Larry Raines Wins
the World Cup 300 At I-70 Speedway
Odessa, MO (October 9, 2004) - After 300 laps, 162.9 miles, 2 hours
and 18 minutes of racing, Larry Raines beat Chris Gabehart to the line
by .096 of a second to win the World Cup 300 Saturday night at I-70
Speedway in Odessa, Missouri, the first ever World Cup 300 sanctioned by
the Sunoco Super Series and the O’Reilly Southern All Star Racing
Series. Raines, a veteran late model racer from Cumming, Georgia, used
his tires very carefully through out the event, making sure he had
plenty left at the end. He needed all the tires he could get, just
beating a hard charging
Gabehart to the line for the win.
"I ran as hard as I could without killing my tires."
Raines stated, "They were starting to go there at the end, but we kept
just enough. It is really awesome to win this great event, I want to
thank the McDonald family for having us come race at their great
racetrack!"
Gabehart, the current Rookie Of The Year points leader
with the Sunoco Super Series, finished second, veteran Chicago area
racer Biff George finished third after losing his brakes with 200 laps
to go. Sunoco Super Series veteran racer Eddie Van Meter finished
fourth, followed by Colorado’s Jim Sikes Jr. in fifth.
The race was very competitive from the start with
Corteco Fast Qualifier Ryan Mathews taking the early lead from his pole
starting position, staying in front for the first 88 laps. Gabehart
grabbed the lead for one lap when Mathews got caught up with lap
traffic, only to be passed in a great move by Jeff Lane on the next lap.
Mathews was forced from the contest on lap 120 with a broken wheel.
Lane lead until lap 149 when he and the rest of the
leaders except Biff George pitted for fuel and tires during one of the
eight yellow flags
dropped
during the 300 lap race. By staying on the track George took over the
lead and held it for 8 laps.
Eddie Hoffman was the first of the leaders to get back
on the track due to the quick work of his veteran pit crew, followed by
Raines, Gabehart, Lane and Van Meter. Hoffman chased down George on his
fresh tires and took the lead on lap 159.
On lap 170 a slow car on the track forced the leaders
to check up, Lane was bumped and as he spun down into the infield he hit
the safety barriers knocking his rear end out and forcing him to retire
for the evening.
Hoffman held the lead on the restart, building it into
a full straightaway lead when his right front a-frame broke going into
the third turn throwing him up into the wall and ending his night.
Gabehart inherited the lead, which he gave up by pitting on lap 206. He
and Raines pitted, with Raines beating him back onto the track because
of the great work of his crew, which earned Raines the Sweet
Manufacturing Sweet Move of the Race Award.
Van Meter elected not to pit in order to take the
lead. Van Meter took off on the restart, building a sizeable lead and
running very well until he started to have problems with a low battery,
which was causing the motor to miss badly. Raines and Gabehart both
passed the wounded Van Meter racecar. Gabehart stayed close behind
Raines, working his way through the lapped traffic to keep in sight of
the race leader.
As the laps drew to a close, Gabehart made his move
pulling up to the rear bumper of Raines’s car, trying to make several
moves to get by Raines both on the outside and the inside before finally
getting a chance to get inside as they were coming out of turn four for
the checkered flag. Gabehart finished with his front wheels even with
Raines rear wheels in a very exciting finish.
The Lane Automotive/ISKY Racing Cams Hard Charger
Award went to Sam Payne who moved up from his twenty-fourth starting
position to finish seventh. The Holley Performance Award went to race
winner Larry Raines. The Muller Motorsports/ARP Stock Car Bodies
Performance Award went to local I-70 Speedway racer Ron Myers, whose
named was pulled from the starting field of cars prior to the start of
the World Cup 300.
The next Sunoco Super Series event is the Sunoco 125
Presented By Angola Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 17 at Baer Field
Speedway in Fort Wayne, Indiana. For more information
click here.
