O'REILLY AUTO PARTS MID-AMERICA RACING SERIES
Lebanon I-44 Speedway, 1st Annual Bill Willard Memorial
Friday, Saturday; September 19-20
by Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
LEBANON MO. Bill Frye headed up Friday's first round of qualifying for the 1st Annual Bill Willard Memorial. Frye will hold the pole for the first $10,000 to win race in the history of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series. Frye took the lead from Brad Looney on the 3rd lap of the 25 lap qualifying race, and never looked back.
Frye held the pole with Looney to his outside. Looney got the best of things on the start, with Frye, Terry Phillips, Jerry Buck, and Ed Kosiski falling in behind. Frye and Looney were side by side on lap three, with Frye coming off the high side of the track into the lead.
The yellow flag waved on lap five as Gary Stolba was stalled in turn four. During the caution, Brad Looney pulled up on the backstretch, and had to be pushed to the pits ending his bid to qualify for the 50 Lap feature on Friday.
Jerry Buck drove past Phillips on the restart. Raymond Merrill came to fourth, and Brandon McCromick to fifth as the field sorted. Frye opened a 10 carlength advantage by lap eight.
The caution flag waved on lap 11 for debris on the frontstetch. Phillips drove by Buck for second, but Raymond Merrill worked the bottom past both, moving into second place. Phillips started to fade as he had a tire going down slowly. Joey Mack worked to fourth, and Dustin Mooneyham to fifth by lap 17.
The caution flag came out again on lap 21 as Phillips' tire had gone completely flat, coming to a stop on the backstretch. Merrill, Mack, and Mooneyham went three wide on the restart for second. Merrill was running in second by lap 22, and McCormick drove to the third spot on lap 23.
Bill Frye came home with the win, with Raymond Merrill, Brandon McCormick, Joey Mack, and Dustin Mooneyham making up the top five. Jerry Buck, Steve Rushin, Chris Smyser, Jeff Floyd, and Shane Essary rounded out the top ten, taking transfer spots into tomarrow night's 50 Lap Main Event.
The top four cars from the feature, along with the two top O'Reilly M.A.R.S. points cars not qualified made up the field for the Bank of Crocker Dash for Cash. Terry Phillips and Jeff Taylor were the points cars in the field, joining Frye, Merrill, McCormick, and Mack in the 12 lap dash paying $1,000 to the winner.
Terry Phillips consoled himself by leading the Bank of Crocker Dash for Cash wire to wire. Phillips picked up the $1,000 top prize. Raymond Merrill nipped Jeff Taylor at the line for second.
Bank of Crocker Dash for Cash (12 Laps)
1) Terry Phillips, $1,000
2) Raymond Merrill, $300
3) Jeff Taylor, $250
4) Joey Mack, $200
5) Brandon McCormick, $150
6) Bill Frye, $100
Qualifying Feature (25 Laps, 10 transfer) 1) BILL FRYE 2) RAYMOND MERRILL 3) BRANDON McCORMICK 4) JOEY MACK 5) DUSTIN MOONEYHAM 6) JERRY BUCK 7) STEVE RUSHIN 8) CHRIS SMYSER 9) JEFF FLOYD 10) SHANE ESSARY 11) Ed Kosiski 12) Charlie Randolph 13) Gary Stolba 14) Terry Phillips 15) Ken Essary 16) Jason Snodgrass 17) LeRoy Johnson 18) Mike Brown 19) Will Vaught 20) Brad Looney 21) Al Humphrey (scatch: Brook Phillips)
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw OK 2) Jerry Buck, Harviell MO 3) Al Humphries, Giltner NE 4) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 5) Charlie Randolph, Muskogee OK 6) Brook Phillips, Wichita KS 7) Randy McGraw, Marshall MO 8) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 9) Jeff Taylor, Pleasant Plains AR
2nd Heat 1) Gary Stolba, Willow Springs MO 2) Brandon McCormick, Lebanon MO 3) Joey Mack, Benton MO 4) Jeff Floyd, Walnut Ridge AR 5) Chris Smyser, Lancaster MO 6) Dustin Mooneyham, Aurora MO 7) Reid Millard, Jefferson City MO 8) Christian Rayburn, Osage Beach MO
3rd Heat 1) Brad Looney, Republic MO 2) Ed Kosiski, Ralston NE 3) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 4) Jason Snodgrass, Mountain Home AR 5) Will Vaught, Crane MO 6) Todd Kallweit, Wheatland MO 7) Scott Drake, Webb City MO (scatch: T.J. Kuykendall)
4th Heat 1) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 2) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 3) Ken Essary, Cape Fair MO 4) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 5) LeRoy Johnson, Springfield MO 6) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 7) Bryan Allison, Marshall MO 8) Darrell Mooneyham, Aurora MO
Lebanon I-44 Speedway, 1st Annual Bill Willard Memorial
Friday, Saturday; September 19-20
by Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
LEBANON MO. Bill Frye headed up Friday's first round of qualifying for the 1st Annual Bill Willard Memorial. Frye will hold the pole for the first $10,000 to win race in the history of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series. Frye took the lead from Brad Looney on the 3rd lap of the 25 lap qualifying race, and never looked back.
Frye held the pole with Looney to his outside. Looney got the best of things on the start, with Frye, Terry Phillips, Jerry Buck, and Ed Kosiski falling in behind. Frye and Looney were side by side on lap three, with Frye coming off the high side of the track into the lead.
The yellow flag waved on lap five as Gary Stolba was stalled in turn four. During the caution, Brad Looney pulled up on the backstretch, and had to be pushed to the pits ending his bid to qualify for the 50 Lap feature on Friday.
Jerry Buck drove past Phillips on the restart. Raymond Merrill came to fourth, and Brandon McCromick to fifth as the field sorted. Frye opened a 10 carlength advantage by lap eight.
The caution flag waved on lap 11 for debris on the frontstetch. Phillips drove by Buck for second, but Raymond Merrill worked the bottom past both, moving into second place. Phillips started to fade as he had a tire going down slowly. Joey Mack worked to fourth, and Dustin Mooneyham to fifth by lap 17.
The caution flag came out again on lap 21 as Phillips' tire had gone completely flat, coming to a stop on the backstretch. Merrill, Mack, and Mooneyham went three wide on the restart for second. Merrill was running in second by lap 22, and McCormick drove to the third spot on lap 23.
Bill Frye came home with the win, with Raymond Merrill, Brandon McCormick, Joey Mack, and Dustin Mooneyham making up the top five. Jerry Buck, Steve Rushin, Chris Smyser, Jeff Floyd, and Shane Essary rounded out the top ten, taking transfer spots into tomarrow night's 50 Lap Main Event.
The top four cars from the feature, along with the two top O'Reilly M.A.R.S. points cars not qualified made up the field for the Bank of Crocker Dash for Cash. Terry Phillips and Jeff Taylor were the points cars in the field, joining Frye, Merrill, McCormick, and Mack in the 12 lap dash paying $1,000 to the winner.
Terry Phillips consoled himself by leading the Bank of Crocker Dash for Cash wire to wire. Phillips picked up the $1,000 top prize. Raymond Merrill nipped Jeff Taylor at the line for second.
Bank of Crocker Dash for Cash (12 Laps)
1) Terry Phillips, $1,000
2) Raymond Merrill, $300
3) Jeff Taylor, $250
4) Joey Mack, $200
5) Brandon McCormick, $150
6) Bill Frye, $100
Qualifying Feature (25 Laps, 10 transfer) 1) BILL FRYE 2) RAYMOND MERRILL 3) BRANDON McCORMICK 4) JOEY MACK 5) DUSTIN MOONEYHAM 6) JERRY BUCK 7) STEVE RUSHIN 8) CHRIS SMYSER 9) JEFF FLOYD 10) SHANE ESSARY 11) Ed Kosiski 12) Charlie Randolph 13) Gary Stolba 14) Terry Phillips 15) Ken Essary 16) Jason Snodgrass 17) LeRoy Johnson 18) Mike Brown 19) Will Vaught 20) Brad Looney 21) Al Humphrey (scatch: Brook Phillips)
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw OK 2) Jerry Buck, Harviell MO 3) Al Humphries, Giltner NE 4) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 5) Charlie Randolph, Muskogee OK 6) Brook Phillips, Wichita KS 7) Randy McGraw, Marshall MO 8) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 9) Jeff Taylor, Pleasant Plains AR
2nd Heat 1) Gary Stolba, Willow Springs MO 2) Brandon McCormick, Lebanon MO 3) Joey Mack, Benton MO 4) Jeff Floyd, Walnut Ridge AR 5) Chris Smyser, Lancaster MO 6) Dustin Mooneyham, Aurora MO 7) Reid Millard, Jefferson City MO 8) Christian Rayburn, Osage Beach MO
3rd Heat 1) Brad Looney, Republic MO 2) Ed Kosiski, Ralston NE 3) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 4) Jason Snodgrass, Mountain Home AR 5) Will Vaught, Crane MO 6) Todd Kallweit, Wheatland MO 7) Scott Drake, Webb City MO (scatch: T.J. Kuykendall)
4th Heat 1) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 2) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 3) Ken Essary, Cape Fair MO 4) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 5) LeRoy Johnson, Springfield MO 6) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 7) Bryan Allison, Marshall MO 8) Darrell Mooneyham, Aurora MO
