Nevada, Mo: Saturday night at Nevada Speedway, Wesley Smith of (Nixa, Mo)took advantage of a late race bobble to grab his first victory of the season with the Wholesale Batteries USAC MWRA Sprint Car Series racing the WSR Racing 44. Beating to the checkered flag (Battlefield, Mo) wheelman Kory Schudy in 2nd, Wyatt Burks from (Topeka, Ks), 3rd, (Overland Park, Ks) driver Luke Howard, 4th, and (Gladstone, Mo) racer Chris Parkinson in 5th. While Chad Winfrey (Gladstone, Mo), 6th, Dakota Earls, (Independence, Mo), 7th, Buddy Parker, (Wichita Falls, Tx), 8th, Bryson Smith, (Nixa, Mo), 9th, and Brad Wyatt, (Kearney, Mo), 10th, would complete the top ten finishers at Nevada.
Earlier in the evening a short rainstorm blew thru this Southwestern Missouri facility dropping the temperature from the blistering hot 100’s, to a nice and cozy Summer evening that brought out a big crowd, and helped juice up the track. That was evident in the heat races when Burks came from sixth to first in heat race number one to earn high point honors, and Parkinson passed five cars as well coming from eighth to third. While Schudy won the second heat from the pole for his sixth heat win this season with MWRA, followed by Smith who advanced three spots for second from fifth, and Howard who raced to third after starting sixth.
For the second night in a row the high point man (this time Burks) rolled a three for the invert sending him to the third row. Which in turn sent a red hot Schudy (looking for his fourth win in a row with the MWRA) to the pole for the 25 lapper.
Schudy would grab the lead from the start and screamed around the Nevada short track riding the rim. While Smith came from the second row to take over second, and Burks settled into third after starting fifth. Schudy was flying high in his Jon Sawyer Racing 28 and appeared to be well on his way to his fourth win in a row. A feat only accomplished once before in the Midwest Wingless Series in 2020 when “The Sheriff” Burks won four in a row racing the Don Rumsey 11w on his way to the MWRA title.
Second running Smith also looked destined to finish for the fifth time in six starts on the podium in 2023, with no victories up to this point. A place that Smith, a previous winner of 8 points paying races with the MWRA in three seasons wasn’t accustomed to.
But then the slightest of mistakes occurred changing the fate of both drivers on this night. Coming out of the second turn Schudy went over the edge of the cushion, and by the time he corrected, Smith had blasted by for the lead and subsequently the win at the end of the 25 lap finale. Afterwards, a jubilant Smith celebrated by spinning donuts in the first turn after winning for the second year in a row at Nevada, and his 9th points paying feature victory with the MWRA. While Dakota Earls would advance from 11th to 7th to win the MWRA Hard Charger Award.
The Midwest Wingless Sprints will next be in action Friday night, August 18th at Lakeside Speedway for the WELD MEMORIAL. Photos by John Lee High Fly’N Photos and Ken Simon
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- administrator on Jul 30, 2023
- Article Date: 7/30/2023 by Ray Cunningham