Wood Holds on to Claim First Hutch Nationals Sprint Car Victory!

[rebelracewriter]

Wood Holds on to Claim First Hutch Nationals Sprint Car Victory!

Hutchinson, Kansas – July 15-16, 2016 - Danny Wood took advantage of Danny Jennings misfortune, then held off a strong turn four challenge to claim his first career Hutchinson Grand Nationals championship as the National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products sprint car division wrapped up two days at the famed Kansas State Fairgrounds during the 60th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Hutchinson Grand Nationals Presented by Midwest Superstore Ford / Toyota of Hutchinson Friday and Saturday night.

It was an all-Norman, Oklahoma front row as Wood and Jennings led the eighteen car field to green with Jennings taking the lead from his outside front row starting position. Don Droud, Jr., C.J. Johnson and Jon Freeman were the top five after lap one with Jennings quickly opening a ten car length lead.

Jennings set a torrid pace atop the famed half-mile oval and began approaching slower traffic on lap five. That didn’t seem to slow the former two-time Hutchinson Grand Nationals winner as he maintained a seemingly comfortable ten car length lead on lap ten.

Near the races midway point, the leader began to slow and Wood was in striking distance and would take the lead in between turns one and two on lap twelve. The first and only caution would wave for Jennings as, for the second night in a row, his motor would expire.

On the final restart, the top five were Wood, Johnson, Droud, Jr. and eighth starting Jeremy Campbell as Wood stretched out to a half stretch lead with ten laps to go.

With four laps to go the leaders again approached slower traffic which allowed Johnson to cut the deficit to twelve car lengths. On the white flag lap Wood looked to have things under control heading down the backstretch but Johnson got a great run coming out of turn two and was full throttle down low entering turns three and four. It was a drag race to the checkered flag but it was a car length too short for Johnson as Wood would claim his first Hutch Nationals championship.

Six-time and defending tour champion Johnson settled for second while Droud, Jr. came home third. Campbell finished a strong fourth while former Hutch Nationals champion Jon Freeman rounding out the top five for the second night in a row.

Jeff Stasa came home a solid sixth for the second night in a row with J.D. Johnson, Marcus Dumsney, Heath Meyers and Ray Seeman rounding out the top five.

Friday night saw the NCRA sprinters compete in three qualifiers and they were won by Wood, Freeman and Jennings. The top six in the night’s “A Dash Qualifier” would make up the first three rows of Saturday night’s championship feature with the top six being Wood, Jennings, C.J. Johnson, Droud, Jr., Freeman and Stasa.

On Saturday night an eight lap “B” feature was run with the finishing order rounding out the balance of that night’s championship feature finale and that was won by Seeman.

Next up for the “winged warriors” of the NCRA sprint car division will be on Saturday and Sunday night, September 3-4, in a special two-day Labor Day weekend event at 81 Speedway in Park City. Complete format and purse will be announced later this week.

NCRA Sprint Cars

Kansas State Fairgrounds/Hutchinson, Kansas

July 15-16, 2016

18 Cars

Friday Night:

1st Qualifier: 1) Danny Wood, Jr., 2) T.J. Artz, 3) C.J. Johnson, 4) Ray Seeman, 5) Jake Greider, 6) Marcus Dumsney,
7) J.R. Topper

2nd Qualifier: 1) Jon Freeman, 2) Don Droud, Jr., 3) Jeremy Campbell, 4) Jack Dover, 5) Ryan Roberts, 6) Randy Woodside

3rd Qualifier: 1) Danny Jennings, 2) Josh Fairbank, 3) Jeff Stasa, 4) John Carney II, 5) J.D. Johnson, 6) Heath Meyer

A Dash Qualifier: 1) Danny Wood, 2) Danny Jennings, 3) C.J. Johnson, 4) Don Droud, Jr., 5) Jon Freeman, 6) Jeff Stasa, 7) Jeremy Campbell, 8) Ray Seeman, 9) Jack Dover, 10) John Carney II, 11) Jake Greider, 12) Marcus Dumsney, 13) Ryan Roberts, 14) Heath Meyer, 15) Josh Fairbank, 16) J.D. Johnson, 17) J.R. Topper, 18) Randy Woodside

Saturday Night:

B Feature (8 Laps): 1) Ray Seeman , 2) Jeremy Campbell, 3) Jack Dover, 4) Marcus Dumsney, 5) J.D. Johnson, 6) Heath Meyer, 7) Ryan Roberts, 8) Jake Greider, 9) Randy Woodside, 10) T.J. Artz, 11) Josh Fairbank, 12) Shane Sundquist, 13) J.R. Topper

A Feature (25 Laps): 1) (1) Danny Wood, 2) (3) C.J. Johnson, 3) (4) Don Droud, Jr., 4) (8) Jeremy Campell, 5) (5) Jon Freeman, 6) (6) Jeff Stasa, 7) (11) J.D. Johnson, 8) (10) Marcus Dumsney, 9) (12) Heath Meyer, 10) (7) Ray Seeman, 11) (13) Ryan Roberts, 12) (14) Jake Greider, 13) (17) Josh Fairbank, 14) (2) Danny Jennings, 15) (9) Jack Dover, 16) (16) T.J. Artz, 17) (18) Shawn Sundquist, 18) (19) J.R. Topper, 19) (15) Randy Woodside