Garry Lee Maier probably didn’t start this season in the manner he would have preferred.
The two-time defending champion in the O’Reilly NCRA Sprint Car Series, presented by ICM/Ethanol, was seventh in points after the first two shows.
Maier finished ninth in the April 15 season opener at I-80 Speedway. Then he collided with Mike Chadd on the second lap of the May 12 feature at Dodge City Raceway Park. Chadd continued but Garry Lee’s machine went in on the hook.
But Maier more than made up for that over Memorial Day weekend as he handily won all three shows. He led 70 of 70 laps and roared by the previous point leader Don Droud Jr. to the top of the standings.
Droud entered the weekend with a 10-point margin over Chuck Swenson, who crashed in his heat race the first night and didn’t race in the other two shows. Droud ran well the first two nights, finishing sixth at Junction Motor Speedway and fifth at Lincoln County Raceway. At WaKeeney Speedway, a DNF from a blown engine in the feature dropped him to second, 80 points behind Maier.
Mechanical problems on the first night left Stu Snyder 16th and cost him a shot at the runner-up spot in points. He came back to finish second the next two shows and remains third in the standings, 45 points behind Droud.
Maier now has 59 career wins in the NCRA 360 sprint car series to go with three titles.
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