Grain Valley, MO (July 14, 2017) - In the last POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint Car show at Farmington, MO, Joe B. Miller dominated to only be found light at the scales taking away his win. Tonight at the Valley Speedway, Miller got redemption as he passed Zach Daum just past the midway point and went on to his second career win during the first night of Thunder in the Valley.

Zach Daum led the first thirteen laps as Miller challenged him multiple times for the top spot even leading at certain points, but he could not make the pass stick as the duo came across the flag stand. That changed on lap fourteen as Miller got a good run off of the top side and used the momentum to move down in front of Daum as the duo went into turn three.

Miller would go on to his second career WAR win in his SEMO Services/Insight Wildlife Nutrition Speed Shack-powered Maxim. Daum would run second in his Daum Crop Insurance/5D Composites/Bell Helmets/Hinchman Indy Eagle. Running a strong third was Cody Baker in the Ultra-Shield/Hinchman Racewear/Bell Helmets Maxim with Ott power. Wyatt Burks was fourth in the RCB Motorsports/Clem Signs/Bumper to Bumper Maxim with Salina power. Rounding out the top five was Korey Weyant in the Weeble's Bar and Grill/Ealey Transportation/Tosti's Transmission Eagle with Automotive Machine power. Clinton Boyles rebounded from an early spin to come back to sixth as he was followed by Chris Parkinson. Rounding out the top ten were Rob Caho Jr, Ty Hulsey, and Mitchell Moore.

The POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprints will be in action again on Saturday, July 15 at Valley Speedway as they will run the second night of the Thunder in the Valley in Grain Valley, Missouri.

POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprints
7/14/17
Valley Speedway - 29 cars

Hinchman Racewear Heat 1 - 8 laps
1. 5D-Zach Daum, Pocahontas, IL (1); 2. 38-Cody Baker, Lone Jack, MO (6); 3. 77-Clinton Boyles, Greenwood, MO (5); 4. 65-Chris Parkinson, Gladstone, MO (3); 5. 70-Pete Palazzolo, Pacific, MO (4); 6. 8D-Terry Babb, Decatur, IL (7); 7. 82-Vinny Ward, Warrenton, MO (8); 8. 10-Will Register, Green Ridge, MO (2)

Wilwood Disc Brakes Heat 2 - 8 laps
1. 24H-Ty Hulsey, Owasso, OK (3); 2. 78-Rob Caho Jr, Wyoming, MN (6); 3. 41-Brad Wyatt, Kearney, MO (1); 4. 88-Chad Tye, Independence, MO (2); 5. 42-Warren Johnson, Overland Park, KS (5); 6. 93-Steve Mahannah, Springfield, MO (4); 7. 50-Chris Cochran, McLoud, OK (7)-DNF

Bell Helmets Heat 3 - 8 laps
1. 93X-Taylor Walton, Warrensburg, MO (1); 2. 99-Korey Weyant, Springfield, IL (3); 3. 51-Mitchell Moore, Edgerton, KS (2); 4. 27X-Tucker Klaasmeyer, Paola, KS (7); 5. 27-Danny Thoman, Lexington, MO (5); 6. 2-Zach Clark, Lenexa, KS (4); 7. 4F-Chad Frewaldt, Kansas City, KS (6)-DNF

Schure Built Suspensions Heat 4 - 8 laps
1. 51B-Joe B. Miller, Millersville, MO (3); 2. 11W-Wyatt Burks, Topeka, KS (7); 3. 21C-Chris Desselle, Richmond, MO (1); 4. 15B-Quinton Benson, Emma, MO (5); 5. 77H-Rob Hockett, Lone Jack, MO (4); 6. 22S-Slater Helt, Harrisonville, MO (2); 7. 56X-Mark Chisholm, Cheyenne, WY (6)-DNF

B-Main - 12 laps
1. 27-Danny Thoman (2); 2. 50-Chris Cochran (10); 3. 70-Pete Palazzolo (3); 4. 77H-Rob Hockett (4); 5. 42-Warren Johnson (1); 6. 8D-Terry Babb (5); 7. 93-Steve Mahannah (7); 8. 2-Zach Clark (8); 9. 82-Vinny Ward (6); 10. 10-Will Register (11); 11. 22S-Slater Helt (9)-DNF; 12. 4F-Chad Frewaldt (DNS); 13. 56X-Mark Chisholm (DNS)

Grain Valley, MO - Tanner Thorson of Minden, Nevada charged from a seventh place starting position, battling Andrew Felker and Zach Daum for the win, to claim his 15th career victory with the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League in the opening night of the Inaugural Thunder in the Valley.  The Thunder in the Valley featured both the POWRi Lucas Oil West Midget League and the POWRi Lucas Oil Allstar Midget League, alongside the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League.  Thorson's Thunder in the Valley win is his third of 2017. 

Starting on the front row, Zach Daum and Grady Chandler led the field to green after misfortune struck the original pole sitter, Ace McCarthy, forcing an early ending to his night before it had even begun.  Ryan Robinson was set to start outside the front row, but gremlins sent him to the work area during the parade lap and he started at the tail of the field.  At the drop of the green flag, Grady Chandler took the early advantage over Zach Daum.  However, on lap three off turn four, Zach Daum overtook Chandler for the lead with Andrew Felker in tow. 

By lap nine, Valley Speedway saw a new leader with Felker in charge as he ripped past Daum in the middle off turn four.  The action slowed for a caution on lap 11 for Terry Babb and Holly Shelton off turn two, allowing the field to bunch back up.  Lined back up, Felker led Daum, Thorson, and Bayston to green. 

By lap 16, Thorson had moved into the second position past Daum and looked to set his sights on Felker for the lead.  With 21 laps in the books, Thorson over took Felker, rolling the bottom off turn four and sneaking into the lead.  As the lap wound down, Thorson led Daum and Felker to the line.  Spencer Bayston took fourth, while Tucker Klaasmeyer rounded out the top five. 

"There's something about this track that I really take to and a lot of it probably comes from go-karts and being patient on the bottom," stated Tanner Thorson.  "These guys gave me a brand new car.  I was getting worried that I couldn't really win anything and these guys busted out a new car for me and it definitely worked.  Big Al puts a super tune up on the thing every time I'm out there and I'm really happy to be here." 

"With about three to go there, I was fourth," commented Zach Daum.  "I got stuck on the bottom and the bottom went away.  I was just too tight the whole race.  We'll work on it and free it up for tomorrow.  I got beat there and I just thought it was going to slick off there and tightened it up a little bit too much and I should have just left it alone and not second guess myself too much.  Second's not terrible, but it's not great either.  We'll work on it and get it ready for tomorrow."

"Third sucks after getting to the lead," said Andrew Felker.  "I knew we were really good in one and two and probably need to tighten it up in three and four, but we were good enough in one and two to not make any changes and it bit us.  Tanner kind of slowed rolled us down in three and four.  But it's good to be back on the front stretch.  I can't thank AJ enough after we junked a couple of cars and struggled a bit.  His engines are putting out some power.  Everybody keeps talking that you have to have a Toyota, but AJ's building some power with both the Fontana and the Esslinger.  I've got to thank BOSS Chassis for still believing in me.  We've got a good combination going." 

Midgets

Speedway Motors Heat Race Winners: Heat 1: 98 - CLINTON BOYLES, Heat 2: 67 - TANNER THORSON, Heat 3: 28 -ACE MCCARTHY, Heat 4: 37 - ANDREW FELKER, Heat 5: 00 - GRADY CHANDLER

Toyota Semi Feature Winner: 37X - TERRY BABB, 27 - TUCKER KLAASMEYER

Mesilla Valley Transportation Feature Winner: 67 - TANNER THORSON

POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League Feature Results (30 laps): 1. 67 - TANNER THORSON  2. 5D - ZACH DAUM  3. 37 - ANDREW FELKER  4. 97 - SPENCER BAYSTON  5. 27 - TUCKER KLAASMEYER  6. 44 - WESLEY SMITH  7. 71 - RYAN ROBINSON  8. 22 - ANDY MALPOCKER  9. 3N - JAKE NEUMAN  10. 9 - MATT MOORE  11. 97K - JODIE ROBINSON  12. 4A - LOGAN SEAVEY  13. 71K - TANNER CARRICK  14. 67K - HOLLY SHELTON  15. 27Z - ZANE HENDRICKS  16. 28K - KORY SCHUDY  17. 77W - JOEY WIRTH  18. 321 - CHAD WINFREY  19. 3 - DUSTIN GILBERT  20. 00 - GRADY CHANDLER  21. 7JR - JD BLACK  22. 98 - CLINTON BOYLES  23. 37X - TERRY BABB  24. 28 -ACE MCCARTHY  25. 08 - CANNON MICINTOSH

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