SALINA HIGHBANKS FOR NCRA

By David Smith, Jr., NCRA PR (Salina, KS) — It was a full moon hangover for the National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products modified division made their first ever appearance at the Salina High Banks Speedway in Salina, Oklahoma on Saturday night. And when the dirt settled and the eventful championship feature was complete it was Thomas Tillison, Jr. who survived to pick up his second victory of the season.

PHOTO: Thomas Tillison, Jr. claimed his second NCRA modified victory of 2014 Saturday night at the Salina High Banks Speedway.–CREDIT: inthedirtphotos

By virtue of receiving the most heat race and passing points through the four heat races, Jeremy Rassmussan and Johnny Bone, Jr. started on the front row for the twenty-five lap feature with Rassmussan taking the lead as the green flag fell. Bone, John Allen and Paul Coats gave chase with the leader taking a five car length lead after the first two laps. Allen would challenge Bone for the runner up position entering turns one and two on lap four when Bone would cause the first of several cautions of the feature, spinning to the bottom of the track.

On the restart it was still Rassmussan out front while Allen got a bad start and fell back to third. Coats, point leader Jon Thompson and Chad Wheeler your top five with drivers taking to the top of the three-eighths mile oval as the leader opened up a fifteen car length advantage.

Allen would regain the runner up position on lap seven and was a half straightaway behind on lap eight. By this time, firs “B” feature winner Tillison had worked his way up from his eleventh starting position and into third and closing in on the rear bumper of Allen.

With just ten laps to go business picked up as the leader approached the slower cars allowing Allen to close within two car lengths. The former three time tour champion would execute a slide job entering turns one and two and would pull up in front of Rassmussan and take the lead with Rassmussan looking to do the same move in three and four and pulled up short with Allen credited with leading lap fifteen.

Both drivers weren’t done yet as the next lap set a chain of events, all involving turn four, which by now saw a narrow cushion up top. Rassumussan got ahead of Allen heading down the backstretch and entering turns three and four, Allen once again attempted a slide job which caused both drivers to get together and almost spin simultaneously. Both drivers kept it going however, behind them fourth running Coats got over the slim cushion in turn four and hit the tire barrier. While under caution, Rassumussan’s bid for the lead would end with a flat left front sending him to the pit area for repairs.

Allen would choose to start on the bottom on the restart which would put Tillison on the top and as the race restarted, Tillison had the advantage and took the lead on lap sixteen. Several caution flags plagued the final six laps, all coming for drivers getting into turn four too hot which caused them to over ride the cushion. One of those was Allen who, while in the runner up position, spun in turn four with just three laps to go. During this time Wheeler (who was running third) and Thompson were battling for the third position when contact was made causing Wheeler to break on the back stretch.

Once racing action finally resumed there was no catching Tillison as he would go the final three laps unchallenged to claim his second series feature victory of the season and fourth of his career.

Coats would settle for the runner up position while Joe Duvall moved from his tenth starting position to third. Chad Davis would finish fourth while two-time and defending tour champion Marc Hurd rounded out the top five.

The four, eight lap heat races for the 43 car field were won by Bone, Coats, Thompson and Wheeler with Tillison and Kirby Robe topping the twin, twelve lap “B” features.

Four different states (Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas) were represented with twenty of the 43 car field traveling regulars with the NCRA.

 

NCRA Modified Division

Salina High Banks Speedway/Salina, Oklahoma

June 14, 2014

43 Cars

1 heat: (8 Laps) 1) Johnny Bone, Jr., 2) Jeremy Raussmussan, 3) Justin Shoemaker, 4) Justin Moler, 5) Cuyler Calkin, 6) Ricky Moyer, 7) Kyle Davis, 8) Tyler Wolf, 9) Henry Hicks, 10) Casey Belcher, DQ) Jason McGehee

2nd Heat: (8 Laps) 1) Paul Coats, 2) Joe Duvall, 3) Chad Davis, 4) Kirby Robe, 5) Tyler Schmidt, 6) Josh Lanterman, 7) Tom Cantwell, 8) Robbie Simmons, 9) Tyler Shearhod, 10) Dan Powers, DQ) Adam Schragg

3rd heat: (8 Laps 1) Jon Thompson, 2) John Allen, 3) A.J. Brochu, 4) Chris Pitts, 5) Faustin Wilhite, 6) Scott Sopha, 7) Jeremy Ross, 8) Gene Nicholas, 9) Kevin Newell, 10) Joel Hill, 11) Rodney Chaffin

4th Heat: (8 Laps) 1) Chad Wheeler, 2) Marc Hurd, 3) Matt French, 4) Thomas Tillison, Jr., 5) Dustin Belcher, 6) Brent Holman, 7) Brandon Wilson, 8) Don Hodge, 9) Mike Sopha, 10) Colt Goodman

1st B Featre: (12 Laps) 1) Thomas Tillison, jr., 2) Jason McGehee, 3) Brent Holman, 4) Tyler Wolf, 5) Dustin Belcher, 6) Chris Pitts, 7) Justin Moler, 8) Adam Schragg, 9) Tyler Schmidt, 10) Kevin Newell, 11) Kyle Davis, 12) Cuyler Calkin, 13) Jeremy Ross, DNS) Casey Belcher; Joel Hill, Rodney Chaffin

2nd B Feature: (12 Laps) 1) Kirby Robe, 2) A.J. Brochu, 3) Faustin Wilhite, 4) Brandon Wilson, 5) Don Hodge, 6) Scott Sopha, 7) Josh Lanterman, 8) Colt Goodman, 9) Tom Cantwell, 10) Matt French, 11) Ricky Moyer, 12) Tyler Shearhod, 13) Mike Sopha, DNS) Robbie Simmons; Dan Powers

A Feature: (25 Laps) 1) Thomas Tillison, Jr., 2) Paul Coats, 3) Joe Duvall, 4) Chad Davis, 5) Marc Hurd, 6) Justin Shoemaker, 7) Brent Holman, 8) Jason McGehee, 9) John Allen, 10) Kirby Robe, 11) A.J. Brochu, 12) Jon Thompson, 13) Jeremy Raussmussan, 14) Justin Moler, 15) Chad Wheeler, 16) Don Hodge, 17) Johnny Bone, Jr., 18) Tyler Wolf, 19) Dustin Belcher, 20) Chris Pitts, 21) Brandon Wilson, 22) Josh Lanterman, 23) Scott Sopha, 24) Faustin Wilhite

Lap Leaders: Rassussan 1-14; Allen 15; Tillison, Jr. 16-25