Rick Moss captured the WMRA/McCoy Enterprises season opener at State Central Speedway in Ephrata, WA on Sunday afternoon.  Spence Gatrell, driving the Ridgecrest Homes, Pro Fab, Moreland Oil, Hawk/Gaerte led the first twenty-three laps before Moss, in the Zakula Beal Auctioneers, Beast/Pink Ford was able to take the lead with an inside pass exiting turn four.  Scott Walker, in the Shy’s Pizza, Hall Chevrolet, Beast/Gaerte was also able to get by Gatrell but was unable to mount a charge on Moss who took the checkered by four car lengths over Walker with Gatrell finishing third.

As the field lined up for the pace lap, outside front row starter, Skeeter Flake developed engine problems and decided to start at the rear of the field allowing the outside starters to all move up a row.  With the new front row of Rob Lindsey and Gatrell, the eighteen-car field took the green with Gatrell taking the advantage exiting turn two.  Steve Spoor was right on Lindsey’s tail with Ben Petter and Moss side by side down the back straight.  The first yellow waved when Evan Margeson spun down the front straight.  For the restart, the order was Gatrell, Lindsey, Spoor, Petter and Moss.  The top five were running nose to tail with the side by side action farther back in the pack.  On lap three, Flake decided that his engine problems were too severe to continue and exited.  Moss and Petter were putting on a show for the fans with Moss finally using the high line to take fourth on lap four.  On lap five, Moss was able to use the high line again to pass Spoor exiting turn four.  Entering turn one, Spoor had to pinch the car and spun to a stop bringing out another caution.   For the restart the running order was Gatrell, Lindsey, Moss, Petter and Matt Stone with Ken Ferris, Walker, Kevin Wood, Breanna Lopez and Nick Seidelman rounding out the top ten.  On the restart Gatrell moved to a small advantage over Lindsey but the yellow waved before the lap was complete when the front suspension broke on Bobby Bird’s car, ending his day.  While under the caution, Nick Seidelman exited with engine woes.  When the green waved, Moss began working on Lindsey.  It took three laps of trying both high and low before Moss was able to get past Lindsey exiting turn four.  By now, Gatrell had built up about a eight-car length advantage.  Farther back in the pack, Walker was making his move to the front and was up to sixth behind Matt Stone by lap nine.  On lap ten, Stone tried to use the high side to pass Petter but made contact with Petter's right rear, launching him off the track for another yellow.  Under the yellow, Lindsey exited with mechanical problems and rookie, Dallas Melby, called it a day with engine difficulties.  Stone was able to rejoin the back of the field.  For the lap eleven restart, the running order was Gatrell, Moss, Stone, Walker and Tony Seidelman.  On the restart, Gatrell immediately jumped to a six-car length advantage over Moss with Walker patiently working on Petter.  On lap fifteen, Walker got under Petter for third entering turn three as Ferris was taking the fifth spot from T. Seidelman.  As the laps passed, Moss began reeling in Gatrell and by lap twenty, the top three were nose to tail.  Moss looked to the outside a couple of times but could not find enough traction.  Finally on lap twenty-three, Moss was able to get under Gatrell entering turn three with Walker following in his tracks.  On lap twenty-five the yellow came out again when Margeson spun exiting turn four.  For the restart, the running order was Moss, Walker, Gatrell, Petter and Lopez, up from seventeenth starting position.  The final caution waved a lap later when Spoor got loose and spun entering turn one.  When the green waved again, Moss was able to hold his advantage over Walker and Gatrell. Lopez was able to get under Petter for fourth on lap thirty-three.  As the checkered fell, Moss held a four-car length advantage over Walker with Gatrell another two car lengths back.

In preliminary action, Rob Lindsey used a last lap pass over N. Seidelman to capture the Speed Mart B Dash.  In the Speed Mart A Dash, Petter was able to hold off Moss by less than a car length in taking the checkered.  Walker won the first heat over Jeff Bird while in the fast heat, Spoor led wire to wire for the victory over Moss.

RESULTS:

Qualifications:  Rick Moss (50) 13.636, Ken Ferris (28) 13.638, Ben Petter (58) 13.651, Matt Stone (10) 13.669, Spence Gatrell (8) 13.704, Steve Spoor (23I) 13.812, Breanna Lopez (25) 13.961, Evan Margeson (11) 14.022, Jeff Bird (7) 14.062, Skeeter Flake (17) 14.071, Rob Lindsey (23) 14.091, Nick Seidelman (24) 14.407,Kevin Wood (95) 14.648, Dallas Melby (9) 14.733, Alan Norton (69) 15.372, Scott Walker (34) NT, Dixon Helgeson (4) NT, Jeff Bird (45) NT, Tony Seidelman (44) NT, Doug Kammerzel (81) NT.

Speed Mart B Dash:  Lindsey, N. Seidelman, Flake, J. Bird.

Speed Mart A Dash:  Petter, Moss, Ferris, Stone.

Heat #1:  Walker, J. Bird, T. Seidelman, Lindsey, Wood, B. Bird, Melby, Norton, Helgeson.

Heat #2:  Spoor, Moss, Gatrell, Petter, Stone, Ferris, Margeson, Lopez.

McCoy Enterprises Main:  Moss, Walker, Gatrell, Lopez, Petter, Stone, T. Seidelman, Ferris, Helgeson, Wood, Norton, Spoor, Margeson, Lindsey, Melby, N. Seidelman, B. Bird, Flake.

POINTS (Unofficial)

Rick Moss 157, Scott Walker 141, Breanna Lopez 135, Spence Gatrell 122, Tony Seidelman 116, Ben Petter 114, Matt Stone 106, Dixon Helgeson 102, Ken Ferris 101, Steve Spoor 97.