SIMPSON SAILS TO FIRST USAC MIDWEST WINGLESS SPRINT CAR WIN AT I-35

By: Ray Cunningham

Winston, Missouri (July 6, 2024)………Kobe Simpson sailed to victory on Saturday night at Winston, Missouri’s I-35 Speedway to score not only his first career USAC Wholesale Batteries Midwest Wingless Racing Association Sprint Car feature win, but his first triumphant performance of any kind behind the wheel of a sprint car.

Simpson (Bonham, Texas), who earned USAC MWRA Rookie of the Year honors in 2023, was on point all evening in his new mount recently purchased from second place finisher Wyatt Burks (Topeka, Kan.).  Simpson won his heat race and carried high point honors for the feature.

After rolling a two for the invert, Simpson was positioned to start the feature from the inside of the second row.  However, after metal was found in pole sitter Zach Clark’s oil, Simpson was moved to the outside of the front row for the start of the 20-lap main event.

From the get-go, Simpson looked strong, and after dispatching Dakota Earls on lap eight, Simpson led the balance of the 13 laps on a fast and racy surface.  Defending champion Burks’ situation was entirely different.  After starting on the inside of the second row, “The Sheriff” quickly worked his way to second before spinning on lap seven, which sent him to the rear of the field.  From there, Burks patiently worked his way up to second place, gaining ground on Simpson but never being able to challenge for the win.

In the end, Wyatt Burks (Topeka, Kan.) took second ahead of Dakota Earls (Independence, Mo.), Chad Winfrey (Gladstone, Mo.) and Michael Moore (Camden, Mo.).  Junior Parkinson (Wichita Falls, Texas) finished sixth in front of Tyler Burton (Independence, Mo.) and Kyle Gorham (Blue Springs, Mo.).

Earls ran a steady race to finish third while picking up his second podium of the 2024 season.  Meanwhile, Winfrey’s fourth place result represented his best finish so far this year.  Like Burks, Moore’s fifth place run followed a great performance by the driver, but also his crew after the Missouri racer flipped out of the park at the end of the first heat race.  After much thrashing on the rear end, Moore was able to come back and run the entire feature to come home fifth.  Parkinson was very racy all night long to finish sixth as Burton returned to action with MWRA to finish seventh after having to build a new car following an accident at Electric City Speedway on May 18.

Zach Clark, (Raymore, Mo.), the second heat race winner, as well as Luke Howard (Overland Park, Kan.) were unable to make the starting grid for the feature due to engine problems after the heat races.

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USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION RACE RESULTS: July 6, 2024 – I-35 Speedway – Winston, Missouri

FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 21K-Kobe Simpson (3), 2. 11w-Wyatt Burks (5), 3. 65w-Chad Winfrey (1), 4. 21m-Michael Moore (4), 5. 2H-Luke Howard (2). NT

SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 26-Zach Clark (2), 2. 15E-Dakota Earls (1), 3. 93-Junior Parkinson (4), 4. 03-Tyler Burton (3), 5. 85A-Kyle Gorham (5). NT

FEATURE: (20 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kobe Simpson (2), 2. Wyatt Burks (3), 3. Dakota Earls (1), 4. Chad Winfrey (5), 5. Michael Moore (7), 6. Junior Parkinson (4), 7. Tyler Burton (6), 8. Kyle Gorham (8). NT

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-7 Dakota Earls, Laps 8-20 Kobe Simpson.

USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION POINTS: 1-Wyatt Burks-1455, 2-Kobe Simpson-1275, 3-Chad Winfrey-1220, 4-Luke Howard-1195, 5-Dakota Earls-1180, 6-Junior Parkinson-1140, 7-Michael Moore-1130, 8-Zach Clark-1115, 9-Wesley Smith-1030, 10-Kory Schudy-1005.

NEXT USAC WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION RACE: July 13, 2024 – Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Missouri