Lucas Oil Speedway
Wheatland gives Woodworth first MLRA victory
From series reports
Denny Woodworth (45) outran Alan Vaughn. (Lloyd Collins www.racinboys.com)
WHEATLAND, Mo. (Sept. 8) — Racing lawyer Denny Woodworth laid down the law at Lucas Oil Speedway. The Mendon, Ill., driver outdueled fellow front-row starter Alan Vaughn early and raced to a 30-lap victory at Lucas Oil Speedway for his first-ever triumph on the O'Reilly Midwest LateModel Racing Association.
Woodworth earned $4,000 in outrunning Vaughn, fellow Illinois driver Mark Voigt, defending MLRA champion Al Purkey and consolation race winner Jeremy Payne. The Midwest Walnut Lucky Stars bonus provided $1,500 of Woodworth's earnings.
Vaughn took the lead at the outset, but Woodworth used the low groove to move to the point on the ninth lap. Woodworth stayed in control the rest of the way and denied any challengers in a three-lap shootout to the checkered flag after a lap-27 caution.
Notebook
Woodworth is sponsored by Dennis G. Woodworth Attorney at Law. ... The event was stopped by two red-flag periods. On the seventh lap, Larry Jones and Sonny Findling got together in turn two with Jones' car flipping onto its roof. Both cars suffered serious damage but neither driver was injured. ... On the 11th lap, Brandon McCormick clipped a tire on the inside of turn two and slammed into the backstretch wall. He wasn't injured but the car was extensively damaged. ... Rylan Long, the 2007 track champion at the track, posted a solid sixth-place finish. ... Larry D. Clawson spun on lap 27 to bring out the final caution. ... Heat race victories went to Woodworth, Al Purkey, Sonny Findling, Alan Vaughn and Christian Rayburn. ... Gary Stolba and Jeremy Payne won consolation races. ... Payne earned $2,000 for a victory in the night's Coca-Cola Modified Bash. ... The track is hosting the Lucas Oil World Series of Off-Road Racing Tour on Sept. 22-23 with nine classes of buggies and trucks in action. ... The series returns to action Sept. 21-22 at I-44 Speedway in Lebanon, Mo.
Lucas Oil Speedway: (1) Denny Woodworth, (2) Alan Vaughn, (3) Mark Voigt, (4) Al Purkey, (5) Jeremy Payne, (6) Rylan Long, (7) David Turner, (8) Christian Rayburn, (9) Jason Bodenhamer, (10) Randy Zimmerman, (11) Larry D. Clawson, (12) Steve Grotz, (13) Ron Bolin, (14) Gary Stolba, (15) J.D. Hubert, (16) Larry Clawson, (17) Shane Essary, (18) Brandon McCormick, (19) Sonny Findling, (20) Larry Jones, (21) Justin Wells, (22) Donnie Gemes, (23) Steve Johnson.
