ArkLaTex Speedway
Whiseant grabs pole position for Pelican 100
Duke Whiseant (A1) battles Chris Wall (5f). (scottscustomart.com)
VIVIAN, La. (March 16) — Duke Whiseant of Texarkana, Ark., captured the first heat race at Friday's second annual Pelican 100 to earn the pole position for Saturday's unsanctioned main event at ArkLaTex Speedway.
Whiseant, returning to Late Model competition for the first time in several seasons, will start alongside last year's winner Ray Moore of Haughton, La., winner of Friday's second heat race. | Video | Slideshow
The $10,000-to-win, $800-to-start is the richest Late Model event this season in Louisiana.
Whiseant won an early battle in the first prelim with fast qualifier Chris Wall of Holden, La., who made his debut with Childress Motorsports and topped 25 qualifiers with a 13.820-second lap at the quarter-mile oval.
In the second heat, Moore raced to victory over Jon Mitchell of Texarkana, Texas, who came from the fifth spot to score a runner-up finish. Trey Beene, Allen Murray and Ronny Adams were part of a last-lap wreck in the prelim.
The third and final heat race went to Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., who started fourth and won the caution-free 10-lapper. Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville, Ark., overcame a poor qualifying effort, rallying from seventh to finish second ahead of Brooks Strength of Jackson, Miss.
The first six rows of Saturday's main event are set with the remaining six rows to be set through consolation and last-chance races preceding the feature.
Notes: Besides Wall, B.J Robinson and Chad Dupont competed in Childress Motorsports entries. Childress Rentals is sponsored the events last-chance race. ... Trey Beene, caught up in a heat race accident, is expected to get a backup car to compete in Saturday's consolation events. ... Shane Harris of Sheridan, Ark., Tommy Surrett of Little Rock, Ark., and James Harper of Monroe, La., were among drivers who practiced Thursday but didn't enter the event. ... Brett Frazier of Haughton, La., scratched from time trials after entering.
Pelican 100 lineup
Row 12: Last-chance race
Consolation lineup
Row 7: Doug Ingalls, Brett Frazier
Heat race results
Third heat: Jesse Stovall, Billy Moyer Jr., Brooks Strength, Jon Kirby, Stacy Taylor, Jason Ingalls, Jay Brunson, Troy Berdan.
