COOL AS A CUCUMBER: HOWARD WINS AT BETHANY

By: Ray Cunningham

Bethany, Missouri (September 6, 2023)………The driver nicknamed “Cool Hand Luke” lived up to that moniker by holding his ground and position on Sunday night at Missouri’s Bethany Fairgrounds Speedway.

Luke Howard (Overland Park, Kan.) led from start to finish in the 25-lap feature event, and in doing so, snapped the three-race win streak of race-long pursuer Wyatt Burks in USAC Wholesale Batteries Midwest Wingless Racing Association Sprint Car competition.

Howard survived a wild and wacky night of racing which featured a wreck during the four abreast pace lap that knocked out teammate Warren Johnson (Overland Park, Kan.) who, as a result, received the Xtreme Color Hard Luck” Award.

Separate incidents eliminated pole sitter A.J. Johnson (Oskaloosa, Iowa) as he came down to take the green flag for the start of the feature as well as fifth starting Zach Clark (Raymore, Mo.) before a lap had even been completed.

This re-stacked the field, moving Howard to the point behind the wheel of the LHR No. 2H wrenched by Brent Lewis.  As the field settled into the feature, Howard rode the rim to perfection.  Behind him, positions throughout the field were shuffling back-and-forth between several drivers, including Burks (Topeka, Kan.) who was slowly reeling in Howard after driving from fifth to second in the WBR No. 11w.

The Sheriff, Burks, and his trusty mount wrenched by his father, Jeff Burks, had won the two previous nights of MWRA action and were looking for more as he zeroed in on Howard with five laps to go.

In front of Howard, danger loomed ahead as a potential lapped car was in the groove, and a technical track made it difficult for him to pass, putting Burks right on his bumper.  Howard, however, remained cool and calm to hold onto the lead and the win driving under Drake Barker’s checkered flag to win his first feature of 2023 with the MWRA and his fourth all-time with the series.

Following this duo to the checkered flag were Ben Woods (Newton, Iowa) in third while Hard Charger Chris Parkinson (Gladstone, Mo.) advanced six positions from 10th to fourth and Brad Wyatt (Kearney, Mo.) completed the top-five.

Drivers making a run to a top-10 finish on Sunday night at Bethany included Dakota Earls (Independence, Mo.) sixth as Chad Winfrey (Gladstone, Mo.) raced from 13th to 7th.  Doug Sylvester (Ottumwa, Iowa) took eighth while Garrett Hulsey (Lone Jack, Mo.) scored ninth after also advancing six positions from 15th.  Buddy Parker (Wichita Falls, Texas) came home 10th.

During heat race action, Burks won his seventh heat race of the year in 14 starts and Iowa’s A.J. Johnson collected his first ever heat win with the MWRA.

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USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION RACE RESULTS: September 3, 2023 – Bethany Speedway – Bethany, Missouri

FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 11w-Wyatt Burks (2), 2. 26-Zach Clark (1), 3. 2H-Luke Howard (7), 4. 15E-Dakota Earls (4), 5. 65-Chris Parkinson (5), 6. 65w-Chad Winfrey (3), 7. 12-Doug Sylvester (8), 8. 88G-Garrett Hulsey (6). NT

SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 93-A.J. Johnson (1), 2. 21m-Michael Moore (2), 3. 2L-Warren Johnson (3), 4. 11B-Ben Woods (6), 5. 93p-Buddy Parker (4), 6. 41-Brad Wyatt (8), 7. 27J-Justin Johnson (7), 8. 7x-Lance Silvers (5). NT

FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Luke Howard (3), 2. Wyatt Burks (4), 3. Ben Woods (6), 4. Chris Parkinson (10), 5. Brad Wyatt (9), 6. Dakota Earls (8), 7. Chad Winfrey (13), 8. Doug Sylvester (12), 9. Garrett Hulsey (15), 10. Buddy Parker (11), 11. Justin Johnson (14), 12. Lance Silvers (16), 13. Michael Moore (2), 14. A.J. Johnson (1), 15. Zach Clark (5), 16. Warren Johnson (7). NT

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-25 Luke Howard.

USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION POINTS: 1-Wyatt Burks-2490, 2-Chris Parkinson-2180, 3-Chad Winfrey-2095, 4-Brad Wyatt-1945, 5-Dakota Earls-1805, 6-Justin Johnson-1760, 7-Zach Clark-1740, 8-Buddy Parker-1700, 9-Luke Howard-1640, 10-Kory Schudy-1580.

NEXT USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION RACE: September 9, 2023 – Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Missouri