COMP Cams Super Dirt Series
Ark-La-Tex Speedway
June 25, 2011
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Moore in ArkLaTex victory lane again, with Comp Cams win



by Bryan Wimberley
VIVIAN, La. (June 25) - Ray Moore of Haughton, La., continued his victory onslaught, grabbing his seventh win of the season and his second at ArkLaTex Speedway, leading flag-to-flag in the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series. Polestter Moore collected $2,000 for his one-second victory over Kyle Beard of Trumann, Ark., in the 35-lap shootout, at the quarter-mile racetrack.

Moore's biggest career win came on February 26th at ArkLaTex Speedway, when he collected $10,000 in an instant classic, over a talent-laden field. The scorching Moore has eleven top 3's in his last 16 events, including seven wins.

Fifth-starting Kyle Beard rebounded from his worse Comp Cams outing of the year at Sterlington, to finish second at ArklaTex. B.J. Robinson of Blanchard, La., finished third, followed by Brandon Smith of Floral, Ark., in fourth and hard charger, Jon Kirby of Russellville, Ark., went from 19th-to-fifth to complete the top five finishers.

At the jump of the green flag, Moore led, while Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., took second from Stacy Taylor of Jacksonville, Arkansas. Moore continued to show the way, but it was Beard making the early noise, working his way into second place on lap three.

Wallace managed to catch Beard, as the pair ran side-by-side the next lap. Behind them, a three-wide battle to get into the top five ensued, between Morgan Bagley, Curtis Cook and B.J. Robinson. A debris caution on lap 8 would allow everyone to catch their breath a minute.

Moore wasted no time on the restart and build his lead back up to two seconds, with ten laps in the books. As the top five became a little spread out, a pack of cars produced great racing from 6th on back, battling on the multi-groove surface for position. Moore began to hit lapped traffic on lap 13, as Beard ran a preferred inside-to-middle line to close the gap on the lead.

Moore and Beard took a four-second breakaway on third-running Wendell Wallace. That built-up advantage would be taken away, when an equipment failure on Clay Fisher's car caused him to spin in turn two on lap 17.



Brandon Smith of Floral, Ark., would pull to the side of Wallace for third, but Wallace would temporarily hold the position. Smith and Wallace would wage a door-to-door war for third, for nine consecutive laps, with neither driver giving an inch.

With ten to go, the cushion became the favorite way around the track for most of the top five drivers, but Beard was still within striking distance of leader Ray Moore.
       
While running fifth and on the move, Morgan Bagley of Longview, Tex., was reeling in the side-by-side battle of Smith and Wallace.

On lap 34, Beard tried the low line to try to close the distance on Moore, who still stood atop the rim in first. Contact with another car, would give fifth-running Bagley a flat with three laps remaining and bringing out the race's final caution.

A good late-race restart would be key enough to propel Moore in holding off Beard for the victory. Beard was close enough to pounce on the lead if Moore bobbled, but Moore hit his marks and went mistake-free for the win.



Notes: Moore's MB2 Customs Chassis is powered by a Jay Dickens Racing Engine and sponsored by Moore Wireline Inc, tic Tools International, X-Treme Graphics, Smith's Towing and J&J Motorsports.

The win was Moore's 4th in the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series, tying him for fifth all-time with Dusty Johnston, in the five-year old, Arkansas-based series.

Moore has three top 5's in the last four sanctioned Late Model events held at ArkLaTex Speedway, dating back to May 2007.

Moore started dead last in a 7-car heat and raced to within lengths of catching heat winner Kyle Beard, elevating him to pole position for the feature.  

The 21-minute feature ended at 10:24 pm and was slowed by three cautions.

The ArkLaTex Speedway race marked the first sanctioned Late Model event at the facility in three years.

It was the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series fifth time to hold a race in the State of Louisiana and the first ever at ArkLaTex Speedway.

Curtis Cook of Conway, Ark., continues to lead the Kuntz & Company Rookie of the Year standings over Shane Harris, Ian Samuels and Keith Lawson. Cook finished four positions ahead of Harris at ArkLaTex (8th to 12th), expanding his ROTY points advantage.

A big top ten mover, Allen Murray of San Antonio, Tex., went from 12th-to-seventh in his Victory Circle by Stuckey race car. Murray was a first-time winner in the Comp Cams series at Beebe Speedway in April.

Gary Christian of Broken Bow, Okla., came fresh off the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals tour in Granite City, Ill., making the long trip down to Vivian, Louisiana. Christian recorded his best Summernational finish on June 17th, at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisconsin, with a 15th-place finish.

"I am glad I got to experience it, along with Eldora. It was some serious competition up there, but I hated all those (Summernational) rainouts. I am glad to be back around home," Christian explained.

Christian's luck would not improve, as the 17-year old blew a motor in his heat. The No. 58x team went to a backup car and took a provisional after failing to transfer from a consolation race. Christian would pull off early in the feature to finish 19th.

Clay Fisher of Dewiit, Ark., brought out his new MasterSbilt by Stuckey race car for just the fifth time. Fisher looked strong, racing to a close second to Wendell Wallace in his heat. In the feature, Fisher had a dry sump break while running near the top 10, ending his night in 18th.

Ten drivers of the Comp Cams field, also made the feature of the $10k Pelican 100 (out of 48 total entries) in February.  
 
Drivers not making the feature included, Geoff Aiken, Jay Brunson, Chad Dupont, John Klenzing, Keith Lawson, Eric Neal, Chad Patterson and Jim Spurlock.

The Comp Cams Super Dirt Series will have a Fourth of July tripleheader next weekend. The series will first appear on back-to-back nights, July 1st & 2nd, at West Plains (Mo.) Motor Speedway and conclude on July 3rd at Monett (Mo.) Speedway. All three events will be co-sanctioned with the MARS DIRTcar Series.  

A-Main
1 1 93 Ray Moore
2 5 86 Kyle Beard
3 6 R5 Bj Robinson
4 7 115 Brandon Smith
5 19 11K Jon Kirby
6 3 88 Wendell Wallace
7 12 2 Allen Murray
8 8 601 Curtis Cook
9 2 27T Stacy Taylor
10 13 65 Dewaine Hottinger
11 16 85 Ian Samuals
12 17 0H Shane Harris
13 15 115B Trey Beene
14 11 14M Morgan Bagley
15 18 1A Ronny Adams
16 14 C8 Timothy Culp
17 9 5 Jon Mitchell
18 4 99F Clay Fisher
19 20 58X Gary Christian
20 10 1V Johnny Virden

B-Main #1
1 115B Trey Beene
2 0H Shane Harris
3 97 Eric Neal
4 23B Jay Brunson Sr.
5 151 Jim Spurlock
6 16 Geoff Aitken
7 68 John Klenzig

B-Main #2
1 85 Ian Samuals
2 1A Ronny Adams
3 F5 Chad Dupont
4 11K Jon Kirby
5 58X Gary Christian
6 60L Keith Lawson
7 21X Chad Patterson

Heat #1
1 27T Stacy Taylor
2 115 Brandon Smith
3 601 Curtis Cook
4 23B Jay Brunson Sr.
5 0H Shane Harris
6 97 Eric Neal
7 16 Geoff Aitken

Heat #2
1 86 Kyle Beard
2 93 Ray Moore
3 14M Morgan Bagley
4 C8 Timothy Culp
5 115B Trey Beene
6 60L Keith Lawson
7 58X Gary Christian

Heat #3
1 R5 BJ Robinson
2 5 Jon Mitchell
3 65 Dewaine Hottinger
4 2 Allen Murray
5 1A Ronny Adams
6 151 Jim Spurlock
7 68 John Klenzig

Heat #4
1 88 Wendell Wallace
2 99F Clay Fisher
3 1V Johnny Virden
4 85 Ian Samuals
5 11K Jon Kirby
6 F5 Chad Dupont
7 21X Chad Patterson