From Chad Buford
La Monte, MO — (May 26th, 2012) — Overcoming the bad luck that had plagued him in his two previous WAR starts, Josh Stephens picked up the win at LA Raceway Saturday night.
Stephens got by Kenny Potter near the completion of lap one as a group of cars battled feverishly behind the lead duo. Drivers ran out of real estate in turn three as Mitchell Moore made contact with another car causing him to spin. Austin Alumbaugh also slid over the turn three bank the victim of losing his brakes. Both drivers would head to the pits for the rest of the evening.
As the field took the green on the restart, Stephens again set the pace as Lanny Carpenter moved into the top three. The top three would stay this way for the next eight laps as John Helm started moving forward. He worked his way past Carpenter and Potter and into second behind Stephens.
On lap fourteen, Helm got too high in turn four and went over the bank causing him to lose four spots in the process.
Stephens continued to lead comfortably, with the action intense behind him as Chris Morgan jumped into the mix with Carpenter, Potter, and Jeff Wingate for second.
With sixteen laps in the books, Potter and Wingate got tangled in the infield. The yellow was thrown and both were sent to the tail.
This would allow the drivers one last shot at Stephens. On the restart, Stephens was chased by Carpenter. Stephens went too hard into the turn and went over the bank allowing Carpenter to lead the seventeenth lap. Stephens rebounded from his mistake and made a big run in turns one and two as he shot back around Carpenter going down the backstretch.
Stephens went on to a comfortable win in his Steve Neale Motorsports/Summers Farms/Stephens Automotive Eagle with RMS power. Carpenter was a solid second in Jack Hockett’s Korte Transportation/Lucas Oil/Rod End Supply MRP with RMS power. Morgan was third in his Griffith Truck Equipment/Red Tail Painting Maxim with Parker power. Rounding out the top five were Helm and J.D. Black. After the race, Jack Hockett Racing was the winner of a toolbox courtesy of Waterloo Industries.
WAR will be back in action on Sunday June 9 at the Double X Speedway in California, MO.
WAR results from LA Raceway
May 26th
A-Main-20 laps
09 Josh Stephens, Buckner, MO ( 3) 2. 77 Lanny Carpenter, Clarksburg, MO (11) 3. 7C Chris Morgan, Topeka, KS (10) 4. 12 John Helm, Kearney, MO (9) 5. 7J J.D. Black, Grain Valley, MO (4) 6. 19S Steven Cross, Clinton, MO (8) 7. 55 Kenny Potter, Harrisonville, MO (2) 8. 1K Aaron Kuhn, Independence, MO (12) 9. 73 Lane Stone, Concordia, MO (7) 10. 8 Jeff Wingate, Centertown, MO (1) 11. 88 Chad Tye, Independence, MO 12. 51 Mitchell Moore, Edgerton, KS(6)-DNF 13. 26 Austin Alumbaugh, Higginsville, MO DNS: 43 Frank Brown, Marshall, MO
Contingency Awards-
Waterloo Industries Toolbox-Jack Hockett
Schure Built Suspensions Fast Time Award-J.D. Black
Rod End Supply Heat Race Winners-Austin Alumbaugh and Mitchell Moore
Keizer Aluminum Wheels-Mitchell Moore
Steve Watt Enterprises Tough Luck Award-Austin Alumbaugh
Engine Connection-Frank Brown