Justin Grant wins WAR feature at I-35 Speedway

Justin Grant. (Image courtesy of WAR)

Justin Grant in victory lane at I-35 Speedway. (Image courtesy of WAR)
Justin Grant in victory lane at I-35 Speedway. (Image courtesy of WAR)
From Chad Buford

Winston, MO — (July 16, 2016) — Making his first career Boss Chassis WAR Series start, Justin Grant picked up the win on Saturday night at I-35 Speedway with a last turn, last lap pass of Clinton Boyles that had the I-35 Speedway crowd on its feet.

Polesitter Boyles assumed control early as he was chased by second-starting Ryan Kitchen, Korey Weyant, and Chris Parkinson.

Boyles was running the low line to perfection as he slowly increased his lead, but the action behind him was intense as Parkinson and Weyant had a great battle for a number of laps for the third spot.

Grant, who started sixth, fell back early, but after a few laps, he was on the move. With most drivers running the bottom to middle groove, Grant put his elbows up and moved to the high side and started picking cars off at a fairly rapid pace.
As drivers continued to bounce off of one another looking for precious real estate on the low side, Grant continued to attack the high side and worked his way past Mitchell Moore and into the top five. He was able to work his way past Parkinson, Weyant, and Kitchen and into second with about five laps to go.

Boyles had been working his way past lapped cars to give himself a comfortable lead and looked poised for his third Boss Chassis WAR Series win of 2016, but bad luck would strike for the rookie driver on lap twenty two as Kitchen, who was running well inside the top five was hit by another car and spun to a stop in between turns one and two.

This was the break that Grant needed as he would now have a shot at Boyles. With two lapped cars in between himself and Boyles, Grant quickly hit the high side and worked his way past them in turns one and two. Grant got a good run on the top and moved quickly in on Boyles. The pair put on a great show over the last couple of laps. Grant, put a slidejob on Boyles on lap twenty three, and assumed control down the backstretch. Grant then moved to the bottom in three and four and Boyles got a great run as the two made contact. Boyles would move by on the bottom of four and would lead as the pair took, the white flag. Grant was getting a great run off the top of one and two and made up ground on Boyles as the pair went down the backstretch. As Boyles went low, Grant went high in turns three and four and the crowd came to its feet. Grant got another great run on the top side and picked up the win in his DKM Motorsports Maxim with Stanton-Mopar power. Boyles was a strong second in the Jesse Hockett Racing/Lucas Oil Maxim with RMS power. Weyant would come home third in his Mahan’s Fiberglass/Ealey Transportation Eagle powered by Automotive Machine power. Parkinson was a strong fourth in his Country Kid’s Daycare/54th Street Grill and Bar DRC with Kevin’s Liberty Machine power. Moore would round out the top five in his Kelly Potter owned Moore Power XXX. Layne Himebaugh was sixth as he was followed by Kenny Potter. Glen Saville, Steve Thomas, and Warren Johnson rounded out the top ten.

In heat race action, TJ Muths, who is currently fourth in WAR points, was contacted by another competitor and sent into a wild series of flips in turn three that would see the Sedalia, MO driver damage part of the pit fencing. Muths, fortunately, was able to climb from his damaged racer, but would see his night come to a disappointing end.

The Boss Chassis WAR Series will return to I-35 Speedway on Saturday July 30 for another night of close side-by-side racing.

BOSS Chassis Wingless Auto Racing
I-35 Speedway
Winston, MI
Saturday July 16, 2016

Hinchman Racewear Heat Race #1 (8 laps): 1. 21-Ryan Kitchen, Lincoln, NE (2); 2. 99-Korey Weyant, Springfield, IL (4); 3. 75K-Justin Grant, Ione, CA (5); 4. 20-Steve Thomas, Rantoul, IL (1); 5. Kenny Potter, Harrisonville, MO (5); 6. 42-Warren Johnson, Overland Park, KS (3)

Wilwood Disc Brakes Heat Race #2 (8 Laps): 1. 51-Mitchell Moore, Edgerton, KS (1); 2. 65-Chris Parkinson, Gladstone, MO (3); 3. 24L-Layne Himebaugh, Collinsville, OK (2); 4. 82-Vinny Ward, Warrenton, MO (4); 5. 8K-Katlynn Leer, Moulton, IA (5); 6. 3D-Rob Kubli, Milo, IA (DNS)

Bell Helmets Heat Race #3 (8 Laps): 1. 77-Clinton Boyles, Greenwood, MO (3); 2. 24C-Craig Carroll, Collinsville, OK (1); 3. 75-Glen Saville, Razorback, NSW (2); 4. 09-Andrew Genkinger, Moulton, IA (5); 5. 65M-TJ Muths, Sedalia, MO (6)-DNF; 6. 7L-Lee Lengel, Blue Springs, MO (4)-DNF

A-Main (25 Laps): 1. 75K-Justin Grant (6); 2. 77-Clinton Boyles (1); 3. 99-Korey Weyant (3); 4. 65-Chris Parkinson (5); 5. 51-Mitchell Moore (4); 6. 24L-Layne Himebaugh (8); 7. 55-Mitchell Moore (12); 8. 75-Glen Saville (9); 9. 20-Steve Thomas (14); 10. 42-Warren Johnson (15); 11. 24C-Craig Carroll (7); 12. 21-Ryan Kitchen (2); 13. 8K-Katlynn Leer (13); 14. 09-Andrew Genkinger (10); 15. 82-Vinny Ward (11); 16. 3D-Rob Kubli (16)-DNF; 17. 65M-TJ Muths (DNS); 18. 7L-Lee Lengel (DNS)