Grain Valley, Missouri (June 22, 2024)………Jack Wagner reigned victorious during Saturday night’s Bill Lawson Memorial presented by Design Source Flooring at Missouri’s Valley Speedway.
The Lone Jack, Mo. racer led the final 18 laps to score his second USAC Wholesale Batteries Midwest Wingless Sprint Car Association main event victory of the season, both of which have come at Valley. Overall, it’s his fourth career USAC MWRA triumph.
Wagner fell back to fourth place early in the feature before charging his way to the front utilizing the high line in turns one and two, and the middle of the track in three and four, to grab the lead. Driving his JHR/WBR 77, Wagner then navigated lapped traffic as well as a last lap adventure where he slipped off the rim in turn two before recovering to come home first.
Tom Curran (Kansas City, Mo.) took second ahead of Cody Baker (Lone Jack, Mo.) in third, series point leader Wyatt Burks (Topeka, Kan.) fourth while Kory Schudy (Battlefield, Mo.) completed the top-five on a hot and steamy night.
Driving his TCR No. 11x, Curran was at the top of his game in finishing with his second consecutive runner-up result in the series after notching the same position at Electric City Speedway on May 18th. Meanwhile, Baker had his best result of the season after advancing from 12th to third in a brilliant drive that watched him gain momentum while running the top in his THR No. 9H.
Wesley Smith (Nixa, Mo.) grabbed sixth with early leader Luke Howard (Overland Park, Kan.) crossing the stripe in seventh as Chad Goff (Spring Hill, Kan.) advanced seven spots to run eighth after starting 15th.
Ninth place finisher Samuel Wagner (Lone Jack, Mo.) earned the Country Kids Day Care of Olathe Hard Charger Award after starting last in the 22-car field and advanced 13 positions to score ninth. Zach Clark (Raymore, Mo.) nearly duplicated that feat as he charged from the inside of the last row (21st) to finish 10th.
USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: June 22, 2024 – Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Missouri
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 77-Jack Wagner (1), 2. 74-Xavier Doney (2), 3. 28-Kory Schudy (5), 4. 93-Junior Parkinson (4), 5. 9H-Cody Baker (6), 6. 15E-Dakota Earls (3), 7. 9-Chad Goff (8), 8. 74N-Natalie Doney (7). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 2H-Luke Howard (2), 2. 15B-Quinton Benson (5), 3. 2-Wesley Smith (3), 4. 27J-Justin Johnson (1), 5. 65w-Chad Winfrey (6), 6. ST1-Lane Stone (4), 7. 85A-Kyle Gorham (7). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 11x-Tom Curran (3), 2. 21m-Michael Moore (1), 3. 11w-Wyatt Burks (5), 4. 52-Blake Bowers (6), 5. 21K-Kobe Simpson (4), 6. 26-Zach Clark (2), 7. 73-Samuel Wagner (7). NT
FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jack Wagner (2), 2. Tom Curran (3), 3. Cody Baker (12), 4. Wyatt Burks (6), 5. Kory Schudy (5), 6. Wesley Smith (10), 7. Luke Howard (1), 8. Chad Goff (15), 9. Samuel Wagner (22), 10. Zach Clark (21), 11. Xavier Doney (7), 12. Chad Winfrey (13), 13. Lane Stone (16), 14. Natalie Doney (19), 15. Kobe Simpson (20), 16. Dakota Earls (17), 17. Justin Johnson (14), 18. Michael Moore (8), 19. Junior Parkinson (11), 20. Kyle Gorham (18), 21. Quinton Benson (4), 22. Blake Bowers (9). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-7 Luke Howard, Laps 8-25 Jack Wagner.
USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Wyatt Burks-1270, 2-Luke Howard-1145, 3-Kobe Simpson-1075, 4-Zach Clark-1065, 5-Chad Winfrey-1045, 6-Wesley Smith-1030, 7-Kory Schudy-1005, 8-Dakota Earls-1000, 9-Junior Parkinson-975, 10-Michael Moore-960.
NEXT USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR RACE: June 28, 2024 – Electric City Speedway – Butler, Missouri