KENNEDALE, Texas – After third- and second-place showings in his previous IMCA Modified Red River South Tour starts, Cody Leonard stood on top of the podium Saturday at Kennedale Speedway Park.
Leonard caught Chris Elliott late in the Independence Day 25-lapper for the $1,000 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying victory.
“We’ve had some good runs the last couple of nights,” the young Texan acknowledged. “After we missed opening night, we started 12th and finished third on Thursday at Bells and exceeded our expectations Friday at Waco to finish second. We’ve gained one spot each night and we’re really happy with the ways things are going. Hopefully we can back that up tonight.”
The Lone Star Super Gas Red River Tour South presented by Smiley’s Racing Products concludes Sunday at Boyd Raceway.
Leonard had made just one previous IMCA Modified start at KSP, finishing fifth there last summer. He started fourth on Saturday and chased down Chris Bragg before setting his sites on Elliott.
The front pair ran side-by-side, with Elliott on the higher line, before Leonard gained the late advantage.
Bragg, 14th starting Josh McGaha and Fred Wojtek, the winner at Grayson County Speedway and Heart O’ Texas, rounded out the top five.
Erik Miles was the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winner and Damon Hammond collected the Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMod checkers. Steve Riojas scored the Mach-1 Sport Compact win.
The finish:
Cody Leonard, Chris Elliott, Chris Bragg, Josh McGaha, Fred Wojtek, Chris Morris, Jeffrey Abbey, Justin Whitehead, Travis Bragg, Dustin Hyde, David Goode Jr., Larry Adams, Chad Melton, Colby Moore, Jacob Pirkle, Beau Begnaud, Raymond McSpadden, Chuck Sanders, Dusty Powers, Ryan Williams, Dillon Tindall, William Gould, Cody Tidwell, Ken Schrader, Chaz Baca.