Sam Stoecklin
ULMA Public Relations
April 27, 2016
The fourth, fifth, and sixth races of the year kept Lucas Cattle Company ULMA Drivers busy over the weekend with Aaron Marrant, Chris Smyser, and Jason Bodenhamer capturing victories. Marrant, the current leader in the Hoosier Tire Midwest battle for Rookie of the Year, prevailed with his first-ever Late Model win at Lucas Oil Speedway on Saturday. Smyser also captured a win on Saturday at Randolph County Raceway for his sixth-career ULMA win. Bodenhamer’s 33rd career ULMA bell ringer came on Friday at Callaway Raceway.
Randolph County Raceway (RCR) in Moberly, Missouri hosted ULMA cars for the first time in the 2016 season last Saturday with 11 drivers competing in a pair of heat races to sort out the lineup for the Late Model a-main. Kenny Mudd and Chris Smyser claimed victory in the heat races, which determined the a-main grid.
Smyser, a five-time winner at RCR last season started on pole-position alongside Ryan Petersheim of Harrisburg, Misssouri. Smyser’s car was strong from the onset as the Lancaster, Missouri driver never looked back, sailing on to his first main-event win of the year over defending Lucas Cattle Company ULMA Champion Jon Melloway. Mudd started and finished in third with I-35 Speedway winner David Melloway claiming fourth as Ptersheim slipped to fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Terry Wilson, Dustin Hodges, Ashlee Lancaster, Richard Kimberling and Devan Wiss.
The next event at Randolph County Raceway is set for Saturday, May 7th with gates opening at 5, Hotlaps beginning at 6:15 p.m. and racing at 7 pm. For general track information and event schedules be sure to visit the track at www.randolphcountyraceway.com.
Saturday at Lucas Oil Speedway, 21 drivers took to the track for three qualifying heat races. Lane Ehlert of Foristell, Missouri paced the first heat for the win while Browning, Missouri’s Tommy Cordray claimed victory in heat number two. Another northern-missouri based driver, Aaron Marrant of Richmond, raced to the win in the final heat race of the night.
Marrant and Larry Jones started the main event on the front row but it was Marrant who put his #1x car to the test eventually claiming the victory over ninth-starting Justin Russell of Henley, Missouri. Had it not been for a run-in with a lapped car last week, it could have easily been Marrant’s second-consecutive trip to Lucas Oil Speedway victory lane. Cordray raced steady to hold on to the third position followed by tenth-starting Ethan Young in fourth. Former ULMA Champion Jon Binning held his position from the start to finish in fifth.
Nineteenth-starting Larry Ferris passed 13 drivers on his way to a solid run to the sixth position while Ehlert finished seventh. Phil Edmondson, previous week’s winner Todd McCoin and Lawson, Missouri-based driver Bobby Penney rounded out the top ten.
Weekly championship racing returns to Lucas Oil Speedway this Saturday, April 30th. Special $5 ticket prices are in effect for all adults, seniors, military and youth with kids 5-and-under admitted free. Gates open at 5 with hot laps at 7 and racing at 7:30. A limited number of VIP Suites are available for Saturday’s event. Contact Anna Harnden at (417) 282-5984 or via email at anna@lucasoilspeedway.com. For upcoming special event information, archived stories, and ticket info visit lucasoilspeedway.com. Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri.
On Friday at Callaway Raceway in Fulton, Missouri, 11 drivers competed in a pair of heat races and the main event. Terry Wilson of Bowling Green, Missouri and Jason Bodenhamer of Centerview, Missouri were the preliminary heat-race winners.
Bodenhamer and Wilson led the field to the initital green flag for the main event with Bodenhamer quickly assuming command of the race in search for his second-consecutive Callaway Raceway win. Bodenhamer did just that as Wilson slipped from contention finishing tenth in the final rundown. Rounding out the top ten were Cody Holtkamp in third, Dustin Hodges, Todd McCoin, Chris Cox, Wesley Briggs, Chuck Melloway, Ashleee Lancaster, David Miller, and Wilson.
ULMA Late Models have the week off at Callaway Raceway on Friday, April 29th but will return to action the following weekend on Friday, May 6th. For additional information call (573) 592-7795 or (573) 642-6580. The track’s website is www.callawayraceways.com.
ULMA drivers have a chance to make their first appearance of the year this Friday, April 29th at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Drivers will race for championship points through heat races and the main event of the night. When the association visited Lakeside last fall for a non-points event, Aaron Marrant, a former track champion at the speedway in the Modified ranks, came away with the victory.
The Lakeside Speedway Driver’s Meeting takes place at 6:45 with hot laps at 7:00 and racing at 7:30. The planned order of events for Friday night is Grand Nationals, Stock Cars, B-Mods, ULMA Late Models, and USRA Modifieds. All pit passes are $30. Pits open at 4:30 followed by spectator gates at 5. Adult general admission is $12, Seniors 62 and older, Military, and Students w/valid I.D. are $10, Kids ages 7 to 12 are $6, age six and under are free. Terrace admission is also available on a first arrived, first-served basis. Suite admission is $20 for adults or $10 forkids ages 12 and under. Pit passes are $30 for ages 7 years and up, for kids 6 and under, pit passes are $10.
Contact Lakeside speedway on their Raceday Hotline by dialing 913-299-9206 or find them on the web at www.lakesidespeedway.net. Lakeside Speedway is a three-eighth mile, semi-banked, dirt oval located at 5615 Wolcott Drive, Kansas City, Kansas 66109. The track is located one mile west of I-435 (exit 18) on SR5 north east of the Legends Mall and Kansas Speedway. In addition to ULMA, Lakeside Speedway will also host their weekly racing classes of USRA Modifieds, USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Modsand Factory Stocks.
We are now offering the specially made all new 2016 “Decade of Racing, ULMA Ten-Year Anniversary” t-shirts on a pre-order only basis. The artwork is visible at www.ulmaracing.com. It is a two-sided shirt available in child sizes on up to Triple XLg. The shirts will only be available in white, pink, and bright yellow/green. The fabric is similar to that of moisture wicking, as in it is light, comfortable to wear, and breaths easily. Deadline for pre-order is Sunday, May 15th at midnight. Send your name, desired sizes, and colors to either unitedlatemodelassociation@hotmail.com or samonthemic@hotmail.com. There are no limits on amount ordered. Payment due upon delivery. Cost is $15 per shirt, $18 for XXLg and XXXLg. Example Ordering Specifics: “I need 2 XLg White, 3 Sm Yellow/Green, 1 Med Pink.”
For all events this weekend and all events going forward this season, drivers must possess a valid ULMA license or purchase the $10 temporary license while on site at each event. Drivers are highly encouraged to make their way to the ULMA website at www.ulmaracing.com and complete the licensing paperwork prior to checking in at weekend events, printing it out, and bringing it with them to the tracks they will race at this season. Drivers must be in compliance with ULMA Rules and Regulations as written.
Eight different tracks dot the ULMA schedule this season including Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri; Randolph County Raceway in Moberly, Missouri; Callaway Raceway in Fulton, Missouri; Central Missouri Speedway in Warrensburg, Missouri; Double XX Speedway in California, Missouri; Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas; I-35 Speedway in Winston, Missouri; and for the first time since 2012, Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Missouri as part of the Missouri State Fair.
For a printable schedule and printable copies of the association’s rules and regulations, be sure to visit www.ulmaracing.com. During the race season the association is also active on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ULMA-United-Late-Model-Association. ULMA’s outstanding group of season sponsors includes Lucas Cattle Company, Hoosier Tire Midwest, Radical Race Wear, FastShafts.com, RacingJunk.com, RacinDirt.com, and Photographics by Shelly Payne.
Upcoming ULMA Events
Friday, April 29 – Lakeside Speedway
Saturday, April 30 – Lucas Oil Speedway
Friday, May 6 – Callaway Raceway
Saturday, May 7 – Central Missouri Speedway
Saturday, May 7 – Randolph County Raceway
Friday, May 13 – Callaway Raceway
Saturday, May 14 – Lucas Oil Speedway
Friday, May 20 – Callaway Raceway
Saturday, May 21 – Lucas Oil Speedway
Friday, May 27 – Callaway Raceway
Friday, May 27 – Lakeside Speedway
Saturday, May 28 – Randolph County Raceway
Sunday, May 29 – Central Missouri Speedway
Current Top Ten Point Standings as of 4-25-16
POS CAR # NAME STARTS POINTS
1st 74 Jon Melloway 5 450
2nd 7X Todd McCoin 4 398
3rd 28 Wesley Briggs 5 392
4th 22H Dustin Hodges 4 392
5th 2B Jason Bodenhamer 4 340
6th 25S Chris Smyser 3 312
7th 14X David Melloway 3 304
8th 65 Jon Binning 3 290
9th 16 Bobby Penney 3 282
10th 5 Tommy Cordray 3 276