This year's "Firecracker Forty" had great weather after last week's heat streak ended just in time for this July 2nd big event. It made for a very comfortable night for the large crowd of something over 1100 in the grandstand watching the 115 competing race teams, and also the big fireworks display that followed the A-mod feature. This 40-lap event is the fastest class of cars that run regularly at 24 Raceway in Moberly, and sponsored for the second year by L & J Development, Inc. of Moberly, MO. And this year, the race was dedicated as a tribute to Oscar White, long-time push truck driver who passed away this last winter. The same white 1965 Ford pickup, used by Oscar to push cars along at the track for all, but the first race in late 1988, even had a fresh coat of paint for this night's big race. It's still a fixture at the track and now is being operated by Oscar's son Thomas.
 

  The 29 A-modified teams that came to compete for the $1000 1st place prize money, mixed it up for the 'Firecracker 40" in three heats, used to qualify the starting position. The format was for the top six places of each of the three heats to automatically make the feature, and the remaining 11 cars to try to make it into the 40-lap event by finishing in the top six positions of a "second chance" Consey race. That provided a starting grid of 24 extremely competitive racecars for the feature.

  The pole winner for the 2005 version of the Firecracker Forty was consistent front-runner Brandon Lennox of New London in the white 17-car with green/orange trim work. Outside row 1 was Vance Wilson of Frankford, Mo, now driving the 22c-car. Row 2 starters were Mike Chasteen of Creve Coeur, IL (just south of Peoria) in his own C40-car, and the 85D of Mark Dotson from Cameron, a two-time winner in the A-mod race here this season. On the drop of the green flag, Chasteen just blasted into the lead through the first two turns to lead Lennox to the line on lap 1. On the 2nd lap, Hannibal's Bill Baker checked up on the back stretch and left the 85 of Matt Dotson nowhere to go. The 85 car had to lock 'em up and spin to avoid contact, causing the 1st yellow condition. By lap 4, the 03-car of Baker got into the turn 4 wall, breaking the front suspension, calling for yellow flag no. 2, just as Hank Delonjay moved his familiar red & white #35 into 3rd, behind Lennox and race leader Chasteen. The C-40 led a field of fast front-runners for quite a while, until on lap 11, the group started coming into the back of the pack. By lap 17, slower traffic held up Chasteen enough for Wilson to make a move for the lead. But with the 30-car of Keith Davis getting into the inside wall, caution no. 3 came out to keep Chasteen out in front of the now 2nd place Wilson. With racing back underway, Chasteen remained in the lead until on lap 22, when Wilson's 22c-car claimed the position from him. A 4th caution earlier on lap 21 set up a pre-negotiated race-stopping red flag in the event of 4 cautions. So, from a turn 1 spin by the 18-car of Michael Long and the slowing of the 24v of Mark VanWinkle, the red flag was given to allow the racers remaining to re-fuel on the front stretch. With the restart, Wilson remained in front of Chasteen, and a lap later on lap 25, Delonjay got his car into 2nd position. Columbia's Scotty Roberts was running in 4th by this time and last week's winner Mark Dotson in 5th. Racing ran uninterrupted from this point until with Wilson holding onto 1st with only 4 laps to go, when Delonjay and the L75 of Sturgeon's Eddie Whitney got into it in turn 4. This brought out the 5th and final yellow of the race, as these two were vying for the same space on the track, and knocked them both out of contention. From the restart, it was Wilson all the way to the finish, with some hard challenging from Chasteen and Roberts. Vance Wilson returned to the winner's spot in only his 2nd time back at 24 Raceway this season, after a 2nd place finish just two weeks ago. With his return to the modifieds, Wilson said he has plans to run at this facility at least twice a month for the 2nd half of this 2005 season. This Saturday night was a nice start for him.
 

  In other races at 24 Raceway for the evening, 15 Sportsman cars kicked off their race with the always competitive Pete Agee's #14 and Jeff Creed's #01 on the front row. Agee led the 1st 2 laps, crossing the line even with the #12 contender, Cairo's Clinton Dale. By lap 4, Dale was into 1st and remained there for the remainder of the race, through two cautions. On lap 7, Creed had edged out Agee for 2nd position and finished there. Darin Boling of Clarence finished in 3rd ahead of Agee, after getting around him on the green-white-checkers lap 10 restart. Dale had to lead some heavy hitters to the finish line to win this one. Fastest front-stretch run timed at 81 mph.

  The A-modified consey race followed with a field of 11 cars that failed to place above 7th in their respective heats. Cecil Graves of Fulton started his red & yellow #14 on the outside front row and went onto the win for transfer into the main event. Second place finisher Bill Baker of Hannibal in the 03 exchanged positions with the 30-car of Columbia's Keith Davis on the white flag lap, who then came in 3rd.
 

  The Moberly Motors B Modified race saw Kirksville's Kelly Smith start his #82 on the inside of row 2, after winning the last three B-mod events here. Bob Woodrow had the pole with his green #3 car, alongside the 17-car of Chris Leathers of Macon. But Smith did not take much time to charge into the lead, as he led from the 1st lap. Woodrow ran 2nd in front of Leathers for the first ten laps, until the only caution of the race came from the locked-up rear end of the 20-car Macon's Tony Garner, needing a tow from the front stretch. A green-white-checkers finish saw Smith start off the month of July with the same winning attitude he had from winning all of the June B-mod races. Kevin Embree of Paris brought his #61 in at 4th behind Woodrow, who finished 2nd, and Leathers. Fastest front-stretch run timed at 83 mph.
 

  Kevin Renzelmann of Moberly in his #41, and Alan Hultz in his #51 from Madison made up the front row of the Hobby Stock class of the 21 starters. Renzelmann led lap 1, but by the 2nd lap, both Hultz and also, Clinton Dale were charging past, just as the #207-car of Rob Sanders began a fluid lead from turn 1 to the back strectch pit entrance. This set up a restart of Renzelmann and Hultz, and by lap 4, Hultz and the #7-car of Dale's were back to 1st and 2nd. Renzelmann did not give up on the race, as he came back to lead parts of some following laps. In the end, it was one tight race, with the win going to Hultz in his red & yellow racecar. Dale finished 2nd, just ahead of Renzelmann. Fastest front-stretch run timed at 79 mph.

  With a front row consisting of the 24/7 car of Moberly's David Lorton, and the 11-car of Hallsville's Adam Melloway, 24 Hornets took their cars to the track. The three front runners, throughtout this tight field of racing in this 4 cylinder, front-wheel drive class besides Lorton, were the 22-car of Josh Langhammer and the 25-car of Kenny Edwards, both of Columbia. These three drove as if they were stuck together for most of the race, with Edwards securing the 2nd position from Langhammer by lap 4, and following Lorton. Lorton still led as they came back to racing after one of those multi-car wrecks in turn 2 that this class is known for. But by lap 11, Edwards went into the lead over Langhammer in some of the best racing this class has produced this season. Edwards won for the second time this year in his rookie season. Fastest front-stretch run timed at 67 mph.
 

  Those of you in attendance may have noticed the radar gun being used  on the front stretch at the beginning of turn 1 by co-owner Jerry Milnes  (also, the birthday boy for the night). The lap speeds from Saturday night's use is listed at the end of each class's article. A-modifieds were clocked at about 94 to 95 mph from the strongest performers of the  night's main event.

  A special welcome to the Alpha 110 Missouri National Guard unit from Moberly in attendance this last Saturday night, and a thank you for the Hummer pace vehicle that led off each of the features on their parade laps. And congratulations go out to both Pete Agee (Huntsville driver of the #14 Sportsman) and his new spouse on their Sunday, July 3rd wedding, and  to Alan and Rebecca Bergfield of Columbia (owners of the #73 Sportsman) on the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth Ann, on Monday June 27.

  Most of the large crowd of fans stuck around to watch the fireworks display that took place right after the Firecracker Forty, furnished by J & M Displays out of Yarmouth, Iowa. Plenty of oohs and ahhs were heard throughout the stands. Dunivent Motors of Moberly sponsored The Jr. Race Fan Club bicycle give-away this week and the bike winner was four year-old Nathaniel Goff of Mexico. The 50/50 drawing winner was Dale Hassler of Hallsville, picking up a cool $334, and this is after an earlier win this season by Hallsville's Pam Hassler. As we have said  in the past, give us a Saturday night to come out and enjoy the racing program, and next week just might be your turn at the lucky ticket number.