PARAGOULD, Ark. – Story, photo and audio by Managing Editor Jacob Seelman for Speed77 Radio, Race Chaser Online and USCS Racing –

Kyle Beard parlayed a lucky break into his first-career USCS K&N Filters Outlaw Modified Series victory on Thursday night at Crowley’s Ridge Raceway.

Beard inherited a front-row starting spot for the 25-lap ‘Rumble at the Ridge’ A-main, after scheduled polesitter Shawn Knuckles was unable to crank his machine due to mechanical woes, and never looked back from there – leading all 25 laps to secure the victory over defending USCS Modified champion Lucas Lee.

“The car was really good tonight,” Beard said in www.rockauto.com USCS victory lane. “Shawn Mann, he put me in a real good piece – I can’t complain at all. It feels real good to win here at Crowley’s Ridge; it’s close to home and the fans out here are great. Thanks to everyone for coming out tonight.”

Lee, from Paris, Tenn., tried to use the high lane to steal the win from Beard late in the going after starting sixth, but ran out of time and came up a half car-length short at the checkered flag.

The race saw a myriad of incidents that resulted in six caution flags during the 25-lap run, kicked off on lap two when Justin Roberts stopped in turn three with a mechanical problem on his Predator Motorsports No. 99R. Yellows followed on laps three and five; the lap three caution caused by Ryan Moore’s spin in turn two and the lap five caution for a three-car crash in turn one that ended the nights for Jim Gulley, John Gray and Kris Lloyd.

Bobby Allen’s spinning car on lap nine brought out the fourth yellow of the night, and lap 12 saw the fifth caution flag of the race after Walter Dunn went around on the frontstretch. The race’s sixth and final slowdown came at halfway, lap 13, when Lloyd went around in turn four.

USCS Modified veteran and local Paragould favorite Robby Arnold completed the podium in third, with Friendship, Tennessee’s Ronnie Vernon chasing him in fourth. Searcy, Ark. pilot Tyler Stevens rounded out the top five finishers.

Campbell, Mo. veteran and winner at Tennessee National Raceway in March, Robert Powers, led the next group of drivers with a sixth place finish and Jamie Daughhetee, from Pocahontas, Ark. finished seventh. Mike Bowers, who calls North Little Rock, Ark. home, rolled across the line in eighth place and Paragould, Arkansas’ Daniel Roe was ninth. Fellow Paragould driver Chris Sims started last, but slowly and methodically worked his way forward en route to a top ten finish, rounding those drivers out in 10th.

Points leader J.C. Waller, out of Arlington, Tenn., struggled throughout the 25-lap main event and finished 12th, his first finish outside the top ten since scoring his first career victory back at TNR on June 13.

Justin Roberts kicked off the evening’s racing action by grabbing the win in the K&N Filters Power Dash. Knuckles took the win in the Wilwood Disc Brakes First Heat, and Josh Greene grabbed the checkered flag in the Aero Race Wheels Second Heat. Beard drove to victory in the www.rockauto.com Third Heat, and Roberts followed up his dash win by taking the Saldana Racing Products Fourth Heat win.

Knuckles received the K&N Filters Pole Award by virtue of a straight-up start from heat race results, and Chris Sims started last but garnered the Comp Cams Hard Charger Award after passing 13 cars in the main event to finish 10th.

The K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series will be back in action on Saturday night, July 10 at Batesville Motor Speedway in Batesville, Ark.

For rules, schedules and more information on the K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series, please visit www.uscsracing.com or call 770-460-7223 or 770-865-6097.

Audio with race winner Kyle Beard:

RESULTS: K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series; Crowley’s Ridge Raceway; July 9, 2015: 

K&N Filters Power Dash:  Justin Roberts, J.C. Waller, Bobby Allen, Dustin Casselberry, Josh Greene, Keith Hammett (DNS).

Wilwood Disc Brakes First Heat:  Shawn Knuckles, Robby Arnold, Bobby Allen, J.C. Waller, Chris Sims, Paul Reeder, Justin McBroom, Blake Bass.

Aero Race Wheels Second Heat:  Josh Greene, Lucas Lee, Ronnie Vernon, Tyler Stevens, Daniel Roe, Keith Hammett, Tyler Newcom, Kris Lloyd.

www.rockauto.com Third Heat:  Kyle Beard, Jamie Daughhetee, Mike Bowers, Ryan Moore, John Gray, Blake Burns, Dustin Casselberry.

Saldana Racing Products Fourth Heat:  Justin Roberts, Robert Powers, Walter Dunn, Jim Gulley, Creed Slater, Dustin Homan, Robert Davis.

K&N Filters B-Main: 12-laps (6 transfer)

1. #00 – John Gray
2. #19 – Justin McBroom
3. #29 – Keith Hammett
4. #K27 – Daniel Roe
5. #97 – Paul Reeder
6. #1X – Kris Lloyd
7. #21C – Chris Sims
8. #5 – Robert Davis
9. #76 – Dustin Casselberry
10. #60B – Blake Bass
11. #27S – Creed Slater
12. #47 – Tyler Newcom
13. #Z41 – Blake Burns
14. #10 – Dustin Homan

K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series at Poplar Bluff Speedway Main Event: 25-laps

1. #86 – Kyle Beard, Truman, AR
2. #12 – Lucas Lee, Paris, TN
3. #21 – Robby Arnold, Paragould, AR
4. #G3 – Ronnie Vernon, Friendship, TN
5. #2 – Tyler Stevens, Searcy, AR
6. #02 – Robert Powers, Campbell, MO
7. #60 – Jamie Daughhetee, Pocahontas, AR
8. #12W – Mike Bowers, North Little Rock, AR
9. #K27 – Daniel Roe, Paragould, AR
10. #21C – Chris Sims, Paragould, AR
11. #7JR – Bobby Allen, Mason, TN
12. #7W – J.C. Waller, Arlington, TN
13. #21M – Ryan Moore, Jonesboro, AR
14. #55 – Walter Dunn, Doniphan, MO
15. #9X – Josh Greene, Paragould, AR
16. #1X – Kris Lloyd, Peach Orchard, AR
17. #19 – Justin McBroom, Delaplaine, AR
18. #44 – Jim Gulley, Brookland, AR
19. #29 – Keith Hammett, Brookland, AR
20. #00 – John Gray, Jonesboro, AR
21. #97 – Paul Reeder, Mauldin, MO
22. #99R – Justin Roberts, Paragould, AR
23. #1S – Shawn Knuckles, Poplar Bluff, MO (DNS)

Did Not Start A-main:

#5 – Robert Davis, Searcy, AR
#76 – Dustin Casselberry, Malden, MO
#60B – Blake Bass, Arlington, TN
#27S – Creed Slater, Jonesboro, AR
#47 – Tyler Newcom, Jonesboro, AR
#Z41 – Blake Burns, No Hometown Listed
#10 – Dustin Homan, Marquel, AR

K&N Filters USCS Outlaw Modified Series Race Awards:

K&N Filters Power Dash:  #99R – Justin Roberts
Wilwood Disc Brakes First Heat Award:  #1S – Shawn Knuckles
Aero Race Wheels Second Heat Award:  #9X – Josh Greene
www.rockauto.com Third Heat Award:  #86 – Kyle Beard
Saldana Racing Products Fourth Heat Award:  #99R – Justin Roberts
K&N Filters B-Main Award:  #00 – John Gray
K&N Filters Pole Award:  #1S – Shawn Knuckles
K&N Filters Podium (3rd place) Award:  #21 – Robby Arnold
Comp Cams Hard Charger Award:  #21C – Chris Sims
Saldana Racing Products Top Five Award:  #2 – Tyler Stevens
Pyrotect Racing Cells Lucky Seven Award:  #60 – Jamie Daughhetee
DMI/Bulldog Rear Ends Top Ten Award:  #21C – Chris Sims