Ricky Lewis prevails at Valley Speedway
GRAIN VALLEY, MO. — Championship night at Valley Speedway for the USAC MWRA Sprint Cars proved to be one of the best races of the 2024 campaign as (Camarillo, Californias) Ricky Lewis would take the win, and (Topeka, Kansas) wheelman Wyatt Burks the 2024 Wholesale Batteries USAC MWRA Championship, and the 10,000 dollar first place prize from Wholesale Batteries.
27 cars checked in at Valley Speedway for the 7th Annual John E. Helm Memorial to honor the Colonel, while also racing on championship night for the MWRA after six months of competition that started back on April 6th at the Grain Valley speed plant.
For the 13th and final feature of 2024, 23 cars would make the call for the 25 lapper. “The Sheriff” Burks would jump out to the early lead after securing his record breaking fourth MWRA title following qualifying for the feature through heat race action. After one lap was completed, Zach Clark of (Raymore, Mo) flipped bringing out the red flag with Burks in tbe lead over Cody Baker (Lone Jack, Mo) and Lewis. Clark was okay, but his machine was not, as his number 26 went off on the hook.
On the single file restart Burks would once again lead, as Baker wpuld attempt to hold off Lewis for second place. The Californian however had other plans aa he motored by first Baker, and then Burks on the outside to grab a lead he would never relinquish.
At this point for the next several laps the top five would set a torrid pace led by Lewis into heavy lapped traffic, sometimes racing three and four wide. Burks would valiantly try to stay as close as possible to Lewis, while (Nixa, Mo’s) Wesley Smith would charge from 7th to 3rd, (Bonham, Tex) young gun Kobe Simpson held down 4th, and Baker would go off the rim between turns one and two, before coming back on the track to stay in the “fast five”. With only 3 laps remaining, Lewis would lose his lead after teammate Todd Pratt of (Las Vegas, Nevada) spun bringing out the first yellow of the feature.
On the restart Ricky was able to maintain the lead roaring to his first win in the MWRA in 2024, and second win all-time with the series after winning last years Helm Memorial as well. 2024 champ Burks would finish 2nd, Smith 3rd, reaching the podium for the fifth time in seven starts in the Helm Memorial since 2018, including a second place that season, and wins for three straight years in 2019, 2020, and 2021. With Simpson, and Baker, rounding out the top five.
Luke Howard of (Overland Park, Ks) advanced from 13th to 6th to win the Country Kids Day Care of Olathe Hard Charger award, while second place points finisher for 2024 Dakota Earls of (Independence, Mo) would run 7th. Taylor Walton, (Odessa, Mo) 8th, Tom Curran, (KCMO) 9th, and Junior Parkinson, (Wichita Falls, Tex) in 10th.
For the veteran Parkinson it was a night to remember as he also won his first heat ever with the MWRA, and then started on the pole following the redraw. Along with other heat winners, Baker, winning his 4th heat of the season and earning high point honors. Clark, his third heat victory of 2024, and Lewis.
Throughout the night several contingency prizes were awarded by John Helm, as well as C&C Motorsports. Among those were Chris Parkinson (draw 12), Ricky Lewis (furthest tow) Tyler Burton & Mark Lane (shortest tow), Wyatt Burks Racing (Sportsman), Luke Howard (Hard Charger), Junior Parkinson (Reverse Charger) Dakota Earls Racing (Best Appearing) Tom Curran (FT Feature), Todd Pratt (ST Feature), Justin Johnson (12th place),Zach Clark (Hard Luck) .
USAC Racing
Wholesale Batteries, Inc.
Lies Trash Service
Valley Speedway
Country Kids Day Care of Olathe
John Helm
High Fly'N Photos www.highfly-nphotos.com
Midwest Wingless Racing Association
Rod End Supply
Daytona 1
Contingency Connection
Pit Stop Catering
Creationsby Ravyn
Xtreme Color
RESULTS
A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 41-Ricky Lewis[3]; 2. 11W-Wyatt Burks[2]; 3. 12-Wesley Smith[7]; 4. 21K-Kobe Simpson[5]; 5. 9H-Cody Baker[4]; 6. 2-Luke Howard[13]; 7. 15E-Dakota Earls[9]; 8. 93W-Taylor Walton[10]; 9. 11X-Tom Curran[11]; 10. 93-Ralph Parkinson Jr[1]; 11. 604-Danny Billings[8]; 12. 27J-Justin Johnson[14]; 13. 7-Jake Richards[16]; 14. ST1-Lane Stone[19]; 15. 03-Tyler Burton[18]; 16. 1-Chris Desselle[15]; 17. 33L-Mark Lane[17]; 18. 17-Todd Pratt[23]; 19. 85A-Kyle Gorham[12]; 20. 44-Jared Mc carty[21]; 21. (DNF) 7X-Lance Silvers[20]; 22. (DNF) 66M-Max Grogan[22]; 23. (DNF) 26-Zachary Clark[6]; 24. (DNS) 46M-Dusty Murray; 25. (DNS) 65-Chris Parkinson; 26. (DNS) 33-Bryson Smith; 27. (DNS) 88-Chad Tye; 28. (DNS) 65W-Chad Winfrey
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 9H-Cody Baker[4]; 2. 21K-Kobe Simpson[5]; 3. 1-Chris Desselle[1]; 4. 85A-Kyle Gorham[6]; 5. (DNF) 44-Jared Mc carty[7]; 6. (DNS) 66M-Max Grogan; 7. (DNS) 17-Todd Pratt
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 93-Ralph Parkinson Jr[3]; 2. 15E-Dakota Earls[1]; 3. 93W-Taylor Walton[4]; 4. 2-Luke Howard[6]; 5. 03-Tyler Burton[5]; 6. (DNS) 88-Chad Tye
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 26-Zachary Clark[2]; 2. 11W-Wyatt Burks[3]; 3. 11X-Tom Curran[4]; 4. 27J-Justin Johnson[5]; 5. 7-Jake Richards[6]; 6. 7X-Lance Silvers[7]; 7. (DNF) 65-Chris Parkinson[1]
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 41-Ricky Lewis[2]; 2. 12-Wesley Smith[3]; 3. 604-Danny Billings[5]; 4. 33L-Mark Lane[1]; 5. ST1-Lane Stone[4]; 6. 46M-Dusty Murray[7]; 7. (DNF) 33-Bryson Smith[6]
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USRA B-MODS
A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 99-Brad Smith[3]; 2. 7J-Jake Richards[1]; 3. 81-Austin Charles[9]; 4. 12C-Stephen Clancy[6]; 5. 8-Terry Bruner[5]; 6. 75-Sebastian Wolfenbarger[10]; 7. 21-Mark Smith[2]; 8. 447-Kenny Prince[7]; 9. 36-Travis Alexander[8]; 10. 17-Dean Galvan[12]; 11. 15A-Allen Anders[11]; 12. 81J-Jeff Jackson II[13]; 13. 13M-Kraig Maple[15]; 14. 25-David Chapman[14]; 15. (DNF) 21J-Josh Everhart[4]; 16. (DNF) 75J-Jackson Simmons[16]; 17. (DNF) 36A-Brian Andrews[17]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 99-Brad Smith[1]; 2. 12C-Stephen Clancy[2]; 3. 36-Travis Alexander[4]; 4. 81-Austin Charles[6]; 5. 25-David Chapman[3]; 6. 13M-Kraig Maple[5]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 7J-Jake Richards[4]; 2. 447-Kenny Prince[2]; 3. 8-Terry Bruner[5]; 4. 15A-Allen Anders[3]; 5. 81J-Jeff Jackson II[6]; 6. 75J-Jackson Simmons[1]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 21J-Josh Everhart[1]; 2. 21-Mark Smith[4]; 3. 75-Sebastian Wolfenbarger[2]; 4. 17-Dean Galvan[3]; 5. (DNS) 36A-Brian Andrews
LIGHTNING SPRINTS
A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 7-Tyler Johnson[5]; 2. 25-Darin Woodward[2]; 3. 4-DALTON HEAVELOW[6]; 4. (DNF) 91-Mike Tindell[1]; 5. (DNF) 9-Tristen Smith[3]; 6. (DNF) 45-JP Falke[4]; 7. (DNS) 74-Jeff Bard
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 7-Tyler Johnson[6]; 2. 9-Tristen Smith[5]; 3. 25-Darin Woodward[4]; 4. (DNF) 45-JP Falke[1]; 5. (DNF) 4-DALTON HEAVELOW[7]; 6. (DNF) 74-Jeff Bard[2]; 7. (DNS) 91-Mike Tindell
VALLEY E MODS
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 9-Brian Meyer[5]; 2. 243-Brayden Abrams[7]; 3. 23-Austin Charles[3]; 4. 32X-Brad RIchardson[8]; 5. F16-Shawn Kerner[6]; 6. 4P-Jesse Hogg[9]; 7. 21-Vic Tranckino[1]; 8. 11-Emme Ryun[12]; 9. (DNF) 98-Dylon Smith[2]; 10. (DNF) 26-Devin Wetzel[4]; 11. (DNF) 3C-Colby Carreno[13]; 12. (DNF) 96SR-Cody Brill[14]; 13. (DNF) 41-Ashlyn Piburn[10]; 14. (DNS) 00-Jason Ensley; 15. (DNS) 18E-Blake Evinger
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 26-Devin Wetzel[1]; 2. 21-Vic Tranckino[6]; 3. 98-Dylon Smith[8]; 4. 32X-Brad RIchardson[3]; 5. 41-Ashlyn Piburn[5]; 6. 00-Jason Ensley[7]; 7. (DNF) 96SR-Cody Brill[2]; 8. (DNS) 18E-Blake Evinger
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 9-Brian Meyer[1]; 2. 23-Austin Charles[4]; 3. F16-Shawn Kerner[2]; 4. 4P-Jesse Hogg[3]; 5. 243-Brayden Abrams[7]; 6. 11-Emme Ryun[6]; 7. 3C-Colby Carreno[5]
IMCA MOD LITES
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 46-Dillon Raffurty[11]; 2. 4G-Cory Sonner[6]; 3. 47-Ed Griggs[8]; 4. 75-Justin Raffurty[9]; 5. 41-Michael Raffurty[10]; 6. 34-Tyler Furrell[7]; 7. 5G-Tracen Glick[5]; 8. 8N-William Nobles[1]; 9. 3-Nathan Wolfe[4]; 10. 4-Cliff Barber[12]; 11. 98-Jeff Raffurty[3]; 12. 3G-Joe Glick[14]; 13. 04-Zach Christopher[17]; 14. 14-Taylor Pollock[13]; 15. 4D-Doug Pollock[16]; 16. 84-Joe Gunn[15]; 17. (DNF) 53-Charlie Laizure[2]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 4G-Cory Sonner[4]; 2. 75-Justin Raffurty[5]; 3. 4-Cliff Barber[6]; 4. 3-Nathan Wolfe[3]; 5. 14-Taylor Pollock[1]; 6. 4D-Doug Pollock[2]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 34-Tyler Furrell[4]; 2. 41-Michael Raffurty[5]; 3. 98-Jeff Raffurty[2]; 4. 8N-William Nobles[1]; 5. 3G-Joe Glick[6]; 6. 04-Zach Christopher[3]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 46-Dillon Raffurty[5]; 2. 47-Ed Griggs[4]; 3. 5G-Tracen Glick[3]; 4. 53-Charlie Laizure[1]; 5. 84-Joe Gunn[2]
VALLEY PURE STOCKS
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 7-Spencer Reiff[3]; 2. 117-Levi Cox[2]; 3. F86-Blaine Nolker[4]; 4. 81-Donnie Devers[6]; 5. B5-George Bruning[7]; 6. 403-Darrin Christy[5]; 7. (DNF) 0-Chase Galvan[1]; 8. (DNS) B4-LUKE MCAFEE
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 0-Chase Galvan[6]; 2. 7-Spencer Reiff[1]; 3. F86-Blaine Nolker[3]; 4. 117-Levi Cox[8]; 5. 403-Darrin Christy[2]; 6. 81-Donnie Devers[5]; 7. B5-George Bruning[7]; 8. B4-LUKE MCAFEE[4]
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