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KLINKKAMMER TOPS WILD NIGHT IN WEST LIBERTYWest Liberty Raceway Two drivers picked up their first win of the season while two added to their points lead in a rough and tumble night of NASCAR Weekly Racing Series at the West Liberty Raceway on Saturday May 19th. Mike Klinkkammer became the sixth different Late Model victor of the season, with Darrall Brick, Matt Gilchrist and Matt Fulton picking wins in support action. The 25 lap Late Model feature was marred by two separate red flags, the first on the opening lap when Lee Seydel spun out from his front row starting position and collected several cars, flipping Denny Petersen hard and destroying his racecar. Petersen was uninjured in the melee. Red flag conditions once again stopped the action on lap twelve when a pickup truck on a city street outside the speedway flipped over, requiring the ambulance and safety crew to respond until local authorities could respond. Skip Frey took the early lead after the cleanup from the first lap accident, stretching out ahead of Klinkkammer and Ray Guss Jr until caution slowed the pack on the fourth lap. Guss swept around the top of both cars on the ensuing restart to take command of the race, easily pulling away from his competitors until the lap twelve red flag. While cars were waiting out the race stoppage on the front stretch, Guss’s car began leaking oil onto the racing surface, forcing the leader into the pits for the evening. With no leader for the restart, Klinkkammer and Frey led the field back to green flag racing, with the outside line of Klinkkammer proving to be faster as he jumped into the lead. Kurt Stewart found the bottom of the racetrack to his liking on the restart, jumping into the runner-up position ahead of Steve Johnson and Frey. With the rest of the race going caution-free, Klinkkammer extended his lead steadily until encountering lapped traffic late in the race. Stewart was able to eliminate only part of the margin in the closing laps, finishing 5 car lengths behind. Steve Johnson finished third ahead of points leader Denny Eckrich and Frey. Darrall Brick notched his third Miller Time Modified win in six starts by taking the lead away from Brian Sexton following a lap ten restart. Starting the race tenth, Brick picked off cars one at a time by riding the cushion, ending up a distant second behind Sexton when the caution flew. Sexton felt pressure on the restart from both Brick and Richard Steadman on the restart, successfully fending off Steadman’s charge on the bottom but falling into the second spot as the cars roared down the backstretch. Unchallenged the remaining distance, Brick took home the easy win ahead of Sexton, Scott Megonigle, Russ Olson and Larry Herring. Gilchrist stayed hot in Pro Stock action, parking his car in victory lane for the fourth time of the season after a caution-plagued event. Jody Metzger took the early lead while Gilchrist blasted through traffic from twelfth on the start into third when the race was slowed for the fourth time on lap four. Passing both Metzger and second place Brian VanDusen on the restart, Gilchrist took the lead and paced the field throughout the remaining eleven laps to post the easy win. VanDusen overtook Metzger for second with Norman Bean and Gary Beuter rounding out the top five. Hobby Stock action went to Matt Fulton after he took the lead away from Stan O’Brien with three laps to go. Todd Hansen probably had the fastest car on the racetrack, advancing from eleventh on the start into third in the caution-free event. Jason Erwin and Matt Bodman rounded out the top five. West Liberty race fans are treated to twice the racing action next weekend, with regular racing for all four divisions of NASCAR stock cars doing battle on Saturday May 26th and the return of the Budweiser Open Late Model Shootout on Monday May 28th. West Liberty’s own Steve Boley will be attempting to stay perfect in Open Shootout action for 2001 and also defend his victory last Memorial Day at the Muscatine County Fairgrounds speed plant. Over 60 of the nation’s best late model chauffeur’s are expected to compete for the $6000 top prize, with Pro Stocks also providing action on the flat half-mile. For more information, please contact Simmons Promotions at 563-744-3620 or on the internet at www.SimmonsPromotionsInc.com. For race day updates and instant results upon completion please call your local McLeod USA InTouch directory category #3740 or #3741. Late Models MILLER TIME MODIFIEDS PRO STOCKS BOMBERS PhotosMike Klinkkammer
Darrall Brick
Matt Gilchrist
Matt Fulton
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