KENNEDALE, Texas (Feb. 25-26) – The pace for the first half of Saturday’s IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car feature at Kennedale Speedway Park was to Kyle Jones’ liking, as he worked his way toward the front of the Spring Kick-Off field.
Once he got in the lead, however, the laps didn’t seem to click off nearly as quickly.
Jones worked his way up from eighth starting, passed John Ricketts for the point midway through the 20-lapper and held off a who’s who of IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car racing for the $1,000 payday.
“That race could not have gone by quick enough once I got the lead,” said Jones, the winner ahead of Marcus Thomas, Ricketts, George White and Chad Wilson. “We ran the last eight laps green and to me it seemed like they took forever.”
Jones was third after starting eighth in his heat, then ran the extreme high line in catching up with defending Spring Kick-Off winner Ricketts in the main event.
“After drawing 87 out of 100, I thought I’d be lucky to come out of there without a scratch on the car,” he said. “Coming out with the win was awesome.”
Spring Kick-Off IMCA Modified winners were Matt Guillaume and Dean Abbey. Jon White Jr. and Jake Upchurch were first in Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMod mains and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers flew for Kirk Martin and Damon Hammond.
One hundred and twenty-plus IMCA race teams were on hand for the 2017 lidlifter at KSP.
Feb. 25 Feature Results
Sprint Cars – 1. Kyle Jones; 2. Marcus Thomas; 3. John Ricketts; 4. George White; 5. Chad Wilson; 6. Brandon Long; 7. D.J. Estes; 8. Michelle Melton; 9. Logan Scherb; 10. Jeb Sessums; 11. Justin Melton; 12. Chipper Wood; 13. Logan Payne; 14. Colby Estes; 15. Josh Toho; 16. Nicholas Littlejohn; 17. Chase Parson; 18. Shane Gloeckler; 19. Bryan Debrick; 20. Andy Shouse; 21. Gary Floyd; 22. Johnny Brown; 23. Britney Bryant.
Modifieds – 1. Matt Guillaume; 2. Matt Martin; 3. Doug Easterling; 4. Jay Bransom; 5. Dean Abbey; 6. Robbie Daniels; 7. Chad Melton; 8. William Gould; 9. Fred Wojtek; 10. Josh McGaha; 11. Tommy Williams Jr.; 12. Chris Bragg; 13. Dillon Pike; 14. P.J. Egbert; 15. Jeff Hoegh; 16. Darryl Campbell; 17. Jimmy Littlejohn; 18. Mark Patterson; 19. John Gober; 20. Kevin Rutherford.
Southern SportMods – 1. Jon White Jr.; 2. Jacob Pirkle; 3. James McCreery; 4. Jake Upchurch; 5. Cory Williams; 6. Justin Long; 7. John Freeman; 8. Justin Nabors; 9. Terry Owen; 10. Allen Montgomery; 11. James Hanusch; 12. Rob Bland; 13. Wesley McNorton; 14. Danny Cavanagh; 15. John Rabozzi; 16. James Skinner; 17. Jeremy Carter; 18. Jeffrey Abbey; 19. Matt Doescher; 20. Jared Baird.
Stock Cars – 1. Kirk Martin; 2. Brandon Taylor; 3. Westin Abbey; 4. G.W. Egbert; 5. Dennis Bissonnette; 6. Angel Munoz; 7. Duain Pritchett; 8. Randy Killen; 9. Buryl Norris; 10. Jerrett Bransom; 11. April Phillips; 12. Ranger Shipman; 13. Wade White; 14. Justin Bruce; 15. Tyler Muirhead; 16. Billy Wade; 17. Lewis Blackwood; 18. Jay Bransom; 19. Ryan Powers; 20. Damon Hammond.
Feb. 26 Feature Results
Modifieds – 1. Dean Abbey; 2. McGaha; 3. Gould; 4. Martin; 5. Jay Bransom; 6. Guillaume; 7. Daniels; 8. Jimmy Littlejohn; 9. Melton; 10. Robert Scrivner; 11. Hoegh; 12. Mitch McMillin; 13. Patterson; 14. Cody Shoemaker; 15. Campbell; 16. Shawn Sandegren; 17. Branden Harris; 18. Williams; 19. Brandon McElroy; 20. Treven Geter.
Southern SportMods – 1. Upchurch; 2. Jeffrey Abbey; 3. Skinner; 4. Greg Frazer; 5. Montgomery; 6. Justin Nabors; 7. Hanusch; 8. Freeman; 9. Tyler Cook; 10. Karl Rupp; 11. Ronnie Allison; 12. Cavanagh; 13. Nicole Torres; 14. Todd West; 15. Walter Hamilton; 16. White; 17. Williams; 18. Pirkle; 19. Nick Clinkenbeard.
Stock Cars – 1. Hammond; 2. Jay Bransom; 3. Muirhead; 4. Martin; 5. Westin Abbey; 6. Greg Gutt; 7. Bruce; 8. Blackwood; 9. Shipman; 10. Jerrett Bransom; 11. Mart Wampler; 12. Dustin Matlock; 13. Rhea Toney; 14. April Phillips; 15. Gary Williams; 16. Gary Nabors; 17. Pritchett; 18. Powers; 19. J.C. Howell; 20. Killen; 21. Tommy Phillips; 22. Doug Kennemer; 23. Ronnie Christopher; 24. Norris.