Weekend wins help drag racer reverse a so-so year

Two wins worth $7,000 have a way of turning around a less-than-perfect season in a hurry.

Ron Simmons of Cape Girardeau picked up a pair of big-money victories at the Sikeston Drag Strip the past two weekends to give his season a late-year push. He won $5,000 in the track's runoff event for the top 12 cars in the super pro point standings two weeks ago, and last weekend he won a $2,000 prize in one of the track's monthly special events.

The wins offered a big stretch for Simmons, who finished only ninth in the track's point race that ended in late September.

"I've struggled a little bit this year," said Simmons, who has raced for almost half of his 36 years. "A lot of it's just luck, being in the right place at the right time. And a lot of it comes down to who you're lined up against."

In Saturday's win, Simmons won in 112 mph with 6.06-second time. Runnerup Ricky Skelton of Sikeston ran 6.19, or 106 mph.

"I really haven't been upset with how I'm doing this year," he said. "I just haven't been winning. When you get down to a one-thousandth of a second difference between you and the next guy, it's a game of mistakes. And the guys who race down there, they're some of the toughest I've seen."

Simmons won the track's super pro point title in 2002 with the same 1978 Chevrolet Manza he's used for the past four seasons. He bought the car from another racer who rolled it at the same track years ago. With a little body work -- and a new 377 cubic-inch engine he built -- it's turned into a winning ride.

"I've done pretty good with it," Simmons said. "The good thing about bracket racing is that you don't have to be the fastest, just the most consistent. I've tried to do that."

Here and there

Leo Kiefer of Perryville won last Friday's modified feature race at Fredericktown Raceway. Adam Parmeley was second and Patrick Naeger of Perryville third.

The win added to a big season for Kiefer, who won his first points title in the modified class at Auto Tire and Parts Racepark.

Fredericktown Raceway's annual awards banquet will be Oct. 25 at Club 67 Steakhouse & Sportsbar in Bonne Terre. Info: Terry Flanagan, 783-3901, or Jeff Mills, 747-0566.

Joey Montgomery of Fredericktown won the 30-lap Queen'sRoyale for sprints Saturday at St. Francois County Raceway near Farmington. ATPR sprint champion Robbie Standridge was fourth.

jhall@semissourian.com

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