Body bags USRA Modified feature at Springfield

Jim Body won the USRA Modified feature.

Jim Body won the USRA Modified feature.


Action was again quick and exciting at the Springfield Raceway on Saturday as Jim Body and Ryan Gilmore topped Hayden Machinery Night.

Body has been close in the last four USRA Modified features, but Saturday night he had everything working near perfect as he not only captured his qualifying heat but gathered enough passing points to start the 20-lap feature on the pole.

Getting the jump on the start over Andrew Smith, he had his Body Truck Repair/Shaw By Bone/Yeoman No. 71 on a rail in a dominant performance. With Body in full control, the real race was between points leader Jody Tillman and Jesse Stovall as the duo were slicing and dicing for the runner-up spot with Tillman getting the nod.

For Body, it was a total focus on the win after learning of the loss of Tony Bone Friday night after a battle with cancer.

"Where we are located at in Diamond (Missouri) you are close to the four corners area of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma, and everyone in the racing world is close," Body said. "Tony was a friend and it didn't matter what type of chassis you ran, Tony wanted everyone to go fast and have a good night racing. When you hear about that it really makes you think about friends and people.

"We lost Skip Rutledge who was a very important and close to us. This win was for them tonight. We have been working hard on my son's B-Mod and the A-Mod. We have been right there and just a tick behind Tillman and Gilmore. Tonight everything went right."

In Out-Pace USRA B-Mod action, defending national champion Gilmore took command from Rex Merritt at the midpoint of the 20-lap feature, and then held back track points leader Jackie Dalton in grabbing the win with only three cautions slowing the fast and racy feature.

Merritt, who earned the pole with Ron Scroggins on his outside, grabbed the opening lead and had his No. 25 dialed-in on the bottom lane.

Justin Comer brought out the first caution with problems after contact while running three wide. On the restart, Merritt found a sweet spot on the track and launched away as the pack sorted things out. Aaron Scroggins was battling hard with Gilmore, who started fifth, and Dalton, who started tenth. Both drivers were picking up the pace as Bobby Pearish was moving quickly on to spin in turn 1 slowing the pace.

Gilmore picked the bottom lane on the restart but swung to the top groove as the duo went door to door with Gilmore finally getting the top spot as Dalton was coming fast. Both of these drivers looked like it might be "B" feature time in their heat race, but a late caution changed the outcome placing both in the "A" feature.

Dalton was able to move around Merritt on the top side as a late caution for Mikey Joplin and Mark Wolfe set up the final run. Gilmore was able to fend back Dalton's restart in taking the win with Merritt, Scroggins and a hard-charging Jimmy Body III completiing the top 5.


Ryan Gillmore won the Out-Pace USRA B-Mod feature.

With over 84 cars in the pits, the program was completed in 2 and one-half hours.

The Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series continues next Saturday, July 21, with USRA Modifieds and Out-Pace USRA B-Mods plus Midwest Modz, Legends and Pure Stocks. Racing starts at 7:45 p.m. with a mechanics race slated after the racing action.

For more information visit the track's Facebook page and website at www.SpringfieldRaceway.com.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Racing Association
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series
Springfield Raceway, Springfield, Mo.
Saturday, July 14, 2018

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown.

USRA MODIFIEDS

Feature:
1. (1) 71 Jim Body
2. (3) 85 Jody Tillman
3. (4) 00 Jesse Stovall
4. (5) 84 John Yeoman
5. (2) 49s Andrew Smith
6. (6) 11T James Thompson
7. (8) 33 Danny Martin
8. (7) 5 Colson Kirk
9. (9) 8 Nathan Gold
DNS – 3366 Ryan Gilmore

OUT PACE USRA B MODS

Feature:
1. (5) 66 Ryan Gilmore
2. (10) 21 Jackie Dalton
3. (1) 25m Rex Merritt
4. (4) 1/4 Aaron Scroggins
5. (11) 71III Jimmy Body III
6. (13) 11 Sawyer Crigler
7. (3) C88 Cory Johnson
8. (15) 50B Andy Beauchamp
9. (18) 55B Bill Schahuber
10. (20) D7 Shawn Duncan
11. (19) 32 Kelly Hicks
12. (14) 52 Cory Janasek
13. (17) 32M Michael Foster
14. (12) 3A Aaron Speck
15. (2) 1/4x Ron Scroggins
16. (6) 44 Gene Sisco
17. (15) 4W Mark Wolfe
18. (8) 18 Austin Joplin
19. (7) 26P Bobby Pearish
20. (9) 112 Justin Comer Joplin
DNS – 68 Ricky Watkins
DNS – 82 Jace Parmley
DNS – 21x Cody Rider
DNS – 02 Kyle Long
DNS – 11 Jack Moad
DNS – 17R Rod Inman