By Phil Whipple,
RaceOnTexas.com Staff Writer
ENNIS, Texas (Sept. 25, 2021) — Short track veteran Keith White, open-wheel sensation Bradley Bracey and stock car pilot Ken Chamberlain all won features in their respective divisions, as officials presented the inaugural Jimmy Allard Family & Friends Classic on Saturday night at Big O Speedway.
White powered to victory in the 15-lap A Main for Texas Winged Modifieds; Bracey came out on top in the USRA Modified feature, while Chamberlain led every lap of the Factory Stock feature.
Jim Moon (Pro Late Models); Dillon Richards (Thunder Cars); Blake McKenrick (Hornets); Mason Martin (Eco Limited Modifieds); and Michael Bowels (Figure 8) were also feature winners on a night dedicated to one of the finest engine builders to ever assemble a motor in the entire state of Texas.
White, of Academy, Texas, led all 15 laps of a caution-free affair and used lapped traffic to his advantage. Kodey Keimig chased White all race long but settled for second, while Billy Bachmayer filled out the podium. Michael Marusak and Jed Jones completed the top five.
“I knew the top lane was going away pretty quickly,” White said in Victory Lane. “I figured I'd start searching around a little before we hit lapped traffic to see if there was anything else we needed to be doing. Dad always taught me to get through lapped traffic quickly, so that's what I did tonight.”
Finishing sixth through 10th in the Texas Winged Modified A Main were Bob Westmoreland, Shane Butler, David Flanagan, Steve Adrain and Terry White. With no cautions to slow the pace, White was a hard man to run down. The mighty Winged Modifieds are always a thrill to watch at Big O Speedway.
White and Bachmayer won their respective qualifying heats earlier in the evening.
Bracey, of Mabank, Texas, drove to the outside of Richard Brown Jr. on the second lap to take control of his feature and never looked back. Jeff Needham started on the pole in a 14-car grid and finished a strong second, while Brown faded to third in the closing laps.
Dylan Glass and Todd Greeninger finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
“That lapped traffic can be a challenge, but you just have to be patient and get through it,” Bracey said. “This is the first time I've ever won a feature, so I'm pretty happy. Normally, I'm not a patient man, but I was tonight and it all worked out for me. I appreciate everybody who helped me to get here.”
Finishing sixth through 10th in the RenDel RV USRA Modified A Main were Doug Byrns, Steven Gaddis, Michael Svehlak, Chris Hodge and David Gonzales Jr. Only one caution slowed the pace at lap 10 when Svehlak spun his car into the infield. Bracey's margin of victory was a slim 1.081 seconds.
Needham and Byrns picked up qualifying heats wins earlier in the evening's program.
Chamberlain, of Jacksonville, Texas, led all 15 laps of the caution-free Factory Stock title in dominant fashion. Local favorite Christopher Watson, of Ennis, chased Chamberlain in the closing laps but crossed the line in second, while Collin Hodges (Wells, TX) filled out the podium.
Michael Bowles and Nate Dixon finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
“It helped to have such a good racing surface,” Chamberlain said. “This track is always one of the smoothest tracks in the state of Texas, and it's consistent every week. I want to thank my wife and my son for everything they did to help me get this car ready. I couldn't do this without their support.”
Finishing sixth through 10th in the Ruston Cattle Company USRA Factory Stock A Main were Colton Tanner, Michael Marusak, Mike Massey, Josh Williams and Rodger Chaney. Bowels and Marusak each won a qualifying heat earlier in the evening.
Jimmy Allard, the man honored on Saturday evening at Big O, has made a major impact on the sport of dirt track racing, having developed the 305 cubic inch engines now so widely used in Sprint car racing. After three straight years of rain ruining the party, the Jimmy Allard race finally came together.
You can replay all of the action from Saturday night's exciting show at Big O Speedway with a subscription to SpeedPass at RaceOnTexas.com. With over 100 event s streamed Live in 2021, it's the best value in online short track racing entertainment. Support your local track and subscribe today.
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