DONEY REACHES THE MOUNTAINTOP AT GRAIN VALLEY
By: Ray Cunningham
Grain Valley, Missouri (June 4, 2022)………Xavier “X-Man” Doney of Odessa, Mo. rode the rim to victory in Saturday night’s USAC Wholesale Batteries Midwest Wingless Racing Association Sprint Car feature at Missouri’s Valley Speedway.
Doney started 6th in the 25-lapper and, during his spectacular run to the front, he got by early leader Wyatt Burks of Topeka, Kan. and fought off the advances of Jack Wagner of nearby Lone Jack, Mo. to the stripe.
The teenage Doney, who last season won USAC’s MWRA Rookie of the Year award, took his second career victory with the series over Jack Wagner, Wyatt Burks, Cody Baker and Brian Beebe, who rounded out the top-five.
Spirited competition throughout the field led to Rookie of the Year contender Chad Winfrey of Gladstone, Mo. topping the second half of the top-10, rebounding to finish 6th after flipping the previous night at U.S. 36 Raceway.
Winfrey was followed by Taylor Walton of Odessa, Mo. and Tom Curran of Kansas City, Mo., who won the J.D. Lawson Media Hard Charger award after passing six cars to finish 8th. Brad Wyatt of Kearney, Mo. came home in 9th and Samuel Wagner of Lone Jack ran 10th.
After waiting out an afternoon storm, Valley Speedway was manicured to perfection for the heat races which were won by Doney, Baker and S. Wagner.
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USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: June 4, 2022 – Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Missouri
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 74-Xavier Doney (1), 2. 11w-Wyatt Burks (6), 3. 41-Brad Wyatt (3), 4. 15E-Dakota Earls (2), 5. 11x-Tom Curran (4), 6. 27J-Justin Johnson (5), 7. 93-Buddy Parker (7). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 9H-Cody Baker (3), 2. 37-Brian Beebe (6), 3. 77-Jack Wagner (7), 4. 2-A.J. Gilbert (2), 5. 26-Zach Clark (4), 6. 88G-Garrett Hulsey (5), 7. 03-Tyler Burton (1). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 73-Samuel Wagner (1), 2. 65-Chris Parkinson (5), 3. 93w-Taylor Walton (2), 4. 2x-Kyle Lewis (4), 5. 65w-Chad Winfrey (6), 6. 90-Warren Johnson (3), 7. 6s-Spencer Martinez (7).
FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Xavier Doney (6), 2. Jack Wagner (5), 3. Wyatt Burks (1), 4. Cody Baker (3), 5. Brian Beebe (2), 6. Chad Winfrey (11), 7. Taylor Walton (9), 8. Tom Curran (14), 9. Brad Wyatt (8), 10. Samuel Wagner (7), 11. Garrett Hulsey (17), 12. Zach Clark (15), 13. Chris Parkinson (4), 14. Dakota Earls (12), 15. Warren Johnson (18), 16. A.J. Gilbert (13), 17. Spencer Martinez (20), 18. Buddy Parker (19), 19. Justin Johnson (16), 20. Tyler Burton (21), 21. Kyle Lewis (10). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-16 Wyatt Burks, Laps 17-30 Xavier Doney.
USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Xavier Doney-370, 2-Cody Baker-360, 3-Wyatt Burks-355, 4-Brian Beebe-335, 5-Brad Wyatt-290, 6-Chris Parkinson-285, 7-Zach Clark-280, 8-Dakota Earls-275, 9-Tom Curran-250, 10-A.J. Gilbert-245.
NEXT USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR RACE: June 25, 2022 – 81 Speedway – Park City, Kansas
