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David Smith, Jr.

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Mullens Tames NCRA Modified Field; Point Battle Continues!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Park City, Kansas – October 18, 2014 - Tanner Mullens took the lead with eight laps remaining and held on the rest of the way to claim his first victory of the season as the National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products modified division made their next to last appearance of the season at 81 Speedway in Park City. And while Mullens picked up the $1000 victory, the battle for the 2014 series championship got a little bit tighter and a bit more interesting heading into next weekend’s season finale.

Former five-time tour champion Brian Franz started on the pole for the thirty lap feature and quickly took the lead over outside front row starter Jason McGehee. Only one lap would be complete as McGehee would slow on the track with a flat tire, bringing out the first caution flag of the feature.

Franz would pull away on the restart, only to be slowed three laps later when the caution fell again, this time when Brendon Gemmill got spun in turn two.

Once racing action resumed, Franz stayed at the point and kept the rest of the field behind him before cautions fell on laps 18; 20 and 22 – the last for former two-time tour champion Marc Hurd, who slowed to a stop in turn four. Hurd, who came into the night just a slim ten points out of the point lead, would be credited with a tenth place finish and would fall to third in the point standings, now 45 points out of the lead.

On the lap twenty-two restart, Franz stayed out front but fourth starting Mullens was right on his tail and would take the lead on lap twenty-three. From then on there was no stopping Mullens and he would go on to claim his first series victory of the season.

Twelfth starting Jon Thompson of Superior, Nebraska finished a strong second and would claim the second spot in the standings heading into next weekend’s season finale, just twenty points out of the lead.  Gemmill would rebound from his lap four spin and race back through the field to finish third while current point leader Dan Powers came from his eighteenth starting position to finish fourth. And maintain his point lead.  Franz would settle for a fifth place finish.

The five heat races for the 45 car field were won by Franz, McGehee, Hurd, Mullens and Richard Wilson. The night’s “C” feature was won by Kevin Newell while the two “B” features were won by Kyle Bohleder and Josh Lanterman.

This will now set up the “battle for the championship” night at 81 Speedway next Saturday night, October 25, where Powers, Thompson and Hurd will end their three-way battle for the 2014 NCRA modified championship against what appears to be yet another huge field of modifieds set for the season finale.

NCRA Modifieds

81 Speedway/Park City, Kansas

October 18, 2014

45 Cars

1^st Heat: 1) Brian Franz, 2) Nic Baalman, 3) Dan Powers, 4) Dustin Huehl, 5) Chris Pitts, 6) J.D. Gresham, 7) T.J. Tolan, 8) Tommy Carter, 9) Paden Phillips

2^nd Heat: 1) Jason McGehee, 2) Darren Moses, 3) J.D Choate, 4) Heath Steffen, 5) Cody Gearhart, 6) Jon Thompson, 7) Clay Bontrager, 8) Bryce Schniepp, 9) Carson Mckeen  

3^rd Heat: 1) Marc Hurd, 2) Jase Wedel, 3) Brendon Gemmill, 4) Don Hodge, 5) JR Sandlian, 6) Kirby Robe, 7) Johnny Whitmore, 8) Cuyler Calkin, 9) Kevin Tabor

4^th Heat: 1) Tanner Mullens, 2) Josh Lanterman. 3) Ross Shipman, 4) Dustin Belcher, 5) Clint Smith, 6) Dean Brungardt, 7) Barry Gifford, 8) Gary Kilbourn, 9) Ricky Moyer

5^th Heat: 1) Richard Wilson, 2) Kyle Rohleder, 3) Justin Moler, 4) Tyler Davis, 5) Kenny Sweet, 6) Bill Siemers, 7) Kevin Newell, 8) Zack Suhr, 9) Chris Eveland  

C Feature: 1) Kevin Newell, 2) Tommy Carter, 3) Ricky Moyer, 4) Zack Suhr, 5) Johnny Whitmore, 6) Cuyler Calkin, 7) Gary Kilbourn, 8) Paden Phillips, 9) Kevin Tabor, 10) Chris Eveland, 11) Barry Gifford, 12) Bryce Schniepp, 13) Clay Bontrager, 14) Carson Mckeen

1^st B Feature: 1) Kyle Rohleder, 2) Brendon Gemmill, 3) Jon Thompson, 4) Jase Wedel, 5) Tyler Davis, 6) Kenny Sweet, 7) Don Hodge, 8) Johnny Whitmore, 9) Bill Siemers, 10) Chris Pitts, 11) Kevin Newell, 12) Kirby Robe, 13) Kevin Tabor, 14) Ricky Moyer  

2^nd B Feature: 1) Josh Lanterman, 2) Dustin Belcher, 3) Dustin Huehl, 4) Zack Suhr, 5) Justin Moler, 6) Dean Brungardt, 7) J.D. Gresham, 8) J.R. Sandlian, 9) Tommy Carter, 10) Cuyler Calkin, 11) Paden Phillips, 12) Clint Smith, 13) Heath Steffen, 14) T,J. Tolan, 15) Cody Gearhart