UBB 29 Miners Memorial Race Held

UBB 29 Miners Memorial Race Held

The I-77 Speedway in Ripley, West Virginia hosted two nights of racing July 23, and 24, for the 11th Annual Upper Big Branch 29 Miners Memorial Race. Headlining the weekend was the Renegades of Dirt Tour.

Friday night’s program included the Steel Block Late Models, Sport Mods, Street Stock, and Enduros. 

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Saturday night the Speedway presented the UBB 29 Miners Memorial with the Super Late Model Division paying $5000 to win with the Renegades of Dirt Tour. The UBB 29 Miners Memorial race was started by Renegades of Dirt President Rob Cyrus and Keith Bowling, Cyrus said, “The race is important for all miners and Upper Big Branch Families as a way to give back.” 

This year the families are donating proceeds of the race to West Virginia Children’s Home Society. During evening’s events, a special memorial for the those that perished in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster was held which including reading the names, information about each of the 29 miners and a lantern release. One of the miners, Joshua Napper, was from Meigs County. 

One of the drivers of the Renegades of Dirt tour was Drake “The Kid” Troutman, a 16-year-old from Hyndman, Pennsylvania. Troutman started racing go-karts at the age of three, and moved up  to driving the super late models and the UMP modifies five years ago. The 16-year-old Troutman had 16 wins before this weekend’s event, one in his Super Late Model and 15 in UMP modified. This weekend he added one more win in his UMP modified at I-77 Speedway to keep him in the Renegades of Dirt Tour points lead.

“It’s been crazy fun. We spend 12 hour days in the shop working on the cars, which would not be possible without my sponsors,” Troutman said.

When ask why he got into racing, he stated that his Dad and Pap raced, it is just part of my life. 

Racing runs in the blood of a lot of families, local Ravenswood, W.V., driver Kelby Ables also competed in the UBB 29 Miners Memorial Race. Kelby has been racing for four years and calls I-77 Speedway his home track.

“It takes alot of work, Ables said.

Kelby is no stranger to motorsports, he pulled a 4×4 truck before taking up racing. Kelby has had help form his dad, Junior Ables, who raced “back in the day.” Both stated that, “There is more to it, in pulling you go to a track wait four hours and get a 30 second pass, in dirt racing you get to do more, hot laps, qualifying, heat race then the feature. Most people think dirt racing is the same thing just different locations, but every track is different. Every dirt track has characteristics, and those can change lap to lap, depending on the track preparation, weather, and numerous other factors. All in all its fun.”

Ables car has on the back spoiler STILL PLAYES IN DIRT.   

July 23 Race Results Steel Block Late Model                              

1. Delbert Crum III
2. William Rose
3. Eric Monk
4. AJ Byrd
5. Gary Wilcoxen
6. Jason Canfield
7. Nelson Freshour
8. Arthur Jarrett Jr
9. Shawn Lovejoy
10. Dustin Booth
11. Wayne Francis
12. Dustin Canfield
13. Joey Lattea
14. Glynn Booth
15. Jacob Wiblin
16. Delbert Crum Jr
17. Collin Holmes
18. Chris Holley
19. Josh Gibson
20. DNS – Rex Frohnapfel

Sport Mod

1. Cruz Vandall
2. Larry Holbrook
3. Ryan Yates
4. Bryce Ryan
5. Jeremy Blake
6. Keith Bills
7. Jeremy Herdman
8. Buddy Brogan
9. Jarret McCarley
10. Scotty Linville
11. Curtis Griffin
12. Colton Collins
13. Nick Parsons
14. Nic Green
15. Montana Legg

Street Stock

1. Buddy Brogan
2. Rodney Cole
3. David King
4. Dawson Roton
5. Robert Pugh
6. Jeremy Blake
7. Preston Ferrebee
8. Scott Levitt  

I-77 Speedway July 24 Race Results Super Late Model (Renegades of Dirt)

1. Freddie Carpenter
2. Chris Carpenter
3. Drake Troutman
4. Mike Benedum
5. Kenny Howell
6. Ed Shuman
7. Jeremy Blake
8. Travis Brookover
9. Robbie Bostic
10. Greg Gellner
11. William Rose
12. Kevin Smith
13. Gary Wilcoxen
14. Ryan Keckley
15. Zach Hill
16. Rod Evans
17. Pete Crum
18. Wayne Francis
19. Kelby Ables
20. Tony Musolino
21. Rick Williams
22. Freddie Duncan Jr
23. A J Byrd
24. DNS – Chris Lockhart, Freddie Duncan, Michael Conley Jr, AJ Byrd, Marshall Wiblin, Kenny Rucker, Freddy Mooney, Roger Gancs, JR Crum 

UMP Modified (Renegades ofDirt)

1. Drake Troutman
2. Bill Pritchard Jr
3. Kyle Bond
4. Coleman Evans
5. T J Roush
6. Zack Kisner
7. Joe Harmon
8. Robert Huffman
9. Zack Newell
10. Jaden Ritchea
11. Shawn Donahue
12. Jerry Barnette Jr
13. Zackary Deyton
14. Laif McKinney 

Sport Mod

1. Cruz Vandall
2. Ron Pickens
3. Curtis Griffin
4. Nick Parsons
5. Alisha Hammond
6. Eric Foster
7. Ryan Yates
8. Dawson Newell
9. Montana Legg
10. Scotty Linville
11. Roger Arix
12. Nic Green
13. Josh Spaur
14. Kevin Criswel

4 Cylinder

1. Randy Wise
2. Chris Wise
3. Jacob Mcdaniel
4. Patrick Willbarger
5. Sam Dickel
6. Mason Wolfe
7. Gary Williams
8. Travis Polcyn
9. Billy Pratt

For more information, click the link below.

I-77 Speedway to Host Annual Upper Big Branch 29 Memorial Race