Lebanon, Mo. / Some information contributed by Ronnie Williams
For Immediate Release 8/04/2015 –

Current O’Reilly Auto Parts Pro Late Model Point leader JC Newell took the lead from Kyle Donahue on the 46th lap to capture his second win of the season and became the first repeat winner in Pro Late Model competition this season in an action packed 50 lap feature as the full moon rose high above Missouri’s only NASCAR sanctioned facility and active asphalt short track making it a very interesting night.

Josh Woody jumped to the opening lead over Terry Limberopolous and Payton Lucas on the opening lap as drivers were not showing the normal patience in a longer distance event. This battle kept tight as young Donahue took the second place spot on lap thee and brought veteran Steve Holt in tow. By lap four, ninth place starter Brennon Willard had moved into the race for a top five spot bringing Newell with him. The first caution waved on lap four as Bill Frye making his asphalt pro late model debut and long-time modified ace driver Scotty Allen made contact. Allen’s debut in the Pro Late Model was cut short as Frye made repairs and returned to action. On the restart, Donahue the 2014 NASCAR Missouri State Rookie of the Year made the move around leader Woody while Holt was right in the shadows as Willard and Newell were coming quickly. Action slowed on lap 11 for several pieces of debris as Donahue found Holt right on his bumper while the lead pack of Donahue, Holt, Willard and Newell began to break away with early leader Woody beginning to close back in on the pack leaving another tight pack behind him. Kevin Donahue and defending track champion Kaleb Allison began a charge to the top 5 and moved around Woody on lap 17 following a lap 16 caution for Paul Jepsen as he scraped the front stretch wall and spun in turn one. With Donahue and Holt battling hard for the top spot up front, Newell moved around Willard for third spot on lap 21 as Allison was working hard on Kevin Donahue for fifth and finally made the pass on the 25th circuit. Caution waved on lap 34 as Jepsen and Frye made contact when Jepsen spun off turn two and then the car stalled on the apron on the backstretch bunching everyone up while Kevin Donahue stalled under caution and retired to the pits. On the restart Newell put pressure on Holt and moved to second while keeping the younger Donahue in sight. The see-saw battle between Donahue and Newell for the lead allowed Holt, Willard and Allison to make it a pack of five at the front. After several laps of door to door racing, the full moon played havoc with a lap 41 caution as contact between Newell and Donahue on the backstretch saw Donahue with nowhere to go except the tight pit road exit at over 90 plus miles per hour. The 15 year old never broke stride as he circled around and back on the race track as the yellow waved as officials were concerned if he had wrecked the car on the exit road. They placed Donahue back in the lead with Newell, Holt, Willard, and Allison running in the top 5 as Brian Brown and Jimmy Vanzandt had quietly been moving forward in the pack. On the restart, Donahue shot ahead as Newell kept applying pressure in the middle lane while Holt kept showing Newell the nose of his car. The door to door battle kept up until Newell was able to make the winning pass off turn two down low with Donahue keeping close as Holt was trying to sneak a spot up. Newell became the first Pro Late Model repeat feature winner in 2015 with Kyle Donahue, Holt, Willard and Allison who was fighting a right front tire going flat during the latter part of the race as 12 cars finished on the lead lap after 50 circuits. Qualifying heat race wins were claimed by Woody, Kyle Donahue and Newell.

For 2014 Budweiser Modified Champion Stephen Counterman, it has been a roller coaster season as a very fast car has seen some very strange things happen. With the full moon high in the sky the 25 car returned to winning form to take his first win of the season when he grabbed the lead from David Strode on the opening lap and withstood a lap 21 caution for several pieces of debris allowing David Bates and Ricky Icenhower to close the gap. Counterman, who started third on the field, quickly shot around then leader Strode and pulled away as quickly as possible as all eyes were on Bates, Icenhower and Swearengin for the showdown from row four. Bates moved quickly around Strode by lap 2, but had already fell behind by a quarter of a straight away as Icenhower was back in the field battling point leader Tim Swearengin, Richard Lewis, and a fast moving Chris Johnson. By lap six Swearengin moved into third spot as Icenhower followed. Up front Counterman opened a full straight advantage over Bates. The only caution waved on lap 21 as Counterman now had Bates, Icenhower, Swearengin and Johnson bumper to bumper. Smoothly moving on the restart, Counterman never missed a lick and pulled away to capture his first win as Bates and Icenhower kept the heat for the runner-up position with Bates, Icenhower, Swearengin and Johnson completing the top 5. Heat race victories were gathered by Bates and Icenhower.

Another new first time winner saw Hoosier Racing Tire Street Stock driver David Douglas get the jump from his front row starting spot and dominated the caution free 15 lap event to become the fifth different feature winner in the class and his first ever career feature win. Douglas got the early jump over Tony and Chris Johnson and put together 15 perfect laps leaving the real race for second place. Chris Johnson wasted no time in securing second spot leaving Zack Morgan, point leader Jordan Nisbett, Les Mallard and Nick Cherry to decide the race for third spot. Nisbett was holding off Morgan at until Morgan got sideways on lap 6 dropping him to fifth as Mallard quickly filled the hole challenging Nisbett. While Douglas was stretching his lead over Chris Johnson, Johnson was pulling away from Nisbett and crew. Douglas grabbed the checkered with Johnson, Morgan who had got his car back underneath him, Nisbett and Mallard completing the top 5 as Nick Cherry was right in that same pack as well. Douglas and Mallard grabbed the heat race victories.

For 2012 Sportsman Champion Little JC Newell, it was a night of clean sweeps as the Stoutland driver took the lead on the start of the 20 lap Sportsman feature and bested grandfather James JC Newell and father Ben Newell in taking his third win of the season. It was a Newell family 1-2-3 sweep and the first time the three generations of family finished in that order. The start of the feature had third place points driver Jimmy Fohn have mechanical issues on the pace laps and retire to the pits. This placed second place points driver Aaron Douglas to the outside of row 1 as Newell and Douglas quickly went side-by-side early before Newell took the lead. Douglas stayed close behind until lap 3 and began to fade with mechanical issues of his own. Douglas’s hope for a win ended on lap 5 as he retired to the pits. Out in front, Little Newell never looked back in taking the win as Big JC, Ben Newell and rookie AJ Bowman completed the running order. Little Newell and Big JC grabbed the heat race wins.

Coca-Cola Charger driver Jesse Poindexter keeps the new winners movement going as he took the lead on lap 2 from Japheth Nisbett and had to fend off Father Jimmy Poindexter and current point leader Ben White for the entire remaining 10 laps in taking his first ever feature win. Japheth Nisbett took the opening lead with Jesse Poindexter following closely. Jesse Poindexter then made a nice inside move as Jimmy Poindexter and White were slicing through the pack. With the younger Poindexter setting a smooth pace, the duo of Jimmy Poindexter and White closed quickly making it a three car battle as Luke Oster and Nik Taylor raced for fourth spot swapping positions. As Jesse took the white flag, White got around Jimmy and moved into second place, but it was just too late as Jesse takes the win becoming the fourth different winner in the class this season out of nine features. White, Jimmy Poindexter, Luke Oster with his best ever finish and Taylor rounded out the top five. The Poindexter family took the heat race wins.

Action continues Saturday August 8th with the ever popular Our Town Your Town Event featuring a full show of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series stock car action and the Monster Energy Motocross Stunt Team performing 3 different segments along with games and inflatables for the kids, vendor booths on the midway and special concession items. Admission is also only $20 PER CAR LOAD for this one of a kind event. Gates open at 3pm with NASCAR testing to start at 3:30. The first performance by the Moto Cross Stunt Team will begin around 5:15 PM with the Racing Program to start approximately 5:45 to 6pm.

For more information visit the website at www.i44speedway.net and be sure to like us at Lebanon I-44 Speedway on Facebook for updated information on Missouri’s only NASCAR sanction facility and the only weekly asphalt track within 300 miles.

August 1st, 2015 – Lebanon I-44 Speedway NASCAR Whelen All American Series Results
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Pro Late Models
FEATURE

1 15 JC Newell Stoutland, MO
2 2 Kyle Donahue Wildwood, MO
3 35 Steve Holt Stafford, MO
4 3 Brennon Willard Sleeper, MO
5 47 Kaleb Allison Mexico, MO
6 O2 Brian Brown Strafford, MO
7 67 Jimmy Vanzandt Pleasant Hope, MO
8 66 Bill Frye Greenbrier, AR
9 O7 Terry Limberopoulos Cuba, Mo.
10 5 Josh Woods Buckhorn, MO
11 44 Paul Jepsen Rolla, MO
12 26 Payton Lucas Fair Grove, MO
13 7 Kevin Donahue Wildwood, MO
14 21 Ken Dickinson Camdenton, MO
15 12 Scotty Allen Urbana, MO
DNS 20 Cole Rouse Ft. Smith, Ark.

Heat 1

1 15 Josh Woody
2 O7 Terry Limberopoulos
3 12 Scotty Allen
4 7 Kevin Donahue
5 26 Payton Lucas
6 21 Ken Dickinson

Heat 2

1 2 Kyle Donahue
2 O2 Brian Brown
3 67 Jimmy Vanzandt
4 35 Steve Holt
5 66 Bill Frye

Heat 3

1 15 JC Newell
2 3 Brennon Willard
3 44 Paul Jepsen
4 47 Kaleb Allison
DNS 20 Cole Rouse

NASCAR Budweiser Modifieds

FEATURE

1 25 Stephen Counterman Fair Grove, MO
2 91 David Bates Fair Grove, MO
3 7 Ricky Icenhower Fair Grove, MO
4 14 Tim Swearengin Springfield, MO
5 OO Chris Johnson Lebanon, MO
6 64 David Strode Independence, MO
7 6 Richard Lewis Willard, MO
8 9 Brian Lewis Willard, MO
9 44 Kevin Blackburn Lebanon, MO

Heat 1

1 91 David Bates
2 25 Stephen Counterman
3 OO Chris Johnson
4 64 David Strode
5 44 Kevin Blackburn

Heat 2

1 7 Ricky Icenhower
2 14 Tim Swearengin
3 6 Richard Lewis
4 9 Brian Lewis

NASCAR Sportsman

FEATURE

1 15 JC Newell Stoutland, MO
2 84 JC Newell (Gentle Giant) Decautrville, MO
3 83 Ben Newell Stoutland, MO
4 79 AJ Bowman Lebanon, MO
5 7 Aaron Douglas Lebanon, MO
6 3 James Fohn Lebanon, MO
7 48 Jimmy Fohn Eldridge, MO
DNS 76 Jake Piel St. Louis, MO

HEAT 1

1 15 JC Newell
2 48 Jimmy Fohn
3 76 Jake Piel
4 3 James Fohn

HEAT 2
1 84 JC Newell (Gentle Giant)
2 7 Aaron Douglas
3 83 Ben Newell
4 79 AJ Bowman

NASCAR Hoosier Racing Tire Street Stocks

FEATURE

1 77 David Douglas Lebanon, MO
2 OO Chris Johnson Lebanon, MO
3 14 Zack Morgan Springfield, MO
4 33 Jordan Nisbett Lebanon, MO
5 21 Les Mallard Fair Grove, MO
6 27 Nick Cherry Springfield, MO
7 0 Tony Johnson Lebanon, MO
8 5 Rick Sharp Fair Grove, MO

Heat 1

1 77 David Douglas
2 0O Chris Johnson
3 5 Rick Sharp
4 O Tony Johnson
5

Heat 2

1 21 Les Mallard
2 14 Zack Morgan
3 33 Jordan Nisbett
4 27 Nick Cherry

NASCAR Coca-Cola Chargers

FEATURE

1 55 Jesse Poindexter Willard, MO
2 44 Ben White Rolla, MO
3 5 Jimmy Poindexter Jr Willard, MO
4 25 Luke Oster Linn Creek, MO
5 21 Nik Taylor Bolivar, MO
6 19 Cory Nutt Lebanon, MO
7 95 Ethan Mathis Edgar Springs, MO
8 22 Japheth Nisbett Rolla, MO
9 40 Mark Glorfeld Springfield, MO

Heat 1

1 55 Jesse Poindexter
2 22 Japheth Nisbett
3 25 Luke Oster
4 19 Cory Nutt
5 95 Ethan Mathis

Heat 2

1 5 Jimmy Poindexter
2 44 Ben White
3 21 Nik Taylor
4 40 Mark Glorfeld

For more information visit the website at www.i44speedway.net and be sure to like us at Lebanon I-44 Speedway on Facebook for updated information on Missouri’s only NASCAR sanction facility and the only weekly asphalt track within 300 miles.