From Chad Buford
Fulton, MO — (April 17, 2015) — Over the last couple of seasons, Taylor Walton has been in contention for a win, but bad luck has struck the Warrensburg, MO driver with victory in his grasp.
On Friday at Callaway Raceway, Walton led all twenty-five laps and picked up his first win with the Impact Signs, Awnings, and Wraps WAR Sprint Series presented by Next LED.
Walton moved from his first starting spot into the lead at the start as he was pressured by Mitchell Moore. Just behind the lead duo, Wyatt Burks, Casey Shuman, and Cody Baker were having a good battle to complete the top five.
With a handful of laps in the books, the yellow would come out for Burks, who slid to a stop off of turn four ending his night.
On the restart, Walton would lead Moore, Shuman, Baker, and Mitch Wissmiller. With Walton and Moore running the bottom, Shuman moved up a groove and started pressuring the two leaders as Baker ran low and Wissmiller, using the same groove as Shuman, completed the top five. The top five remained within a few car lengths of each other when a caution came out on lap fifteen for a Clyde Knipp and Ryan Rector spin in turn two.
On the restart, Walton continued to lead as Shuman worked his way past Moore and set his sights on Walton. Baker and Wissmiller continued to round out the top five as a caution came out for a spin involving Travis Arnold and John Helm in turn two just a couple of laps later.
The restart would again see Walton leading as Shuman tried to work his way past to no avail. Moore and Baker ran third and fourth as Josh Stephens moved past Wissmiller. Fast timer and first heat race winner Wissmiller would see his strong evening come to a close as his car lost power going down the backstretch and he rolled to a stop on the front-stretch bringing out the yellow flag on lap nineteen.
Walton again led Shuman, Moore, Baker, and Stephens on the restart as the red would come out with twenty-one laps in the books for a Ricky Lee Stangl flip in turn two. Stangl was not injured, but he would see his top ten run come to an end.
Over the last four laps, Shuman tried to make a run at Walton, but Walton kept his car in the preferred groove and went on to his first career win in the family-owned Aaron’s JEI with Walton power under the hood. An excited Walton wanted to thank his mom and dad and Kelli for the win. Shuman was second in his Eric Barnhill owned #2X with Moore running third in his Kelly Potter owned #51. Rounding out the top five were Baker and Chris Parkinson, who worked his way past Stephens late. Rounding out the top ten were rookie of the year candidate Riley Kreisel, Pete Palazzolo, Kenny Potter, and Danny Thoman.
The Impact Signs, Awnings, and Wraps WAR Sprint Series presented by Next LED will have a triple-header of action next weekend. They will run along with USAC at Eagle Raceway in Eagle, NE on Friday April 24th, Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, NE on Saturday April 25th, and Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, KS on Sunday April 26th.
For more information about WAR, go to warsprints.com or join the WAR Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/122872191163959/?ref=bookmarks or you can go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoY2NjQ1cQBUeO3cGFVUodQ to watch video clips of your favorite WAR drivers.
Callaway Raceway-Fulton, MO recap
21 cars
4/17/15
Time Trials- 1. 1W-Mitch Wissmiller-Saybrook, IL-15.31; 2. 2X-Casey Shuman Rattlesnake Bend, AZ-15.43; 3. 11W-Wyatt Burks, Topeka, KS-15.49; 4. 93-Taylor Walton, Warrensburg, MO-15.58; 5. 99-Mike Ell, Raymore, MO-15.88; 6. 38-Cody Baker-Lone Jack, MO-15.98; 7. 65-Chris Parkinson, Gladstone, MO-16.06; 8. 51-Mitchell Moore-Edgerton, KS-16.23; 9. 55-Kenny Potter, Harrisonville, MO-16.24; 10. 9-Casey Baker, Lone Jack, MO-16.38; 11. 27-Danny Thoman, Lexington, MO-16.41; 12. 09-Josh Stephens, Buckner, MO-16.51; 13. 90-Riley Kreisel, Warsaw, MO-16.56; 14. 12-John Helm, Kearney, MO-16.66; 15. 8-Jeff Wingate, Centertown, MO-16.68; 16. 24-Ricky Lee Stangl, Lee’s Summit, MO-16.74; 17. 70-Pete Palazzolo, Ballwin, MO-16.98; 18. 1-Clyde Knipp, California, MO-16.99; 19. 75-Travis Arnold, Pilot Grove, MO-17.33; 20. Warren Johnson, Overland Park, KS-19.84; 21. 88RR-Ryan Rector, Jasper, MO-No Time.
1st Heat- 10 LAPS
1. 1W-Mitch Wissmiller (7); 2. 93-Taylor Walton (6); 3. 24-Ricky Lee Stangl (2); 4. 90-Riley Kreisel, Warsaw, MO (3); 5. 65-Chris Parkinson (5); 6. 9-Casey Baker (4); 7. 75-Travis Arnold (1)
2nd Heat- 10 LAPS
1. 51-Mitchell Moore (3); 2. 2X-Casey Shuman (5); 3. 12-John Helm (1); 4. 70-Pete Palazzolo (2); 5. 27-Danny Thoman (4); 6. 99-Mike Ell (6); 7. 42-Warren Johnson(DNS)
3rd Heat- 10 LAPS
1. 09-Josh Stephens (3); 2. 38-Cody Baker (5); 3. 11W-Wyatt Burks (6); 4. 8-Jeff Wingate (2); 5. 55-Kenny Potter (4); 6. 1-Clyde Knipp (1); 7. 88RR-Ryan Rector (7)
A Main-25 LAPS
1. 93-Taylor Walton (1); 2. 2X-Casey Shuman (4); 3. 51-Mitchell Moore (2); 4. 38-Cody Baker (5); 5. 65-Chris Parkinson (9); 6. 09-Josh Stephens (7); 7. 90-Riley Kreisel (13); 8. 70-Pete Palazzolo (17); 9. 55-Kenny Potter (10); 10. 27-Danny Thoman (12); 11. 9-Casey Baker (14); 12. 8-Jeff Wingate (16); 13. 12-John Helm (11); 14. 75-Travis Arnold (19); 15. 1-Clyde Knipp (18); 16. 88RR-Ryan Rector (20); 17. 24-Ricky Stangl(15)-DNF; 18. 1W-Mitch Wissmiller (6)-DNF; 19. Mike Ell (8)-DNF; 20. 11W- Wyatt Burks (3)-DNF; 21. 42-Warren Johnson DNS