A NIGHT OF FIRSTS FOR DONEY AT SALINA
By: Ray Cunningham
Salina, Kansas (August 28, 2021)………Xavier Doney, a 15-year old Rookie of the Year candidate from Odessa, Mo., won his first ever Sprint Car Race at Salina Speedway Saturday night over fellow Missouri drivers Jack Wagner of Lone Jack, Mo. and Kory Schudy of Battlefield, Mo. while Jayhawker Chad Goff from Spring Hill Kan. and Show-Me-State chauffer Wesley Smith of Billings, Mo. rounded out the top-five.
Samuel Wagner of Lone Jack, Chris Parkinson from Gladstone, Mo., Luke Howard racing out of Overland Park, Kansas, Spencer Martinez from nearby Wichita, and Michigander Brad Wyatt, now hailing from Kearney, Mo., completed positions six through 10 at this Central Kansas venue.
For Doney, who came up thru the micro ranks, his win was not only his first ever in sprint cars running in his first full season of competition. It also represented his first win with USAC’s Wholesale Batteries Midwest Wingless Racing Association and the Wingless Sprints Oklahoma, who co-sanctioned the event for non-winged sprints for the first time in 40 years at Salina Speedway.
In an epic feature which saw the X-Man (Doney) hold off charges from Wesley Smith, who bounced into the air running on a technical track, trying to wrestle the lead away from Doney, as well as later “Jack of all Trades” Jack Wagner trying a similar maneuver between corners one and two. The youngster from Odessa never cracked and never lost his composure, winning in the Doney/Lawson #74.
Second place Jack Wagner, meanwhile, also had another great night after winning the last time on Kansas soil at Lakeside Speedway on August 6 driving the Jesse Hockett Racing #77. The Lone Jack gunner fought his way from 5th to 2nd before harassing Doney all the way to the finish.
Another great night for point leader Kory Schudy found him finishing on the podium in third place, and extended his point lead over Wesley Smith driving the JSR Racing #28 of Jon Sawyer after a steady run.
“The Lawman” Chad Goff, coming off his best result of the season at I-35 last weekend where he finished 2nd, got the Design Source Flooring Hard Charger Award on this night coming from 9th to 4th place in the 25-lapper. Wesley Smith, an early contender, ran 5th in the John Helm Racing/WSR Racing #12.
Before the main event, Smith, Doney, and Jack Wagner took heat race wins.
Next weekend, Saturday September 4th and Sunday September 5th, the USAC Midwest Wingless Racing Association continues the road to the 2021 championship with the Lawson Memorial on the 4th at I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo. and at Bethany (Mo.) Speedway on the 5th. Only 3 races remain this season.
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USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION & USAC WINGLESS SPRINTS OKLAHOMA RESULTS: August 28, 2021 – Salina Speedway – Salina, Kansas – WSO vs. MWRA
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in brackets) 1. 12-Wesley Smith [2], 2. 6s-Spencer Martinez [1], 3. 9-Jeff Seesholtz [6], 4. 7x-Lance Silvers [4], 5. 17-Michael Woodruff [3], 6. 93-Buddy Parker [5]. NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in brackets) 1. 74-Xavier Doney [3], 2. 28-Kory Schudy [5], 3. 65-Chris Parkinson [2], 4. 9x-Chad Goff [6], 5. 53-Brett Wilson [1], 6. 33L-Mark Lane [4]. NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in brackets) 1. 77-Jack Wagner [1], 2. 73-Samuel Wagner [2], 3. 2-Luke Howard [5], 4. 41-Brad Wyatt [4], 5. 31m-Eric Matthews [6], 6. 15E-Dakota Earls [3]. NT
FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in brackets) 1. Xavier Doney [1], 2. Jack Wagner [5], 3. Kory Schudy [2], 4. Chad Goff [9], 5. Wesley Smith [3], 6. Samuel Wagner [7], 7. Chris Parkinson [10], 8. Luke Howard [6], 9. Spencer Martinez [8], 10. Brad Wyatt [12], 11. Eric Matthews [13], 12. Mark Lane [17], 13. Jeff Seesholtz [4], 14. Lance Silvers [11], 15. Buddy Parker [16], 16. Brett Wilson [15], 17. Dakota Earls [18]. NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 Xavier Doney, Laps 3-6 Wesley Smith, Laps 7-8 Kory Schudy, Laps 9-25 Xavier Doney.
USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Kory Schudy-1810, 2-Wesley Smith-1730, 3-Chris Parkinson-1545, 4-Chad Goff-1485, 5-Wyatt Burks-1265, 6-Xavier Doney-1255, 7-Dakota Earls-1150, 8-Zach Clark-1080, 9-Luke Howard-1055, 10-Heath Murry-905.
USAC WINGLESS SPRINTS OKLAHOMA POINTS: 1-Brett Wilson-800, 2-Tim Kent-610, 3-Harlan Hulsey-452, 4-Spencer Martinez-450, 5-J.C. Wilson-435, 6-David Baxter-383, 7-T.J. Cain-382, 8-Eric Matthews-369, 9-Ty Hulsey-365, 10-Craig Carroll-363.
NEXT USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR RACE: September 4, 2021 – I-35 Speedway – Winston, Missouri
NEXT USAC WINGLESS SPRINTS OKLAHOMA RACES: October 22-23, 2021 – The New Tulsa Speedway – Tulsa, Oklahoma – Wingless Winter Nationals
