By Chad Buford
Wheatland, MO(May 3, 2014)-Making a seven and half hour tow from Kentucky, Aric Gentry picked up the win Saturday night with the WAR Series presented by Impact Signs, Awnings, and Wraps at Lucas Oil Speedway.
On the original start, Chris Parkinson got a great run from his third starting spot to lead Korey Weyant and Gentry into turn one.The leaders got bottled up causing contact directly behind them with Cody Baker, Zach Daum, J.D. Black, Chad Goff, and Josh Stephens all being involved. Daum got upside down and would not be able to continue as the other four competitors would restart at the tail of the field.
Weyant got a better start the second time as he led the first lap over Gentry and Parkinson. With a lap in the books, a yellow come out for Chad Goff, who stopped at the pit entrance in turn two.
On the restart, Gentry would work his way past Weyant with the pair staying right together over the next two laps. With three laps in the books, another yellow would come out for P.J. Grimes, who got into the wall in between turns one and two. He would be able to restart.
Gentry again led on the restart as he was followed by Weyant and Parkinson. Behind the lead trio, rookie Devon Huff was running fourth with Taylor Walton fifth.
Lap by lap, Gentry extended his lead over Weyant as Parkinson, Huff, and Walton ran in the same order.
By lap thirteen, Kevin Risley had moved his way into the fifth position as he got by Walton.
Over the next seven laps it was Gentry, Weyant, Parkinson, Huff, and Risley as Stephens had worked his way into seventh from the back of the pack.
Huff would see his solid run come to an end as he went pitside.
On lap twenty-one, Stephens was making a charge for sixth when he and Walton got together in turn two. The contact would end Walton’s night and Stephens would restart once again at the back of the pack.
This would give the field one final shot at Gentry, but Gentry again took off and won comfortably in his Larry Gentry-owned DRC with Shaver power under the hood. The win was worth $1000 for Gentry as title sponsor Impact Signs, Awnings, and Wraps put up an extra $200 to the winner. Behind Gentry, things got very interesting as Weyant slowed as he took the white flag. This caused a lot of congestion with Parkinson getting by to run second in his Fifty Fourth Street Bar and Grill/Ozark Barge and Dock Service DRC with Parkinson power. Fifteenth-starting Risley came home third in the Risley Trash Service/Gateway Tire Triple X with Rose Racing power. Coming home fourth from nineteenth and picking up an extra $100 courtesty of Impact was Jeff Wingate in the APH/Bonecutter’s Body Shop Maxim with Wesmar power under the hood. Rounding out the top five was John Helm, who started eighteenth in his Helm Racing/Vee Village Eagle with Wesmar power. Baker rebounded from his earlier problems to come home sixth and Mark Finnell was seventh. Stephens moved back to eighth over the last few laps with Brad Graham and Bob Thoman rounding out the top ten.
WAR will be back in action this Friday May 9th at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, MO. Please go to www.warsprints.com or join the WAR group on Facebook to learn more about Wingless Auto Racing.
Lucas Oil Speedway-Wheatland, MO
WAR Series presented by Impact Signs, Awnings, and Wraps
23 cars
Qualifications-
1. 99- Korey Weyant, Springfield, MO-15.876, 2. 14-Taylor Walton, Warrensburg, MO-15.963, 3. 38-Cody Baker, Lone Jack, MO-16.009, 4. 65-Chris Parkinson, Gladstone, MO-16.019, 5. 77-Zach Daum, Pocohontas, IL-16,042, 6. 00-P.J. Grimes-Otterville, MO-16.121, 7. 4U-Devon Huff, Nixa, MO-16.133, 8. 10X-Aric Gentry, Robards, KY-16.143, 9. 9-Chad Goff-Spring Hill, KS-16.173, 10. 27-Bob Thoman, Higginsville, MO-16.229, 11. 70-Pete Palazzolo-Pacific, MO-16.235, 12. 09-Josh Stephens, Buckner, MO-16.321, 13. 77X-J.D. Black, Grain Valley, MO-16.321, 14. 24-Kevin Risley, Collinsville, OK-16.381, 15. 04-Brad Graham, Springfield, MO-16.398, 16. 27X-Mark Finnell, Osage Beach, MO-16.434, 17 12-John Helm, Kearney, MO-16.691, 18. 8-Jeff Wingate, Centertown, MO-16.752, 19. 19S-Steven Cross, Clinton, MO-16.789, 20. 55-Kenny Potter, Harrisonville, MO-17.015, 21. 65ss-Warren Tarr, Osage Beach, MO-17.394, 22. 88-Chad Tye, Independence, MO-17.735, 23. 10-Will Register, Sedalia, MO-17.779
1st Heat-8 laps
1. 77X-J.D. Black (4) 2. 27X-Mark Finnell (3) 3. 65-Chris Parkinson (7) 4. 4U-Devon Huff (6) 5. 99-Korey Weyant (8) 6. 27-Bob Thoman (5) 7. 88-Chad Tye (1) 8. 19s-Steven Cross (2)
2nd Heat-8 laps
1. 10X-Aric Gentry (6) 2. 77-Zach Daum (7) 3. 55-Kenny Potter (2) 4. 12-John Helm (3) 5. 24-Kevin Risley (4) 6. 70-Pete Palazzolo (5) 7. 14-Taylor Walton (8) 8. 10-Will Register (1)
3rd Heat-8 laps
1. 8-Jeff Wingate (2) 2. 09-Josh Stephens (4) 3. 9-Chad Goff (5) 4. 04-Brad Graham (3) 5. 00-P.J. Grimes (6) 6. 65ss-Warren Tarr (1) 7. 38-Cody Baker (7)
B-Main- 10 laps
1. 55-Kenny Potter (3) 2. 12-John Helm (2) 3. 8-Jeff Wingate (1) 4. 65ss-Warren Tarr (5) 5. 10-Will Register (6) 6. 88-Chad Tye (4)-DNF DNS: 19s-Steven Cross
A-Main 25 laps
1. 10X-Aric Gentry (2) 2. 65-Chris Parkinson (3) 3. 24-Kevin Risley (15) 4. 8-Jeff Wingate (19) 5. 12-John Helm (18) 6. 38-Cody Baker (4) 7. 27X-Mark Finnell (14) 8. 09-Josh Stephens (10) 9. 04-Brad Graham (16) 10. 27-Bob Thoman (12) 11. 55-Kenny Potter (17) 12. 99-Korey Weyant (1)-DNF 13.4U-Devon Huff (8)-DNF 14. 14-Taylor Walton (6)-DNF 15.10-Will Register (21)-DNF 16. 65ss-Warren Tarr (20)-DNF 17. 77X-J.D. Black (11)-DNF 18. 00-P.J. Grimes (7)-DNF 19. 70-Pete Palazzolo (13)-DNF 20. 9-Chad Goff (9)-DNF 21.77-Zach Daum (5)-DNF