Josh Garris of Columbus was a winner in one of the go-kart racing divisions on Aug. 11 at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds when the Columbus Speedway Go-Kart Racing hosted its second event of the season. A total of 65 entrants were on hand for the evening’s activities.
Garris was victorious in the Flat Head 27 class. Other winners were Travis Wilburn of Milan, Ryan Roell of Dillsboro, Scott Yarling of Shelbyville, Jake Roell of Dillsboro, Kayla Roell of Dillsboro, Luke Darlage and Blaze Lee of New Albany.
The Columbus Speedway Go-Kart Racing will be off the next two weekends starting with tonight. The next event is scheduled for Sept. 1.
Swanson wins Salem Silver Crown
Kody Swanson easily handled the field on Aug. 11, winning the 59th Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial at Salem Speedway. Swanson took the USAC Silver Crown win over Chris Windom, Bobby Santos, Jerry Coons Jr. and Kyle Hamilton.
With his 24th career Silver Crown win, Swanson surpassed Jack Hewitt, with whom he was tied heading into the event at Salem for the most wins in series history. Swanson has also won five Silver Crown events in a row this season, which is an all-time record in the series.
Ballou wins Terre Haute
Robert Ballou won the MSCS sprint car feature on Sunday at Terre Haute Action Track. Ballou bested Windom, Chase Stockon, Carson Short and Stevie Sussex for the win. Kenny Wallace was victorious in the open wheel modified feature over Tyler Nicely and David Stremme.
Paragon season complete
Paragon Speedway ran its final race of the 2018 racing season when promoters Keith and Judy Ford promoted their final race after several years of operating the race track. They have announced they are retiring. Jake Scott was named the 2018 sprint car track champion, Steve Hawkins was the top man in the super stocks, Matthew Cooley took the bomber crown and A.J. Hobbs won the hornet track championship.
In race results from Aug. 11, there were 32 sprints on hand, with Josh Cunningham and Daylan Chambers winning the sprint car features. Chris Hillman grabbed the super stock main. Jeff Allen notched the bomber feature. Chris Hillman Jr. took the final hornet feature of the season.
Five winners at Twin Cities
Marty O’Neal of Spencer won the crate late model feature on Aug. 11 at Twin Cities Raceway Park in Vernon. It was the 10th win overall this season for the 55-year-old veteran driver, who was behind the wheel of the Larry Hartwell Moonlite Racing Team based in North Vernon. Brad Barrow of Bloomington ran second to O’Neal, with Steve Peeden of Paragon, Jeremy Hines of Seymour and Geraid Gault of Morgantown completing the top five.
Jeff Wilson of Butlerville won his first super stock feature race of the season. Jeremy Helton of Paris Crossing finished in second, with Colton Sullivan of Columbus, Danny Hupp of Scipio and Craig Markel of Columbus completing the top-five drivers.
Tyler Nicely of Owensboro, Kentucky, took his first open wheel modified win at Twin Cities. Trailing
Nicely across the finish line were Matt Boknecht of Seymour, Earl Plessinger of Lexington, Jeff Deckard of Bloomington and Mike Bechelli of Elizabethtown.
Troy Clark of North Vernon won the pure stock class main event over his son Bryson Clark of North Vernon, William Burton of North Vernon, Mickey Hines of Scipio and Josh Turner of Edinburgh.
Gregg O’Neill II of Mooresville took home the feature win inn the hornet division. Donnie Modesty of Seymour was second, with Andy Anderson of North Vernon finishing in third.
Twin Cities will be idle tonight. Racing will resume on Aug, 25. For up-to-date info, visit twincitiestrack.com.
Canadian Wins North/South 100
Ricky Weiss of Headingly, Manitoba, Canada won the 36th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 on Aug. 11 at Florence Speedway in Union, Kentucky. Before a packed house, Weiss pocketed $50,000 for his win. The victory was the 29-year-old racer’s first-career crown jewel triumph and his first-ever Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win.
Tim McCreadie of Watertown, New York, who won the race last year, passed Martinsville’s Hudson O’Neal on the final lap to finish second. O’Neal was third, with Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tennessee, and Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Georgia, completing the top five.
A total of 62 different drivers participated in the four-day event which began on Aug. 8. O’Neal won the rain-shortened Ralph Latham Memorial Race worth $12,000. On Aug. 9, McCreadie took the win in the North/South Shootout, which paid $10,000 to win.
Brownstown racing tonight
After taking last weekend off, Brownstown Speedway will be in action with a regular program of Indiana Pro late models, modifieds, super stocks, pure stocks and hornets. For more info, visit brownstownspeedway.com.
Lawrenceburg hosts Gaines Memorial
Lawrenceburg Speedway will pay tribute to Hall-of-Fame driver Dick Gaines tonight with the running of the Dick Gaines Memorial Race for 410 non-wing sprint cars. Also, on the docket are modifieds, pure stocks and hornets. For further info, visit lawrenceburgspeedway.com.
On Aug. 4, Lawrenceburg ran the Jason Soudrette Memorial Race, with C.J. Leary of Greenfield taking the sprint car victory in the main event. Dickie Gaines of Mitchell was second with Nick Bilbee of Indianapolis placing third. Jarett Andretti finished fourth, and current points leader Garrett Abrams of Rushville was fifth.
Kyle Schornick of Milan won the open wheel modified feature race. Adam Stricker of Batavia, Ohio, was second, with Joey Kramer of Hanover, Matt Hamilton of Aurora and Brad Wieck of Cincinnati rounding out the top five.
UMRA at Peru tonight
The UMRA King of the TQ Midgets will race tonight at Circus City Speedway in Peru. Matt Hedrick of Rushville continues to lead the series points standings. Tate Martz of Rushville is currently second in points, followed by Joey Paxson of Connersville, Aaron Percell and Ron Combs of Greensburg.
Back on Aug. 3 and 4, Hedrick swept both feature events that were contested at Gas City I-69 Speedway in Gas City and Montpelier Motor Speedway. At Gas City, Hedrick took the win over Martz, Matt Lux of Manilla, Austin Nigh and Combs. Hedrick came back the next night to again score the feature win over Robbie Roland of Carthage, Paxson, Martz and Lux.
This week in racing history
From 50 years ago in 1968 at 25th Street Speedway in Columbus, it was Don Hobbs winning the feature race over Ira Bastin and Rex Huntley.
From 1978 at Bloomington Speedway, it was Dick Gaines winning the sprint car feature over Bernie Graybeal, Bob Kinser, Bobby Black and Butch Wilkerson. Russ Petro won the hobby stock feature over Gary Harden, Sam Stockon, Sam Cooper and Horace Lake.
From 30 years ago in 1988 at Brownstown, C.J. Rayburn won the late model feature taking the victory over Eddy Shickel, Jim Curry, Steve Trabue and Mike Jewell. Mark Barber won the street stock main over Earl Plessinger, Steve Kimberlin, Gary Green and Tom Seadler. Randy Petro took the top honors in the bomber feature over Roger Bense, Ron Hoover, Bret Ezzo and Jerry Brockman.
