WHEATLAND, Mo. — For the third time in his career, Tony Jackson Jr. raced to the win in the finale of the 10th Annual Ron Jenkins Memorial at the Lucas Oil Speedway, cashing in on a special $12,000 pay day and his 16th career MLRA win in the process.
A strong field of 29 Lucas Oil MLRA late models checked in for the annual battle honoring Jenkins, the builder of the original Wheatland Raceway. After an incident relegated him to a last place finish the night before, Dillon McCowan got off to a fast start by grabbing the nights MyRacePass Fast Time Award, and followed it up with a victory in his heat race. The heat win would position him on the outside front row of the 40 lapper with point leader Chad Simpson on the pole.
Drama would hit the track before the nights initial green flag, when during pace laps Friday night winner and third starting Chris Simpson exited the speedway with what appeared to be a puff of smoke coming from under the hood of the No.32 machine.
Simpson would be pushed to the hot pit area and was unable to take the green, relegating him to a 24th-place finish just one night after moving to within 15 of the series point lead.
Chad Simpson moved to the race lead on the opening lap, but it was short lived as McCowan charged to the top spot entering the third turn on lap three. McCowan used lapped traffic and a long green flag run to build up a cushion, until the nights first yellow waved at the half-way point. After another quickie caution on lap 20, McCowan took the field back to the green with Simpson and Jackson in tow.
In the closing laps it appeared McCown was headed for the biggest win of his young career, until the caution waved for the final time on lap 32 as Scott Crigler came to a stop at the top of turn one with a flat left rear tire. The final eight circuits would become a three car battle, this time with Gordy Gundaker occupying the second spot ahead of Jackson. Gundaker was able to navigate the bottom side and applied pressure to McCowan.
This battle for the lead quickly opened up the top line for Jackson, as he charged to the outside of the unsuspecting lead duo and race by them for the race lead with just a pair of laps remaining. Jackson would go on to take the win by 1.043 seconds over McCowan, while Gundaker recorded his second podium finish of the season. Chad Simpson would come home in fourth while Jon Kirby capped off the top five. Simpson was able to increase his point lead to 110 points, with a three car tie for the second position behind him between Chris Simpson, McCowan and Jackson Jr.
A rejuvenated and excited Jackson celebrated his 16th career MLRA win by thanking his team for getting him back into victory lane. “We were absolutely terrible when we unloaded yesterday, we qualified dead last. I wore Vinny’s phone out today, he is the man. I want to thank my wife and my little girl, Rob, Casey, Jayko, the Willard’s—what a race track,” he exclaimed.
It looked like late in the going Jackson would have to settle for third, but the veteran was observant and new what he had to do go give himself a shot at the win.
“I was too tight to roll around the bottom,” Jackson said. “I could get my momentum going and thought I was actually good and then that yellow come out and I wasn’t sure if I could get going or if there was enough laps. I seen Dillon’s stick guy telling him to get down to block Gordy and that was all I needed.”
“They are great,” he commented of Mary Jenkins Holt who contributed the extra money in honor of Ron Jenkins. “$10,000 is a great pay day,right. And they add an extra $2,000 so we can’t thank them enough. They are great people and a great family obviously, and we are just blessed to win it.”
The night ended in heartbreak for McCowan, who was trying to erase a miserable outing and torn up race car from Friday night. “I’m kind of at a loss for words,” explained McCowan. “It was a great race, and it’s not how we wanted to end it. I sure appreciate Scott Crigler stopping up there and then pulling straight off to draw the caution. Thats just the way it happens.”
“I’m excited to be standing on the front stretch after the runs we’ve had and after getting taken out last night. I can’t thank my guys enough for working as hard as they do and everything, just hopefully next time we are one spot further ahead,” he concluded.
For Gundaker it was another solid podium run, as he tries to chase down his first career series win. “I think there on that last restart I was probably the better car of the three of us. I could run around the bottom better than those guys could, and I imagine his stick guy probably moved him (McCowan) down, so hopefully we get rid of stick guys so we can put it in the driver’s hands. It’s all good.”
“You know me and Tony had a hell of a race there for a while running for second. It feels good to get on the podium after we struggled last night, so I’m excited to get this St. Louis Screw and Bolt Longhorn Chassis up front.”
Veteran Jesse Stovall led wire-to-wire to beat Lucas Gibbs for the Arctic Food Equipment USRA Modified win.
Bobby Williams made it back-to-back wins in the Clear Creek Golf Cars USRA B-Mods, holding off Mitchell Franklin for the victory.
Andy Wiles rolled to victory in the Show-Me Vintage Racing Series feature, coming from deep in the pack.
Feature Finish (40 Laps)
1. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[4]; 2. 8-Dillon McCowan[2]; 3. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[7]; 4. 25-Chad Simpson[1]; 5. 11JK-Jon Kirby[6]; 6. 93-Mason Oberkramer[18]; 7. 3W-Brennon Willard[13]; 8. 33F-Rickey Frankel[5]; 9. 11-Jeff Herzog[10]; 10. 128-Kylan Garner[21]; 11. 78S-Steve Stultz[14]; 12. 14W-Dustin Walker[22]; 13. 7D-Dusty Leonard[9]; 14. (DNF) 11T-Trevor Gundaker[20]; 15. (DNF) 12C-Scott Crigler[17]; 16. (DNF) 15L-Payton Looney[19]; 17. (DNF) 22H-Dustin Hodges[11]; 18. (DNF) 7J-Ryan Johnson[8]; 19. (DNF) 21M-Billy Moyer Sr[15]; 20. (DNF) 7W-Cole Wells[12]; 21. (DNF) 1XM-Aaron Marrant[16]; 22. (DNF) 19L-Thomas Langley[23]; 23. (DNF) 11SJ-Steve Johnson[24]; 24. (DNF) 32-Chris Simpson[3]