O'REILLY AUTO PARTS MID-AMERICA RACING SERIES
Monett Speedway
Sunday, August 10, 2003
by Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
MONETT MO. Al Purkey scored his first career O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series. Purkey made the most of his double-wide restart opportunity on a lap 35 caution, and drove by race leader, Bill Frye in turn four after racing side by side with him for a full lap. Purkey also broke Phillips' four race winning streak. Phillips still maintains the point lead.
Leslie Essary was the nights top qualifier, and held the pole with Jeff Taylor to his outside. Essary moved to the lead as the green flag fell, with Taylor, Bill Frye, Terry Phillips, and Rex McCroskey making up the top five. Frye moved by Taylor to the second spot in turn four on the opening lap, taking over second.
Essary and Frye raced side by side for the lead on laps five and six before Frye got the run coming off turn two on lap seven to take over the top spot. Frye opened a five carlength advantage by lap nine. Frye was building his gap, and was pacing the field by ten carlengths by lap 11.
Frye was already starting to work traffic by lap 13. Jeff Taylor worked by Essary for the second position in turn four on lap 14. Phillips made the move past Essary for the third spot in turn two on lap 18.
Frye had held as much as a fifteen carlength advantage, but was finding the going slow moving through the traffic, and Taylor was starting to reel him in. Taylor had gotten to within five carlengths by lap 25.
Frye was finally able to clear the traffic on lap 27. Al Purkey moved by Rex McCroskey for the fifth spot on lap 28. Purkey drove by Essary for the fourth spot on lap 29, then got side by side with Phillips as the frontrunners were racing through heavy traffic.
Purkey got past Phillips for third in turn four on lap 30. Frye had a half straightaway lead on the field however. The worst possible thing that could happen to Frye occured on lap 35, as Gary Stolba lost a drive shaft on the frontstretch. This was also the best possible thing that could happen to Purkey.
On the restart, Purkey shot past Taylor, and was even with Frye coming off turn four. The pair raced side by side for the entire restart lap, with Purkey edging into the lead coming off turn four. Frye kept things close, challenging Purkey in the turns, but Purkey would not be denied.
Al Purkey came home with his first career O'Reilly M.A.R.S. win, with Bill Frye, Jeff Taylor, Terry Phillips, and Leslie Essary making up the top five. Rex McCroskey, Steve Rushin, Brandon McCormick, Mike Brown, and Dewaine Hottinger rounding out the top ten.
Entries: 32
Top Qualifier: Leslie Essary
W&W Concrete Hard Charger: Charlie Randolph
Provisionals: Jerry Buck (2), Charlie Randolph (4)
Lap Leaders: Leslie Essary 1-6, Bill Frye 7-35, Al Purkey 36-40
Cautions: 1
A FEATURE (40 Laps)
1) Al Purkey, (7) Larry Shaw/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $3,000
2) Bill Frye, (4) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $2,000
3) Jeff Taylor, (2) Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $1,250
4) Terry Phillips, (5) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $1,100
5) Leslie Essary, (1) GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $1,000
6) Rex McCroskey, (6) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $750
7) Steve Rushin, (8) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $700
8) Brandon McCormick, (10) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $675
9) Mike Brown, (14) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $650
10) Dewaine Hottinger, (12) GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $625
11) Joey Mack, (15) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $600
12) Peyton Taylor, (19) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $575
13) Brad Looney, (17) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $550
14) Raymond Merrill, (20) GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $525
15) Charlie Randolph, (22) GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $500
16) Dustin Mooneyham, (11) Moon Bro's/Buzzard/Grand Prix; $500
17) Jerry Buck, (21) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
18) Gary Stolba, (3) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
19) Ken Essary, (9) Ince/Mike's/Grand Prix; $500
20) Darrell Mooneyham, (16) Moon Bro's/Buzzard/Grand Prix; $500
21) Shane Essary, (13) GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
22) Jack Sullivan, (18) GRT/Dickens/Grand Prix; $500
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Gary Stolba, Willow Springs MO 2) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 3) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 4) Dustin Mooneyham, Aurora MO 5) Brad Looney, Republic MO 6) Peyton Taylor, Desha AR 7) Darrin Barton, Aurora MO 8) LeRoy Johnson, Springfield MO (scratch: Jerry Buck)
2nd Heat 1) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 2) Al Purkey, Coffeyville KS 3) Rex McCroskey, Springfield MO 4) Joey Mack, Benton MO 5) Jack Sullivan, Greenbriar AR 6) Justin Wells, Aurora MO 7) Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw OK 8) Jim Fulp, Aurora MO
3rd Heat 1) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 2) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 3) Brandon McCormick, Lebanon MO 4) Darrell Mooneyham, Aurora MO 5) Chase Austin, Eudora KS 6) Kelly Bremer, Monett MO 7) Chris Hawkins, Neosho MO 8) Mark Daye, Webb City MO
4th Heat 1) Jeff Taylor, Pleasant Plains AR 2) Ken Essary, Cape Fair MO 3) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 4) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 5) Will Vaught, Crane MO 6) Charlie Randolph, Muskogee OK 7) Rob Hough, South Coffeyville OK 8) Will Ince, Fordland MO
1st Last Chance Qualifier (12 Laps, two transfer) 1) Brad Looney 2) Peyton Taylor 3) Chase Austin 4) Justin Wells 5) Darrin Barton 6) LeRoy Johnson 7) Chris Hawkins (scratch: Mark Daye)
2nd Last Chance Qualifier 1) Jack Sullivan 2) Raymond Merrill 3) Will Vaught 4) Rob Hough 5) Charlie Randolph 6) Kelly Bremer 7) Jim Fulp 8) Will Ince
MARS POINTS AS OF: 08/10/03
1 75P PHILLIPS, TERRY SPRINGFIELD, MO 2122
2 66F FRYE, BILL GREENBRIAR, AR 2108
3 5T TAYLOR, JEFF PLEASANT PLAINS, AR 1982
4 5E ESSARY, LESLIE CRANE, MO 1884
5 F1 FLOYD, JEFF WALNUT RIDGE, AR 1848
6 427B BROWN, MIKE FT. GIBSON, OK 1830
7 81B BUCK, JERRY HARVIELL, M0 1740
8 9R RANDOLPH II, CHARLIE MUSKOGEE, OK 1692
9 65H HOTTINGER, DEWAINE RUSSELLVILLE, AR 1686
10 14JR RUSHIN, STEVE POPLAR BLUFF, MO 1666
11 97M MACK, JOEY BENTON, MO 1640
12 60B BOWERS, MIKE NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR1483
13 18S SULLIVAN, JACK GREENBRIAR, AR 1464
14 33S STOLBA, GARY WILLOW SPRINGS, MO 1436
15 15E ESSARY, SHANE AURORA, MO 1360
16 88W WALLACE, WENDELL BATESVILLE, AR 1089
17 27T TAYLOR, STACY JACKSONVILLE, AR 1077
18 12M MERRILL, RAYMOND SALLISAW, OK 859
19 G2 GIBSON, DAVID ASH FLAT, AR 747
20 64M McCROSKEY, REX SPRINGFIELD, MO 655
Monett Speedway
Sunday, August 10, 2003
by Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
MONETT MO. Al Purkey scored his first career O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series. Purkey made the most of his double-wide restart opportunity on a lap 35 caution, and drove by race leader, Bill Frye in turn four after racing side by side with him for a full lap. Purkey also broke Phillips' four race winning streak. Phillips still maintains the point lead.
Leslie Essary was the nights top qualifier, and held the pole with Jeff Taylor to his outside. Essary moved to the lead as the green flag fell, with Taylor, Bill Frye, Terry Phillips, and Rex McCroskey making up the top five. Frye moved by Taylor to the second spot in turn four on the opening lap, taking over second.
Essary and Frye raced side by side for the lead on laps five and six before Frye got the run coming off turn two on lap seven to take over the top spot. Frye opened a five carlength advantage by lap nine. Frye was building his gap, and was pacing the field by ten carlengths by lap 11.
Frye was already starting to work traffic by lap 13. Jeff Taylor worked by Essary for the second position in turn four on lap 14. Phillips made the move past Essary for the third spot in turn two on lap 18.
Frye had held as much as a fifteen carlength advantage, but was finding the going slow moving through the traffic, and Taylor was starting to reel him in. Taylor had gotten to within five carlengths by lap 25.
Frye was finally able to clear the traffic on lap 27. Al Purkey moved by Rex McCroskey for the fifth spot on lap 28. Purkey drove by Essary for the fourth spot on lap 29, then got side by side with Phillips as the frontrunners were racing through heavy traffic.
Purkey got past Phillips for third in turn four on lap 30. Frye had a half straightaway lead on the field however. The worst possible thing that could happen to Frye occured on lap 35, as Gary Stolba lost a drive shaft on the frontstretch. This was also the best possible thing that could happen to Purkey.
On the restart, Purkey shot past Taylor, and was even with Frye coming off turn four. The pair raced side by side for the entire restart lap, with Purkey edging into the lead coming off turn four. Frye kept things close, challenging Purkey in the turns, but Purkey would not be denied.
Al Purkey came home with his first career O'Reilly M.A.R.S. win, with Bill Frye, Jeff Taylor, Terry Phillips, and Leslie Essary making up the top five. Rex McCroskey, Steve Rushin, Brandon McCormick, Mike Brown, and Dewaine Hottinger rounding out the top ten.
Entries: 32
Top Qualifier: Leslie Essary
W&W Concrete Hard Charger: Charlie Randolph
Provisionals: Jerry Buck (2), Charlie Randolph (4)
Lap Leaders: Leslie Essary 1-6, Bill Frye 7-35, Al Purkey 36-40
Cautions: 1
A FEATURE (40 Laps)
1) Al Purkey, (7) Larry Shaw/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $3,000
2) Bill Frye, (4) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $2,000
3) Jeff Taylor, (2) Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $1,250
4) Terry Phillips, (5) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $1,100
5) Leslie Essary, (1) GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $1,000
6) Rex McCroskey, (6) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $750
7) Steve Rushin, (8) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $700
8) Brandon McCormick, (10) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $675
9) Mike Brown, (14) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $650
10) Dewaine Hottinger, (12) GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $625
11) Joey Mack, (15) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $600
12) Peyton Taylor, (19) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $575
13) Brad Looney, (17) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $550
14) Raymond Merrill, (20) GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $525
15) Charlie Randolph, (22) GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $500
16) Dustin Mooneyham, (11) Moon Bro's/Buzzard/Grand Prix; $500
17) Jerry Buck, (21) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
18) Gary Stolba, (3) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
19) Ken Essary, (9) Ince/Mike's/Grand Prix; $500
20) Darrell Mooneyham, (16) Moon Bro's/Buzzard/Grand Prix; $500
21) Shane Essary, (13) GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
22) Jack Sullivan, (18) GRT/Dickens/Grand Prix; $500
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Gary Stolba, Willow Springs MO 2) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 3) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 4) Dustin Mooneyham, Aurora MO 5) Brad Looney, Republic MO 6) Peyton Taylor, Desha AR 7) Darrin Barton, Aurora MO 8) LeRoy Johnson, Springfield MO (scratch: Jerry Buck)
2nd Heat 1) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 2) Al Purkey, Coffeyville KS 3) Rex McCroskey, Springfield MO 4) Joey Mack, Benton MO 5) Jack Sullivan, Greenbriar AR 6) Justin Wells, Aurora MO 7) Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw OK 8) Jim Fulp, Aurora MO
3rd Heat 1) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 2) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 3) Brandon McCormick, Lebanon MO 4) Darrell Mooneyham, Aurora MO 5) Chase Austin, Eudora KS 6) Kelly Bremer, Monett MO 7) Chris Hawkins, Neosho MO 8) Mark Daye, Webb City MO
4th Heat 1) Jeff Taylor, Pleasant Plains AR 2) Ken Essary, Cape Fair MO 3) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 4) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 5) Will Vaught, Crane MO 6) Charlie Randolph, Muskogee OK 7) Rob Hough, South Coffeyville OK 8) Will Ince, Fordland MO
1st Last Chance Qualifier (12 Laps, two transfer) 1) Brad Looney 2) Peyton Taylor 3) Chase Austin 4) Justin Wells 5) Darrin Barton 6) LeRoy Johnson 7) Chris Hawkins (scratch: Mark Daye)
2nd Last Chance Qualifier 1) Jack Sullivan 2) Raymond Merrill 3) Will Vaught 4) Rob Hough 5) Charlie Randolph 6) Kelly Bremer 7) Jim Fulp 8) Will Ince
MARS POINTS AS OF: 08/10/03
1 75P PHILLIPS, TERRY SPRINGFIELD, MO 2122
2 66F FRYE, BILL GREENBRIAR, AR 2108
3 5T TAYLOR, JEFF PLEASANT PLAINS, AR 1982
4 5E ESSARY, LESLIE CRANE, MO 1884
5 F1 FLOYD, JEFF WALNUT RIDGE, AR 1848
6 427B BROWN, MIKE FT. GIBSON, OK 1830
7 81B BUCK, JERRY HARVIELL, M0 1740
8 9R RANDOLPH II, CHARLIE MUSKOGEE, OK 1692
9 65H HOTTINGER, DEWAINE RUSSELLVILLE, AR 1686
10 14JR RUSHIN, STEVE POPLAR BLUFF, MO 1666
11 97M MACK, JOEY BENTON, MO 1640
12 60B BOWERS, MIKE NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR1483
13 18S SULLIVAN, JACK GREENBRIAR, AR 1464
14 33S STOLBA, GARY WILLOW SPRINGS, MO 1436
15 15E ESSARY, SHANE AURORA, MO 1360
16 88W WALLACE, WENDELL BATESVILLE, AR 1089
17 27T TAYLOR, STACY JACKSONVILLE, AR 1077
18 12M MERRILL, RAYMOND SALLISAW, OK 859
19 G2 GIBSON, DAVID ASH FLAT, AR 747
20 64M McCROSKEY, REX SPRINGFIELD, MO 655
