Great minds thought alike when the most critical moment occurred during Saturday night's 13th annual Scrapp Fox Memorial modified event at Little Rock's I-30 Speedway.
North Little Rock's Mike Bowers and Little Rock's Jeremy Kuykendall decided at the same time to make a pass attempt against the leader -- Bowers to the low side and Kuykendall to the high -- which made the race for the lead a three-wide battle heading into turn three.
Results
Saturday night’s feature race results from the 13th annual Scrapp Fox Memorial modified event at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway with finishing position, driver, hometown, starting position in parentheses, laps completed and earnings:
1. Mike Bowers, North Little Rock (2), 30, $2,250
2. Jeremy Kuykendall, Little Rock (4), 30, $1,100
3. Drew Armstrong, Alexander (6), 30, $600
4. Curtis Cook, Vilonia (17), 30, $500
5. David Baser, Jacksonville (1), 30, $850
6. Chris Carter, Redfield (3), 30, $450
7. Brint Hartwick, Quitman (7), 30, $275
8. Richie Tosh, Salado (9), 30, $250
9. Philip Forbush, Paron (15), 30, $225
10. Buck Reid, Sherian (5), 30, $200
11. Chuck Sanders, East End (21), 30, $175
12. Blake Jones, Beebe (19), 30, $150
13. Ricky Anderson, Bald Knob (18), 30, $150
14 Jerry Calhoun, Jacksonville (20), 30, $150
15. Emmett Lawson, Sheridan (14), 30, $150
16. Bryce Clark, Conway (13), 30, $150
17. Adam Harris, Benton (10), 30, $150
18. Johnny Brown, Austin (22), 28, $150
19. Shawn Blees, Mountain Pine (8), 21, $150
20. Brad Calhoun, Jacksonville (11), 21, $150
21. Drew Palmer, Alexander (16), 7, $150
22. J.T. Goodson, Little Rock (12), 2, $150
LAP LEADERS Baser 1-20, Bowers 21-30. FRIDAY’S HEAT WINNERS Cook, Armstrong, Reid, Carter. FRIDAY’S QUALIFIER WINNERS Tosh, Hartwick, Baser. SATURDAY’S LAST-CHANCE QUALIFIER WINNERS Reid, Armstrong, Hartwick. SATURDAY’S DASH WINNER Baser.
"All I knew was right away they were on both sides of me," said Jacksonville's David Baser, the leader at the time. "I couldn't go anywhere."
Bowers, who began the lap in third place, powered off turn four to grab the lead and held on to the top spot for the final 10 laps to win the event for the first time.
"I guess we both got a good run on [Baser] at the same time and decided to go after it at the same time," Bowers said.
Baser took the lead from the pole position and held onto it on the low groove of the track throughout the opening 20 laps of the 30-lap event. Bowers had hounded him but had been able to pull alongside just once on the 16th lap, only to see Baser power back to the lead on the backstretch.
"I had been pushing him pretty hard, and he finally left a little too much room on the bottom," Bowers said.
But on a lap-17 restart, Kuykendall jumped to the top groove and passed Bowers for second place. Baser then found himself trying to block Kuykendall on the top groove and Bowers on the bottom.
That eventually led to the wild pass for the lead.
Exiting turn two, Baser drifted up the track in an attempt to slow Kuykendall's momentum. But that allowed Bowers room on the low groove. As Baser moved down to block Bowers, Kuykendall raced to the outside and Bowers was able to pull alongside on the inside.
"Bowers thought he had a chance at the same time I did," Kuykendall said. "But then he was better on the bottom than I was on the top, so he was able to get by both of us."
A lap after the pass, the caution flew when Jerry Calhoun's car blew transmission grease on the high racing groove. At the time, Kuykendall said he thought it would be a position for his chances.
"Usually, when the track slicks over and you get grease on it, the track will take grip," Kuykendall said. "I guess there was too much dust on the track and it kind of slicked over. I didn't really have anything for Bowers after that. I'm not sure I would have anyway."
Bowers has been one of the top modified drivers in central Arkansas for about 20 years but had never managed to win the Scrapp Fox Memorial, one of the region's most prestigious modified events.
"This one has always kind of haunted me," he said. "I think I had finished second in this thing six or seven times."
Kuykendall took second and Alexander's Drew Armstrong finished third. Vilonia's Curtis Cook, the 2009 winner, charged from his 17th starting spot to finish fourth. Baser slid back in the closing laps and finished fifth.
Redfield's Chris Carter spun while in third place on the third lap but battled back to finish sixth. Rounding out the top 10 were Quitman's Brint Hartwick, Salado's Richie Tosh, Paron's Philip Forbush and defending champion Buck Reid of Sheridan.
Sports on 07/20/2015