo.) charged early, rising from 17th to 7th before hitting a rut coming into the third turn on lap 11. That sent Wagner bicycling before hitting the wall flipping before coming to a rest between turns three and four. After much consultation with the safety crew and first responders, Wagner, though sore, was okay, and was able to remain at the track. Unfortunately, his car also received significant damage.
Burks, Simpson and Baker won heat races. Simpson earned high-point honors after moving from fifth to first in the second heat.
USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: August 16, 2024 – Lakeside Speedway – Kansas City, Kansas – Weld Memorial
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 11w-Wyatt Burks (2), 2. 2-Chris Morgan (3), 3. 21m-Michael Moore (6), 4. 27J-Justin Johnson (7), 5. 65w-Chad Winfrey (4), 6. 77-Jack Wagner (5), 7. 03-Tyler Burton (1). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 21K-Kobe Simpson (5), 2. 4-Braydon Cromwell (6), 3. 15E-Dakota Earls (2), 4. 26-Zach Clark (4), 5. 11x-Tom Curran (7), 6. 65-Chris Parkinson (1), 7. 85A-Kyle Gorham (3). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 9H-Cody Baker (2), 2. 73-Samuel Wagner (3), 3. 88-Chad Tye (1), 4. 93-Junior Parkinson (4), 5. 9-Chad Goff (5), 6. 2H-Luke Howard (6). NT
FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Cody Baker (2), 2. Wyatt Burks (5), 3. Kobe Simpson (1), 4. Samuel Wagner (3), 5. Braydon Cromwell (4), 6. Tom Curran (10), 7. Zach Clark (12), 8. Dakota Earls (8), 9. Chris Parkinson (18), 10. Chad Goff (14), 11. Chad Winfrey (15), 12. Justin Johnson (11), 13. Junior Parkinson (13), 14. Chad Tye (9), 15. Jack Wagner (17), 16. Tyler Burton (20), 17. Kyle Gorham (19), 18. Chris Morgan (7), 19. Michael Moore (6), 20. Luke Howard (16). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 Kobe Simpson, Laps 3-25 Cody Baker.
USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Wyatt Burks-1640, 2-Kobe Simpson-1455, 3-Chad Winfrey-1360, 4-Dakota Earls-1335, 5-Luke Howard-1290, 6-Zach Clark-1275, 7-Junior Parkinson-1270, 8-Michael Moore-1230, 9-Tyler Burton-1045, 10-Wesley Smith-1030.
NEXT USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR RACE: August 24, 2024 – Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Missouri
