(LEBANON, Missouri, by Tim Berrier) A great field of cars took to the track of Lebanon I-44 Speedway Saturday night with racing that only the Ozarks can provide. Drivers and fans came out to watch a spectacular show on the high banks fast track that has seen drivers such as Larry Phillips, Jamie McMurray, Carl Edwards and the Wallace brothers.
In the opening feature race it was the Road Warriors taking the green flag. Mike Scott, Republic and Gary Ball of Lebanon traded back and forth for the top spot. Scott seemed to be better in turns one and two as Ball could pull the front stretch better. But when Flagman Leo Morgan dropped the green flag it was Scott taking the win.
Next on the card was the Sportsman Division. The returning #83 of JC Newell, Stoutland, took the early lead. Newell was challenged early by the #10 of Rick Sharp. Sharp would lead Newell and St. James Tom Claus for several laps until fluid on the track brought out the caution. On the restart Newell dives to the inside of Sharp, only to be denied and Sharp would take the top honors with Newell in second and Chuck Higdon, Strafford in third.
That rolling thunder that came out next was from the Modified that had 10 start with two drivers, Mike Coryell and Payton Lucas not able to take the green with motor troubles. Terry Taylor, #66 of Fair Grove had the pole and led the field till lap 3 when caution came. In the single file restart, Taylor held off for the moment #91 David Bates returning back to the asphalt this season, #7- Jeremy Manes and #8 – Jason Otto. Bates would take the lead and open a 12-car lead over Otto. Everyone was noticing the smoke that was coming from the rear off the Bates machine and it took its toll on lap 11. Bates relinquishes the lead to Otto, who takes it to the checkered flag. 2010 Champion finishes first with Tyler Scott, Terry Taylor, Rod Icenhower and Jeremy Manes rounding out the top five.
Fielding one of their 10 visits to the I-44 Speedway this season, the OMSRA cars and stars took to the asphalt. JW Blankenship- #80, jumps to and early lead only to quickly challenged Kevin Hunt- #26 and Tyler Berry- #25, both from Spring Hills Kansas. Lurking from the back was Ashley Deschenes-#12 moving though the field when she gets bump, losing momentum. On the outside, Michael Deschenes has seized the spot and moves to the front to take the feature win. Deschenes is followed to the finish line by Kevin Hunt, Tyler Berry and with a great recovery Ashley Deschenes, fourth, along with JW Blankenship fifth.
It has been a while since the fans were treat to such a large field of Late Models, but with 18 cars in the pits, 16 were able to take the green flag. There were the veterans of the high banks, such as Kenny Dickinson, Dale Roper, Sr., and Steve Holt. The up and coming stars to the Late Models Division are the likes of youngsters Cole Williams, Crispen Beaver and Grant Sharp.
The 30-lap feature promised a lot of action, and it delivered. Joplin’s Crispen Beaver lead the field to the green with Troy Backlund on his outside. In and early caution, Beaver gets loose in turn 4 and this stacks up the field. By lap five, the #67 machine of Jimmy Vanzandt has taken the lead, but 2010 I-44 Speedway Late Model Champion Mike Slone is right on his bumper. Back midway in the pack it is Indiana’s young Cole Williams battling veteran Dickinson, Lebanon.
It was soon to be the Vanzandt-Slone show as the two exchanged the lead several times until Slone prevailed. Soon a caution on lap 17 would bunch the field back up. The caution was when Dickinson and Backlund got together in turn 3; putting Backlund on the hook, but Dickinson was able to finish. Slone lead the field and opened a three-car advantage over Vanzandt. Vanzandt would finish second, with Grant Sharp-third, Dickinson-fourth and Beaver in fifth.
The night was not finished as the Charger Division came out with a furry. Taking the green flag, it was three wide into turn one with Shawn Jones-7, Belle taking the lead. Gary Davenport of Marshfield challenges on the topside for the lead while hold off Jimmy Poindexter- #5. Soon it was a battle for second, as Jones has check out and second and third is between Davenport and Poindexter. When they cross the finish line, it is Shawn Jones, Davenport, Poindexter, Caston Jones and Ben Kramer rounding out the top five.
Lebanon I-44 Speedway will be “Kickin’ Asphalt” with a five-division ASA-sanctioned stock car racing show every Saturday night through September, with gates opening at 5:00 pm and racing action beginning at 7:30. Next Saturday’s special attraction will be an appearance by the Pro National Baby Grand cars, along with the five weekly classes of racecars vying for the 2011 Monster Energy Cup. Additional information and complete 2011 schedule is available on the track’s official website, www.i44speedway.net.
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RESULTS FROM LEBANON I-44 SPEEDWAY, SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2011
Road Warrior
Heat 1 1) 34 Mike Scott
2) 35 Gary Ball
Feature 1) 34 Mike Scott Republic
2) 35 Gary Ball Lebanon
Sportsman
Heat 1 1) 10 Rick Sharp Heat 2 1) 27 Tom Claus
2) 83 JC Newell 2) 63 Chuck Higdon
3) 7 Aaron Douglas
Feature 1) 10 Rick Sharp Fair Grove
2) 83 JC Newell Stoutland
3) 63 Chuck Higdon Strafford
4) 27 Tom Claus St. James
5) 7 Aaron Douglas Lebanon
Modified
Heat 1 1) 7 Jeremy Manes Heat 2 1) 01 Darren Fuller
2) 8 Jason Otto 2) 29 Rodney Icenhower
3) 91 David Bates 3) 64 David Strode
4) 66 Terry Taylor 4) 57 Tyler Scott
5) 44 Kevin Blackburn 5) 26 Payton Lucas
25 Stephen Counterman (DNS) 5 Mike Coryell (DNS)
Modified Feature
Feature 1) 8 Jason Otto Richland
2) 57 Tyler Scott
3) 66 Terry Taylor Fair Grove
4) 27 Rodrick Icenhower Fair Grove
5) 7 Jeremy Manes
6) 01 Darren Fullerton
7) 25 Stephen Counterman Fair Grove
8) 44 Kevin Blackburn Lebanon
9) 91 David Bates Fair Grove
10) 64 David Strode
26 Payton Lucas (DNS) Fair Grove
5 Mike Coryell (DNS) Lebanon
Outlaw Mini Stocks
Heat 1 1) 26 Kevin Hunt Heat 2 1) 12 Ashley Deschenes
2) 25 Tyler Berry 2) 86 Michael Deschenes
3) 80 JW Blankenship 3) 4 Joe Bunkers
4) 71 Tiffany Stewart
Feature
1) 86 Michael Deschenes Lee Summit
2) 26 Kevin Hunt Spring Hills, KS
3) 25 Tyler Berry Spring Hills, KS
4) 12 Ashley Deschenes Lee Summit
5) 80 JW Blankenship
6) 4 Joe Bunkers Harrisonville
71 Tiffany Stewart (DNS)
LATE MODELS
Heat 1 1) 46 Cole Williams Heat 2 1) 77 Mike Slone
2) 2 Grant Sharp 2) 21 Ken Dickinson
3) 93 Chrissy Wallace 3) 16 Robert Baltzell
4) 10 Dale Roper Jr. 4) 67 Jim Vanzandt
5) 45 Crispen Beaver 5) 30 Troy Backlund
6) 69 Caleb Hall 6) 20 Austin Fullerton
7) 18 Jim Reaves 7) 7 Jeremy Manes
8) 12 Dale Roper (DNF) 8) 35 Steve Holt (DNF)
9) 11 John McGrath (DNF) 02 Brian Brown (DNS)
66 Brain Woods (DNS)
Feature
1) 77 Mike Slone Rolla
2) 67 Jim Vanzandt Springfield
3) 2 Grant Sharp Conway
4) 21 Ken Dickinson Camdenton
5) 45 Crispen Beaver Joplin
6) 20 Austin Fullerton
7) 18 Jim Reaves Strafford
8) 16 Robert Baltzell Ozark
9) 69 Caleb Hall Lee Summit
10) 7 Jeremy Manes Nixa
11) 10 Dale Roper Jr Fair Grove
12) 93 Chrissy Wallace NC
13) 46 Cole Williams Indiana
14) 20 Troy Blacklund Kansas City
15) 12 Dale Roper Fair Grove
16) 35 Steve Holt Strafford
02 Brian Brown (DNS) Springfield
66 Brian Woods (DNS)
Chargers
Heat 1 1) 5 Jimmy Poindexter Heat 2 1) 34 Caston Jones
2) 7 Shawn Jones 2) 14 Ben Kramer
3) 10 Gary Davenport 3) 27 Nick Cherry
Feature
1) 7 Shawn Jones Belle
2) 10 Gary Davenport Marshfield
3) 5 Jimmy Poindexter
4) 34 Caston Jones Belle
5) 14 Ben Kramer Richland
6) 27 Nick Cherry Springfield