From Limaland Motorsports Park
Lima, OH — (May 23, 2011) — The record setting precipitation of April and May delayed the start of the 2011 Limaland Motorsports Park season, but when things finally got underway the eventual opener produced a first-time winner of the 12th Annual Steve Brown Memorial for the Budweiser Thunderstocks. Keith Ralston, 4th in the final points from 2010, was lacking a feature win in 2011 on his resume at Limaland Motorsports Park. It took only a seven week delay to the start of the season to prevent Ralston from posting his first major triumph of the year.
Starting from the outside of row number 4, Ralston wasted little time in moving to the front of the 20-car starting field. By the fourth lap, Ralston had overtaken Barney Craig and began a dominant stretch at the front of the field that led to the ultimate victory. Through four different restarts following caution periods, Ralston held the top position despite genuine challenges from Barney Craig and Jeff Koz. Ultimately, neither driver had enough to get around Ralston on the smoother faster bottom of the track to gain his win.
“It was awesome to race,” said Ralston. “It seemed like the track was a little rough at the end. But the bottom for me was very good.” Koz and Craig finished second and third as the checkered flag unfurled.
The first Elwer Fence Sprint car feature of the season was stacked with apparent top-level cars and drivers, but Kyle Sauder of Archbold, Ohio would give none of the challengers an opportunity to overtake him. Rolling off from the outside of the front row was just the position that Sauder needed to prove his prowess on this night, as he took the lead immediately when the green flag came out. Pennsylvania’s Dylan Cisney was impressive in a heat race win earlier in the evening, but proved no match for Sauder’s ultra-fast 7K entry.
Observers felt the only hope to catch Sauder would be when he was forced to navigate lapped traffic starting at lap number 8. That hope proved unfounded as Sauder stormed passed any slower sprints, dealt with three caution periods and went on to capture his 8th career win at Limaland Motorsports Park . Sauder was a three-time winner in 2010 while running a part-time schedule.
“My guys did a heckuva job with the car as we’ve been waiting for seven weeks now,” exclaimed a grateful Sauder after the 25-lap race. “I just had to keep it on the bottom. It was a year ago tonight that I won for the first time in six years so this is really something. I think we can get even better than this.”
Limaland Motorsports Park first-timer Tony Beaber and Butch Schroeder rounded out the top three finishers. Defending track champion J.R. Stewart struggled in the heat race, but made the feature with a second-place finish in the B-Main. Stewart suffered damage during a mid-race incident during the feature and finished 14th after starting on the tail of the 20-car field.
The big crowd on the de-facto opening night stayed for the always entertaining K & N Modified feature and saw the most common sight in recent years at Limaland Motorsports Park as Terry Hull and Todd Sherman battled each other for another win.
Although front-row starter Zach Schroeder grabbed the opening lap lead it was called off after big pileup in turns 3 and 4 on the opening circuit. On the next restart, inside row-two starter Terry Hull dove to the front and took the command position on the twenty-car field. It was a lead that Hull would not relinquish through the 20 laps of the event. A handful of caution flags allowed Hull to solidify his advantage throughout. The biggest drama of the race saw defending track champion Todd Sherman move up to second after starting from the outside of row 4. Both Hull and Sherman have multiple track titles and look to be engaged in another twilight struggle for Modified honors in 2011.
“I heard somebody up alongside me and I didn’t know if it was Jerry (Bowersock) of Todd (Sherman),” said Hull. “I just stuck to my guns and tried to stay on the bottom, where we were best and I guess it worked.” It marked the 32nd win for Terry Hull in the division during the 14-season history of UNOH ownership and operation of Limaland Motorsports Park.
On Friday, June 10, Limaland Motorsports Park will host Kenny Wallace-Meet the Drivers Night featuring the veteran NASCAR driver Wallace and NHRA Top Fuel dragster Terry McMillen. It’s the St. Rita’s Medical Center “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” program. Both Kenny Wallace and Terry McMillen will be driving “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” modified cars at Limaland Motorsports Park.
The ¼-mile track will also feature the first appearance of the Engine Pro NRA Sprint Invaders. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. with hot laps beginning at 6:30 p.m. Racing starts promptly at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the 23rd Annual Brad Doty Classic, July 13, featuring the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, are on sale now. Call the ticket hotline at 419-998-3199. Seating information, plus all the latest news and information about America’s premier quarter-mile dirt track, can be found at www.limaland.com
Limaland Motorsports Park – 6/3/2011
K&N UMP Modifieds
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 5X-Jerry Bowersock; 2. 28-Shaun Smith; 3. 22-Schuyler Nahre; 4. 15-Nick Katterhenry; 5. O1-Kody Weisner; 6. 12-Buzz Jacobs; 7. 47-Nick Rosselit; 8. OO-John Brooks; 9. 78-Terry Stratton; 10. 36-Brandon Vaughan
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 40-Terry Hull; 2. 1-Chris Puskas; 3. 65-Todd Sherman; 4. 69-Tommy Beezley; 5. 22B-Andy Bibler; 6. 22T-Tony Anderson; 7. 1BP-Brian Przepiora; 8. M1G-Gabe Twining; 9. L5-Casey Luedeke; 10. 19-Ryan Ordway
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 55S-Zach Schroeder; 2. O3-Cory Seeling; 3. 17T-Michael Tarlton; 4. 20K-Bill Keeler; 5. 45P-Brian Post; 6. 33-Clint Reagle; 7. 18N-Derrick Noffsinger; 8. 35-Tim Cornett
B-Main – (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 33-Clint Reagle; 2. 12-Buzz Jacobs; 3. 22t-Tony Anderson; 4. 00-John Brooks;
A-Main – (20 Laps)
1. 40-Terry Hull; 2. 65-Todd Sherman; 3. 5X Jerry Bowersock; 4. 45P-Brian Post; 5. 55S-Zach Schroeder; 6. 20K-Bill Keeler; 7. 69-Tommy Beezley; 8. 22-Schuyler Nahre; 9. 22t-Tony Anderson; 10. 28-Shaun Smith; 11. 00-John Brooks; 12. 03-Cory Seeling; 13. 22B-Andy Bibler; 14. 17T-Michael Tarlton; 15. 15-Nick Katterhenry; 16. 01-Kody Weisner; 17. 12-Buzz Jacobs; 18. 1-Chris Puskus; 19. 33-Clint Reagle; 20. L5-Casey Luedeke
Elwer Fence Sprints
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 7K-Kyle Sauder; 2. 34-Luke Hall; 3. 6-Mike Dussel; 4. 22DH-Randy Hannagan; 5. 35-Ron Blair; 6. 5M-Max Stambaugh; 7. 18-Todd Heverman; 8. 98J-John Kettlewell; 9. 2H-Dallas Hewitt
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 8D-Dylan Cisney; 2. 28H-Hud Horton; 3. B20-Butch Schroeder; 4. 17-Jared Horstman; 5. 4U-Rick Boughan; 6. 57-Mike Dunlap; 7. 22D-Dennis Yoakam;
8. 82-Mike Miller; 9. 41J-Jeremy Powley
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 22-Ben Rutan; 2. 9J-Jesse Mccreary; 3. 49-Shawn Dancer; 4. 2M-Jeff Williams;
5. 27-Beau Stewart; 6. 4-Bob Gehr; 7. 2-Brent Gehr; 8. 1-Kent Wolters
Heat 4 – (8 Laps – Top 4 Transfer)
1. 3T-Tony Beaber; 2. 7C-Tim Hunter; 3. 40-Caleb Helms; 4. 49T-Gregg Dalman; 5. 11-Tim Allison; 6. 32M-Derek Hastings; 7. 10J-Jarrod Delong; 8. 6S-Jr Stewart
B-Main #1 – (10 Laps – Top 2 Transfer)
1. 57-Mike Dunlap; 2. 18-Todd Heverman; 3. 22D-Dennis Yoakam; 4. 35-Ron Blair;
5. 2H-Dallas Hewitt; 6. 4U-Rick Boughan; 7. 41J-Jeremy Powley; 8. 98J-John Kettlewell; 9. 82-Mike Miller; 10. 5M-Max Stambaugh
B-Main #2 – (10 Laps – Top 2 Transfer)
1. 11-Tim Allison; 2. 6S-Jr Stewart; 3. 27-Beau Stewart; 4. 32M-Derek Hastings;
5. 4-Bob Gehr; 6. 10J-Jarrod Delong; 7. 2-Brent Gehr; 8. 1-Kent Wolters
A-Main – (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 7K-Kyle Sauder[2]; 2. 3T-Tony Beaber[4]; 3. B20-Butch Schroeder[10]; 4. 7C-Tim Hunter[8]; 5. 40-Caleb Helms[12]; 6. 17-Jared Horstman[14]; 7. 28H-Hud Horton[6]; 8. 49T-Gregg Dalman[16]; 9. 8D-Dylan Cisney[1]; 10. 6-Mike Dussel[9]; 11. 11-Tim Allison[18]; 12. 18-Todd Heverman[19]; 13. 57-Mike Dunlap[17]; 14. 6S-Jr Stewart[20]; 15. 34-Luke Hall[5]; 16. 9J-Jesse Mccreary[7]; 17. 49-Shawn Dancer[11]; 18. 22-Ben Rutan[3]; 19. 2M-Jeff Williams[15]; 20. 22DH-Randy Hannagan[13]
Bud Thunderstocks
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 22T-Tony Anderson; 2. 62-Kevin Gossard; 3. 7B-Shawn Valenti; 4. 82-Chris Douglas; 5. 21Z-Pete Zuppardo; 6. 99-Andy King; 7. O1-Andy Mattord;
8. 21T-Tony Zuppardo; 9. 5K-Karl Spoores
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 16-Jeff Koz; 2. 52B-Sam Bodine; 3. 71C-Barney Craig; 4. 53-Jan Launder; 5. 1T-Tony Marinucci; 6. 32M-Dennis Miller; 7. 28S-Scotty Bowersock; 8. 1G-Geary Hilleary;
9. OO-Ryan Odette
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 71-Keith Ralston; 2. O1W-Earnie Woodard; 3. 2-Kevin Gladman; 4. 3-Randy Crossley; 5. 58P-Jim Post; 6. 89-Keith Shockency; 7. 22M-Bob Miller; 8. 27-Frank Paladino
B-Main – (8 Laps – Top 5 Transfer)
1. 99-Andy King; 2. O1-Andy Mattord; 3. OO-Ryan Odette; 4. 5K-Karl Spoores; 5. 32M-Dennis Miller; 6. 22M-Bob Miller; 7. 27-Frank Paladino; 8. 89-Keith Shockency; 9. 28S-Scotty Bowersock; 10. 21T-Tony Zuppardo; 11. 1G-Geary Hilleary
A-Main – (15 Laps) [#]-Starting Position
1. 71-Keith Ralston[8]; 2. 16-Jeff Koz[9]; 3. 71C-Barney Craig[3]; 4. 22T-Tony Anderson[10]; 5. 7B-Shawn Valenti[4]; 6. 62-Kevin Gossard[7]; 7. 99-Andy King[16]; 8. 3-Randy Crossley[12]; 9. 82-Chris Douglas[1]; 10. 1T-Tony Marinucci[14];
11. 52B-Sam Bodine[6]; 12. 2-Kevin Gladman[2]; 13. OO-Ryan Odette[18]; 14. 5K-Karl Spoores[19]; 15. 58P-Jim Post[15]; 16. 21Z-Pete Zuppardo[13]; 17. O1W-Earnie Woodard[5]; 18. O1-Andy Mattord[17]; 19. 53-Jan Launder[11]; 20. 32M-Dennis Miller[20]
Photo Gallery
