Batesville Motor Speedway
Rain pushes Saturday's Topless action to Sunday
By Joshua Joiner
DirtonDirt.com staff writerLOCUST GROVE, Ark. (Aug. 17) — Saturday’s action is set to get under way at Batesville Motor Speedway with consolation races and the 100-lap main event for the 21st annual Comp Cams Topless 100. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event pays $40,000 to the winner.
Racing on Sunday
Saturday’s Comp Cams Topless 100 action has been postponed to Sunday afternoon after nearly four hours of track packing efforts failed to dry Batesville’s Motor Speedway track surface from early-evening rain showers. | Prelims
Gates open at 10 a.m. with racing scheduled for 1 p.m. The complete Saturday program remains to be ran, consisting of three 15-lap consolation races, the Crop Production Services Non-Qualifiers Dash, the 100-lap, $40,000-to-win main event and a complete program for open-wheel modifieds.
Time trials and heat races for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event were held Friday night with Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., earning the pole starting spot.
10 p.m. update
After more than three hours of tracking packing by a mixture of ATVs, tractors, a school bus and a bulldozer, Jeff Taylor’s modified was the first race car to hit the track at 9:48 p.m. Two more modifieds joined the effort before Mike Harris’ car was the first Late Model on the track at 9:56 p.m. Race officials still plan to get the race in tonight.
Weather delay
Showers moved over Batesville’s 3/8-mile oval late in the afternoon, soaking the track and delaying the program. Tonight’s action was scheduled to get under way at 8 p.m., but race officials estimate at least an hour delay to dry the track surface.
Main event lineup
Row 1: Mike Marlar, Dale McDowell
Row 2: Jimmy Owens, Jesse Stovall
Row 3: Scott Bloomquist, Tyler Reddick
Row 4: Terry Phillips, Billy Moyer Sr.
Row 5: Chris Madden, Jimmy Mars
Row 6: Earl Pearson Jr., John Blankenship
Row 7: Billy Moyer Jr., Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 8: Wendell Wallace, Brian Shirley
Row 9: Chris Wall, Kyle Beard
Row 10: B-main transfers
Row 11: B-main transfers
Row 12: B-main transfers
Row 13: Provisional starters
Consolation race lineups
(15 laps; top two transfer to feature)
First consolation
Row 1: Jack Sullivan, Robert Baker
Row 2: Michael Asberry, Robbie Stuart
Row 3: Don O'Neal, Eddie Carrier Jr.
Row 4: Garrett Alberson, Sean Jones
Row 5: AJ Diemel, Jon Kirby
Row 6: Odie Green, Jeff Floyd
Row 7: Eric Jacobsen
Second consolation
Row 1: Stacy Taylor, Steve Francis
Row 2: Gary Christian, Brandon Smith
Row 3: Gavin Landers, Rob Litton
Row 4: Justin Asplin, Tyler Erb
Row 5: Raymond Merrill, Jay Brunson
Row 6: David Deetz, Mike Harris
Third consolation
Row 1: Mark Dotson, David Breazeale
Row 2: Timothy Culp, Tommy Weder
Row 3: Jared Landers, Kyle Bronson
Row 4: Leon Henderson, BJ Robinson
Row 5: George Jackson, Keith Craft
Row 6: Shane Harris, Eric Turner
Original Saturday schedule
7:30 p.m.: Drivers’ meeting
8 p.m.: Racing begins
• Modified heat races (8 laps)
• Three Late Model consolations (15 laps; top two transfer)
• Hot laps for locked-in Late Models
• Modified feature (20 laps)
• Crop Production Services Non-Qualifiers Race (six laps)
• Intermission/track prep (20 minutes)
• Late Model driver introductions
• 21st annual Comp Cams Topless 100
