WEST PLAINS, Mo.—Following what has become the customary pre-race shower, a record crowd of over 5,000 watched some excellent racing Saturday night at Legit Speedway Park in West Plains, Mo.

It was Logger Appreciation Night—the second free grandstand event at the park this summer. Aaron Hovis, representing Three Rivers College in Willow Springs, put on a lumberjack demonstration and set a personal best time in the one-man cross-cut and the standing chop. Hovis used this exhibition as a training event for his bid next weekend in New York at the STIHL Timberworks National Collegiate Competition.

Other intermission entertainment included a Picker Race as local loggers went head-to-head to load a deck of logs onto their trucks. It was Dusty Clinton coming away with the victory and the $200 prize.

In the USRA B-Mod class, fans again were not disappointed. After heat races that were filled with great driving and competition, they watched Logan Martin of West Plains battle it out with Rustin Miller of Houston and Carl Murphy of Caulfield.

Miller led the first 14 laps of the feature but got a little loose in one of the turns to give Martin the opening he had been looking for to take the lead. Martin gained that advantage on lap 14 and led the rest of the way to the checkered flag in the 20-lap feature.

There will be no racing this weekend at Legit Speedway Park, but racing will resume on June 27. Gates will open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and races at 7. Track owner Gary Stolba said he hopes to have the new tail-gaiting section open for the next event as an added feature to the park.

Tickets at the gate are $10 for adults. You can always check out the latest results, point standings and videos at www.legitspeedway.com or like them on facebook at www.facebook.com/legitspeedwaypark.