By Ronnie Williams
Would the Ozarks Legend Larry Phillips had won 5 Nascar Weekly Racing Series National titles? Larry was racing the bigger money dirt shows around the Nation at the time along with the regional shows in the area.When the tracks paved,Larry ran most of the shows at Bolivar and I-44.At that time it was the winning percentage that determined the Regional Champs and the National Title.While Lakeside had went to the newly paved facility and was Nascar Sanctioned,It wasn't until a 1990 run-in with officials and a 30 day suspension from Nascar that Larry went racing at I-70 and Lakeside Weekly.I-70 then joined the Nascar Family in 1991.Also it was in 1990 that after much debate that Nascar changed the format for Regional Champions to the top 20 finishes for that season and a few afterwards.
Would there have been a MLRA Dirt racing Series?
This Series was formed in 1989 after Lebanon and Bolivar went the asphalt route and promoter Randy Mooneyham was worried about having tracks for his drivers to race at.This included second season drivers Rex McCroskey and a tall-long-legged machine and welding shop owner named Bill Frye.Would we have had the famous Bloomer/Frye incident at Eldora to still yet talk about? Also, would have famed car builder Larry Shaw have built the Batesville Speedway-where it was bought by Mooney Starr,the owner of the MARS Series.-UMMMMMMM
If I-44 would have stayed dirt,would we have seen Joplin's Jamie McMurray jump into the ranks the way he has?
Jamie had won karting titles,and raced his Modified at Bolivar and I-44 weekly.After attempeting his own program in a LateModel,and after a brief ride in the South with All-Pro,Jamie hooked-up to win the I-44 LateModel title in 1997 with a Lefthander Chassis and a B&B Engine.Then it was on to the Nascar Remax Series where he lost the Rookie Title to Jimmy Mars in the last 2 races,but captured the eye of TKO MotorSports in the Truck Series with the Dodge Program-Makes you wonder???? After-all,who would have heard of Artgo in the Ozarks if Lebanon hadn't been paved?
Everyone in Kansas City knows that the "Rocketman" Rick Beebe is a top notch driver-but it Lebanon hadn't been paved,would he have beaten the Star-Studded field of drivers in 1991 and went on to challange the Artgo Series along with ASA.After-all,the field included that night for a 100 lapper,Steve Carlson,Tom Carlson,Kevin Cywinski,Larry Phillips and many others.It seems that victory gave him the confidence along with the press to advance his carrer forward.
Mike Wallace, the middle of the famous racing Wallace Brothers from St Louis was staying close to home and managing the family business while letting the dirt fly at Granite City in his LateModel.In 1989,Wallace put his name in the record books by capturing the first ever LateModel win on the Asphalt.In 1990,Mike ventured out weekly to run at Lebanon and Bolivar.Capturing the Nascar Mid-America Regional Championship.This lead to a ride for the Nascar Busch Series Race at Martisville,where Wallace charged from Deep in the pack to finish 6th.Would he have had that chance if Lebanon hadn't been paved?
Nascar Champion Tony Stewart captures his first ever National USAC Midget win at I-44 in Sept. of 1993.While Stewart was running the Thursday Night Thunder Sereis,it seems that first win got him the name,press, and exposure to gather-in the top rides in USAC.While Stewart was making a name for himself,that exclusive victory put him in the spotlight.
Would Missouri's Carl Edwards be the winner of the Nascar Craftsman Truck Series at Daytona? While Carl was a past champion in the Modified Division at the Capital Speedway in Holts Summit,it was driving the BabyGrand(an asphalt only series),that Carl gathered the eyes of the St. Louis based Mitler Bros.Truck team and the veteran Dale Roper's eyes.Roper a 4 time I-44 Modified Champion,has many ties with the Mitler Bros.and mentioned about this quick learning kid who delights the crowd with his outstanding backflip after capturing a win.While Edwards was also self-promoting himself in SpeedsportNews ads,he showed everyone just what he could do on the Asphalt ovals in the BabyGrand and then in the Mitlers Truck especially at IRP in 2002 qualifying it in the top 10 and running the USAC Silver Crown Series Cars.Would we have even heard of him if Lebanon hadn't been paved?
And finally,would T.V.'s Entertainment Tonight reporter Mark Stienes had made it to Holloywood? The former weekend sports reporter helped develope a Sports edition called the Ozarks Ovals.After taping these shows,I sent Nascar a copy as working the media relations was one of my duties at the tracks.Nascar was so impressed with this,that they sent it out to the higher-ups in Media.This helped land Mark a job as a reporter for weekend Sports Anchor in Californai,and his talent took off from there,but would it had happened if Lebanon had never been paved and stayed a dirttrack?
I-70,Nashville Fairgrounds,Lakeside,Riverside,Olympic Stadium,and many other tracks have rich history,and the direction of those tracks down the road makes you wonder,what would have happened if......
Would the Ozarks Legend Larry Phillips had won 5 Nascar Weekly Racing Series National titles? Larry was racing the bigger money dirt shows around the Nation at the time along with the regional shows in the area.When the tracks paved,Larry ran most of the shows at Bolivar and I-44.At that time it was the winning percentage that determined the Regional Champs and the National Title.While Lakeside had went to the newly paved facility and was Nascar Sanctioned,It wasn't until a 1990 run-in with officials and a 30 day suspension from Nascar that Larry went racing at I-70 and Lakeside Weekly.I-70 then joined the Nascar Family in 1991.Also it was in 1990 that after much debate that Nascar changed the format for Regional Champions to the top 20 finishes for that season and a few afterwards.
Would there have been a MLRA Dirt racing Series?
This Series was formed in 1989 after Lebanon and Bolivar went the asphalt route and promoter Randy Mooneyham was worried about having tracks for his drivers to race at.This included second season drivers Rex McCroskey and a tall-long-legged machine and welding shop owner named Bill Frye.Would we have had the famous Bloomer/Frye incident at Eldora to still yet talk about? Also, would have famed car builder Larry Shaw have built the Batesville Speedway-where it was bought by Mooney Starr,the owner of the MARS Series.-UMMMMMMM
If I-44 would have stayed dirt,would we have seen Joplin's Jamie McMurray jump into the ranks the way he has?
Jamie had won karting titles,and raced his Modified at Bolivar and I-44 weekly.After attempeting his own program in a LateModel,and after a brief ride in the South with All-Pro,Jamie hooked-up to win the I-44 LateModel title in 1997 with a Lefthander Chassis and a B&B Engine.Then it was on to the Nascar Remax Series where he lost the Rookie Title to Jimmy Mars in the last 2 races,but captured the eye of TKO MotorSports in the Truck Series with the Dodge Program-Makes you wonder???? After-all,who would have heard of Artgo in the Ozarks if Lebanon hadn't been paved?
Everyone in Kansas City knows that the "Rocketman" Rick Beebe is a top notch driver-but it Lebanon hadn't been paved,would he have beaten the Star-Studded field of drivers in 1991 and went on to challange the Artgo Series along with ASA.After-all,the field included that night for a 100 lapper,Steve Carlson,Tom Carlson,Kevin Cywinski,Larry Phillips and many others.It seems that victory gave him the confidence along with the press to advance his carrer forward.
Mike Wallace, the middle of the famous racing Wallace Brothers from St Louis was staying close to home and managing the family business while letting the dirt fly at Granite City in his LateModel.In 1989,Wallace put his name in the record books by capturing the first ever LateModel win on the Asphalt.In 1990,Mike ventured out weekly to run at Lebanon and Bolivar.Capturing the Nascar Mid-America Regional Championship.This lead to a ride for the Nascar Busch Series Race at Martisville,where Wallace charged from Deep in the pack to finish 6th.Would he have had that chance if Lebanon hadn't been paved?
Nascar Champion Tony Stewart captures his first ever National USAC Midget win at I-44 in Sept. of 1993.While Stewart was running the Thursday Night Thunder Sereis,it seems that first win got him the name,press, and exposure to gather-in the top rides in USAC.While Stewart was making a name for himself,that exclusive victory put him in the spotlight.
Would Missouri's Carl Edwards be the winner of the Nascar Craftsman Truck Series at Daytona? While Carl was a past champion in the Modified Division at the Capital Speedway in Holts Summit,it was driving the BabyGrand(an asphalt only series),that Carl gathered the eyes of the St. Louis based Mitler Bros.Truck team and the veteran Dale Roper's eyes.Roper a 4 time I-44 Modified Champion,has many ties with the Mitler Bros.and mentioned about this quick learning kid who delights the crowd with his outstanding backflip after capturing a win.While Edwards was also self-promoting himself in SpeedsportNews ads,he showed everyone just what he could do on the Asphalt ovals in the BabyGrand and then in the Mitlers Truck especially at IRP in 2002 qualifying it in the top 10 and running the USAC Silver Crown Series Cars.Would we have even heard of him if Lebanon hadn't been paved?
And finally,would T.V.'s Entertainment Tonight reporter Mark Stienes had made it to Holloywood? The former weekend sports reporter helped develope a Sports edition called the Ozarks Ovals.After taping these shows,I sent Nascar a copy as working the media relations was one of my duties at the tracks.Nascar was so impressed with this,that they sent it out to the higher-ups in Media.This helped land Mark a job as a reporter for weekend Sports Anchor in Californai,and his talent took off from there,but would it had happened if Lebanon had never been paved and stayed a dirttrack?
I-70,Nashville Fairgrounds,Lakeside,Riverside,Olympic Stadium,and many other tracks have rich history,and the direction of those tracks down the road makes you wonder,what would have happened if......
