ON AUTO RACING: WEST PLAINS GALA HIGHLIGHTS HOLIDAY WEEKEND

Looking for the nation's biggest dirt-track race on Memorial Day Weekend?

Go west, race fan.

Several local late model competitors could be in the mix Saturday when the ninth annual Show-Me 100 caps three days of qualifying on the 3/8-mile clay oval track in West Plains, Mo. The event ranks as one of the nation's top-paying short-track events with a $35,000 winner's prize and serves as a tuneup for a dirt-track racing first: A $1-million-to-win show at Rossburg, Ohio, in two weeks.

North Carolina's Ray Cook won the Show Me 100 last year, overcoming a field of more than 100 drivers. Terry Phillips, Freddy Smith, Rick Aukland, Billy Moyer and Scott Bloomquist are previous winners.

For information, call the track at (870) 994-7447 or go to www.westplains-speedway.com.

Meanwhile, back home

Auto Tire and Parts Racepark near Benton was quiet last week after heavy rain drenched it Friday night and left it too wet to race by Saturday's start time.

Track officials hope for better weather the next two weekends with big money on the line for the open-wheel modified class. Saturday's feature race will pay $700 to win -- almost twice the regular payout -- followed by a $1,000-to-win race June 2.

Terry Kerbough of Memphis, Tenn., and Larry Hull of Old Appleton have won that division's feature race events so far this year and could challenge for the big money the next two weeks.

Malden Speeway also has a big schedule today with double features in limited late models, pure stocks and cruisers after those feature races were rained out last week.

The modified feature was completed Friday before the rain. Jess Short of Jackson won, moving him to fifth in the season point standings. It was his first win this year.

Faces and places

* Fredericktown's Joey Montgomery won for the third week in a row in the sprint class Saturday at St. Francois County Raceway in Farmington. The track drew 40 sprints Saturday after ATPR announced its rainout.

* Brent Glastetter turned in a pair of top-10s in Kentucky. The Chaffee open-wheel modified driver was seventh Friday at Paducah Raceway and eighth Saturday at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in Calvert City.

* Billy James of Sikeston was fifth and Benton's Joey Mack 14th in the special 40-lap event for late models Saturday at Poinsett County Speedway in Harrisburg, Ark. Arkansas' Walt Butler swept the two-night program for a $4,500 weekend.

* Jerrod Hull of Sikeston, stuck in Ohio for the weekend after two All Star sprint series events were rained out, found a dry race track and a win Saturday at Butler Speedway in Quincy, Mich.

* Dean Motsinger (limited late models), Karl Francis (pro streets) and Charlie Savage (pure streets) lead the point standings at Fredericktown Raceway, where racing continues tonight.

* Kevin Roslen (stock heavy), Josh Tart (light, stock medium), Cordie Burkman (yard kart), Steven Sullinger (junior sportsman champ), Corbin Matthews (rookie), Destiny Lewis (junior champ), Nat Kolwyck (senior champ), Hunter Schuerenberg (junior sprints) and Daron Clayton (micro sprints) won feature races Saturday at the SEMO Raceway near Blodgett.

Jamie Hall is the auto racing columnist for the Southeast Missourian