Columbus Speedway News
www.columbusspeedway.net
Race Summary for June 23rd
Sanderford and Minor Take Top Columbus Speedway Honors
Columbus, MS - Columbus Speedway would return to action with another Summer Racing Series event on Saturday night. The evening would showcase the Mini Stock division with the Mini Stock Summer Sizzler topping the bill along with the Super Late Models and all local divisions. Nearly 90 race teams filled the pits for another healthy dose of "Baddest Bullring" competition.
Stacy Caldwell would set fast time in Midsouthracing.com Rebel Challenge Weekly Racing Series Super Late Model qualifying with a 14.33 over former track champ Shawn Edwards, Chris Ragan, and last week's winner Dean Carpenter, but fuel system troubles unfortunately left Caldwell unable to start the main event. Ragan and Carpenter would engage in a fierce battle for the lead for most of the first 16 laps until a broken rod sidelined Ragan in his first Summer Racing Series appearance at The Bullring.
A four-lap dash for the checkers would then be in order with Jason "Loose Cannon" Sanderford having crept up into the picture after falling back as far as 6th at one point in the 16-car field. Sanderford, better known as simply "LC", would take the lead at the turn 4 exit with two laps to go, leaving Edwards, Carpenter, and Heath Johnson (also in his first Summer Racing Series appearance) to battle 3-wide for second place on the multi-grooved high banks.
Sanderford, a rookie in the Super Late Model division, led the final two circuits to take his first career win for the Stewart, Mississippi based racer in dirt racing's top division, followed by Edwards, Carpenter, Johnson, and Roger Shirley. Rounding out the top ten would be Kurt Radojcsics, Jeremy Glasgow, Keith House, Daniel Brown, and Tim Turner. With growing weekly competition and a level of parity that has not been seen in the division for some time, Sanderford became the 8th different Super Late Model winner in 8 events this season at The Bullring.
Michael Pendley, who has had no shortage of success at Columbus Speedway in the Mini Stock division, would set the pace in Summer Sizzler qualifying with a 17.81-second lap. Pendley's good fortune did not hold out through the feature event, as Mike Minor of Ralph, Alabama returned to earn another Columbus Speedway victory in the 20-lap caution free event. Minor would lead Steve Mitchell, Aaron Peay, Heath Minor, and Stanley Busbin across the line, followed by Jonathan Cuttingham, David Crawford, Nick Deese, Ronnie Guin, and Pendley.
Jeremy Shaw of Millport returned to form with a dominating victory in the Modified division. Shaw would beat out Matt Price, Lee Ray, Blake Koenigsberger, and Todd Gray in the 17-car field. Randy Harmon of Nettleton, MS would become yet another Columbus Speedway first time winner in the Stormpay.com Crate Late Model division over Tony Shelton, Jamie Pickard, Corey Doyle, and Carson Wallace.
Talented young Fulton, Mississippi racer Eric Cooley notched another Late Model Stock win over Ray Paul, Ray Mauldin, Jackson McCool, and William Bell. Danny Gable took the Street Stock victory over Jeremy Robertson, Trey Bright, Tim Bell, and Kevin Monahan. The man with a bounty on his head, Marvin Beard incurred difficulties early in the program and did not race. The $50 bounty still remains on Beard this coming Saturday night.
Columbus Speedway will continue the 2007 Summer Racing Series next Saturday night June 30th with a Special event and Full Racing Program. The show includes the Brown Engineering Six Crown Southern Speedweek Series Super Late Models and all local divisions in action. Local divisions include Late Model Stock, Open Wheel Modifieds, Stormpay Late Models, Street Stocks, and Mini Stocks.
The Super Late Models will be competing in round three of the Six Crown Southern Speedweek. The 40-lap White Pickett Fence Firecracker 40 event will pay $2,000 to win and $225 to start. A nice cross section of drivers from across the southeast are expected.
The Six Crown event will serve as a good time to test and tune for the upcoming Cliburn Tank Lines Lucas Oil Series James Nickoles Memorial presented by the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau SPEED TV event coming up July 14th. Grandstand gates open at 5pm with hot laps at 7:30pm and racing at 8:00pm. Special event admission prices apply with adult admission is $15 with children ages 10 and under admitted FREE. Seniors, active military, and ages 11-18 are admitted for only $12. Pit passes are $25. Please remember lawn chairs and coolers are welcome with the exception of no glass containers.
For more information please visit www.columbusspeedway.net or call Johnny Stokes at 662-574-2572 during the week. On Saturday, please call the event hotline at 662-241-5004.
Upcoming events at Columbus Speedway:
June 30th - 6 Crown SLM Championship $2,000 to win plus WRS at Columbus Speedway
July 1st - 6 Crown SLM Championship $2,000 to win plus WRS at Magnolia Motor Speedway (Sunday night)
July 7th – RCWRS SLM’s plus WRS at Columbus Speedway
July 14th – Lucas Oil Series Super Late Model Series $10,000 to win!
Mini Stock "Summer Sizzler" Championship
Fast Qualifier - Michael Pendley 17.81
FINISHING POSITION CAR #/DRIVER NAME
1ST 2 MIKE MINOR
2ND 7 STEVE MITCHELL
3RD 11 AARON PEAY
4TH 21 HEATH MINOR
5TH 6 STANLEY BUSBIN
6TH 19 JONATHAN CUTTINGHAM
7TH 2 DAVID CRAWFORD
8TH 22 NICK DEESE
9TH -01 RONNIE GUIN
10TH 57 MICHAEL PENDLEY
11TH 2 1/2 RANDY GUIN
DNS 1 BO MINOR
Super Late Model
Fast Qualifier - Stacy Caldwell 14.33
FINISHING POSITION CAR #/DRIVER NAME
1ST 82 JASON SANDERFORD
2ND 5 SHAWN EDWARDS
3RD 51 DEAN CARPENTER
4TH F44 HEATH JOHNSON
5TH 57 ROGER SHIRLEY
6TH 43 KURT RADOJCSICS
7TH 7 JEREMY GLASGOW
8TH 22 KEITH HOUSE
9TH 10 DANIEL BROWN
10TH 8 TIM TURNER
11TH C16 CHRIS RAGEN
12TH 86 TERRELL STRIPLING
13TH 28 BRADLEY PRICE
14TH 1 SCOTT FLURRY
15TH R1 GREG RUFFIN
DNS 54C STACY CALDWELL
Open Wheel Modified
FINISHING POSITION CAR #/DRIVER NAME
1ST 1S JEREMY SHAW
2ND 17 MATT PRICE
3RD 2 LEE RAY
4TH 31 BLAKE KOENIGSBERGER
5TH 7 TODD GRAY
6TH 9 CHRIS COLLUMS
7TH X TRINITY WYERS
8TH 2S JACOB STAPP
9TH 17X DEVAN WYERS
10TH 97 HAROLD TRIMM
11TH 53 AARON BUTLER
12TH USA1 JEROME SHEPHERD
13TH 29 KALI DELOACH
14TH CB1 ERIC HUGHES
DNS 35 TONY GRAY
DNS 41 BILL SUDDUTH
DNS X WESSIE GRAY
Late Model Stock
FINISHING POSITION CAR #/DRIVER NAME
1ST 33C ERIC COOLEY
2ND 75 RAY PAUL
3RD 9 RAY MAULDIN
4TH 8 JACKSON MCCOOL
5TH 35 WILLIAM BELL
6TH 8 BRADLEY NICKOLES
7TH 51 CHRISTOPHER BROWN
8TH J14 JR PALMER
9TH 6 CHRIS WOOD
10TH 24 JODY GUEST
DNS F44 CLINT PATTERSON
Street Stock
FINISHING POSITION CAR #/DRIVER NAME
1ST 47 DANNY GABLE
2ND 69 JEREMY ROBERTSON
3RD 82 TREY BRIGHT
4TH 8 TIM BELL
5TH 83 KEVIN MONAHAN
6TH 63 TREY WRIGHT
7TH 22 JOHN BEARD
8TH 06 BO HELTON
9TH 4 TONY TIDWELL
10TH 8 BLAINE DAVIS
11TH 95 JERRY NICHOLS
12TH 19 JAMES SOLAR
13TH F86 TOMMY MCCAFFERY
14TH 67 KEVIN MCWILLIAMS
15TH 34 JOHN JONES
16TH K24 TONY SILVESTRI
DNS 55 BRAD BECK
DNS 3S MARVIN BEARD
DNS 1 BEN WILLIAMS
DNS 28 BRYAN FORTNER
Crate Late Model
FINISHING POSITION CAR #/DRIVER NAME
1ST 18C RANDY HARMON
2ND 38 TONY SHELTON
3RD 21 JAMIE PICKARD
4TH C1 COREY DOYLE
5TH W2 CARSON WALLACE
6TH X15 ROMAN PONDS
7TH 7 MIKE SHIRLEY
8TH 911 CHRIS REED
9TH 50 ALLEN SIMMONS
10TH 22 CODY SWINK
11TH 27 REED LONG
DNS 63 JOSH DODD