R.J. Conley Captures $5,000 Payday in Ronnie Moran Memorial!
(May 31, 2025) Excitement and drama led to a fantastic finish at the Inaugural Ronnie Moran Memorial at Muskingum County Speedway on Saturday Night. (Tyler Carr Photo)

With over 145 cars on the grounds in five divisions, the top money class was the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series fueled by VP which paid $5,000-to-win and was captured by Wheelersburg, Ohio native R.J. Conley. This would be Conley’s second-career series victory. His last series victory came on May 10, 1997, at the now Atomic Speedway, formerly K-C Raceway in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Conley took the lead away from Ryan Markham with three laps remaining to go in the non-points 36-lapper which honored longtime track operator Ronnie Moran who passed away last winter. It had been 10,239 days since R.J. Conley visited ALMS Victory Lane and Conley was very complimentary of the track surface in post-race interviews. “I know they went softer on tires. I put the harder tire on,” Conley said. “And I think the harder tire was starting to work a little better at the end, but the track was great. The Moran’s (operate a) great facility. I just got a little lucky cause I know Kyle, (Moore) he was checked out. Ryan (Markham) did a great job, but I think he pushed a little bit up there, but we’ll take it. We’re glad to win,” Conley went on to say.

Ryan Markham and Kyle Moore brought the field down to start the main event in front of a packed house and Markham would roll to the early race lead with Moore and Todd Brennan coming from the fifth place starting spot on lap-2 for the third position. By the seventh lap, the field would enter slower traffic for the first time. On lap ten, the battle up front would be between Markham and Moore who battles side-by-side up until the caution flew on lap 14. Moore would get around race leader Markham on the 19th circuit and lead until he fell out of the race on lap 30 giving the lead back to Markham. At one point, Moore’s lead was in excess of a full straightaway. On the final restart, Markham lead the field back to green and would slip up just a bit with three laps remaining allowing R.J. Conley to nip beneath and take the point. Conley would be victorious over Markham, 19th-starting Tyler Carpenter finished third after winning the B-Main, Clint Keenan finished fourth & Doug Drown driving for Brad Malcuit finished fifth.

A total of four Deatherage Racing Opticians Caution Flags would wave during the main event. On lap 9, Todd Brennan went over the embankment in turn three. On lap 10, Eddie Carrier Jr. slowed on the back-chute. On lap 14, Ron Hall spun his mount in turn two and the final yellow flag would wave on lap 30 as race leader Kyle Moore slowed at the top of the backstretch with mechanical problems ending his bid for a second-career series payday.

The 60-year-old veteran racer drove to Victory Lane in the Conley Motorsports-owned, Dargie Racing Engine-powered Longhorn Chassis which is sponsored by Conley Trucking, Conley River Terminal, Afterburner Performance, Poske’s Performance Parts & Shain Custom Decals.

Iron-Man Series Super Late Models
1. 71C-RJ Conley[3]; 2. 5M-Ryan Markham[1]; 3. 28-Tyler Carpenter[19]; 4. 29-Clint Keenan[10]; 5. 79-Doug Drown[11]; 6. 20-Todd Brennan[5]; 7. 47-Brandon Weigle[6]; 8. 53C-Colten Burdette[7]; 9. 75-Eddie Carrier Jr[4]; 10. 71R-Rod Conley[13]; 11. 1Z-Logan Zarin[8]; 12. 59-Tanner McLoughlin[14]; 13. 17KN-Brock Morris[18]; 14. 8-Robert Anderzack[12]; 15. 14-JR Gentry[9]; 16. 81-Matt Aber[21]; 17. 01-Ron Hall[24]; 18. 1*-Kyle Moore[2]; 19. 50-Ryan Missler[17]; 20. 6-Travis Carr[20]; 21. 39-Henry Hornsby III[15]; 22. L19-Larry Holbrook[22]; 23. 40-Billy Dawson[23]; 24. 187-Mitch Caskey[16]

RUSH 604 Crate Late Models
1. 151-Kolbe Kimbrew[2]; 2. 1S-Brady Wonderling[5]; 3. 5-Dustin Carter[11]; 4. 444-Anthony Kinkade[1]; 5. 31Z-Kyle Zimmerman[3]; 6. 31-Lincoln Smith[6]; 7. 51-Austin Hauser[10]; 8. 5A-AJ Spagnuolo[20]; 9. 17G-Zach Gunn[17]; 10. 88-Dalton Adkins[9]; 11. 14G-Jake Gunn[16]; 12. 17-Ryan Frazee[19]; 13. 34-Brian Nethers[14]; 14. 36S-Santino Loretta[22]; 15. 37-Logan Reed[21]; 16. 55-Marino Angelicchio[15]; 17. 02-Ben Easler[4]; 18. 28S-Cale Schwartzmiller[23]; 19. 225-Bud Watson[13]; 20. 184-Kyle Lukon[8]; 21. 18-Mike Wonderling[7]; 22. 12-Ryan Newman[12]; 23. 69-Ryan Robey[18]; 24. 14-Braeden Dillinger[24]; 25. L31-Logan Stockdale

UMP Open Wheel Modifieds
1. 10-Nathon Loney[3]; 2. 101-Jesse Wisecarver[7]; 3. 44-KC Burdette[1]; 4. 11-Jason Brennan[2]; 5. B75-Bradon Berry[8]; 6. 1-Kenny Johnson[5]; 7. 15-Larry Jarrett[10]; 8. 10B-Kyle Bond[15]; 9. 12-Kevin Davis[17]; 10. 42-Nate Young[4]; 11. 5-Jess Hartman[16]; 12. 71C-Chris Basich[9]; 13. 28-Mason Lobb[12]; 14. RV1-Travis Dickson[23]; 15. 13-Brandon McGrady[19]; 16. 7-Zach Carr[18]; 17. TM5-Tyler Misner[22]; 18. 56-Tough Zemba[21]; 19. 28B-Jason Brookover[14]; 20. 21G-Trent Goins[13]; 21. 151-Jeremy Holbrook[20]; 22. 15R-Kurt Rogers[6]; 23. 21D-Kyle Moore[11]; 24. 75-Tristen Bickford[24]

4-Cylinders
1. 6PAC-Christopher Wise[1]; 2. 2-Justin Cranmore[2]; 3. 12-Hunter Stephens[15]; 4. 8-Joey Price[8]; 5. 9-Kevin Graap[5]; 6. 51-William Ewing[9]; 7. 34-Christopher Meyer[3]; 8. 68-Colton Watts[10]; 9. 964-Jamie Harper[11]; 10. 777-Howard Rock Jr[13]; 11. L1-Harry Smith[18]; 12. 241-Joe Grimm Jr[14]; 13. 49-Daniel Manring[17]; 14. 53T-Brayden Watts[19]; 15. (DNF) 75X-Chris Gaunder[21]; 16. (DNF) 7-Evan Large[23]; 17. (DNF) 19M-Colton St John[24]; 18. (DNF) 4X-Tom Wilson[26]; 19. (DNF) 8D-Chris Dyer[6]; 20. (DNF) 5-Jacob Hughes[7]; 21. (DNF) 4A-Dennis Adkins[4]; 22. (DNF) 16KT-Keira Thomason[20]; 23. (DNF) 31-Van Menough[16]; 24. (DNS) C19-Patrick Willbarger; 25. (DNS) SOS-Andrew Smith; 26. (DNS) 3-Bradley Bird

Mod Lites
1. 17-Jake Bowman[1]; 2. 59-Tracy Fritter[3]; 3. 11C-Carson Hubbard[7]; 4. 319J-Chris Jones[6]; 5. 22-Logan Lewis[5]; 6. 31H-Haydn Cheesman Hill[2]; 7. 11D-Darrick Hubbard[18]; 8. 20-Ryan Klein[9]; 9. 101-Dalton Wisecarver[10]; 10. 77-Nick Large[13]; 11. 24-Chip Bailey[8]; 12. 1/2-Kara Kimes[15]; 13. 5-Jake Simon[11]; 14. 62-Mason Nader[14]; 15. 024-Phil Smith[12]; 16. 73-John Large[17]; 17. 65-MATHEW BOYLL[16]; 18. 280-Jimmy Smith[4]; 19. 8B-Chad Bishop[19]

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