By Bill W
July 31, 2011 – Medford, Oregon’s Roger Crockett got off to a good start to Nationals week by leading the distance in the 25-lap Ideal Ready Mix Sprint Invaders feature event Sunday at the Peoria Speedway in Peoria, Illinois. The Kitchen Cooked Sprint Shootout was a race of attrition and Crockett persevered to claim the $1,300 top prize bolstered by a $100 bonus from Chuck’s Small Engines.
Crockett won the shake-up dash, but rolled a five to start inside row three for the feature event. Seventeen year old Blake Nimee led from his pole position early on, with defending race champion, Ryan Jamison on his tail. With Nimee running the middle of the tacky ¼-mile, Jamison used the low side. Crockett rode a heavy cushion to circle both drivers and take the lead on lap four, and Jamison followed him into second.
Nimee spun out of third, bringing a caution with seven laps down. Joe Beaver, who restarted fourth, took third from Bobby Mincer on lap thirteen, but the move was negated by a Pat Moore spin. The restart saw Crockett leading Jamison, Mincer, Beaver and Ben Wagoner back to green. Beaver spun a lap later, and Tim Moore spun on that restart.
Crockett was cruising, while Wagoner moved up to third past Mincer on lap sixteen. As Crockett rode the top, Jamison was gaining on the bottom. Crockett shut him down just in time as his car worked flawlessly in the low groove. A second Beaver spin with eighteen laps down, ended his night and brought about the final caution of the night. Crockett maintained his lead, while Jamison had to hold off a furious charge by Wagoner at the finish.
“I saw him down there,” said Crockett of Jamison’s challenge on the bottom. “I was watching him run this track on Youtube and I knew that was what he would probably do. The car worked well everywhere. I just want to thank this great crowd for being here in this heat.”
Jamison settled for second. “That devil (Crockett) sniffed me out down there,” he said. “Then I saw Ben coming below me. I guess we’ll settle for second tonight.”
“We’ve destroyed two cars in the last three weeks,” said Wagoner. “I’m just glad to be here. Words can’t describe how my team has made this possible. It’s a good feeling.”
Mincer was fourth, with hard-charger, Larry Ball Jr. running fifth. Bret Tripplett, Matt Sutton, Jimmy Davies, Nimee and John Greenwood rounded out the top ten. Kevin Hetrick cashed $250 for being the highest finishing 305 sprinter with his eleventh place finish.
Two cars suffered heavy damage in separate heat race crashes. Jamie Ball flipped in the second heat, while Jami Lusher took a hard tumble down the fronstretch in heat three. Neither driver was injured.
The series next hits the track Wednesday, August 3 at the Knox County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Illinois.
Ideal Ready Mix A main (started), 20 laps: 1. 11c, Roger Crockett, Medford, OR (5) 2. 51J, Ryan Jamison, Mediapolis, IA (3) 3. 84, Ben Wagoner, Emden, IL (7) 4. 15, Bobby Mincer, Burlington, IA (2) 5. 5J, Larry Ball Jr., Knoxville, IA (15) 6. 22, Bret Tripplett, Lincoln, IL (16) 7. 3, Matt Sutton, Macomb, IL (10) 8. 99, Jimmy Davies, Oquawka, IL (9) 9. 97, Blake Nimee, Oswego, IL (1) 10. 1st, John Greenwood, Woodward, IA (17) 11. 53K, Kevin Hetrick, Gladstone, IL (19) 12. 11, Mark Brucker, Elliott, IL (11) 13. 10T, Tim Moore, Rock Island, IL (8) 14. 2x, Pat Moore, Moline, IL (13) 15. 79, Destini Clark, Bolingbrook, IL (14) 16. 53, Joe Beaver, Knoxville, IL (6) 17. 7, Dustin Whiting, Burlington, IA (12) 18. 44, John Draper, Bryant, IL (18) 19. 14P, Kaley Gharst, Decatur, IL (4) 20. 40B, Matt Harms, Lacon, IL (20). Lap Leader: Crockett 1-25. KSE Hard-charger: Ball Jr.
Golden Eagle Distributing Budweiser of Mount Pleasant/Verne Harms Memorial Heat one (started), 8 laps: 1. Bobby Mincer (6) 2. Ryan Jamison (5) 3. Ben Wagoner (7) 4. Matt Sutton (8) 5. Pat Moore (2) / 6. John Greenwood (4) 7. Kevin Hetrick (3) 8. John Draper (9) 9. 4J, Justin Parrish, Oquawka, IL (1)
Huston Land Improvement of Roseville, Illinois Heat two (started), 8 laps: 1. Kaley Gharst (3) 2. Blake Nimee (8) 3. Tim Moore (1) 4. Mark Brucker (7) 5. Destini Clark (4) / 6. Bret Tripplett (5) 7. 5JR, Jamie Ball, Knoxville, IA (6) 8. Matt Harms (2)
CenPeCo Lubricants Heat three (started), 8 laps: 1. Roger Crockett (4) 2. Joe Beaver (5) 3. Jimmy Davies (2) 4. Dustin Whiting (1) 5. Larry Ball Jr. (6) / 6. 40, Andy Huston, Roseville, IL (8) 7. 73, Kenny Bragg, Knoxville, IL (7) 8. 18, Jami Lusher, Pekin, IL (3)
Advanced Plumbing and Mechanical Shake-up Dash (started), 6 laps: 1. Roger Crockett (2) 2. Joe Beaver (1) 3. Blake Nimee (3) 4. Bobby Mincer (4) 5. Ryan Jamison (5) 6. Kaley Gharst (6)
Holtkamp’s Trailer Repair B main (started), 8 laps: 1. Bret Tripplett (2) 2. John Greenwood (1) 3. John Draper (5) 4. Kevin Hetrick (4) 5. Matt Harms (7) / 6. Kenny Bragg (6) 7. Andy Huston (3)
DNS – Jamie Ball, Jami Lusher, Justin Parrish
Contingencies
Rod End Supply – Blake Nimee, Matt Sutton
Saldana Racing Products – Bret Tripplett
Super Shox – Kaley Gharst
Competition Suspensions – John Greenwood
Brake Man – Tim Moore
Keizer Wheels – Dustin Whiting