Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway
KLMS: Moyer rebounds with caution-plagued win
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer
Billy Moyer takes the checkered flag. (erikgrigsbyphotos.com)
CALVERT CITY, Ky. (March 14) — Billy Moyer didn’t waste his front row starting spot this time. Staying out front in a 40-lapper with frequent cautions, Moyer redeemed himself from a lackluster performance the previous night with a victory at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway’s March Madness. Pre-race notebook | Slideshow
Moyer started outside polesitter Earl Pearson Jr. and faced only a few challenges from Michael England in racing to his seventh victory of 2008. Rebounding from his pole-to-sixth fade the previous night, Moyer crossed the finish line more than a straightaway ahead of England to earn $5,000 in the second of three nights of action at KLMS.
England, who started seventh, held off 14th-starting Dennis Erb Jr., who posted his second straight top-three finish. David Scott of Garland, Pa., making just his second career start at KLMS, raced from 16th to fourth and Wendell Wallace started and finished fifth.
Polesitter Earl Pearson faded from contention and Steve Francis, Thursday’s winner, was running third when he pulled out with a flat tire during a lap-16 caution.
The frequent cautions — there were 11 overall — were tough on the small crowd watching on a cool night with temperatures in the upper 40s.
Flat left-rear tires for Rodney Melvin on the first attempted start and Pearson, on the second attempted start, forced complete restarts. Both drivers hit a turn-one hole.
Tait Davenport stopped in turn two on the fourth lap to bring out a caution and two laps later Jason McBride pulled up with a flat right rear tire to draw another yellow. On the ninth lap, Frank Heckenast Jr. spun in turn two for the fifth caution, and another quick yellow flew when Dylan Thompson slowed with a flat just as the race was restarting.
The seventh caution appeared on the 11th lap when Justin Rattliff, up to seventh after starting 13th, slowed on the frontstretch. Chris Simpson slowed on the backstretch on the 16th lap for yet another yellow, and Francis pulled off during the caution with a flat tire.
A lap-22 caution came out when Brad Neat slowed in turn three and the race’s 10th caution came out when Patrick Sheltra slowed on the frontstretch. The yellow reappeared on lap 28 for Melvin’s second flat.
A lap-29 yellow came out when Jason McBride lost his left rear wheel. McBride pulled off the track and the track bounded into the infield as the yellow flew.
The third race of the UMP-sanctioned March Madness event is scheduled for Saturday night with a $10,000-to-win purse on the line. Francis won $5,000 in the Thursday opener.
Feature: (1) Billy Moyer, (2) Michael England, (3) Dennis Erb Jr., (4) David Scott, (5) Wendell Wallace, (6) Frank Heckenast Jr., (7) Terry English, (8) Ashley Anderson, (9) Denny Woodworth, (10) Rodney Melvin, (11) Brian Dively, (12) Earl Pearson Jr., (13) Jason McBride, (14) Patrick Sheltra, (15) Richie Hedrick, (16) Jeremy Grady, (17) Brad Neat, (18) Steve Francis, (19) Jeff Walston, (20) Chris Simpson, (21) Tim Manville, (22) Justin Rattliff, (23) Dylan Thompson, (24) Tait Davenport.
Third consolation
Finish: (1) Tim Manville, (2) Patrick Sheltra, (3) Dewayne Keifer, (4) Tyler Boggs, (5) Dewaine Hottinger, (6) Andy Eckrich, (7) Billy Moyer Jr., (8) Credence Mott.
Second consolation
Finish: (1) Chris Simpson, (2) Terry English, (3) Ryan Unzicker, (4) Jon Rogers, (5) Lee Thomason, (6) Arnie Fields, (7) Jason Riggs, (8) Mike Hammerle, (9) Jeremy Carr, (10) John Tindal.
First consolation
Finish: (1) Brian Dively, (2) Richie Hedrick, (3) B.J. McCammon, (4) April Farmer, (5) Jill George, (6) Rob Moss, (7) Kevin O'Brien, (8) Matt Weidner.
Sixth heat
Crate graduate Jeff Walston outgunned polesitter Frank Heckenast Jr. for a victory in the best up-front battle of the six heat races. Tait Davenport, in the Willie Sellars-owned No. 33s, was third, far ahead of Tim Manville. Rusty Griffaw grazed the turn-four wall to bring out a second-lap caution, and Dewayne Keifer spun separately in turn one but got his spot back.
Finish: (1) Jeff Walston, (2) Frank Heckenast Jr., (3) Tait Davenport, (4) Tim Manville, (5) Dewayne Keifer, (6) Rusty Griffaw, (7) Tom Sprague Jr., (8) Credence Mott.
Fifth heat
Inheriting the lead when Michael Kloos went up in smoke on the fourth lap, Wendell Wallace led the rest of the way for the victory. Kloos, who started on the pole, was debuting a new Rayburn Race Car. Third-starting Dylan Thompson ran a strong second to qualify for his second straight March Madness feature while Jeremy Grady took third from John Tindal midway through the race.
Finish: (1) Wendell Wallace, (2) Dylan Thompson, (3) Jeremy Grady, (4) John Tindal, (5) Lee Thomason, (6) Jon Rogers, (7) Mike Hammerle, (8) Michael Kloos.
Fourth heat
Polesitter Denny Woodworth led all the way while fourth-starting Jason McBride moved up to finish a solid second, threatening Woodworth through the late stages. McBride nearly pulled alongside Woodworth heading for the white flag, but slipped back a bit on the final lap. Third-starting David Scott held that spot while B.J. McCammon, who got out of shape on the second lap, missed transferring.
Finish: (1) Denny Woodworth, (2) Jason McBride, (3) David Scott, (4) B.J. McCammon, (5) Rob Moss, (6) April Farmer, (7) Jill George, (8) Chad Singleton.
Third heat
Polesitter Steve Francis dominated the third heat while Rodney Melvin finished comfortably in second. In a tight battle for third, last-row starter Ashley Anderson moved past Tyler Boggs after a lap-five restart and got the final transfer spot over Patrick Sheltra.� Andy Eckrich got into the wall to bring out a lap-five caution, flattening his right front tire.
Finish: (1) Steve Francis, (2) Rodney Melvin, (3) Ashley Anderson, (4) Patrick Sheltra, (5) Dewaine Hottinger, (6) Tyler Boggs, (7) Billy Moyer Jr., (8) Andy Eckrich.
Second heat
Outside front-row starter Billy Moyer led from the outset and raced away comfortably for a victory. Fourth-starting Brad Neat's early charge moved him up to the second spot and he held off Dennis Erb Jr. the rest of the way. Chris SImpson was a distant fourth and former track champion Terry English never challenged. Polesitter Ryan Unzicker faded from the outset and ended up sixth. Jeremy Carr's car smoked to a stop on the frontstretch on the final lap.
Finish: (1) Billy Moyer, (2) Brad Neat, (3) Dennis Erb Jr., (4) Chris SImpson, (5) Terry English, (6) Ryan Unzicker, (7) Arnie Fields, (8) Jason Riggs, (9) Jeremy Carr.
First heat
Polesitter and fast qualifier Earl Pearson Jr. cruised to an easy victory. Michael England, who also started on the front row, challenged early but settled for second and Justin Rattliff rallied from the last row to finish third. Kevin Cole held the third and final transfer spot on the fifth lap, but he pulled up lame on the fifth lap. Brian Dively spun in turn one on the first lap, collecting Matt Weidner, and a complete restart was called. Dively finished a distant fourth.
Finish: (1) Earl Pearson Jr., (2) Michael England, (3) Justin Rattliff (4) Brian Dively, (5), RIchie Hedrick, (6) Matt Weidner, (7) Kevin O'Brien, (8) Kevin Cole. Scratch: Bart Hartman.
Qualifying
Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., was the fastest among 50 qualifiers Friday evening at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway's UMP-sanctioned March Madness. Pearson tripped the clock at 14.811 seconds on the 3/8-mile oval and will start on the pole of the first heat race. The event utilized group qualifiers and the other fastest qualifiers in groups, earning pole positions in the other heats: Ryan Unzicker (15.044) of El Paso, Ill.; Thursday feature winner Steve Francis (15.214) of Ashland, Ky.; Denny Woodworth (15.294) of Quincy, Ill.; Michael Kloos (15.234) of Trenton, Ill., in a brand new Rayburn Race Car; and Frank Heckenast Jr. (15.024) of Orland Park, Ill. Electrical problems have caused a few brief delays in the program. The lights in turns one and two twice went out and the scoreboard wasn't working during time trials.
