7/28/2024
Sooner Late Model Series
Kirby turns the tables on Stuckey, picks up victory at Tri-State
By John Rittenoure
POCOLA, Okla. (July 27, 2024) - Friday night Clayton Stuckey passed Jon Kirby with five laps remaining to win the APEX Healthcare Partners Sooner Late Model main event. Saturday Kirby got payback when he passed Stuckey with 10 laps remaining to win at Tri-State Speedway,
When the 20-lap main event took the green Kirby raced into an early lead over Stuckey. But when the yellow waved on lap 9 that all changed. Stuckey shot into the lead on the restart.
“He was leading then on that caution I just did not fire off very good,” Kirby said of the restart.
But Kirby did not give up and battled back into the lead on lap 15,.
“Me and Clay were fighting for the lead,A” Kirby said. “He is an awesome driver and treats me clean so that is always good. When he got around me I was trying not to hurt him. I thought I was a little faster, but it all worked out.
“I felt like I could hug the bottom a little bit better than him. It seemed like he was trying to drift a bit coming out of the corner. I had just a hair more coming off.”
Finishing behind the two was Willie Gammill who came from sixth to claim third. Jarret Stuckey was fourth and Eli Ross rounded out the top five and moved into the points runner-up spot behind points leader Zach Nickell.
Sooner Late Model Series Results
Tri-State Speedway - Pocola, Oklahoma
July 27, 2024
APEX Healthcare Partners A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 11-Jon Kirby[1]; 2. 15-Clayton Stuckey[5]; 3. 7-Willie Gammill[6]; 4. 17-Jarret Stuckey[2]; 5. 66-Eli Ross[15]; 6. 229-Damian Patocka[4]; 7. 65-Zach Nickell[9]; 8. 16-Geoff Aitken[8]; 9. 81-Troy Bynum[10]; 10. 88S-Richard Shepler[13]; 11. 1-Terry Henson[11]; 12. 27X-Ron Brown[12]; 13. 84-Gary Kilbourn[16]; 14. 13-Derrick Nichols[3]; 15. 32P-Wesley Hamilton[17]; 16. 22P-Eric Perry[14]; 17. (DNS) 9-Joseph Gorby
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 17-Jarret Stuckey[3]; 2. 11-Jon Kirby[2]; 3. 15-Clayton Stuckey[7]; 4. 9-Joseph Gorby[6]; 5. 65-Zach Nickell[4]; 6. 1-Terry Henson[1]; 7. 88S-Richard Shepler[5]; 8. 22P-Eric Perry[8]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 13-Derrick Nichols[4]; 2. 229-Damian Patocka[1]; 3. 7-Willie Gammill[9]; 4. 16-Geoff Aitken[5]; 5. 81-Troy Bynum[6]; 6. 27X-Ron Brown[7]; 7. 32P-Wesley Hamilton[8]; 8. 66-Eli Ross[3]; 9. (DNS) 84-Gary Kilbourn??
Lap Leaders: 1-9 Jon Kirby, 10-14 Clayton Stuckey, 15-25 Jon Kirby. ?
Margin of victory: 1.857.
2024 Winners: 4/6 - Kip Hughes, Enid Speedway; 4/13 - Jon Herring, Jr., Beaver County Raceway; 5/11 - Joe Godsey, Caney Valley Speedway; 5/17 - Kip Hughes, Longdale Speedway; 5/18 - Eli Ross, Oklahoma Sports Park; 5/26 - Geoff Aitken, Crawford County Speedway; 6/8 - Brandon Conkwright, 81 Speedway; 6/28 - Hudson O’Neal, Thunderbird Speedway; 6/29 - Brett Hansen, Salina Highbanks Speedway; 7/5 - Kip Hughes, Beaver County Raceway; 7/6 - Eli Ross, Enid Speedway; 7/26 - Clayton Stuckey, Thunderbird Speedway; 7/27 - Jon Kirby, Tri-State Speedway.
2024 Top 10: 1. Zach Nickell, 4725; 2. Eli Ross, 4590; 3. Dakota Dillinger, 4210; 4. Troy Bynum, 3940; 5. Dalon Helm, 3455; 6. Kip Hughes, 3220; 7. Ron Brown, 3105; 8. Damian Patocka, 2755; 9. Richard Shepler, 2250; 10. Gary Kilbourn, 2220.
Sooner Late Model Series
The Sooner Late Model Series was formed in 2016 by Enid Speedway co-promoter Mark Brill. Brill felt there was not many opportunities for late model competitors to race in Oklahoma and the Sooner Late Model Series was formed. Now the series has grown beyond the borders of Oklahoma with events held in the neighboring states of Kansas, Texas and Arkansas.
APEX Healthcare Partners
Specializing in Multidisciplinary Care Across Specialties, at APEX Healthcare Partners, a team of skilled and experienced providers, therapists, and support staff work together to provide personalized and compassionate care for patients with spinal and neurological conditions in Oklahoma City and the surrounding areas.
Article Credit: John Rittenoure