LSS - TexasHighDef video of the huge SportMod crash at Thunderhill Raceway, 9/25/2010

September 27, 2010

Duke O’Connor caught the huge 1st-lap SportMod crash at Thunderhill Raceway this past Saturday during the “Texas Stock Car Spectacular.”

Amazing stuff, Duke!

Texan Keith White National IMCA Southern SportMod Champion; Texan Steven Abbey National IMCA SportMod Rookie of the Year

December 5, 2009

Keith White of Little River Academy, Texas, paced national point standings for the Southwest Racing Specialties Southern SportMods for the fourth time in five seasons. A 20-time feature winner, White was also track champion at Heart O’ Texas Speedway and topped Smiley’s Racing Products Texas State points and also enjoyed considerable success in an IMCA Modified.

While racing to his career fourth Southwest Racing Specialties Southern SportMod national title, Keith White did double duty in winning the ButlerBuilt South Central Region IMCA Modified championship. His Modified accomplishments also included 25 feature victories, track crowns at Heart O’ Texas Speedway and Kennedale Speedway Park, and the Smiley’s Racing Products Texas State prize.

Keith White is pictured with Brett Root, vice president of operations for IMCA at left and Bill Smith of Speedway Motors at right during the national awards banquet (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)

Keith White is pictured with Brett Root, vice president of operations for IMCA at left and Bill Smith of Speedway Motors at right during the national awards banquet (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)

Steven Abbey of Comanche, Texas, won national rookie of the year honors in the Southwest Racing Specialties Southern SportMod division, along with the Kennedale Speedway Park track title.

Steven Abbey is pictured with IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root during the IMCA national awards banquet (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)

Steven Abbey is pictured with IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root during the IMCA national awards banquet (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)

Three other Texans won awards as well.

Joe Williams of Waco, Texas, earned the rookie of the year award in the Stephenville Starter Southern Region for IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks.

Presenting Joe's award are IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root at left and Division Director Kirk Niehouse (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)

Presenting Joe's award are IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root at left and Division Director Kirk Niehouse (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)

Charles Cosper scored a second straight IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock Stephenville Starter Southern Region title, along with 281 Speeedway and Heart O’ Texas Speedway track crowns and the Smiley’s Racing Products Texas state crown.

Presenting Charles' award are IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root at left and Division Director Kirk Niehouse at right (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motor sports Photography)

Presenting Charles' award are IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root at left and Division Director Kirk Niehouse at right (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motor sports Photography)

John McNeil of Denton, Texas, reigned as IMCA’s national Crate Model champion. McNeil also won the Kennedale Speedway Park and Smiley’s Racing Products Texas State titles.

McNeil is pictured with IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root at left and Bill Smith of Speedway Motors at right (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)

McNeil is pictured with IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root at left and Bill Smith of Speedway Motors at right (Photo by Bruce Badgley, Motorsports Photography)

By Bill Martin

Keith White wraps up “Ice Breaker” weekend at Abilene Speedway with third win

February 23, 2009

The final night of Abilene Speedway’s Ice Breaker special saw Keith White collect his third win of the weekend, while Vince Ogle won for the second time and Billy Wade and Jeff Kinnaird both collected their first checkers.

Keith White won Feb. 21 and 22 Southern SportMod features during the Ice Breaker special at Abilene Speedway

Keith White won Feb. 21 and 22 Southern SportMod features during the Ice Breaker special at Abilene Speedway


The opening night IMCA Modified winner, White had his work cut out in duplicating Saturday’s Southern SportMod triumph as he had to chase down early leader and defending track champion Josh McGaha.

White stayed glued to McGaha’s bumper throughout several restarts, then in a bold move on a tricky track, jumped to the high side taking the lead on lap 12. From there White put it on cruise control as he inched away from McGaha on his way to the checkers.

Ogle, the Saturday IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner, topped Sunday’s Modified final.

A two-time track champion at Abilene in the division, Ogle led from start to finish after passing pole starter Chris Elliott on the opening circuit. The front pair pulled away from the rest of the field, with Ogle stretching his advantage over the last two circuits.

Wade got around early Stock Car leader Tony Ritterbush after a restart, held off Ritterbush after another caution and built his lead on the way to the finish.

Eric Jones took one last shot at Wade and Ritterbush on the final lap but came up short and settled for third.

After following Allen Montgomery across the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock stripe both Friday and Saturday, Kinnaird took it upon himself to spoil Montgomery’s bid for the weekend sweep.

Kinnaird used track position to get out front early and build a good lead, while Montgomery was forced to make his way through the front of the pack. Montgomery used lapped traffic to close in at one point, but Kinnaird again ran away once clear and grabbed the win.

Feature Results
Modifieds – 1. Vince Ogle, Lubbock; 2. Chris Elliott, Eastland; 3. Richard McDaniel, Edgewood; 4. Chris Dawson, Post; 5. Monte Bolton, Lubbock; 6. Tommy Fain, Abilene; 7. Chad Maurer, Eaton Rapids, Mich.; 8. Keith White, Academy; 9. Jason Schoenberger, Gorham, Kan.; 10. Jeff Emerson, Sherman; 11. Fred Wojtek, Robert Lee; 12. Bob Sikes, Eunice, N.M.; 13. Charles Brewer, Abilene; 14. Gabe Tucker, Carbon; 15. Kelly Allen, Lubbock; 16. Joe Colyer, Abilene; 17. Neal Debord, Amarillo; 18. Levi Ely, Abilene; 19. Mark Patterson, Abilene; 20. Kenneth Graves, Tahoka.

Southern SportMods – 1. Keith White, Academy; 2. Josh McGaha, Brownwood; 3. Bill Pittaway, Corpus Christi; 4. David Riley, Wolforth; 5. Brandon Stewart, Academy; 6. Ronnie Welborn, Princeton; 7. Matt Mueller, Stamford; 8. Mark Patterson, Abilene; 9. Jeff Whitehead, Slaton; 10. Gabe Tucker, Abilene; 11. Tyler Fain, Tuscola; 12. Shane Wojtek, Robert Lee; 13. James Myers, Corpus Christi; 14. Jonathon Campbell, Abilene; 15. Justin Shaw, Sweetwater; 16. Danny Hogue, Abilene; 17. Dean Abbey, Comanche; 18. Bradley Poor, Abilene; 19. Chris Meyers, Eunice, N.M.; 20. Scotty Wallace, Lorenzo.

Stock Cars – 1. Billy Wade, San Angelo; 2. Tony Ritterbush, Dunlap, Iowa; 3. Eric Jones, Killeen; 4. Terry Wojtek, Sterling City; 5. Willie Free, Snyder; 6. Mike Van Genderen, Newton, Iowa; 7. Mart Wampler, Snyder; 8. Kevin Opheim, Mason City, Iowa; 9. Matt Guillaume, Tomball; 10. Jeremy Gettler, Adair, Iowa; 11. Wayne Stremmel, Stamford; 12. Cory Davis, Eunice, N.M.; 13. Bill Brzezinski Sr., Roby; 14. Dustin Locke, Eunice, N.M.; 15. Duain Pritchett, Combine; 16. Vince Ogle, Lubbock; 17. Jason Batt, Killeen; 18. John Armstrong, Merkel.

Hobby Stocks – 1. Jeff Kinnaird, Mansfield; 2. Allen Montgomery, Fort Worth; 3. Charles Cosper, Belton; 4. Matt Drottz, Ankeny, Iowa; 5. Tobie Talk, Abilene; 6. Nyle Godwin, Redfield, Iowa; 7. Tommy Phillips, Abilene; 8. Billy Taylor, Gatesville; 9. Will Poston, Midland; 10. Dustin Mims, Dublin; 11. Jaron Shahan, China Springs; 12. Robert Barnett, Sweetwater; 13. Terry Comer II, Hawley; 14. Melvin Burrows, Gatesville; 15. Dale Roys, Merkel; 16. Edward Johnson, Odessa; 17. Cody Brosh, Robert Lee; 18. Rodney Sparks, Abilene; 19. Adam Reeves, Sweetwater; 20. Evan Davis, Mineral Wells.

By J M Hallas

White, Fox, Van Genderen, Montgomery top first night features at Abilene’s Ice Breaker

February 21, 2009

Keith White bounced back from a last-place showing in one IMCA feature with a first-place finish in another on Friday, opening night of the Ice Breaker special at Abilene Speedway.

Sidelined by a flat tire in the Southern SportMod main, White led the distance in winning the Modified feature, holding Robbie Edwards at bay late in the contest for the $500 victory.

Other winners during the first sanctioned program of the new season in Texas were Gary Fox in the SportMods, Iowa traveler Mike Van Genderen in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Allen Montgomery in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks.

White and Jeff Emerson drew front row starts for the Modified feature. White was in front by the second set of turns and Edwards slipped past Emerson on lap two.

Emerson, Monte Bolton, Chris Bragg and Danny Hogue jockeyed behind the front pair. Coming to midway point, Edwards was all over White for the lead with Emerson, Bolton and Bragg looking for their own opportunities.

Edwards got his nose outside White on a lap 12 restart, but White closed the door on the front stretch. Bolton tried Edwards for second on lap 14 but fell back in line. Bolton got alongside Edwards before the final caution came the next time around.

After several tries to get around White up top, Edwards gave it one more shot on lap 18, this time trying the low side. Once again, the White was up to the challenge, holding the front spot and going on to the win.

Fox started on the pole but fell back during the early stages of the SportMod 20-lapper. Coming on in the second half of the race, Fox got by Bobby Sikes Jr. for the lead and then inched away to take the checkers.

Sikes, Fox and Matt Mueller dueled early before Mueller lost ground and made contact with White on lap seven. That incident wound up sending the three-time national champion to the pits with a flat; Mueller came to a stop two laps later with a flat of his own and brought out the caution.

Fox made his move on lap 12 to get around Sikes, who tried to fight back on the low groove. The yellow waved on lap 15 when 2007 national king Jeff Turner pulled to a stop. Fox got away clean on the restart and inched away from Sikes over the final five laps.

Van Genderen added his name to the Stock Car record books after surviving a multi-car tussle, then battling past Turner for the lead in the final laps for the win.

The scrap came just before the halfway point and allowed Van Genderen to take over second.

Van Genderen got his bumper out front on lap 16, but Turner didn’t give up easily. With two laps to go, Van Genderen finally secured the position and eked away.

Montgomery got the lead from Todd Reitzler on lap six and eased away for the Hobby Stock win.

With Reitzler and Jeff Kinniard battling behind him, Montgomery opened up a lead and put lapped traffic in the middle. Kinniard got past Reitzler for second well behind Montgomery on the final circuit.

More than 160 drivers from seven states competed in the opening Ice Breaker program.

Pit gates open at 3 p.m. on Saturday for the second of three weekend shows at Abilene. Hot laps are at 5 p.m. and racing is at 7 p.m.

SportMods race for $750 to win in their first regional event of 2009. First place in the Modified main pays $500, Stocks chase a top prize of $300 and Hobbies run for $250 to win.

All four sanctioned divisions run again Sunday.

Feature Results

Modifieds – 1. Keith White, Academy; 2. Robbie Edwards, Eastland; 3. Monte Bolton, Lubbock; 4. Chris Bragg, Springtown; 5. Jeff Emerson, Sherman; 6. Tommy Fain, Abilene; 7. Steve Hayes, Eastland; 8. Danny Hogue, Abilene; 9. Bob Sikes, Eunice, N.M.; 10. Jason Schoenberger, Gorham, Kan.; 11. David Davis, Sweetwater; 12. Gabe Tucker, Carbon; 13. Dean Deming, Hobbs, N.M.; 14. Levi Ely, Abilene; 15. Chris Elliott, Eastland; 16. Brian Flowers, Hobbs, N.M.; 17. Chris Dawson, Post; 18. Darin Leonard, Corpus Christi; 19. Dillon Smith, China Grove; 20. Josh McGaha, Brownwood.

Southern SportMods — 1. Gary Fox, Haslet; 2. Bobby Sikes Jr., Eunice, N.M.; 3. Bradley Poor, Abilene; 4. Scotty Wallace, Lorenzo; 5. Chris Meyers, Eunice, N.M.; 6. Josh McGaha, Brownwood; 7. James Myers, Corpus Christi; 8. Danny Hogue, Abilene; 9. Dean Abbey, Comanche; 10. Justin Shaw, Sweetwater; 11. Steven Abbey, Comanche; 12. Randy Buttery, Duncanville; 13. Ted Thomas, Post; 14. Gabe Tucker, Carbon; 15. Doug Easterling, Rule; 16. Jeff Turner, Kaufman; 17. Todd Bartlett, Abilene; 18. Matt Mueller, Stamford; 19. Tommy Fain, Abilene; 20. Keith White, Academy.

Stock Cars – 1. Mike Van Genderen, Newton, Iowa; 2. Jeff Turner, Kaufman; 3. Billy Wade, San Angelo; 4. Terry Wojtek, Sterling City; 5. Dustin Locke, Eunice, N.M.; 6. Duain Pritchett, Combine; 7. Tony Ritterbush, Dunlap, Iowa; 8. Matt Guillaume, Tomball; 9. J.J. Heinz, Green Bay, Wis.; 10. Jason Batt, Killeen; 11. Matt Wampler, Snyder; 12. John Armstrong, Merkel; 13. Bill Brzezinski Sr., Roby; 14. Russell Jordan, Abilene; 15. Wayne Stremmell, Stamford; 16. Kirk Martin, Aledo; 17. Jeremy Gettler, Adair, Iowa; 18. Cody Rhodes, Tye; 19. Kevin Opheim, Mason City, Iowa; 20. Cory Davis, Eunice, N.M.; 21 Willie Free, Snyder; 22. Eric Jones, Killeen; 23. Doug Kennemer, Boyd; 24. Walter Freeman, Hobbs, N.M.

Hobby Stocks – 1. Allen Montgomery, Fort Worth; 2. Jeff Kinniard, Mansfield; 3. Todd Reitzler, Grinnell, Iowa; 4. Justin Fowler, Granbury; 5. Charles Cosper, Belton; 6. Nyle Godwin, Redfield, Iowa; 7. Sam Hodges, Eunice, N.M.; 8. David Bissonette, Stephenville; 9. Andy Roller, Bellmead; 10 Tobie Talk, Abilene; 11. Tommy Phillips, Abilene; 12. Billy Taylor, Gatesville; 13. Bud Ohlinger, Abilene; 14. Dustin Mims, Dublin; 15. Matt Drottz, Ankeny, Iowa; 16. Rodney Sparks, Abilene; 17. Colby Deming, Hobbs, N.M.; 18. Bryan Sewell, Seagoville; 19. Robert Barnett, Sweetwater; 20. Evan Davis, Mineral Wells.

By J M Hallas