(Bill W) September 15, 2012 – Jerrod Hull won a high speed game of chicken coming for the checkered flag to edge Don Droud Jr. by four hundredths of a second to win Saturday's 28th Annual Tom Knowles Memorial at the Spoon River Speedway near Canton, Illinois. It was the second year in a row that the defending MOWA champion and current point leader has won the event.
Hull led at the outset from the pole position he earned by winning the Dash from row three. Geoff Dodge settled into second ahead of Droud. By the halfway mark, the leaders were in heavy traffic and Dodge closed on Hull.
On lap 16, the lapped machine of Bret Tripplett slowed and Hull made heavy contact with him causing nose wing damage. Dodge made contact as well, as Droud avoided the incident. All would continue on a restart that saw Hull ahead of Dodge, Droud, AJ Bruns and Ben Wagoner.
Rookie Paul Nienhiser flipped hard over the heavy cushion in turn three when the green flew. He was uninjured. Droud used a good restart to slip under Dodge at that point and begin his chase of the leader.
On the white flag lap, it appeared the be all Hull, but Droud stormed through three and four and drew beside the leader on the frontstretch. Hull was able to win by just four hundredths of a second.
"We were good in one and two, but in three and four, we were struggling," said Hull in Victory Lane. "I didn't know if I should run the top or the middle. I knew someone was coming. I think he was able to find something on the bottom. When you are second, you can search around a bit. I crowded him a little bit…we banged, but that was for the win. You gotta do what you gotta do! I thank Manny (Rockhold) and the track crew for a great track to run on."
"Bernie (Stuebgen) at Indy Race Parts gave me a great car tonight," said second place Droud. "I didn't mean to get into Jerrod, but I got a good run off of four. I just wished I would have tried a little earlier."
Dodge settled for third in his first visit to Spoon River. "It was good night. We've been struggling a little lately. We were able to bring it home third. I think we missed the racetrack a little bit, but Don Droud and Jerrod Hull are good racers. To run third to them is not bad, and we'll come back to try it again."
Jordan Goldesberry charged to fourth from row seven, and Robbie Standridge was fifth. Korey Weyant, Scott Young, AJ Bruns, hard-charger Jimmy Light and Jeremy Standridge rounded out the top ten.
Dodge, Critter Malone, Jeremy Standridge and Wagoner won heat races. Nienhiser and Chris Urish captured the B mains.
A big weekend is in store for the MOWA Friday and Saturday. On Friday, they will race for $4,000 to win at "Shaheen's Blast from the Past" at the Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois. On Saturday, they travel to the 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa. For more information, visit www.MidwestOpenWheel.com!
MOWA Sprint Series Main Event (started), 25 laps: 1. 12, Jerrod Hull, Sikeston, MO (1) 2. 71, Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, NE (6) 3. 66, Geoff Dodge, Colorado Springs, CO (2) 4. 65, Jordan Goldesberry, Springfield, IL (13) 5. 22, Robbie Standridge, Springfield, IL (9) 6. 99w, Korey Weyant, Springfield, IL (10) 7. 3Y, Scott Young, Union Grove, WI (12) 8. 44, AJ Bruns, Athens, IL (8) 9. 23, Jimmy Light, West Springfield, PA (19) 10. 10s, Jeremy Standridge, Springfield, IL (7) 11. 84, Ben Wagoner, Emden, IL (4) 12. 35, Jimmy Hurley, Springfield, IL (15) 13. 7, Critter Malone, Speedway, IN (5) 14. 77u, Chris Urish, Elkhart, IL (18) 15. 53H, Matt Harms, Lacon, IL (3) 16. 2K, Ryan Kempin, House Springs, MO (11) 17. 96, Nathan Charron, Lincoln, IL (14) 18. 9, Paul Nienhiser, Chapin, IL (17) 19. 22T, Bret Tripplett, Lincoln, IL (16) 20. 6R, Ryan Bunton, Morton, IL (20). Lap Leaders: Hull 1-25. BMRS Hard Charger: Light.
Cooper Racing Enterprises Heat one (started, 10 laps): 1. Geoff Dodge (1) 2. Korey Weyant (2) 3. Ryan Kempin (4) 4. Jimmy Hurley (5) 5. 1m, Jim Moughan Jr., Springfield, IL (3) 6. Jimmy Light (7) 7. 99, Jimmy Davies, Oquawka, IL (8) 8. 5, Caleb Wankel, Jacksonville, IL (6)
Midland Performance Parts Heat two (started, 10 laps): 1. Critter Malone (2) 2. Jerrod Hull (6) 3. Scott Young (3) 4. AJ Bruns (8) 5. 42, Cory Bruns, Lincoln, IL (1) 6. 6B, Andy Baugh, Mason City, IL (5) 7. 52F, Logan Faucon, Elkhart, IL (7) 8. 2x, Patrick Moore, Moline, IL (4)
Super Shox Heat three (started, 10 laps): 1. Jeremy Standridge (1) 2. Don Droud Jr. (6) 3. Nathan Charron (2) 4. Bret Tripplett (5) 5. Paul Nienhiser (7) 6. 3, Matt Sutton, Macomb, IL (3) 7. 98, JC Bland, Springfield, IL (4) 8. 1, Mitch Wissmiller, Saybrook, IL (8)
Heat four (started, 10 laps): 1. Ben Wagoner (2) 2. Matt Harms (4) 3. Jordan Goldesberry (3) 4. Robbie Standridge (8) 5. Ryan Bunton (5) 6. Chris Urish (7) 7. 21x, Joey Moughan, Springfield, IL (6) 8. 61x, Don Smith, Lebanon, IN (1)
Dash (started, 8 laps): 1. Jerrod Hull (5) 2. Geoff Dodge (3) 3. Matt Harms (1) 4. Ben Wagoner (6) 5. Critter Malone (2) 6. Don Droud Jr. (7) 7. Jeremy Standridge (8) 8. AJ Bruns (4)
Race Bumpers B Main #1 (started, 12 laps): 1. Paul Nienhiser (1) 2. Jimmy Light (2) / 3. Jim Moughan Jr. (3) 4. Matt Sutton (5) 5. Joey Moughan (6) 6. Patrick Moore (8) 7. Andy Baugh (4) 8. Mitch Wissmiller (7)
Race Bumpers B Main #2 (started, 12 laps): 1. Chris Urish (2) 2. Ryan Bunton (1) / 3. Logan Faucon (5) 4. Jimmy Davies (4) 5. Caleb Wankel (7) 6. JC Bland (6) 7. Don Smith (8) 8. Cory Bruns (3)