By David Smith Jr.
Mayetta, Kansas – June 5, 2010 – Four-time and defending series champion Garry Lee Maier of Cimarron, Kansas became the third different feature winner in as many races as he wired the field to win the twenty-five lap O’Reilly/NCRA sprint car feature event at Thunder Hill Speedway in Mayetta, Kansas in the first ever appearance for the series 360 sprint car division.
Maier, aboard the famed Ochs Brothers #1x, started on the pole and quickly set the pace on the rest of the field. Outside front row starter Chad Humston, aboard the Mark Burch #1m entry, settled into the runner up position.
Maier set a torrid pace on most of the field but Humston stayed within striking distance and as Maier began entering lapped traffic on lap seven, Humston closed to within three car lengths of the leader.
While the two front runners began to distance themselves from the rest of the field, the battle for the third position heated up as Jay Russell kept the position he started but was starting to get pressure from ninth starting Aaron Berryhill around the races midway point.
Back up front Maier and Humston continued to fly around the high banked three-eighths mile oval and as both drivers once again approached heavy lapped traffic on lap fifteen, Humston appeared to be making his move for the lead.
However his attempted would be thwarted as on lap seventeen, the rear end broke exiting turn two causing him to slow to a stop at the bottom of the back stretch to bring out the races only caution and earn him the races ARP hard luck award.
Berryhill, who had passed Russell for the runner up position just before the caution, lined up right behind Maier on the restart but there was no catching the former national 360 sprint car champion on this night as Maier and his Midwest Ag Professionals/Millart Management/Mid-States Hay Inc./Ruff Bailey Cattle Co. sponsored Maxim chassis motored away the final eight laps to take the ten car length victory.
Berryhill would settle for second with Mike Peters coming on strong late to take the third position. Russell held on for fourth with Jeremy Campbell rounding out the top five.
In heat race action, the three, eight lap heat races were won by Humston, Maier and Russell.
The next event scheduled for the O’Reilly/NCRA sprint car series will be held on Sunday night, June 20, at 81 Speedway in Park City, Kansas.
The O’Reilly/NCRA sprint car series is entering its 21st consecutive season while the series itself is in the midst of their 40th season of sanctioning dirt track races throughout the Plains.
The series would like to thank the following for their partnership with the O’Reilly/NCRA sprint car series for the 2010 race season.
2010 NCRA sprint car sponsors: O’Reilly Auto Parts, Hoosier Race Tires, Sunoco Race Fuels
2010 NCRA sprint car contingency partners: Arizona Sports Shirts, Airflow Racing Products, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Hooker Harness, Keizer Racing Wheels, Pro Shocks, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Super Shox, Taylor Cable Products, The Joie of Seating, Ultra-Shield Race Products, Vertex Magnetos and Winters Performance Parts
A Feature: 1) Garry Lee Maier 2) Aaron Berryhill 3) Mike Peters 4) Jay Russell (76) 5) Jeremy Campbell 6) Chris Morgan (7c) 7) Trevor Grossenbacher 8) Gavin Punch 9)Tyler Drueke (12) 10) Luke Cranston 11) Jon Freeman 12) Jordan Whitehead 13) A.J. Selenke 14) J.D. Johnson 15) Zach Davis (3z) 16) Sherman Davis 17) Chris Walker (18w) 18) Chad Humston (1m) 19) Dustin Murray (46) 20) Kirby Robe
1st Heat: 1) Chad Humston 2) Tyler Drueke 3) Aaron Berryhill 4) Mike Peters 5) Gavin Punch 6) A.J. Selenke 7) Luke Cranston
2nd Heat: 1) Garry Lee Maier 2) Jeremy Campbell 3) Trevor Grossenbacher 4) J.D. Johnson 5) Jon Freeman 6) Dustin Murray 7) Sherman Davis
3rd Heat: 1) Jay Russell 2) Chris Morgan 3) Jordan Whitehead 4) Zach Davis 5) Kirby Robe 6) Chris Walker
ARP Hard Luck: Humston
Saldana Racing Products 2nd Place: Berryhill
The Joie of Seating 2nd Place= Berryhill
Rod End Supply 3rd Place= Peters
Super Shox 5th Place= Campbell