REDEMPTION: SCHUDY RETURNS TO CAPTURE USAC MWRA TITLE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (October 26, 2021)………One year after a rib injury shelved his title aspirations, Kory Schudy put together a complete season in 2021 to capture his first career USAC Wholesale Batteries Midwest Wingless Racing Association Sprint Car championship.
The 36-year-old Battlefield, Mo. native was in the thick of the series title race midseason in 2020 when a rib injury forced him out of competition for five races and halted his championship aspirations. Though he’d return before the end of the season, his championship hopes would have to be put off for one more year.
The time arrived in 2021 with Schudy winning on three occasions in his Jon Sawyer Racing No. 28, spurred on by back-to-back midseason victories at Winston, Missouri’s I-35 Speedway and at Central Missouri Speedway in Warrensburg. A triumph in the penultimate round at I-35 in late August solidified his position at the top of the standings.
Schudy’s “worst” finish all season long came in a 10th place performance in the second contest of the year at Double X Speedway in California, Mo. Outside of that brief aberration, Schudy’s performances were phenomenal with only a single finish outside the top-five in 13 appearances: 2nd, 2nd, 4th, 1st, 1st, 5th, 5th, 1st, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd.
The main nemesis for Schudy throughout the 13-race calendar was Wesley Smith (Billings, Mo.) who elevated to the second position in the standings, 45 points behind Schudy, after finishing third one year ago.
Smith led all drivers with four scores at four different venues aboard the John Helm Racing No. 12 in 2021, at Missouri’s Bethany Speedway, at Kansas’ 81 Speedway, at Missouri’s I-35 Speedway and at Missouri’s Valley Speedway.
All Jack Wagner needed was four starts to corral two wins during the campaign, in May at Double X and in August at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. as the pilot of the Jesse Hockett Racing No. 77.
The 2020 series champion, Wyatt Burks (Topeka, Kan.), posted his all-time series leading eighth USAC MWRA victory in June of 2021 at Osborn, Missouri’s U.S. 36 Raceway en route to a fifth-place result in the final standings in the self-owned No. 11w.
Three drivers – Cody Baker, Xavier Doney and Luke Howard – all became first-time series winners this past season. Baker won for grandfather Ted Hall behind the wheel of the No. 9H in the season opener at Nevada, Mo. Xavier Doney (Odessa, Mo.) notched his first at Salina Speedway in Kansas during the month of August for car owner Dan Lawson’s No. 74. Luke Howard (Overland Park, Kan.) got his “W” at the dawn of September in his family-owned No. 2H at Bethany.
Tim Kent (Bristow, Okla.) reigned victorious in the 65th Hutchinson Grand National Auto Races in his own No. 79, which marked the series debut at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, Kan., a non-points special event for MWRA.
MWRA stalwarts and consistent frontrunners Chris Parkinson (Gladstone, Mo.) and Chad Goff (Spring Hill, Kan.) collected top-five placements in the final MWRA standings with Parkinson fourth and Goff fifth.
Parkinson and Goff were among the four drivers able to start all 13 points-paying feature events throughout the season along with Schudy and Smith.
==========================
2021 USAC MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR DRIVER POINT STANDINGS:
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1 2355 Kory Schudy, Battlefield, Mo.
2 2310 Wesley Smith, Billings, Mo.
3 2045 Chris Parkinson, Gladstone, Mo.
4 1915 Chad Goff, Spring Hill, Kan.
5 1790 Wyatt Burks, Topeka, Kan.
6 1595 Luke Howard, Overland Park, Kan.
7 1420 Zach Clark, Olathe, Kan.
8 1405 Xavier Doney, Odessa, Mo.
9 1335 Dakota Earls, Independence, Mo.
10 990 Lance Silvers, Ottumwa, Iowa
11 955 Heath Murry, Tonganoxie, Kan.
12 945 Mark Lane, Grain Valley, Mo.
13 895 Zach Sanders, Kearney, Mo.
14 890 Tom Curran, Kansas City, Mo.
15 875 Jack Wagner, Lone Jack, Mo.
16 775 Quinton Benson, Sweet Springs, Mo.
17 775 Chad Tye, Independence, Mo.
18 725 Kyle Lewis, Spring Hill, Kan.
19 695 Vinny Ward, Springfield, Ill.
20 690 Brian Beebe, Oak Grove, Mo.
21 535 Samuel Wagner, Lone Jack, Mo.
22 520 Riley Kreisel, Warsaw, Mo.
23 515 Chris Morgan, Topeka, Kan.
24 500 Jason Billups, Holt, Mo.
25 495 Danny Billings, Topeka, Kan.
26 485 Chris Rupard, Kansas City, Kan.
27 465 Braden Knipmeyer, Sweet Springs, Mo.
28 445 J.D. Black, Grain Valley, Mo.
29 405 Cody Baker, Lone Jack, Mo.
30 375 Brad Ryun, Higginsville, Mo.
31 375 Spencer Martinez, Wichita, Kan.
32 355 Jeff Seesholtz, Junction City, Kan.
33 335 Christie Thomason, Holden, Mo.
34 315 Lane Stone, Concordia, Mo.
35 295 Tyler Burton, Independence, Mo.
36 290 Brett Wilson, Coweta, Okla.
37 285 Drake Barker, Kansas City, Mo.
38 275 Ty Hulsey, Collinsville, Okla.
39 270 Craig Carroll, Collinsville, Okla.
40 265 Blake Bowers, Knob Noster, Mo.
41 240 Harlan Hulsey, Owasso, Okla.
42 190 Eric Matthews, Conway Springs, Kan.
43 160 Braydon Cromwell, Lone Jack, Mo.
44 155 Dylan Kadous, Topeka, Kan.
45 140 J.C. Wilson, Coweta, Okla.
46 135 Tim Kent, Bristow, Okla.
47 50 David Baxter, Del City, Okla.
48 50 T.J. Cain, Wellington, Kan.
49 50 Noah Gass, Mounds, Okla.
50 50 Robert Talley, Holden, Mo.
2021 USAC MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR FEATURE WINNERS:
May 8: Nevada Speedway - Nevada, MO
WINNER: Cody Baker (Ted Hall #9H)
May 30: Double X Speedway - California, MO
WINNER: Jack Wagner (Jesse Hockett Racing #77)
Jun 4: U.S. 36 Raceway - Osborn, MO
WINNER: Wyatt Burks (Wyatt Burks Racing #11w)
Jun 5: Bethany Speedway - Bethany, MO
WINNER: Wesley Smith (John Helm Racing #12)
Jun 12: I-35 Speedway - Winston, MO
WINNER: Kory Schudy (Jon Sawyer Racing)
Jun 19: Central Missouri Speedway - Warrensburg, MO
WINNER: Kory Schudy (Jon Sawyer Racing)
Jun 26: 81 Speedway - Park City, KS
WINNER: Wesley Smith (John Helm Racing #12)
Jul 16: (SE) Kansas State Fairgrounds - Hutchinson, KS
WINNER: Tim Kent (Tim Kent #79)
Aug 6: Lakeside Speedway - Kansas City, KS
WINNER: Jack Wagner (Jesse Hockett Racing #77)
Aug 21: I-35 Speedway - Winston, MO
WINNER: Kory Schudy (Jon Sawyer Racing)
Aug 28: Salina Speedway - Salina, KS
WINNER: Xavier Doney (Dan Lawson #74)
Sep 4: I-35 Speedway - Winston, MO
WINNER: Wesley Smith (John Helm Racing #12)
Sep 5: Bethany Speedway - Bethany, MO
WINNER: Luke Howard (Howard Racing #2H)
Sep 25: Valley Speedway - Grain Valley, MO
WINNER: Wesley Smith (John Helm Racing #12)
(SE) represents a non-point, special event
2021 USAC MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR FEATURE WINS: (FULL POINTS)
4-Wesley Smith
3-Kory Schudy
2-Jack Wagner
1-Cody Baker, Wyatt Burks, Xavier Doney & Luke Howard
2021 USAC MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR FEATURE WINS: (NON-POINTS SPECIAL EVENTS)
1-Tim Kent
2021 USAC MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR TOP-5 FEATURE FINISHES:
12-Kory Schudy
10-Wesley Smith
5-Wyatt Burks & Xavier Doney
4-Luke Howard & Jack Wagner
3-Quinton Benson, Chad Goff & Chris Parkinson
2-Don Droud Jr. & Riley Kreisel
1-Cody Baker, Brian Beebe, Zach Clark, Tom Curran, Zach Daum, Mitchell Moore, Chris Morgan, Brad Ryun, Zach Sanders, Chad Tye, Samuel Wagner & Brett Wilson
2021 USAC MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR TOP-10 FEATURE FINISHES:
13-Kory Schudy
12-Wesley Smith
11-Chris Parkinson
10-Chad Goff
9-Wyatt Burks
8-Luke Howard
6-Xavier Doney
4-Zach Clark, Tom Curran, Jack Wagner & Brad Wyatt
3-Quinton Benson, Riley Kreisel & Zach Sanders
2-Brian Beebe, Don Droud Jr., Justin Johnson, Chris Morgan, Terry Richards, Brad Ryun & Samuel Wagner
1-Cody Baker, Jason Billups, Rob Caho Jr., Craig Carroll, Braydon Cromwell, Zach Daum, Dakota Earls, Broc Elliott, Chad Frewaldt, Ty Hulsey, Warren Johnson, Quinn Jones, Mark Lane, Kyle Lewis, Spencer Martinez, Mitchell Moore, Heath Murry, Lane Stone, Chad Tye, Taylor Walton, Vinny Ward & Brett Wilson
2021 USAC MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR FEATURE STARTS:
13-Chad Goff, Chris Parkinson, Kory Schudy & Wesley Smith
11-Wyatt Burks & Dakota Earls
10-Zach Clark & Luke Howard
9-Xavier Doney & Brad Wyatt
7-Mark Lane, Heath Murry & Lance Silvers
6-Tom Curran, Kyle Lewis, Zach Sanders & Chad Tye
5-Brian Beebe, Quinton Benson, Jack Wagner & Vinny Ward
4-Danny Billings, Jason Billups, Justin Johnson, Chris Morgan & Samuel Wagner
3-Cody Baker, J.D. Black, Chad Frewaldt, Braden Knipmeyer, Riley Kreisel, Spencer Martinez & Mitchell Moore
3-Buddy Parker, Terry Richards & Chris Rupard
2-Drake Barker, Tyler Burton, Craig Carroll, Don Droud Jr., Broc Elliott,
2-Harlan Hulsey, Ty Hulsey, Brad Ryun, Lane Stone, Christie Thomason, Taylor Walton & Brett Wilson
1-Garrett Alexander, Jesse Beebe, Robert Black, Blake Bowers, Rob Caho Jr., Doug Cook, Braydon Cromwell, Zach Daum, Jacob Dye, Kevin Dye, Nathan James, Warren Johnson, Quinn Jones, Dylan Kadous, Tim Kent, Eric Matthews, Dusty Murray, Jeff Seesholtz, Bryson Smith & J.C. Wilson
ALL-TIME USAC MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR FEATURE WINS: (FULL POINTS EVENTS)
8-Wyatt Burks
5-Wesley Smith
4-Kory Schudy
2-Don Droud Jr. & Jack Wagner
1-Cody Baker, Xavier Doney, Chad Goff & Luke Howard
ALL-TIME USAC MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR FEATURE WINS: (NON-POINTS SPECIAL EVENTS)
1-Tim Kent, Riley Kreisel, Wesley Smith & Brett Wilson
USAC MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR DRIVER CHAMPIONS:
2020: Wyatt Burks
2021: Kory Schudy