HomeMissouriLebanon I-44 SpeedwayBates takes Roper Classic at I-44

Bates takes Roper Classic at I-44

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Lebanon-I-44-SpeedwayLebanon, Mo. / Some information contributed by Ronnie Williams
For Immediate Release 8/18/2015 –

Budweiser Modified veteran David Bates took advantage of his front row outside starting spot and led all 54 laps of the 2nd Annual Roper Family Classic presented by Whelen Engineering Thursday night at the Lebanon I-44 Speedway to capture his 4th feature win of the season as NASCAR’s Kenny Wallace made a special visit to compete in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Pro Late Model feature.

For Bates, the win was an emotional victory as he has close ties with the Roper Family. “Dale used to race with my father and we ran together for many laps, when Tony Roper went ASA racing I helped him on the road early in his career. Dean was a friend of the family along with Dale Jr. as the racing community of Fair Grove all know and respect the family”.

Bates jumped from his outside front row spot to set a quick pace early as Kansas City area driver David Strode tucked in behind the leader while point leader Tim Swearengin followed in third spot. All eyes were on the back of the pack as defending Roper Classic Champion and six time feature winner Ricky Icenhower was coming from the seventh starting spot. As Bates pulled away quickly, Strode was fending off Swearengin for second place as Icenhower and Richard Lewis swapped spots. The only caution of the long distance feature flew on lap five when Lewis spun on the backstretch slowing the pace. On the restart, Bates again pulled away leaving Strode to fend-off Swearengin and Icenhower. Icenhower moved into third spot on lap 8 as Strode was having a great run in second. After a very tight 4 lap battle, Icenhower finally moved into 2nd place and tried to close the gap on Bates. Icenhower quickened his race pace, but Bates did the same maintaining a 10 car advantage while Strode had broken away from Swearengin and Rodrick Icenhower with a strong 3rd place showing. As the race went caution free, Icenhower did manage to close some distance on Bates, but the former three time Modified Track Champion would pick-up the pace and never looked back. Icenhower, Strode, Swearengin and Rodrick Icenhower completed the top 5 all on the lead lap. “We wanted this feature bad.” said Bates. “I was in the hospital last season when it came around. Being a 3-time Pavement Champion along with Dale really means a lot to me as the family is very well respected in our racing community. One of the pre-race favorites and defending Track Champion Stephen Counterman was atop the leader board in practice, but transmission problems put them on the trailer before the races began. Bates and Ricky Icenhower grabbed the heat race wins.

For O’Reilly Auto Parts Pro Late Model driver Kevin Donahue, lady luck finally shinned on him despite having 2 tires go down on the hauler coming to the track. Donahue jumped from his front row outside starting spot and withstood a late race surge from current point leader JC Newell in capturing his 1st win of the season and became the 8th different winner in 10 features this season. Donahue powered ahead with Jimmy Vanzandt, Brennon Willard, and Steve Holt in tow while Kenny Wallace was starting from the 13th spot. A lap 2 caution slowed the pace as defending track champion Kaleb Allison got tangled along with Josh Woody and Cole Rouse and restarted at the rear. Donahue wasted no time on the restart in opening the lead as Vanzandt, Willard, Holt and Newell were door to door. On lap 6 Willard moved into 2nd place but couldn’t gain any ground on the leader. Newell moved around Vanzandt on lap 8 as Rouse and Holt along with Paul Jepsen battled for 5th spot. As the race went caution free, Willard and Newell kept the 2nd place spot hot back and forth until lap 20 when Newell made an inside pass as Wallace was bringing Allison with him into a battle in the top 5. In the closing 10 laps, Newell known as “The Stoutland Rocket” closed the gap each lap but came up short with Donahue grabbing the victory. Following the lead duo to the stripe were Willard, Rouse from the 12th starting spot, and Holt in the top 5 while Wallace rallied to 6th followed by Allison, Jepsen, Vanzandt who slid-up in turn 4 late in the race losing a few spots, Payton Lucas and Brian Brown all 11 on the lead lap. Heat race wins went to Vanzandt and Holt.
Sportsman action saw a caution free 20 lap feature as Little JC Newell rallied back from a slow start and moved around leader Aaron Douglas on lap 17 to grab his 5th win of the season. Douglas set a fast pace early as point leader “Big” JC Newell followed closely. Douglas then began to stretch his lead as the Newell Family Feud for 2nd place started on lap 4 as Grandpa was keeping Grandson at bay. On lap 9, Little JC changed his race line and moved into 2nd but several car lengths behind the fast moving Douglas. After moving his line around the track Newell started to close the gap and caught Douglas by lap 15. Douglas was able to keep Newell at bay until an outside pass took Newell to the win with Douglas, JC Sr., Ben Newell and Jimmy Fohn completing the top 5. Newell captured the heat race win.

Another action packed Hoosier Racing Tire Street Stock feature saw 3 different leaders and a late caution getting the field bunched-up before Zack” The Z-man” Morgan captured his 2nd feature win of the season. Shawn Schmidt in the Station-Wagon jumped to the early lead with David Jennings and point leader Jordan Nisbett along with Steve Shaw close behind. On lap 3, Nisbett took the lead from Schmidt as a 3 car pack was coming strong including Shaw, Morgan and Rick Sharp. Nisbett had Shaw putting on the pressure as Morgan, Sharp, Schmidt and Jennings were all there in the mix. On lap 6, Morgan took over the 2nd spot from Shaw and began to close on Nisbett. The pace slowed on lap 11 as Nick Cherry and Jennings made contact with Jennings out for the night. On the restart, Nisbett was holding Morgan at bay, until lap 12 when Morgan took the lead. A late caution on lap 13 tightened the pack up as Morgan got the strong restart, but Nisbett and Shaw both came back on either side. As Nisbett and Shaw made their bid for the lead coming to the checkers the pack went 3 wide in turn 4 as Morgan made his car as wide as possible and Nisbett had to lay on the brakes to avoid a major wreck at the checkers. Morgan crossed the line with the win followed by Shaw, Rick Sharp, Nisbett and Nick Cherry at the line. Heat race wins went to Schmidt and Morgan.

Coca-Cola 2013 Charger Champion Jimmy Poindexter and current point’s runner-up ran down the leader and 2014 Champion Jason Walls on lap 5 and pulled away grabbing his 4th feature win of the season to keep close in the Championship Chase with Ben White. Walls quickly grabbed the opening lead as Japheth Nisbett, Poindexter and point leader White followed. By lap 3, Poindexter wasted no time in moving into 2nd place and reeled in the leader Walls. A very spirited battle up front for 2 laps between the lead duo allowed Nisbett and White to close the gap but Poindexter wouldn’t be denied tonight leaving the race for 2nd place. White was able to move around Walls for 2nd place on lap 7, but hard racing between the two shuffled him back to 4th spot as Walls moved back into 2nd place. Poindexter crossed the line with the win, Walls had to withstand a late surge by White to capture the runner-up spot as White, Nisbett and Jesse Poindexter completed the top 5.

Racing action continues Saturday Night Aug. 22nd as a full NASCAR Whelen All-American Series show with all 5 classes along with Kricket Alley performing a concert after the races and Kids Ride in a race car after the racing action with Emerson/Copeland AND KZNN the Super Station 105.3 Night at the races. Gates will open at 4PM with racing action to begin at 6:30PM.

Lebanon I-44 Speedway NASCAR Whelen All American Series Results for 08/13/2015
Budweiser NASCAR Modifieds – Roper Classic
1 91 David Bates Fair Grove, MO
2 7 Ricky Icenhower Fair Grove, MO
3 64 David Strode Independence, MO
4 14 Tim Swearengin Springfield, MO
5 29 Rodrick Icenhower Fair Grove, MO
6 6 Richard Lewis Willard, MO
7 10 Joe Bunkers Harrisonville, MO
8 15 Todd Lauvray Ridgeway, VA
9 9 Brian Lewis Willard, MO
10 11 Mark Riddle Springfield, MO
11 97 Ron Hartford Raytown, MO

DNS 25 Stephen Counterman Fair Grove, MO

1st Heat

1 91 David Bates
2 64 David Strode
3 15 Todd Lauvray
4 9 Brian Lewis
5 11 Mark Riddle
6 97 Ron Hartford

2nd Heat

1 7 Ricky Icenhower
2 14 Tim Swearengin
3 29 Roderick Icenhower
4 6 Richard Lewis
5 10 Joe Bunkers
DNS 25 Stephen Counterman

O’Reilly Auto Parts NASCAR Pro Late Models – Feature

1 7 Kevin Donahue Wildwood, MO
2 15 JC Newell Stoutland, MO
3 3 Brennon Willard Sleeper, MO
4 20 Cole Rouse Fort Smith, AR
5 35 Steve Holt Strafford, MO
6 36 Kenny Wallace Concord, NC
7 47 Kaleb Allison Mexico, MO
8 44 Paul Jepsen Rolla, MO
9 67 Jimmy Vanzandt Pleasant Hope, MO
10 26 Payton Lucas Fair Grove, MO
11 O2 Brian Brown Strafford, MO
12 2 Kyle Donahue Wildwood, MO
13 5 Josh Woody Buckhorn, MO

1st Ht.

1 67 Jimmy Vanzandt
2 44 Paul Jepsen
3 5 Josh Woody
4 O2 Brian Brown
5 26 Payton Lucas
6 36 Kenny Wallace
7 2 Kyle Donahue

2nd Ht.

1 35 Steve Holt
2 3 Brennon Willard
3 15 JC Newell
4 47 Kaleb Allison
5 7 Kevin Donahue
6 20 Cole Rouse

NASCAR Sportsman – Feature

1 15 JC Newell Stoutland, MO
2 7 Aaron Douglas Lebanon, MO
3 84 JC Newell (Gentle Giant) Decaturville, MO
4 83 Ben Newell Stoutland, MO
5 48 Jimmy Fohn Eldridge, MO

Heat

1 15 JC Newell
2 7 Aaron Douglas
3 84 JC Newell (Gentle Giant)
4 48 Jimmy Fohn
5 83 Ben Newell

Hoosier Racing Tire NASCAR Street Stocks – Feature

1 14 Zack Morgan Lebanon, MO
2 90 Steve Shaw Rogersville, MO
3 5 Rick Sharp Springfield, MO
4 33 Jordan Nisbett Lebanon, MO
5 27 Nick Cherry Springfield, MO
6 99 Shawn Schmidt Springfield, MO
7 8 Aaron Wilke Bridgeton Mo.
8 2 Chris Shelter Lebanon, MO
9 30 David Jennings Lebanon, MO

DNS 77 David Douglas Lebanon, MO

1st Ht
1 99 Shawn Schmidt
2 5 Rick Sharp
3 30 David Jennings
4 2 Chris Shelter
5 77 David Douglas

2nd Ht.
1 14 Zach Morgan
2 90 Steve Shaw
3 27 Nick Cherry
4 8 Aaron Wilke
5 33 Jordan Nisbett

Coca-Cola NASCAR Chargers – Feature

1 5 Jimmy Poindexter Jr Willard, MO
2 10 Jason Walls St. James, MO
3 44 Ben White Rolla, MO
4 22 Japheth Nisbett Rolla, MO
5 55 Jesse Poindexter Willard, MO
6 74 Larry Hunter Laquey, MO
7 25 Luke Oster Linn Creek, MO

DNS 40 Mark Glorfeld Springfield, MO
DNS 21 Nik Taylor Bolivar, MO

1st ht.
1 22 Japheth Nisbett
2 10 Jason Walls
3 55 Jesse Poindexter
4 25 Luke Oster
5 74 Larry Hunter
2nd ht.
1 5 Jimmy Poindexter
2 44 Ben White
3 40 Mark Glorfeld
4 21 Nik Taylor

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.

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