Kyle Thomas took the top prize in the ‘Mountain Man 25’ for Crate Motor Late Models on Saturday at the Tyler County Speedway.

A nagging drizzle that started just after gates opened and then continued, set racing back almost two hours Saturday at Tyler County. But patience prevailed as 115 cars filled the pits for some hot action on a cool evening.

In the Crate Motor special (under FASTRAK rules) Joe Loudin and Kris Southern scored the heat victories. When the race began Loudin, Kyle Thomas, Southern, Chad Green and Dusty Hamrick filled the top five slots. Loudin and Thomas began to duel door to door when the yellow waved on lap five as Steve Wilmoth spun into the infield. The race was stopped again on the next circuit for Shawn Jett who suffered a right rear flat tire. Loudin, Thomas, Southern, Hamrick and now Michael Griffin were the top five. The green stayed out as the front duo continued to battle side by side. Thomas worked the low groove go round after go round. On lap 15 Thomas made his successful bid for the lead. The last caution came out on lap 17 when Melvin Ferguson got into the turn two guard rail. Thomas stretched out his advantage to grab the $2,000 winners check and add his third checkerboard of the season. Hamrick passed Loudin on the final lap for second. Daniel Hill finished fourth and Southern was fifth.

In the Dodd’s Sporting Goods Late Models Mike Benedum won the first heat in his brand new Rocket Chassis. Butch McGill and Charlie George in his first outing snagged the other two heats. Steve Wilmoth took the consey. The feature took three tries to get a green flag lap counted. Benedum, McGill, Robbie Scott, Paul Wilmoth Jr., and Bobby Hill were the early top five. The yellow fever continued as it appeared on laps one, four, restart of four, and ten.

The front four really put on a show for the Tyler faithful running nose to tail and two by two. S. Wilmoth motored to fifth from his thirteenth starting spot. The cautions continued on laps 13 and 19. With Benedum, McGill and P. Wilmoth working on one another, Scott and S. Wilmoth had their own war going on. With contact between Scott and S. Wilmoth on lap 20, Scott was sent to the tail after looping his #18.

The last circuits were uninterrupted as Benedum notched his first win of the year. McGill, P. Wilmoth, S. Wilmoth, and Greg Baumberger completed the top five.

The Modifieds also fell victim to the yellow hoard. As it took three tries to get the feature started. And the time limit expired before the whole distance was accomplished.

Shawn Davis jumped to the point with D.J. Cline, Brian Probst, Tom Sigler and Del Cunningham in tow. Two early cautions slowed action with Davis still in command but Cline was applying heavy pressure. On lap eight Cline moved to the front and he never let it go. Cline claimed his first win of the season. Davis, Probst, Sigler and Cunningham crossed the line behind him.

Greg Conger continued his hot streak by grabbing his fifth Sigler Fabrication Hot Mod feature. Devin Verardi applied some heat but could not make a serious bid for the lead. Travis Thomas was third, Codi Eaton fourth and Glenn Underwood fifth.

Brandon Fluharty has had some good runs this year but has came up a little short. The Mini Wedge graduate put everything together and scored his first win in the Mod Lites. Jamie Watson crossed the stripe in second. Mitch Ward, Bobby Kimball, and Jim Ruckman filled out the top five.

Brad Thomas and Chris Ice began a fight for the lead in the WXCR 92.3 Pure Stocks with Thomas gaining the advantage. On a lap four restart, Thomas’ engine let go bunching up the field. That gave Ice the front spot. On the ensuing restart, Ice and Randy Bohan got together bringing out the yellow again. That handed the lead to Levi Flesher. When racing resumed.

Nick Ley grabbed the lead and he would fend off a late charge from Jeff Fornash to collect his second checkerboard. Fornash, Flesher,, Zachary Travis and Chad Tallhammer were second through fifth.

Donnie Wamsley held off a pack of hungry dogs breathing down his neck to capture his second Champion Sport Cards & Trophies Junkyard Warrior trophy. He bested Bobby Dennison, Larry Cumberledge Jr., Billy Bunnell, Alex Mosser, and Dave Wamsley,

In the Bridgeport Equipment and Tool Mini Wedges Brandon Weigle won his fourth feature ahead of Shayla Griffey, Jordan Doty, Tiffany Jackson and Wesley Baker. In the second feature Kaitlyn Frazier edged Alec Frazier. Scott Perine was third. Ryan Watson and Jackson Jacobs were fourth and fifth.

The Bullring will be off this week due to the Tyler County Fair. Racing resumes August 14 with the third appearance of the Ohio Valley Sprint cars. Don’t forget to check us out on the web at www.tylercountyspeedwayonline.com for all the latest point standings, news and information on the Black Diamond weekend. The Labor Day tradition continues with the Black Diamond weekend September 2-5. The list of pre entries are growing daily.

Results

FASTRAK – Kyle Thomas, Dusty Hamrick, Joe Loudin, Kris Southern, Joel Prosser, Michael Griffin, Jacob Lash, Derek Doll, Sonny Conley, Chad Green, Derek Rogers, Danny Thomas, John Watson, Eddie Starkey, Melvin Ferguson, Shawn Jett, Freddie Carpenter, Steve Wilmoth. Heats; Loudin, Southern.

Late Models – Mike Benedum, Butch McGill, Paul Wilmoth Jr., Greg Baumberger, Scott Irvin, D J Cline, Richard Frazier, Robbie Scott, Dan Morrison, Danny Mitchell, Ted Dillie, Ricky Conley, Steve Weigle, Bobby Hill, Billy Brown, Charlie George, Josh Coffman. Heats; Benedum, McGill, George. Consey; S. Wilmoth.

Modified – D.J. Cline, Shawn Davis, Brian Probst, Tom Sigler, Del Cunningham, Andy Bond, David Griffin Jr., Steve Higgins, Ted Bier, Darren Smith, Justin Hart, Lou Ennis, Todd Higgins, Derek Smith, Tommy Hawk, J P Roberts, Ryan Stoops. DNS Donnie Nething. Heats; Davis, Cline.

Hot Mod – Greg Conger, Devin Verardi, Travis Thomas, Codi Eaton, Glenn Underwood, Donnie Dotson III, Kenny Isner, Anastasia Jones, David Henry, Lindsey Smarr, Mike Lauer, Curtis Watson, Cody Watson, Kurt Burge. Heats; Lauer, Conger.

Mod Lite – Brandon Fluharty, Jamie Watson, Mitch Ward, Bobby Kimball, Jim Ruckman, Jamie Long, Zach Watson, Darin Gallagher, Josh Baldwin, Daniel Eddy, Brent Irvin, Mitch Herrick. Heats; Fluharty, Herrick.

Pure Stock – Nick Ley, Jeff Fornash, Levi Flesher, Zachary Travis, Chad Tallhammer, Lester Huffman, Kevin Dotson, Justin Sinnett, Randy Bohan, Chris Ice, Brad Thomas, Cody Henthorn. DNS; Bill Deem. Heats; Thomas, Ice.

Junkyard Warrior; Donnie Wamsley, Bobby Dennison, Larry Cumberledge Jr., Billy Bunnell, Alex Mosser, Dave Wamsley, Andrea Hatfield, Tanya Colvin Perine, Jamie Shaw, Dakota Highley, Kathy Bell, Danny Blaze, Roland Bell. DNS; Derek Thompson