8/17/2023
Midwest Wingless Racing Association
MWRA Sprints Headline Weld Memorial Friday Night at Lakeside!
KCK: This Friday night August 18th at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas, many of the best sprint car drivers of the Heartland will compete in the Wholesale Batteries USAC MWRA Sprint Car Series for the Weld Memorial.
The Weld Memorial was first run 50 years ago this month in 1973 to honor the late Jerry Weld at the old Lakeside Stadium. Fast forward to 2023 at the present day Lakeside Speedway located just down the road from the original facility where the modern stars of the Heartland will compete for the right to be the champion of the Weld Memorial. Which now also honors the memory of Jerry’s father Taylor “Pappy” Weld, and his brothers Greg, Kenny, and Ricky all who have passed since the original event in 1973.
This latest incarnation of the Weld Memorial has been taking place since 2020 at Lakeside Speedway featuring the MWRA sprint car series which also started that same year. Topeka, Kansas, racer Wyatt Burks driving the WBR 11w won that first MWRA sprint race honoring the Welds, while also taking the crown last season in 2022. In between Lone Jack, Missouri, chauffeur Jack Wagner racing the Hockett Racing /WBR 77 won the 2021 edition running in the event that remembers the first family of KC Racing.
In 2023 both drivers are having great success once again, and will be in attendance for the Weld Memorial. Burks, the 2020, and 2022 MWRA champ is leading the point standings once again, while taking series victories at I-70, US 36, and Lakeside in June. Wagner, meanwhile has put on the wings to win the track championship at Double X Speedway in California, Mo., while also winning the Lawson Memorial at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo. for non winged sprints.
Those previous winners of the Weld Memorial will be favorites, but so will several others, including second place in Midwest Wingless points in 2023 Chris Parkinson of Gladstone, Mo. driving his 65 sprinter. Parkinson, a third generation driver is once again in the thick of the battle for the MWRA championship after finishing 4th place in points in 2020, 3rd place in 2021, and 2nd place in 2022, while currently sitting just five points in the standings in front of the third place driver Brad Wyatt.
Kearney, Missouri, driver, Wyatt running the Valor Racing 41 is having his finest season to date with this USAC series, and like his rival Parkinson will be looking for his first win of the season with the MWRA on Friday night. While rounding out the top five in the point standings are Gladstones Chad Winfrey, and Battlefield, Mo. racer Kory Schudy respectively.
4th place in points Winfrey is having a solid campaign in 2023 after finishing off 2022 with MWRA ROY honors driving for Parkinson Racing in the 65w. And is only 15 points out of second place on “The Road To A Championship” this season. Meanwhile, 2021 MWRA Champion Schudy, driving the Jon Sawyer Racing 28 is running in 5th place in points after winning three of the last four races in the series (including three in a row) before finishing in second place at Nevada Speedway the last time out to Wesley Smith.
Among drivers in the top 10 in points for the MWRA going into Lakeside, 6th place in points Justin Johnson continues to improve in the Johnson Racing 27. As are his competitors 7th place Dakota Earls, 8th place Zach Clark, and 9th place Buddy Parker.
All three of these drivers have had there best results ever in the Midwest Wingless series in 2023. The first time at Lakeside in 2023 Earls finished 2nd place driving the DER 15e, with Clark driving the ZCR 26 to a 2nd place at ECS, and Parker driving the Weld-Parkinson racing machines 93 and 57 to three 8th place finishes.
Drivers of note also scheduled to compete include Luke Howard in the HR 2H, a 4th place finisher his last time out racing at Nevada, and a three-time winner in the series since 2021. 2021 ROY for the MWRA Xavier Doney, a two-time winner in the series previously racing the Doney-Lawson 74, is also coming off a 5th place finish during Indiana Sprint Week at Circle City. With Riley Kreisel, running the DKR 91, a three-time WAR champion, and a previous winner at Lakeside in MWRA competition in 2020. As well as Cody Baker, a two-time winner in the series in points paying races driving for his grandfather Ted Hall in the 9H.
Along with Samuel Wbr Wagner, driving the Wagner Boys Racing/JHR 73, Michael Moore turning the wheels in the “Tijuana Taxi” 21m, the “O-Town Outlaw” Lance Silvers coming from Iowa to run his 7s, A.J. Gilbert, on the gas in the DGR 2G, Kyle Lewis racing the KLR 2, Tom Curran driving the TCR 11x, veteran Chad Tye racing his 88, Garrett Hulsey driving his GHR 88, and making his 2023 debut, Tyler Burton running his beautiful new 03 among others.
Join us Friday Night August 18th at Lakeside Speedway for the Weld Memorial featuring the USAC MWRA Sprint Cars. Pits open at 5pm. Grandstands at 6pm. Hot Laos at 7pm. Racing at 7:30. Or immediately following hot laps.
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Article Credit: Ray Cunningham
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