MEMPHIS, Mo. -- The Pepsi Scotland County Speedway finally got the 2006 season started Saturday after Mother Nature rained out the first five scheduled nights of racing. Taking home feature wins on the evening were Tony Fraise (Bentz GM Country USRA Modifieds), Zack VanderBeek (USRA Stock Cars), Tony Dunker (Toni Dunker Farm Marketing USRA B-Modifieds), Nathan Wood (USRA Hobby Stocks) and Jeff Soper (Outlaw Hobby Stocks).

Before the night started, the drivers took there helmets through the crowd to take a collection for the family of Bleu Taylor. Taylor was taken by a heart attack during practice day at the Speedway on April 8. He left behind a wife and a 10-month-old baby, along with another one on the way. The crowd at Memphis was very generous as over $1,500 was collected for his family.

The Bentz GM Country USRA Modified feature was the first of the evening. Charles Baker and Zack VanderBeek led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 20-lap event, and VanderBeek took advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1. VanderBeek built a sizable lead until a caution on lap 9. On the restart, Tony Fraise -- the 2005 track champion who started 10th -- slipped under VanderBeek coming out of turn 2 to grab the top spot. Fraise then held off VanderBeek over the final 10 laps to claim his first win of 2006 at Memphis. Michael Long came home in third, while fourth went to Kevin Peters, with Ryan Meyer rounding out the top 5. Fraise and Meyer picked up the heat race wins.

Nathan Wood took home the checkers in the new 9:1-compression-powered USRA Hobby Stock class at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway. Bill Gibson and Wood led the field to the start of the 12-lap feature, with Wood grabbing the top spot on lap 1. Wood led all 12 laps to pick up the feature win. Jason McDaniel came home second, Mike Shelton was third, Gibson fourth and Daniel Robbins came home fifth. Heat race winners were McDaniel and Wood.

Up next was the 18-lap USRA Stock Car feature. Chris Wibbell and 2005 track champion Jason Cook started on the front row for the event, with Cook moving out front on lap 1. Cook, Colt Mather and Zack VanderBeek, who started seventh, battled three-wide for the top spot throughout the first half of the feature. VanderBeek grabbed the advantage on lap 9 using the bottom of the speedway, then held on for his first win of 2006 at the track. Cook held on for second, Mather was third and Matt Greiner was fourth, with Bobby Greiner Jr. completing the top 5. Mather and VanderBeek claimed wins in the heat races.

Jeff Waterman and Brandon Symmonds took the Toni Dunker Farm Marketing USRA B-Modifieds to the drop of the green in their 18-lap feature. Waterman moved into the lead on lap 1 with Jim Gillenwater, who started seventh, moving quickly up to second. Gillenwater slipped underneath Waterman on lap 2 to take over the top spot. Gillenwater continued to lead as Tony Dunker, who started ninth, and Jack Evans Jr., who came from 17th, moved up to put pressure on him. Dunker took advantage of a restart on lap 14 to grab the lead away from Gillenwater, then held off Evans Jr. over the final four laps to claim his first win of 2006 at Memphis. Joe Hooper came home third and Jerry Poor was fourth, with Gillenwater coming from the rear after a lap-14 spin to take home fifth. Heat race wins went to Gillenwater and Hooper.

The USRA-sanctioned Outlaw Hobby Stocks had to be the best feature on the evening, as the lead was exchanged six times within the first 14 laps. Adam Birck and Jeff Soper started the 18-lap feature on the front row, with Birck grabbing the lead at the drop of the green. Jeff Soper, who was working the bottom of the speedway, slipped under Birck, who was working the top side, on lap 5 to take the lead. But Birck came back on the next lap to take the top spot back, that would only last until the next lap. As Soper slipped back by Birck to take the lead back, he and Birck ran side by side for the next six laps before Birck took a slight advantage on lap 13. But Soper wouldn't give up, as he slipped under Birck on the next lap to take the top spot again. Soper then held on for the final four laps to pick up his first win of 2006. Brian Clark came home in second, Josh Soper was third, Birck held on for fourth and Jim Lynch rounded out the top 5. Josh Soper, Dresden and Jeff Soper each picked up heat race wins.

Coming up next week at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway will be another regular night of racing, as the battling for USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series points continues. Gates will open at 4 p.m., with hot laps at 6:15 and racing at 6:30. Tickets are $9 while Juniors (13-18) & Seniors (62+) are $7, kids (6-12) are $3 and children under 6 are admitted FREE.

The Pepsi Scotland County Speedway is located 1.0 mile west of Memphis on US 136 to SR 15, then east (at the Scotland County Fairgrounds). For more information call the track hotline at (660) 465-8948.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS

USRA Casey's General Stores Championship Series

Kirksville Brake & Muffler Night

Pepsi Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, Mo.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

BENTZ GM COUNTRY USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat 1: 1. 45-Tony Fraise, Donnellson, Iowa; 2. 33z-Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa; 3. 18-Michael Long, Quincy, Ill.; 4. 105-Kevin Peters, Monmouth, Ill., 5. 71-David Holder, Clarence; 6. 20-Jared Durbin, Ft. Madison, Iowa; 7. 7R-Jerry Pilcher, Ottumwa, Iowa; 8. 14-Tyler Cale, Donnellson, Iowa; 9. 05-David Wietholder, Liberty, Ill.; 10. 5s-Dave Snyder, Greentop.

Heat 2: 1. 82M-Ryan Meyer, Liberty, Ill.; 2. 24v-Mark VanWinkle, Hannibal; 3. 0-Ron Gough, Monroe City; 4. 29-Dennis Elliott, Mt. Ayr, Iowa; 5. 9-Charles Baker, LaBelle; 6. 12-Bob Dale, Gorin; 7. 7x-Tommy Elston, Keokuk, Iowa; 8. 5-Tim Sands, Conesville, Iowa; 9. 91M-Jerry Mullenix, Unionville.

Feature: 1. 45-Fraise; 2. 33z-VanderBeek; 3. 18-Long; 4. 105-Peters; 5. 82M-Meyer; 6. 7R-Pilcher; 7. 24v-VanWinkle; 8. 29-Elliott; 9. 71-Holder; 10. 7x-Elston; 11. 12-Dale; 12. 20-Durbin; 13. 0-Gough; 14. 5-Sands; 15. 91M-Mullenix; 16. 9-Baker; 17. 14-Cale; 18. 05-Wietholder; 19. 5s-Snyder.

USRA STOCK CARS

Heat 1: 1. 8-Colt Mather, Webster, Iowa; 2. 29-Matt Greiner, Washington, Iowa; 3. 99-Bobby Greiner Jr., Ottumwa, Iowa; 4. 27J-Jason Cook, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; 5. 6s-Jody Small, Rutledge; 6. 7A-Troy Alexander, Memphis; 7. 26-Greg Harsch; 8. 04-Steve Steinkuhler, Camp Point, Ill..

Heat 2: 1. 33z-Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa; 2. 27R-Ryan Cook, West Point, Iowa; 3. 52-Chris Wibbell, Dallas City, Ill.; 4. 95-Jeremy Hamlin; 5. 11-Mark Holt, Memphis; 6. c4-Dave Warner; 7. 30c-Abe Huls, Carthage, Ill.; 8. 55H-Brandon Elenbaas, Memphis.

Feature: 1. 33z-VanderBeek; 2. 27J-J.Cook; 3. 8-Mather; 4. 29-M. Greiner; 5. 99-B. Greiner Jr.; 6. 11-Holt; 7. 52-Wibbell; 8. 6s-Small; 9. 95-Hamlin; 10. 27R-R. Cook; 11. 7A-Alexander; 12. 55H-Elenbaas; 13. c4-Warner; 14. 26-Harsch; 15. 30c-Huls; 16. 04-Steinkuhler.

TONI DUNKER FARM MARKETING USRA B-MODIFIEDS

Heat 1: 1. 10-Jim Gillenwater, Keokuk, Iowa; 2. 17-Chris Leathers, Macon; 3. 86-Jerry Poor, Novelty; 4. 7s-Brandon Savage, Keokuk, Iowa; 5. 39-Brandon Symmonds, Keokuk, Iowa; 6. 88s-Jerry Shoemaker, Kirksville; 7. 7-Josh Larson, Keokuk, Iowa; 8. 11s-John Shaffer, Memphis; 9. 00-Jack Evans Jr., Keokuk, Iowa.

Heat 2: 1. 1-Joe Hooper, Mendon, Ill.; 2. 71-Jeff Waterman, Quincy, Ill.; 3. 4-Tony Dunker, Quincy, Ill.; 4. ko99-Kelly O'Haver, Kirksville; 5. 13-Michael Browning, Edina; 6. 38-Tom Bowen, LaBelle; 7. 44H-Gordon Hudson, Arbela; 8. 14-Jeremy Baker, Canton; 9. 27-Jesse Garrett, Moravia, Iowa.

Feature: 1. 4-Dunker; 2. 00-Evans Jr.; 3. 1-Hooper; 4. 86-Poor; 5. 10-Gillenwater; 6. 71-Waterman; 7. ko99-O'Haver; 8. 88s-Shoemaker; 9. 27-Garrett; 10. 38-Bowen; 11. 39-Symmonds; 12. 17-Leathers; 13. 13-Browning; 14. 7s-Savage; 15. 14-Baker; 16. 11s-Shaffer; 17. 7-Larson; 18. 44H-Hudson.

USRA HOBBY STOCKS

Heat 1: 1. 85-Jason McDaniel, Eldon, Iowa; 2. 16-Mike Shelton, Ottumwa, Iowa; 3. 8UP-Daniel Robbins, Greentop; 4. 34H-Chris Hudson, Memphis.

Heat 2: 1. 52-Nathan Wood, Sigourney, Iowa; 2. 38-Bill Gibson, Knoxville, Iowa; 3. 2k-Derek Kirkland, Centerville, Iowa; 4. 8R-Clayton Robbins, Liberty.

Feature: 1. 52-Wood; 2. 85-McDaniel; 3. 16-Shelton; 4. 38-Gibson; 5. 8UP-D. Robbins; 6. 34H-Hudson; 7. 8R-C. Robbins; 8. 2k-Kirkland.

OUTLAW HOBBY STOCKS

Heat 1: 1. 8s-Josh Soper, Kahoka; 2. 88-Brian Clark, Kahoka; 3. 25c-Ryan Crandall, Braslear; 4. 12B-Jessie Buss, Quincy, Ill.; 5. 2T-Beau Taylor, Canton; 6. 24J-Justin Hamilton, Hamilton, Ill.; 7. 23-Jimmy Hooper, Wyaconda.

Heat 2: 1. 1-Rodger Dresden, Keokuk, Iowa; 2. 4L-Jim Lynch, Donnellson, Iowa; 3. 47-Tim Pettibone, Moravia, Iowa; 4. 20-Keith Reed, Fowler, Ill.; 5. 6s-Earl Six, Keokuk, Iowa; 6. 29-Rick Hutcherson; 7. 34H-Dave Hudson, Memphis.

Heat 3: 1. 43s-Jeff Soper, Kahoka; 2. 3-Michael St. Clair, Kahoka; 3. 89-Brian Howerton, Edina; 4. 12-Adam Birck, Canton; 5. 80c-Kevin Cheney, Quincy, Ill.; 6. 11B-Jeremy Buss, Quincy, Ill..

Feature: 1. 43s-Jeff Soper; 2. 88-Clark; 3. 8s-Josh Soper; 4. 12-Birck; 5. 4L-Lynch; 6. 2T-Taylor; 7. 47-Pettibone; 8. 89-Howerton; 9. 3-St. Clair; 10. 80c-Cheney; 11. 23-Hooper; 12. 12B-Jessie Buss; 13. 25c-Crandall; 14. 20-Reed; 15. 6s-Six; 16. 29-Hutcherson; 17. 24J-Hamilton; 18. 1-Dresden; 19. 11B-Jeremy Buss; 20. 34H-Hudson.