10/23/2018
NCRA-National Championship Racing Association
SMITH - LEONARD WILL SHARE NCRA LATE MODEL TITLE FOR 2018
David Smith, Jr.
NCRA Public Relations
(405) 740-4769
ncrapress@aol.com
Smith Wins NCRA Late Model Finale, Ties with Leonard for Championship!
Park City, Kansas – October 20, 2018 - Coming into the night’s season finale, current series points leader Dusty Leonard of Marysville, Kansas had a slim forty-point lead over former series champion Delbert Smith and Cory Dumpert. When the dirt settled on the final event on the 2018 season, it was Smith who found victory lane and a share of the season championship as the National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products late model division wrapped up their 35th-consecutive season Saturday night at 81 Speedway in Park City.
Leonard and Smith would start on the front row for the 20-lap championship finale with Smith claiming his third series victory of the season while Leonard would fall to a disappointing tenth place finish. After points were recalculated, it became official as the pair became the second series late model series drivers to become co-champions; which occurred at the end of the 2015 race season when Dan Smith and Chris Kratzer were co-champions. The first series co-championship occurred back in 1995 when Larry Neighbors and Kirby Hagens accomplished this in the limited sprint division.
For Smith, this will be his second-career series late model champion, this happening in 2001. The championship will be the first-career for Leonard.
Three-time and defending tour champion Kratzer came from his ninth starting position to finish second and end up tied in the final point standings with Cory Dumpert, who led the tour with six feature victories on the season.
Smith, Leonard and the rest of the series members who competed in at least 75% of the events will be officially awarded at the series banquet in late January. Date and details will be announced soon.
NCRA Late Models
81 Speedway/Park City, Kansas
October 20, 2018
11 Cars
1st Heat: 1) 92-Delbert Smith, [1]; 2) 92S-Daniel Smith, [2]; 3) 77-Cory Dumpert, [5]; 4) 199-Adam Schrag, [3]; 5) 55-Chris Kratzer, [6]; 6) 7CJimmy Segraves, [4]
2nd Heat: 1) 51X-Les Siebert, [1]; 2) 7D-Dusty Leonard, [5]; 3) 104-Adam Popp, [2]; 4) 70T-Bobby Eubanks, [4]; 5) 18-Tony Foster, [3]
A Feature: 1) 92-Delbert Smith, [2]; 2) 55-Chris Kratzer, [9]; 3) 92S-Daniel Smith, [5]; 4) 77-Cory Dumpert, [4]; 5) 199-Adam Schrag, [8]; 6) 51X-Les Siebert, [3]; 7) 104-Adam Popp, [6]; 8) 7C-Jimmy Segraves, [11]; 9) 70T-Bobby Eubanks, [7]; 10) 7D-Dusty Leonard, [1]; 11) 18-Tony Foster, [10]
(Photos Courtesy of Gary Cornelison)
Submitted By: Mylisa Powers