BAYTOWN, Texas -- John O Whittington of Vidor led all 20 laps of the USRA Western Flyer HotMod main event Thursday to capture the opening night victory at the 6th Annual Texas Winter Nationals presented by Ron Craft Cadillac-Chevrolet.

The win was worth $500 to Whittington, who started on the pole and made quick work of the field on Royal Purple Raceway’s 3/8-mile clay oval.

Howard Willis of Dayton gave chase but had to settle for the runner-up finish while Travis Johnson, Corey Babbitt and Shane Hoefling. The rest of the top ten were Shane Hebert, Jason Tiner, Curtis Allen, Steve Whiteaker Jr. and Eric Cegielski.

Hoefling also pocketed an additional $100 as the highest-finishing driver not also competing in a USMTS Modified this season. Tiner got $75 and $50 went to Allen. Babbitt got an extra $100 for being the race’s hard charger, finishing fourth after starting 23rd on the 24-car grid.

A 54-car field signed in for the first of three nights of racing.

Action continues on Friday and Saturday with USRA Western Flyer HotMods battling for $600 and $700 to win, respectively, plus more bonus cash awards up for grabs.

On Friday, the pit gate opens at 3 p.m., grandstands open at 5 and racing begins at 7. On Saturday, pit gates open at 3 p.m., grandstands open at 4 and the first heat race hits the track at 5:30.

Grandstand admission is $15 each night for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12 and children 5 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35 each night.

The Royal Purple Raceway is a state-of-the-art 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval with a main grandstand seating capacity of 7,500 which includes fourteen VIP luxury suites and boasts a modern Musco Lighting system suitable for television productions.

Located in Baytown, Texas, the facility is located east of Houston on I-10 to Exit 799, then 2.5 miles south on SH 99 (Grand Parkway), then 0.3 mile west on FM 565. Speedway entrance located at Gate 3. For more information, call the track office at 281-383-RACE or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com online.

To learn more about the USRA, visit www.usraracing.com or call 515-832-6000. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usraracing or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usraracing.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
6th Annual Texas Winter Nationals presented by Ron Craft Cadillac-Chevrolet - Night 1 of 3
Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Texas
Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012

USRA WESTERN FLYER HOTMODS

Heat Race #1 (8 laps):
1. (4) 99 Kristi Byrd, Ada, Okla.
2. (6) 63 Shane Hoefling, Meyersville, Texas.
3. (2) 2w Paul White, Temple, Texas.
4. (8) 26 Dean Abbey, Comanche, Texas.
5. (3) 14 David Jackson, Bacliff, Texas.
6. (1) 14D Derek Legg, Liberty, Texas.
7. (10) D9 Corey Babbitt, Channelview, Texas.
8. (9) 12M Keith Lee Jr., Lumberton, Texas.
9. (5) 42R Ross McCartney, Lahoma, Okla.
10. (7) 49J Larry Bell, Shreveport, La.

Heat Race #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Texas.
2. (9) 5W John O Whittington, Vidor, Texas.
3. (2) 420 Eric Cegielski, Houston, Texas.
4. (7) D25 Curtis Allen, Yukon, Okla.
5. (4) 24 Robby Minten, Lacoste, Texas.
6. (3) 66 Gary Weselka, Crosby, Texas.
7. (5) 3GT Bob Kellogg, Natchitoches, La.
8. (6) 46 Randy Bridges, Marvel, Texas.
9. (8) R69 Roy January, Port Lavaca, Texas.

Heat Race #3 (8 laps):
1. (5) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.
2. (7) 119 Eric Floyd, Edna, Texas.
3. (3) 2c Tracy Denby, Vidor, Texas.
4. (9) 174 Wade Moyer, Inez, Texas.
5. (2) 1* Josh Ferguson, Silsbee, Texas.
6. (6) 148 Tommy Moore, Conroe, Texas.
7. (4) 21 Shay Davis, Victoria, Texas.
8. (8) 2B Nick Brown, Houston, Texas.
9. (1) 37 Chris Balthrop, Ada, Okla.

Heat Race #4 (8 laps):
1. (2) 46B Josh Brock, Baytown, Texas.
2. (1) 97 Buck Buchanan, Stephens, Ark.
3. (4) 55 Ricky Burk, Bethany, La.
4. (8) 72 Zach Tesch, Columbus, Texas.
5. (3) 02 Gary Corbin, Ennis, Texas.
6. (6) 518 Chad Cambron, Alvin, Texas.
7. (7) 77 Garrett Gregory, Tomball, Texas.
8. (9) 14K Stan Kraly, Crosby, Texas.
9. (5) 16S Brandon Spurlock, Rose City, Texas.

Heat Race #5 (8 laps):
1. (2) 42R Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (4) 4SX Jason Tiner, Tyler, Texas.
3. (3) 15 Jason Challenger, Baytown, Texas.
4. (6) B75 Waylon Ball, Strong, Ark.
5. (5) 89 Steve Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas.
6. (9) 26G J.J. Jennings, Corpus Christi, Texas.
7. (8) 147 G.W. Hessong, Edna, Texas.
8. (7) 30 Chance Sherling, Huntsville, Texas.
9. (1) C02 Crystal Cantu, Inez, Texas.

Heat Race #6 (8 laps):
1. (2) 86J Travis Johnson, Enid, Okla.
2. (1) 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La.
3. (3) 83 Monty Nichols, Corpus Christi, Texas.
4. (7) 4S T.J. Stele, Winnsboro, Texas.
5. (5) 89F Matt Farris, Victoria, Texas.
6. (8) 29 Mike Walling, Crosby, Texas.
7. (9) 88 R.J. Stroman, New Boston, Texas.
8. (6) 9 Ray Doyon, Natalia, Texas.
9. (4) 14 James Cole, San Antonio, Texas.

“B” Main #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (6) 89 Steve Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas.
2. (1) 26 Dean Abbey, Comanche, Texas.
3. (10) D9 Corey Babbitt, Channelview, Texas.
4. (5) 1* Josh Ferguson, Silsbee, Texas.
5. (13) 12M Keith Lee Jr., Lumberton, Texas.
6. (8) 148 Tommy Moore, Conroe, Texas, $30.
7. (4) 14 David Jackson, Bacliff, Texas, $30.
8. (3) B75 Waylon Ball, Strong, Ark., $30.
9. (7) 14D Derek Legg, Liberty, Texas, $30.
10. (19) 49J Larry Bell, Shreveport, La., $30.
11. (12) 147 G.W. Hessong, Edna, Texas, $30.
12. (2) 174 Wade Moyer, Inez, Texas, $30.
13. (16) 42R Ross McCartney, Lahoma, Okla., $30.
14. (15) 30 Chance Sherling, Huntsville, Texas, $30.
15. (11) 21 Shay Davis, Victoria, Texas, $30.
16. (17) 37 Chris Balthrop, Ada, Okla., $30.
17. (18) C02 Crystal Cantu, Inez, Texas, $30.
18. (9) 26G J.J. Jennings, Corpus Christi, Texas, $30.
19. (14) 2B Nick Brown, Houston, Texas, $30.

“B” Main #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (1) D25 Curtis Allen, Yukon, Okla.
2. (12) 88 R.J. Stroman, New Boston, Texas.
3. (7) 66 Gary Weselka, Crosby, Texas.
4. (9) 29 Mike Walling, Crosby, Texas.
5. (15) 9 Ray Doyon, Natalia, Texas.
6. (13) 46 Randy Bridges, Marvel, Texas, $30.
7. (4) 24 Robby Minten, Lacoste, Texas, $30.
8. (8) 518 Chad Cambron, Alvin, Texas, $30.
9. (16) R69 Roy January, Port Lavaca, Texas, $30.
10. (17) 16S Brandon Spurlock, Rose City, Texas, $30.
11. (2) 72 Zach Tesch, Columbus, Texas, $30.
12. (6) 89F Matt Farris, Victoria, Texas, $30.
13. (3) 4S T.J. Stele, Winnsboro, Texas, $30.
14. (10) 3GT Bob Kellogg, Natchitoches, La, $30.
15. (14) 14K Stan Kraly, Crosby, Texas, $30.
16. (5) 02 Gary Corbin, Ennis, Texas, $30.
17. (11) 77 Garrett Gregory, Tomball, Texas, $30.
18. (18) 14 James Cole, San Antonio, Texas, $30.

“A” Main (20 laps):
1. (1) 5W John O Whittington, Vidor, Texas, $500.
2. (5) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Texas, $300.
3. (6) 86J Travis Johnson, Enid, Okla., $200.
4. (23) D9 Corey Babbitt, Channelview, Texas, $270.
5. (9) 63 Shane Hoefling, Meyersville, Texas, $250.
6. (11) 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La., $130.
7. (8) 4SX Jason Tiner, Tyler, Texas, $185.
8. (20) D25 Curtis Allen, Yukon, Okla., $150.
9. (19) 89 Steve Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas, $90.
10. (14) 420 Eric Cegielski, Houston, Texas, $80.
11. (15) 2c Tracy Denby, Vidor, Texas, $70.
12. (24) 66 Gary Weselka, Crosby, Texas, $65.
13. (18) 83 Monty Nichols, Corpus Christi, Texas, $60.
14. (16) 55 Ricky Burk, Bethany, La., $55.
15. (2) 46B Josh Brock, Baytown, Texas, $50.
16. (13) 2w Paul White, Temple, Texas, $50.
17. (7) 97 Buck Buchanan, Stephens, Ark., $50.
18. (21) 26 Dean Abbey, Comanche, Texas, $50.
19. (4) 119 Eric Floyd, Edna, Texas, $50.
20. (17) 15 Jason Challenger, Baytown, Texas, $50.
21. (12) 99 Kristi Byrd, Ada, Okla., $50.
22. (3) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla., $50.
23. (10) 42R Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, $50.
24. (22) 88 R.J. Stroman, New Boston, Texas, $50.

Lap Leader: Whittington 1-20.
Hard Charger: Babbitt (started 23rd, finished 4th).

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

USRA OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Dominator Race Products, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, Radical Race Gear, Western Flyer Race Cars.

USRA PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boubin Tire & Automotive, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, DAY Motor Sports, Erson Cams, RacinDirt.com, Sybesma Graphics, SpeedNet Direct.

USRA CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing, COMP Cams, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Custom Harness, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, New Vision Graphics, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products.