By Dusty Luthy
Lebanon I-44 Speedway.
LEBANON, Mo. - It came down to the wire for several drivers in the qualifying heats at the Larry Phillips Memorial at Lebanon I-44 Speedway. Over 150 cars from six classes checked into the pits for the third annual Fall Shootout, for the largest car count of the season.
Drivers qualified for Saturday's features by heat race passing points. For the MARS Late Models, a main feature was held Friday night to determine the top eight positions of the MARS $10,000 to-win grand feature.
In what was one of the most exciting heat races of the night, heat race one of the MARS Late Model class provided the feature pole setter.
Jeff Floyd had the pole and the quick jump and was flying far beyond his competition. Terry Phillips started the feature in sixth position. By the third lap, Phillips made it to the second with his eye on first with Steve Rushin on his tail.
On a restart on lap six, Dane Dacus jumps passed Rushin for third spot, as Rushin went to the pits two laps later.
On another restart on lap eight, Phillips and Dacus were able to give Floyd a little pressure and contact, going three-wide on lap nine. Dacus was then in the lead by lap 10.
With one lap to go, Phillips passed Dacus on turns three and four to take the lead and the most passing points of the night.
The MARS Feature was equally as exciting as 20 drivers battled for the top eight positions. MARS regular drivers are also fighting for the last hand-out of points for the 2005 season. The MARS season will end on Saturday night with the grand feature.
With Phillips on the pole, he had the supreme advantage in the race and maintained his lead for all 25 laps. Bill Frye, who started third, quickly took his inside jump to second and stayed there for the remainder of the night.
A caution on lap 10 brought the field to the start as it was Phillips, Frye, David Gibson, Ed Dixon, Scott Drake, Wendell Wallace, Dane Dacus, and Ken Essary in those coveted top eight spots.
On the restart, an unprecedented 12-car pile-up occurred on turn one after Gibson went a little too high on the cushion and veered back into the field, leaving several drivers with a long night ahead of them. Michael Kloos, Matt Miller, Stacey Taylor, Jack Sullivan and Bill James were able to come back to the field.
Drivers Dustin Mooneyham, Dacus, Gibson, Shane Essary, Dewaine Hottinger, Jordan Jones, Drake, and Brandon McCormick were unable to come back to the feature.
On the final restart of the night, Frye attempted a high-side run on Phillips and managed to close the gap, but couldn't get past.
With three laps remaining, the true race was for the eighth position between James and Taylor, with Taylor coming out ahead and in the final eighth qualifying position.
Thirty-three cars are then left to battle for their places in the grand feature through three semi-features.
The third heat in the Modified class also some fine dirt racing with a stacked heat. I-44 Speedway season champion Jeff Cutshaw drew the pole in the heat. Cutshaw also had to contend with the likes of Scott Drake, Gary Clark and Terry Beckham Jr.
After three starts, the field got it together with Beckham taking his trade-mark line with one wheel on the cushion after a sixth position start. By lap two, Cutshaw held his lead, followed by Clark, who started the heat in the back, and Beckham.
Beckham then took second by lap two and set his eyes on Cutshaw. With one lap remaining, Beckham drove door-to-door with the leader, only to have Cutshaw pull ahead by less then half a car length at the wire.
Complete heat race and MARS feature finishes are unavailable at this time. However, here is a quick recap of the night:
Factory Stock: Jordan Holloway, Kenny Carroll, Chip Abromovits and Burl Woods all won their respective heat races. Holloway received the pole position for Saturday's feature.
Super Stock: Brad Looney in his first time at the speedway in Super Stock took first in his heat and the pole position in Saturday's feature. Dustin Moore also won heat two.
Modified: Jesse Stovall, Rex Merritt and Jeff Cutshaw won their respective heat races. The feature will most likely see 24 cars.
Show-Me Late Models: Justin Wells won his heat after also qualifying for the MARS grand feature. Burl Woods also won his Show-Me heat and won his Factory Stock heat. Glen Yarbrough won the third heat.
MARS Late Models: Terry Phillips won heat one, Bill Frye won his stacked heat against Jack Sullivan, Will Vaught, Brad Looney, Justin Wells and Leslie Essary. David Gibson won his heat, Ken Essary won heat four with Ed Dixon winning the fifth heat.
Top eight qualifiers for Saturday's grand feature are: Terry Phillips, Bill Frye, Wendell Wallace, Jack Sullivan, Ed Dixon, Ken Essary, Justin Wells and Stacey Taylor.
Bomber: James Flood, Tony Schmitt and Tyler Schoen all won their respective heat races of the evening.
Lebanon I-44 Speedway.
LEBANON, Mo. - It came down to the wire for several drivers in the qualifying heats at the Larry Phillips Memorial at Lebanon I-44 Speedway. Over 150 cars from six classes checked into the pits for the third annual Fall Shootout, for the largest car count of the season.
Drivers qualified for Saturday's features by heat race passing points. For the MARS Late Models, a main feature was held Friday night to determine the top eight positions of the MARS $10,000 to-win grand feature.
In what was one of the most exciting heat races of the night, heat race one of the MARS Late Model class provided the feature pole setter.
Jeff Floyd had the pole and the quick jump and was flying far beyond his competition. Terry Phillips started the feature in sixth position. By the third lap, Phillips made it to the second with his eye on first with Steve Rushin on his tail.
On a restart on lap six, Dane Dacus jumps passed Rushin for third spot, as Rushin went to the pits two laps later.
On another restart on lap eight, Phillips and Dacus were able to give Floyd a little pressure and contact, going three-wide on lap nine. Dacus was then in the lead by lap 10.
With one lap to go, Phillips passed Dacus on turns three and four to take the lead and the most passing points of the night.
The MARS Feature was equally as exciting as 20 drivers battled for the top eight positions. MARS regular drivers are also fighting for the last hand-out of points for the 2005 season. The MARS season will end on Saturday night with the grand feature.
With Phillips on the pole, he had the supreme advantage in the race and maintained his lead for all 25 laps. Bill Frye, who started third, quickly took his inside jump to second and stayed there for the remainder of the night.
A caution on lap 10 brought the field to the start as it was Phillips, Frye, David Gibson, Ed Dixon, Scott Drake, Wendell Wallace, Dane Dacus, and Ken Essary in those coveted top eight spots.
On the restart, an unprecedented 12-car pile-up occurred on turn one after Gibson went a little too high on the cushion and veered back into the field, leaving several drivers with a long night ahead of them. Michael Kloos, Matt Miller, Stacey Taylor, Jack Sullivan and Bill James were able to come back to the field.
Drivers Dustin Mooneyham, Dacus, Gibson, Shane Essary, Dewaine Hottinger, Jordan Jones, Drake, and Brandon McCormick were unable to come back to the feature.
On the final restart of the night, Frye attempted a high-side run on Phillips and managed to close the gap, but couldn't get past.
With three laps remaining, the true race was for the eighth position between James and Taylor, with Taylor coming out ahead and in the final eighth qualifying position.
Thirty-three cars are then left to battle for their places in the grand feature through three semi-features.
The third heat in the Modified class also some fine dirt racing with a stacked heat. I-44 Speedway season champion Jeff Cutshaw drew the pole in the heat. Cutshaw also had to contend with the likes of Scott Drake, Gary Clark and Terry Beckham Jr.
After three starts, the field got it together with Beckham taking his trade-mark line with one wheel on the cushion after a sixth position start. By lap two, Cutshaw held his lead, followed by Clark, who started the heat in the back, and Beckham.
Beckham then took second by lap two and set his eyes on Cutshaw. With one lap remaining, Beckham drove door-to-door with the leader, only to have Cutshaw pull ahead by less then half a car length at the wire.
Complete heat race and MARS feature finishes are unavailable at this time. However, here is a quick recap of the night:
Factory Stock: Jordan Holloway, Kenny Carroll, Chip Abromovits and Burl Woods all won their respective heat races. Holloway received the pole position for Saturday's feature.
Super Stock: Brad Looney in his first time at the speedway in Super Stock took first in his heat and the pole position in Saturday's feature. Dustin Moore also won heat two.
Modified: Jesse Stovall, Rex Merritt and Jeff Cutshaw won their respective heat races. The feature will most likely see 24 cars.
Show-Me Late Models: Justin Wells won his heat after also qualifying for the MARS grand feature. Burl Woods also won his Show-Me heat and won his Factory Stock heat. Glen Yarbrough won the third heat.
MARS Late Models: Terry Phillips won heat one, Bill Frye won his stacked heat against Jack Sullivan, Will Vaught, Brad Looney, Justin Wells and Leslie Essary. David Gibson won his heat, Ken Essary won heat four with Ed Dixon winning the fifth heat.
Top eight qualifiers for Saturday's grand feature are: Terry Phillips, Bill Frye, Wendell Wallace, Jack Sullivan, Ed Dixon, Ken Essary, Justin Wells and Stacey Taylor.
Bomber: James Flood, Tony Schmitt and Tyler Schoen all won their respective heat races of the evening.
