<B>LOCUST GROVE, Ark. --</B> Michael Robertson of Minden, Louisiana topped the final night of qualifying for Modified Madness at the Batesville Speedway. Robertson had to come through the B Feature, winning it, then driving through the field of the A Feature, capturing the top spot, and an outside front row starting postion for Saturday’s $15,000 to win, $2,500 to start Main Event.

Corey Dripps lead the race early. A series of cautions slowed the pace of the event. Tommy Myers and Peyton Taylor dueled side by side for the second spot on lap five, and Taylor roared into the lead on lap six.

Bill Frye moved through the top five, getting by Dripps for second on lap seven. Taylor was pacing the field by 10 car lengths by lap 10.

Zack VanderBeek was also making noise, and had moved to third spot by lap 14.

Michael Robertson had worked his way into the top five, and dueled with Bill Frye for second. After a restart, Taylor didn’t come up to speed, and Robertson roared by into the lead. Taylor brought out another caution by lap 19 with a flat tire.

Robertson, VanderBeek and Frye raced three wide several times over the last five laps, and then Robertson and Frye were side by side on the white flag lap. Robertson nipped Frye at the checkers by a fender to take the win.

Michael Robertson, Bill Frye, Zack VanderBeek, Chris Brown, and Wayne Brooks were the top five finishers. Sean Jones, Mark Noble, John Whittington, and David Murray rounded out the nine transfer spots. Jared Landers and Peyton Taylor will join

Saturday’s Feature by way of time trials, and one more starter will be added via lottery draw on Saturday.

<B><FONT size="4">RESULTS</FONT></B>

1st Heat 1) Tim Crawley, Mabelvale AR 2) Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon IA 3) Michael Robertson, Minden LA 4) Cameron West, Mansfield TX 5) Johnny Virden, Russellville AR 6) David Horner, Houston TX 7) Patrick Linn, Little Rock AR 8) Ben Reed, Atoka TN

2nd Heat 1) Corey Dripps, Waterloo IA 2) Joel Couvillion, Alexandria LA 3) Chris Brown, Cleveland TX 4) Mark Noble, Blooming Prairie MN 5) John Schwab, Liberal KS 6) T. J. Herndon, Atwood TN 7) Brian Boram, Orange TN 8) Max Thomas, Quinlan TX 9) Jason Hughes, Westville OK

3rd Heat 1) Dustin Jenks, Chico CA 2) Paul White, Temple TX 3) Phil Dixon, Crosby TX 4) Curt Smith, Alligator MS 5) Mark Ellis, Newport AR 6) Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw OK 7) Neil Nisler, Caudiz KY 8) Jeff Wells Jr., Truman AR 9) Michael Richardson, Red Oak TX

4th Heat 1) Peyton Taylor, Desha AR 2) David Murray, Oberlin KS 3) Sean Jones, Cedar Hill TX 4) Brandon Smith, Floral AR 5) B. J. Robinson, Blanchard LA 6) Jeremy Russell, Jonesboro AR 7) Dusty Johnston, Flippin AR 8) Jared Landers, Benton AR 9) Jeff Greene, Paraould AR

5th Heat 1) Robbie McClain, Hot Springs AR 2) Brad McEwen, Houston TX 3) Kyle Pleasant, Robeline LA 4) Troy Godwin, Mewquite NM 5) Kevin Peel, Chipley FL 6) Judas Bowling, Versallies IN 7) Randy Zimmerman, Ft. Scott KS

6th Heat 1) Wayne Brooks, Bald Knob AR 2) Jack Sullivan, Greenbriar AR 3) George White, Ft. Worth TX 4) Brian Sugg, Grand Prairie TX 5) Terry Belcher, Phoenix AZ 6) Ronnie Jeffrey, Locust Grove AR 7) Bud Longpine, Drummond OK

7th Heat 1) Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie MN 2) Billy Melton, Longview TX 3) John Whittington, Vidor TX 4) Robert Powers, Campbell MO 5) Adam Pratt, Hoxie AR 6) Brandon Melton, Longview TX 7) David Winslett, Bossier City LA 8) Nathan Sugg, Grand Prairie TX

8th Heat 1) Royal Jones, Las Cruces NM 2) Chase Allen, Midlothian TX 3) Heath Davenport, Yellville AR 4) Brandon Ball, West Plains MO 5) Jason Wilkey, Batesville AR 6) Ron Grundel, Madison MS 7) Jamie Hard, Bartlet TN 8) Robby Arnold, Paragould AR

9th Heat 1) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 2) Tommy Burnside, Kansas IL 3) Ricky Armes, Moss TN 4) Chuck McGinty, Conway AR 5) Mark Myer, Clovis NM 6) Chad Mallett, Mabelvale AR 7) Edward Sugg, Grand Prairie TX 8) Corey Neal, Beaumont TX

10th Heat 1) Donnie Barnhart, North Little Rock AR 2) Jason Sullivan, Reagan TN 3) Ronny Yielding, White Oak TX 4) Kevin Rowland, Hurst TX 5) Tracy Clemons, Quitman AR 6) Bobby Malchus, Red Oak TX 7) Mikey Bell, Batesville AR 8) Jeff Howell, Memphis TN

B Feature (15 Laps, top 10 advance to A) 1) Michael Robertson 2) Sean Jones 3) Chris Brown 4) John Whittington 5) George White 6) B. J. Robinson 7) Heath Davenport 8) Kyle Pleasant 9) Mark Noble 10) Ricky Armes 11) Ronny Yielding 12) Brandon Ball 13) Phil Dixon 14) Robert Powers 15) Johnny Virden 16) Mark Myer 17) Tracy Cleamons 18) Terry Belcher 19) Curt Smith

A Feature (25 Laps, top 9 transfer to Saturday’s A) 1) Michael Robertson 2) Bill Frye 3) Zack VanderBeek 4) Chris Brown 5) Wayne Brooks 6) Sean Jones 7) Mark Noble 8) John Whittington 9) David Murray 10) Robbie McClain 11) Brad McEwan 12) Donnie Barnhart 13) Peyton Taylor 14) Dustin Jenks 15) B. J. Robinson 16) Joel Couvillion 17) Paul White 18) Tommy Burnside 19) Corey Dripps 20) George White 21) Tim Crawley 22) Royal Jones 23) Heath Davenport 24) Tommy Myers 25) Jason Sullivan 26) Ricky Armes 27) Chase Allen 28) Kyle Pleasant 29) Jack Sullivan 30) Billy Melton