Beebe Speedway
Beard leads all the way at Beebe, collects $2,000
By Ben Shelton
Mid-South Racing
Kyle Beard (86) fights off Bill Frye (66). (Woody Hampton)
BEEBE, Ark. (June 25) — Kyle Beard of Trumann, Ark., padded his Comp Cams Mid-South Racing Association points lead Friday with a flag-to-flag victory at Beebe Speedway. Beard earned $2,000 for his series-leading seventh career MSRA victory in the 30-lapper. | Slideshow
Outside front-row starter Bill Frye of Greenbrier, Ark., chased Beard from the second spot most the race in taking the runner-up spot while Shane Stephens of Arlington, Tenn., was third. Jon Mitchell of Texarkana, Texas, recovered from a lap-four spin to finish fourth and Brandon Smith of Flora, Ark., rounded out the top five.
Jon Kirby of Russellville, Ark., took the second spot from Frye after a lap-19 restart, but his suffered heavy damage when he got into the frontstretch wall, knocking him out of the race.
Besides Kirby’s wreck the most serious caution appeared on a lap-27 restart when several cars piled up in turn four before taking the green, including Daniel Waters, Curtis Cook, Wade Johnson, Andy Milliken and Dewaine Hottinger, who ran in the top five early in the race.
Two-time MSRA champion Joey Mack of Benton, Mo., also received damaged in the incident and gave up the third spot with a broken drivetrain.
Notes: Beard’s GRT Race Car is sponsored by KB Transport, Gary Beard Trucking and Samuel’s Performance Engines. ... Ian Samuels drove a Beard team car and drew cautions with spins on lap 19 and lap 27. ... Terry Henson broke a motor on the first lap and was the first driver out of the 20-car field. ... Eddie Provence was the Larry Shaw Race Cars Hard Charger after advancing from his 20th starting spot to finish a career-best seventh. ... Wesley Crutchfield and Bobby Derryberry failed to make the feature lineup. ... MSRA competitors head to Crawford County Speedway in Van Buren, Ark., for a Saturday night event.
COMP Cams MSRA @ Beebe: (1) Kyle Beard, (2) Bill Frye, (3) Shane Stephens, (4) Jon Mitchell, (5) Brandon Smith, (6) Mark Stephens, (7) Eddie Provence, (8) Jeff Floyd, (9) Clay Fisher, (10) Daniel Waters, (11) Dewaine Hottinger, (12) Joey Mack, (13) Curtis Cook, (14) Andy Milliken, (15) Wade Johnson, (16) Ian Samuels, (17) Jon Kirby, (18) Stormy Derryberry, (19) Charlie Cole, (20) Terry Henson. Heat race winners (among 22 cars): M. Stephens, Frye, Beard. Consolation winner: Fisher. Provisional starters: Provence, Henson.
