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(Photo by High Fly’n Photos)

WHEATLAND, Mo. – After another successful weekend behind the wheel of the Jesse Hockett Racing No. 77, Greenwood, Mo. racer Clinton Boyles is set to head back to I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo. on Saturday night. The 20-year-old captured two WAR Sprint Car Series podium finishes over the Mother’s Day Weekend, including a victory at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.

The Lakeside event last Thursday night, dubbed the “KC Klassic,” hosted a bevy of sprint car action, both wing and nonwing, with the ASCS National Tour in action as well as the WAR sprints. Boyles’ night didn’t start as well as he hoped to, dropping one spot in the latter of two heat races to finish in fifth.

For the first time this season, Boyles was starting outside the front three rows, in tenth. With just 25 laps for the feature event, he’d have to rally around the big half-mile oval in a hurry. He wasted no time in doing so, attaining the sixth position on lap five, using the high line to his advantage. An extended battle for the fifth position broke out by the ninth circuit; two well-timed Boyles slidejob attempts entering turn one were successful to take fifth on lap 12 and then the fourth spot two laps later. Soon, Boyles again used the top side of the speedway in the third turn to maneuver past former WAR champ Mitchell Moore into third place, but a car flipping down the front straightaway negated the move. Nonetheless, an identical tactic worked on the restart, and the duo battled for the next two laps before Boyles took the spot for good. The spectacular run continued for the breakout star, with another slider to move into second with six to go. Leader Terry Babb, a winner already this year in WAR action, looked to be in reach, but soon started to pull away. Luckily for Boyles, a car flipping through turn three brought out a red flag with four laps remaining. On the restart, Boyles hung tight with the leader, eventually attempting a slidejob on lap 22. Though the move was unsuccessful, he suspected something was amiss with the leader’s rear axle, and was proved right in the next corner, as the axle broke and sent Babb into the turn two wall. Boyles inherited the lead, and the subsequent caution and restart was fruitless for all challengers, as he led the final three laps en route to the victory. “We were worried that our 360 wouldn’t be able to keep up with some of the 410s here on this big track. We were wrong,” Boyles admitted. “Tim Rowden gives us a great engine package and it got the job done tonight.”

Onto Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., the driver of the No. 77 again put on a passing clinic early in the night, hustling from sixth to win his eight-lap heat race. The impressive field of 32 cars made for a great wingless show all night long in the “Open Wheel Showdown,” featuring wing and nonwing sprints as well as midgets on the card.

The strong heat race run combined with a “0” invert gave Boyles honors to lead the main event field to the green flag for 25 laps. From the start, he extended his lead, and again did so after an early yellow flag. Soon, however, a challenge from Pocahontas, Ill. driver Zach Daum could not be fended off, and Daum took over the top spot on lap eight. Boyles continued to run a strong race, but a late charge from another Illinois racer, Korey Weyant, dropped Boyles to third ahead of the checkered flag. Still the top-finishing driver with a 360ci powerplant, Boyles earned his fifth top-five finish with the WAR series in as many career starts.

Boyles would like to thank Rod End Supply, Rockwell Security, Moon Construction, Lucas Oil, Taylor Cable Products, CNJ Signs and Wraps, and Hinchman Racing Uniforms, as well as his family, friends, fans, and the Jesse Hockett Racing team for their continued support.

Boyles is next scheduled to compete on May 14 at I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo. with the WAR Sprint Car Series in the Jesse Hockett Racing No. 77 410ci wingless sprint entry.

Quick Results

May 5 – Kansas City, KS – 410ci Wingless Sprint – Heat: 5th (4); Feature: 1st (10)
May 7 – Wheatland, MO – 410ci Wingless Sprint – Heat: 1st (6); Feature: 3rd (1)

2016 Stats

10 races, 8 features, 2 wins, 5 podiums, 6 top-fives, 6 top-tens, 1 DNFs

Social Media

Twitter: www.twitter.com/clintonboyles98
Facebook: www.facebook.com/clinton.boyles.5
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