Green makes good on pre-race promise to make a show of it at Jack Bagby Memorial

Feature

Kevin Green raced from ninth starting to win the Jack Bagby Memorial feature for IMCA Modifieds at Heart O’ Texas Speedway. The $1,000 checkers put the hometown speedster on the ballot for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. (Photo by Stacy Kolar, Southern Sass Photography)

WACO, Texas (March 5) ­­– Recognizing the tall task he faced, Kevin Green promised to make a show of it before lining up ninth on the IMCA Modified grid at Heart O’ Texas Speedway’s season-opening Jack Bagby Memorial.

Then he made good on that promise, earning $1,000 and a spot of the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot along with the Friday night checkers.

“We ran around the bottom a couple laps, then moved to the top and started passing some cars,” Green said. “We had drawn good for the heat, then went out and drew ninth for the feature. I figured I had to make a show of it and wound up doing pretty good.” 

Running third when the caution flew just after midway, he passed Eric Tomlinson on the restart and then caught David Goode Jr. for the lead, pulling away in the final circuits.

“This is a race we’ve always wanted to win, and it’s always good to get the win your first night out,” said Green.

The three-time, and two-time defending track champion at HO’T matched his win total from all of 2020 with the opening night victory as well. Tomlinson, who’d started 10th, and Goode completed the top three. 

Tenth starting Brandon Geurin was the Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod winner and Dean Abbey had just enough left at the end to hold off brother Jeffrey in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main.

Geurin also went to the top early and found himself in front by the seventh circuit.

Brandon Geurin raced from 10th to first in winning the season opener for Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods at Heart O’ Texas Speedway. (Photo by Stacy Kolar, Southern Sass Photography)

“I battled side-by-side with G.W. Egbert for several laps,” said Geurin, who gained a measure of redemption after getting caught for the lead by Casey Brunson on the final lap of Waco’s Fall Classic late last year. “It was great, clean racing. We put on a pretty good show and it turned out pretty good for us.” 

Kyle Wilkins was second, Egbert third. 

Abbey led from lap two to the finish in the Stock Car feature despite getting impatient and hitting an infield tractor tire at midway.

Jeffrey Abbey was a couple corners from catching up in his drive from 11th starting while Benji Kirkpatrick motored from 12th to round out the top three.

Dean Abbey scored the opening night IMCA Sunoco Stock Car victory at Heart O’ Texas Speedway. (Photo by Stacy Kolar, Southern Sass Photography)

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