WHEATLAND, Mo. — There was drama at the front and drama further back in the field in the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod main event Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway.
Kris Jackson picked up the victory with a last-lap pass, but Bobby Williams celebrated the championship with what was probably the best 10th-place run of his career. It all went down on Rempfer Memorial Season Championship Night at Lucas Oil Speedway Presented by Bill Roberts Chevrolet and KCTV 5 Kansas City.
The championship-night program honors Harold “Rowdy” Rempfer and his wife, Julia, who were killed in an automobile accident five years ago. Rowdy was the mayor of Wheatland and he and Julia both worked at Lucas Oil Speedway for many years.
The Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod division was the only undecided class entering championship night and the race within the race for the points crown was just as fun as the battle for the race victory.
Williams claimed championship No. 1 after not winning a feature all season. But he was a mark of consistency, with eight top-five finishes and 14 top-10s.
“This season we’ve faced a lot of adversity at this track. It’s been a love-hate relationship for us here,” Williams said, adding that the championship was special for reasons other than himself.
“I wanted this for my niece. She has heart surgery here in a few weeks, so we’re glad to do that for her.”
Turner set the pace in the B-Mod feature, leading the way as Gillmore, Morton and Jackson. The top four were separated by just 1.3 seconds when a caution slowed the action on lap seven.
Just before the midpoint, it appeared that Williams’ title chances were slim to none. On a lap-seven restart, Williams was caught up in a multi-car melee that sent him to the pits for quick repairs.
Williams made it back on the track, but at the back of the field in 15th and far behind fourth-running Morton, whom he needed to stay within four positions to win his first title. But as the laps clicked by, Morton made a bobble and lost two spots and Williams made steady gains. By lap 17, Williams was 11th and Morton seventh.
Meanwhile, there was action at the front on the final lap. Gillmore spun in turn three while looking to get around Turner to bring out a caution. The one-lap ensuing shootout saw Morton sixth and Williams 10th – and it gave seven-time track champ Jackson another chance.
Jackson made the most of the it, using a slider in turns three and four to pass Turner and walk away with the win. It was sweet for Jackson as well that Williams won the title as he drives a J2 Race Car built by Jackson.
“We had our work cut out for us, drawing a six in the redraw with five of the top competitors in front of me,” Jackson said. “I knew Bobby had his work cut out for him. I know J.C., when you put him on the line, he usually doesn’t made any mistakes and he didn’t make any, that I could see any way.”
Franklin wound up third with J.C. Newell fourth and Jon Sheets fifth.
“I honestly thought when he turned in on the door in three,” Jackson said, “that he kind of was stopping the slide and I thought, ‘well, he has to slow down somewhat to make the turn and I don’t. I’ve got the whole track to slide to the wall’ so I left the wood down and kicked it sideways.
“I don’t think he was happy with me, but I didn’t touch him and he touched me. That’s the way it is.”
In the other divisions of the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series, Mason Beck nailed down the O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars title with another feature win; Ryan Middaugh celebrated the Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modified championship while Nic Bidinger captured the feature and Justin Wells capped his Hermitage Lumber Late Model championship with a 10th feature win.
Feature Finish
1. J2-Kris Jackson[6]; 2. 99T-Eric Turner[1]; 3. F1-Mitchell Franklin[11]; 4. 83-JC Newell[4]; 5. 8-Jon Sheets[13]; 6. 18-JC Morton[2]; 7. 55-Colson Kirk[15]; 8. 56-Shadren Turner[14]; 9. 42J-Donnie Jackson[21]; 10. 1B-Bobby Williams[8]; 11. 51S-Brian Schutt[10]; 12. 24L-Dakota Lowe[5]; 13. 51-Michael Stake[24]; 14. 66-Ryan Gillmore[3]; 15. 94C-JT Carroll[22]; 16. 96-Dylan Daniels[23]; 17. (DNF) 28-Andy Bryant[9]; 18. (DNF) 28B-Wesley Briggs[17]; 19. (DNF) 2-Quentin Taylor[12]; 20. (DNF) 11L-Logan Smith[7]; 21. (DNF) 10P-Dayton Pursley[19]; 22. (DNF) 24D-Donnie Fellers[18]; 23. (DNF) 30-Rex Harris[16]; 24. (DNF) 24-Jerry Ellis[20]