TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY NIGHT #1

Port-a-Cool Texas World Dirt Track Championship @ Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track, 3/2-3/2012
By J M Hallas

Ft. Worth, Tx.,(March 2nd, 2012) Drivers from eleven states and one Canadian province signed in for Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Tracks annual Texas World Dirt Track Championships, presented by Port-a-Cool. Over 150 Modifieds and Limited Modifieds did battle on the 4/10 mile, semi-banked, dirt oval just north of Ft. Worth with drivers looking to pick up one of eight qualifying spots in each of the night’s qualifying features.

Heat races would take the top 16 in passing points directly to each classes A-qualifier, with C and B-qualifiers filling the remaining spots for each of the 15-lap events.

Tomorrow night the SUPR Late Models add to the prestigious event with a full program on the slate for them. The Modifieds and Limited Modifieds have Last Chance qualifiers on tap, with a pole dash for the eight drivers already set for Saturday nights championships.

Saturday preview; Multi-time USMTS National Champion, Kelly Shryock, looks to be the first Iowa driver to win against a stout Modified field. Dennie Gieber(Jacksonville) hopes to join a rare list by taking a second class Championship in the Limited Modified feature. Gieber, who won a Modified event back in 2003, would join Troy Taylor as a two-class champion.

With a good run in the SUPR events on Saturday, Corpus Christi’s Steve Whiteaker tries to be the first driver to ever make the show in all three classes. Whiteaker, who scored a Modified victory in the fall of 2010, could become another two or possibly three class winner.

Shryock Strikes in Modified Qualifier
Kelly Shryock(Fertile, Ia.) showed the 24-car car Modified field nothing but his rear bumper going wire to wire in the 15-lap A-qualifier. Shryock, who earned the pole with the most passing points, beat Tyler Townsend into turn 1 and that was all he needed. Bobby Malchus, who won in 2010, tried his best to chase Shryock, but to no avail as Shryock eased away at the finish.

Shane Hebert saw his night end early after he had issues before the green flag ever flew. When green did fly, Shryock blasted off like a ‘skyrocket’ with Malchus and Tristan Dycus getting by Townsend for second and third. Townsend and Dycus hooked bumpers shaking up the top five as Chris Henigan, Chris Brown and Corey Babbitt moved into the top five.

Shryock and Malchus began to put some distance on the field when the races only caution waved for a spin in turn 4 by Townsend. The restart was about as close as Malchus ever got to Shryock as he got a good jump, while his sister car, driven by Brown, tried the high side of Henigan for third. Steve Whiteaker jr. made a charge from his mid-pack start, getting by Zack Van Der Beek for seventh.

At halfway it was still Shryock, holding the advantage at the point, Malchus, Henigan, Brown and Babbitt, while Whiteaker and Van Der Beek continued to slug it out. Shryock inched away throughout the final laps, as the field separated out among the transfer spots. At the checkers it was Shryock, in the Lone Stare Hydro Maintenance, Houston Specialties Products, VP Racing Fuels, CJ’s Auto Sales, Lake Mills Motorsports, Pro Power Engines, Skyrocket Chassis, easily taking the victory.

Modifieds A-Qualifier(Top 8 locked in for Sat. A-main)
3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Ia.
4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak
16 Chris Henigan, Marshall
3b Chris Brown, Cleveland
12 Corey Babbitt, Channelview
2j John Anderson, Omaha, Nebr.
89 Steve Whiteaker jr., Corpus Christi
33z Zack Van Der Beek, New Sharon, Ia.
5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.
14t Tristan Dycus, Alvarado
52 Mitch Keeton, Webb City, Mo.
2x Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
10 Kyle Schmidt, Farmington, Ark.
56 Troy Taylor, Ft. Worth
24 Sean Jones, Mansfield
5w John Whittington, Vidor
81 Danny Caldwell, Princeton
J41 Monte Bolton, Lubbock
1 Colby Smith, Greenville
99 Bryan Sugg, Grand Prairie
11x Wesley Veal, Centuria, Wisc.
12t Tyler Townsend, Longview
75d Patrick Daniel, Wills Point
9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La.