5/28/04
US36 Raceway
Osborn, MO
Sprint Bandits
23 cars
Heat one (started): 1. Jerrod Hull 12 (2) 2. Colin Northway 60 (5) 3. Foster Landon 11F (3) 4. Danny Jennings 61J (7) 5. Randy Anderson R19 (6) 6. JD Johnson 98 (1) 7. Robert Bell 71 (4) 8. Jay Russell 76 (8)
The unique Sprint Bandit format uses passing points to line up a second round of heats called qualifiers. High point cars from the first round of heats are inverted, and start in the rear. Hull led from the outset. Northway was impressive moving up three spots. The track was fast, but getting rougher as the night went on.
Heat two (started): 1. Jason Johnson 50D (1) 2. Wayne Johnson 14AJ (2) 3. Shane Stewart 4m (4) 4. Sean Walden 1v (6) 5. Jesse Hockett 75 (3) 6. Jay Landolt 21s (7) 7. Kim Kennedy 1K (5)
J. Johnson led flag to flag, though he withstood a challenge from W. Johnson in an entertaining duel in the first few laps.
Heat three (started): 1. Zach Chappell 50z (2) 2. Jason Martin 36 (1) 3. Travis Rilat 29 (4) 4. Aaron Berryhill 97 (5) 5. Jim Cameron 96c (6) 6. JR Topper 92J (3) 7. Buddy Johnson 24 (7) DNS – Tim Newman 18
B. Johnson was filling in for an ailing McCarl and pulled off after a couple of laps. Chappell led the distance, and left the rest behind. Cameron made a last lap pass of Topper for fifth.
Qualifier one (started): 1. Jennings (5) 2. Landolt (2) 3. Landon (4) 4. Bell (1) 5. J. Johnson (6) 6. Hull (7) 7. Anderson (3) DNS – B. Johnson
Landolt grabbed the early lead. Anderson dropped back, but had battled back to third when he got sideways, stopped abruptly and barrel-rolled in turn two. The incident collected J. Johnson, who made repairs and restarted. The restart saw Landolt leading Jennings, Bell, Hull and Landon back to the green flag. A lap later, Landolt brushed the wall, allowing Jennings to get by. The win was enough to give Jennings the pole position in the A main. Hull retired on lap seven. The track was getting rougher by the lap.
Qualifier two (started): 1. Stewart (5) 2. Cameron (3) 3. Northway (7) 4. Kennedy (1) 5. JD Johnson (2) 6. Walden (4) 7. W. Johnson (6) DNS – Newman
Two false starts began the qualifier. On each, W. Johnson was a rocket, moving to the front. The third try was not a charm, as the second circuit found him flipping. JD Johnson led Walden, Kennedy, Cameron and Stewart back to the green flag on the restart. Walden sailed through turn one and hit the wall hard bringing out another red flag. He was uninjured. Stewart grabbed the lead from JD Johnson on lap four and never looked back. JD Johnson spun on lap five surrendering second place. Northway did a good job of avoiding him.
Qualifier three (started): 1. Hockett (3) 2. Rilat (5) 3. Berryhill (4) 4. Chappell (7) 5. Martin (6) 6. Topper (2) 7. Russell (1)
Hockett inherited the pole from Russell who elected to start at the tail. He shot out to a lead he would never relinquish despite a good run by Rilat.
A main unofficial finish (started): 1. Rilat (4) 2. Stewart (2) 3. Hockett (8) 4. Jennings (1) 5. Berryhill (11) 6. J. Johnson (7) 7. Landon (6) 8. Martin (12) 9. Topper (20) 10. Kennedy (17) 11. Bell (16) 12. Landolt (13) 13. Anderson (19) 14. JD Johnson (18) 15. Chappell (5) 16. W. Johnson (15) 17. Hull (9) 18. Northway (3) 19. Cameron (10) 20. Newman (23) 21. Russell (21) 22. B. Johnson (22) 23. Walden (14)
Walden limped around with a battered racer and exited immediately to pocket his $500 for starting the event. B. Johnson, Russell and Newman followed him in. Cameron also exited, as did Northway, who appeared to have something break on the rough surface. Drivers were negotiating ruts and holes on the fast track. Despite the tough surface, Jennings took the early lead from the pole. He held the point until lap ten, when Stewart got by. JD Johnson spun on lap thirteen, bringing out a caution. Stewart led Jennings, Rilat, Hockett and Berryhill back to green. One circuit later, Martin, who was lapped spun. Four more laps of the thirty scheduled were complete when J. Johnson got sideways, but continued on through the infield. W. Johnson, who was tracking him, hit the brakes and also got sideways. He was hit by Hull who turned over, and Anderson. Only Anderson would be able to continue. Chappell retired at this time. Stewart led Rilat, Jennings, Hockett and J. Johnson back to the green flag. It was all for naught, as J. Johnson spun out. He restarted at the rear. JD Johnson spun twice more and was sent pitside. Landolt had worked his way up to sixth, when he flipped in turn four on lap 21. This would prove to be the final stoppage of the event. The final nine laps of the event went non-stop. Rilat pursued Stewart and managed to slide under him with two circuits remaining to pocket $4000. Topper was the hard-charger.