GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. (Sept. 24, 2022) – Dillon Raffurty’s 30th win of the 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season will be the one he’ll treasure most.
Raffurty put the wraps on the IMCA STARS Mod Lite campaign with the $2,064 checkers at Valley Speedway’s inaugural David Raffurty Memorial, held in honor of Raffurty’s late father and fellow driver, who died in January.
“This is the one I wanted to win most of all,” he said. “All kinds of friends and family were there and it was a great show. Winning Super Nationals and the race of champions again was amazing but this win was closer to home.”
The checkers were his 16th straight since July 9 and 17th in as many Grain Valley starts this season.
After his uncle Rick piloted his father’s racer as the pace car, Raffurty started the 20-lapper from seventh.
Following multiple cautions in the early going, he was in the lead by lap five and then had his hands full with challenger Brandon Freeburg, running side-by-side with the Illinois challenger after midway.
They’d swap sliders on the final circuit with Raffurty gaining the upper hand on the last go-around and winning by just less than three tenths of a second. Kansan Justin Kinderknecht completed the top three and the Yoshimura bonus recipients.
Feature results – 1. Dillon Raffurty; 2. Brandon Freeburg; 3. Justin Kinderknecht; 4. Michael Raffurty; 5. Justin Raffurty; 6. Tyler Furrell; 7. Donnie Danner; 8. Garrett Stonum; 9. Dustin Ford; 10. Nathan Wolfe; 11. Cody Vail; 12. Dalton Bell; 13. James Beebe; 14. Mike Kennedy; 15. Jeff Raffurty; 16. Taylor Pollock; 17. Doug Pollock; 18. Joe Gunn; 19. Ed Griggs; 20. Derek Foster; 21. Josh Guy; 22. Joel Huggins.
Recipients of Yoshimura bonuses at Grain Valley Speedway’s David Raffurty Memorial were, from left, Justin Kinderknecht, third and $100; winner Dillon Raffurty, $250; and runner-up Brandon Freeburg, $150. (Photo by Ryan Black, DTO Photography)
