From Chad Buford
Springfield, MO — (August 23, 2014) — Leading all twenty five laps, Chris Morgan took home his first career win with the WAR Series presented by Impact Signs, Awnings, and Wraps.
Morgan shot into the lead from his first starting spot only to see the yellow come out for Tim Kent and Cody Crabtree, who had both spun in between turns one and two. Kent would continue from the back of the pack while Crabtree would see his evening end with front end damage.
On the second start, Morgan again took command as he was followed by Mitchell Moore and Casey Wills. Before the third lap could be completed, a yellow would come out for Zach Chappell and T.J. Muths, who spun in turn three.
Once green, Morgan again took command with Moore, Wills, and Wyatt Burks following. Burks started moving forward as he got by Wills on lap five and a lap later, he worked his way by Moore for second.
By lap ten, Burks had made his way to within a car length or two of Morgan, but he could not find his way around his fellow Topeka, KS driver.
As the laps started to wind down and with Morgan and Burks running the bottom side of the raceway, Moore and sixteenth-starting Chris Parkinson started making a charge using the high side in turns three and four and running a groove higher in turns one and two.. Lap by lap, they got closer and closer to the leaders and when the white flag was thrown, Moore was right on the tail tank of Burks for second. The duo made a run down the backstretch, but Morgan was too strong and picked up the win in his Bob Goans-owned Midwest Specialty Flooring/Wagner Excavating/Akin Trucking MRP Chassis with Engine Connection power under the hood. Burks just held off Moore for second in his Industrial Maintenance Inc/ Kansas Powertrain Maxim with Trondson power. Moore made it a Sunflower State sweep of the podium in his Kelly Potter-owned XXX with Moore power under the hood. Parkinson continued his season long run of top-four finishes by running fourth in his 54th Street Grill and Bar/Ozark Barge and Dock Service DRC with Parkinson power under the hood. Due to the misfortune of point leader Chad Goff having motor problems, Parkinson also left Springfield as the new WAR point leader.
Wills edged Josh Stephens at the flagstand for fifth. Kent came back from his earlier spin to run seventh and Chappell did the same to finish eighth. Ricky Lee Stangl and Pete Palazzolo rounded out the top ten.
The WAR Series presented by Impact Signs, Awnings, and Wraps will next be in action on Sunday August 31st at the Central Missouri Speedway in Warrensburg, MO.
Time Trials-1. 11W-Wyatt Burks, Topeka, KS-12.586, 2. 9-Chad Goff, Spring Hill, KS-13.022, 3. 38-Cody Baker, Lone Jack, MO-13.162, 4. 88-Chad Tye, Independence, MO-13.377, 5. 12-John Helm, Kearney, MO-13.412, 6. 31-Casey Wills, Sperry, OK-13.470, 7. 51-Mitchell Moore, Edgerton, KS-13.500, 8. 24X-Ricky Lee Stangl, Lee’s Summit, MO-13.512, 9. 81A-Chris Morgan, Topeka, KS-13.547, 10. 09-Josh Stephens, Buckner, MO-13.596, 11. 70-Pete Palazzolo, Pacific, MO-13.603, 12. 8-Jeff Wingate, Centertown, MO-13.617, 13. 65-Chris Parkinson, Gladstone, MO-13.685, 14. 11-Dylan Kadous, Topeka, KS-13.688, 15. 27-Bob Thoman, Higginsville, MO-13.695, 16. 77-Zach Chappell, Talala, OK-13.837, 17. 9X-Casey Baker, Lone Jack, MO-13.843, 18. 94T-Tim Kent, Bristow, OK-13.896, 19. 24-Kevin Risley, Collinsville, OK-14.008, 20. 65M-T.J. Muths, Sedalia, MO-14.556, 21. 8X-Scott Comstock, Tipton, MO-14.621, 22. 29C-Cody Crabtree, Jefferson City, MO-15.334, 23. Warren Johnson, Overland Park, KS-No Time
1st Heat-8 laps
1. 24-Risley (2) 2. 88-Tye (7) 3. 51-Moore (6) 4. 11W-Burks (8) 5. 77-Chappell (3) 6. 09-Stephens (5) 7. 65-Parkinson (4) 8. 29C-Crabtree (1)
2nd Heat-8 laps
1. 65M-Muths (1) 2. 11-Kadous (3) 3. 70-Palazzolo (4) 4. 42-Johnson (7) 5. 24X-Stangl (5) 6. 9X-Baker (2) 7. 12-Helm (6)-DNF DNS: 9-Goff
3rd Heat-8 laps
1. 94T-Kent (2) 2. 27-Thoman (3) 3. 31-Wills (6) 4. 81A-Morgan (5) 5. 8-Wingate (4) 6. 8X-Comstock (1) 7. 38-Baker (7)-DNF
A-Main-25 laps
1.81A-Morgan (1) 2. 11W-Burks (5) 3. 51-Moore (2) 4. 65-Parkinson (16) 5. 31-Wills (3) 6. 09-Stephens (13) 7. 94T-Kent (11) 8. 77-Chappell (17) 9. 24X-Stangl (7) 10. 70-Palazzolo (6) 11. 88-Tye (4) 12. 11-Kadous (8) 13. 24-Risley (12) 14. 12-Helm (9) 15. 27-Thoman (10) 16. 8-Wingate (14)-DNF 17. 8X-Comstock (20)-DNF 18. 65M-Muths (15)-DNF 19. 9X-Cody Baker (18)-DNF 20. 42-Johnson (19)-DNF 21. 29C-Crabtree (21)-DNF
DNS: 9-Goff, Casey Baker