AT&PR Fall Classic race report 2002-09-27

Worley Jr. and Cary score Fall Classic wins.

Hurricane Isadore dropped the rain on Thursday and Hurricane Tommy Worley Jr. dropped the lightning on Kraig Kinser on Friday. Worley Jr. stole the thunder from Kinser on the 28th circuit after Kinser had led the Winged Sprints feature event for 14 laps and looked on his way to a $5,000 payday.

"All I know is that I am $5,000 richer," exclaimed Worley Jr. in victory lane.

Daron Clayton started on the pole and dominated the first six laps of the feature event before contacting a lap machine, breaking a wheel in the process and also sustaining front-end damage at the conclusion of the accident.

After the yellow Worley Jr. inherited the lead and paced Mike Ward and Kinser. Jerrod Hull and Jan Howard were behind the front three battling out for the top-five positions.

On the ninth circuit Kinser, who started 12th, passed Ward for the second spot and began to run down the lead car of Worley Jr. The caution was brought out once again on the 11th lap for Todd Rowland as he made contact with the third turn wall.

The front three stayed the same for the remaining laps at Kinser huge lead began to grow smaller to Worley Jr. as the leader dealt with lap traffic. On the 28th circuit Worley Jr. made the move around Kinser for the lead, leaving Kinser unable to make a clear attempt for the lead again.

Worley Jr. would storm around the final lap in route to his second victory on the year and a $5,000 payday. Kinser would hold onto second with Ward pacing third. Jerrod Hull secured the fourth place spot with Lowe Cannell scooping up the fifth place honors. Alex Shanks passed 14 cars to finish sixth with Marcellous Kronk running down the seventh spot after starting 10th.

Springfield, IL resident Craig Carey scored his first MARA Midget victory on the year beating another Springfield resident Chad Branson to the line. Branson led all 25 laps of the final MARA feature event on the year.

Chad Branson moved into the second spot on the 21st lap and maintained the spot for the final four laps to pick up a second place finish. Branson started the feature sixth.

Third place finisher Donnie Leuhman battled inside the top-five for the entire distance of the feature and finished the night in third just behind Branson.

Mike Hess ran in the second position for almost 20 laps of the event but couldn't hold off Branson or Leuhman, Hess finished fourth.

Seven time MARA Midget champion Steve Knepper fought his through the b-main to score a top-five finish.

Preliminary action in the US Outlaw Mini Sprint National Championship found 16-year-old Brad Sweet of Grass Valley, CA leading all but one lap of the 25-lap adventure. Jeff Harden of Glenn Bedalin, WI finished second and led one lap of the event, Mike Kertsrher finished third in the final rundown.

-at&pr-