Wheatland, MO – The O'Reilly MLRA and MARS Series opened the 2007 season at the “Diamond of the Dirt Tracks”, Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO on Sunday April 15th. 49 cars checked into the pits for what would be a long night of racing.
Spectator gates opened at noon with hot laps set for 1pm. However, heavy rains and below normal temperatures in the 48 hours leading up to the race had taken their toll on the track. Crews worked as hard as they could to get the track in the best racing condition possible, which led to long delays and when all was said and done, Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, AR took the checkered flag.
Christian Rayburn of Osage Beach, MO led the 24 car field to the green flag.
Rayburn accumulated the most passing points, winning his first ever O'Reilly MLRA / MARS pole. Sullivan, starting to the outside of Rayburn, would hit his setup and rocket into the lead and never look back. 2006 MARS series champion Bill Frye had some bad luck in his heat race, getting into a 3 car pile up with Jason Bodenhamer and Dwayne Hottinger. Frye would use a provisional and start 22nd on the field, finishing a respectable 9th place.
Other notable runs were made by Joey Mack of Benton, MO starting 12th in the feature and finishing 3rd ; John Anderson of Omaha, NE starting 20th and finishing 7th ; David Turner of Adrian, MO started 21st finishing 12th and Jason Bodenhamer started 24th and finished 14th.
The O'Reilly MLRA will be back in action next Friday April 20th at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, NE and Saturday April 21st at Winston Speedway in Winston, MO. For more information regarding the MLRA series, please go to www.mlraracing.com.
The MARS series will be back on Saturday May 5th at the ultra fast Lebanon
I-44 Speedway in Lebanon, MO and Sunday May 6th at Monett Speedway in Monett, MO. For more information regarding the MARS series, please go to www.midamericaracingseries.com.
For all the latest news and information on the O'Reilly MLRA visit us on the web at www.mlraracing.com or by calling (816) 650-5063 or (816) 305-6572.
The O'Reilly MLRA would like to thank the sponsors of the 2007 Thunder Tour including O'Reilly Auto Parts, Hoosier Race Tire, Midwest Walnut, Hatfield Racing Engines, Larry Shaw Race Cars, Taylor Cable Products, Afco, GRT Race Cars, The Driveline Shop, Sunoco Race Fuels, Weld Wheels, Chase Race Decals, Gameday Trophy, Bodee's Race Bodies, Duralite, Holley Race Products, Rod End Supply, Schoenfeld Headers, Kluhsman Racing Components, Performance Race Bodies, ATL Fuel Cells, Shepherd of the Hills Entertainment, Racing Optics, Impact Sign & Lighting
Full Results
Lucas Oil Speedway
April 15, 2007
Heat 1
1) Al Purkey, 2) Jack Sullivan, 3) Will Vaught, 4) Gary Stolba, 5) John Anderson, 6) Chris Simpson, 7) Reid Millard, 8) Mike Danburg, 9) Brandon Dunham
Heat 2
1) Steve Rushin, 2) Jeremy Payne, 3) Brandon McCormick, 4) David Barker, 5) Larry D. Clawson, 6) Scott Drake, 7) Billy James, 8) Matt Menzie, 9) PJ Haskins
Heat 3
1) Alan Vaughn, 2) Larry Jones, 3) Joey Mack, 4) David Turner, 5) Shad Badder, 6) Burl Woods, 7) Richard Foster, 8) Brantlee Gotschall
Heat 4
1) Denny Eckrich, 2) Terry Phillips, 3) JD Huber, 4) Jason Bodenhamer, 5) Jon Kirby, 6) Dewaine Hottinger, 7) Bill Frye, 8) Rylan Long
Heat 5
1) Christian Rayburn, 2) Dusty Johnston, 3) Eric Anderson, 4) Corey Zeitner,
5) Bob Miller, 6) Larry Clawson, 7) Steve McDowell, 8) Sonny Findling
B Feature #1
1) Simpson, 2) Barker, 3) James, 4) Menzie, 5) Haskins, 6) McDowell, 7) Bodenhamer, 8) Badder, 9) Miller, 9) Woods, 11) Frye, 12) Hottinger
B Feature #2
1) Millard, 2) J. Anderson, 3) Zeitner, 4) Dunham, 5) Larry D. Clawson, 6) Turner, 7) Drake, 8) Danburg, 9) Larry Clawson, 10) Foster, 11) Gotschall,
12) Kirby
A Feature
1) Sullivan, 2) Vaughn, 3) Mach, 4) Payne, 5) Phillips, 6) Purkey, 7) J.
Anderson, 8) James, 9) Frye, 10) McCormick, 11) Rushin, 12) Turner, 13) Millard, 14) Bodenhamer, 15) Stolba, 16) Barker, 17) Huber, 18) Eckrich, 19) Johnston, 20) E. Anderson, 21) Jones, 22) Rayburn, 23) Simpson, 24) Vaught
Midwest Walnut Lucky Stars Award ($1000): Reid Millard Performance Bodies Nose Piece (5th Place): Terry Phillips Taylor Wire Super Sevens Award: Brandon McCormick Racing Optics Clear Vision Award: David Turner Weld Racing Hard Charger: John Anderson
Spectator gates opened at noon with hot laps set for 1pm. However, heavy rains and below normal temperatures in the 48 hours leading up to the race had taken their toll on the track. Crews worked as hard as they could to get the track in the best racing condition possible, which led to long delays and when all was said and done, Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, AR took the checkered flag.
Christian Rayburn of Osage Beach, MO led the 24 car field to the green flag.
Rayburn accumulated the most passing points, winning his first ever O'Reilly MLRA / MARS pole. Sullivan, starting to the outside of Rayburn, would hit his setup and rocket into the lead and never look back. 2006 MARS series champion Bill Frye had some bad luck in his heat race, getting into a 3 car pile up with Jason Bodenhamer and Dwayne Hottinger. Frye would use a provisional and start 22nd on the field, finishing a respectable 9th place.
Other notable runs were made by Joey Mack of Benton, MO starting 12th in the feature and finishing 3rd ; John Anderson of Omaha, NE starting 20th and finishing 7th ; David Turner of Adrian, MO started 21st finishing 12th and Jason Bodenhamer started 24th and finished 14th.
The O'Reilly MLRA will be back in action next Friday April 20th at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, NE and Saturday April 21st at Winston Speedway in Winston, MO. For more information regarding the MLRA series, please go to www.mlraracing.com.
The MARS series will be back on Saturday May 5th at the ultra fast Lebanon
I-44 Speedway in Lebanon, MO and Sunday May 6th at Monett Speedway in Monett, MO. For more information regarding the MARS series, please go to www.midamericaracingseries.com.
For all the latest news and information on the O'Reilly MLRA visit us on the web at www.mlraracing.com or by calling (816) 650-5063 or (816) 305-6572.
The O'Reilly MLRA would like to thank the sponsors of the 2007 Thunder Tour including O'Reilly Auto Parts, Hoosier Race Tire, Midwest Walnut, Hatfield Racing Engines, Larry Shaw Race Cars, Taylor Cable Products, Afco, GRT Race Cars, The Driveline Shop, Sunoco Race Fuels, Weld Wheels, Chase Race Decals, Gameday Trophy, Bodee's Race Bodies, Duralite, Holley Race Products, Rod End Supply, Schoenfeld Headers, Kluhsman Racing Components, Performance Race Bodies, ATL Fuel Cells, Shepherd of the Hills Entertainment, Racing Optics, Impact Sign & Lighting
Full Results
Lucas Oil Speedway
April 15, 2007
Heat 1
1) Al Purkey, 2) Jack Sullivan, 3) Will Vaught, 4) Gary Stolba, 5) John Anderson, 6) Chris Simpson, 7) Reid Millard, 8) Mike Danburg, 9) Brandon Dunham
Heat 2
1) Steve Rushin, 2) Jeremy Payne, 3) Brandon McCormick, 4) David Barker, 5) Larry D. Clawson, 6) Scott Drake, 7) Billy James, 8) Matt Menzie, 9) PJ Haskins
Heat 3
1) Alan Vaughn, 2) Larry Jones, 3) Joey Mack, 4) David Turner, 5) Shad Badder, 6) Burl Woods, 7) Richard Foster, 8) Brantlee Gotschall
Heat 4
1) Denny Eckrich, 2) Terry Phillips, 3) JD Huber, 4) Jason Bodenhamer, 5) Jon Kirby, 6) Dewaine Hottinger, 7) Bill Frye, 8) Rylan Long
Heat 5
1) Christian Rayburn, 2) Dusty Johnston, 3) Eric Anderson, 4) Corey Zeitner,
5) Bob Miller, 6) Larry Clawson, 7) Steve McDowell, 8) Sonny Findling
B Feature #1
1) Simpson, 2) Barker, 3) James, 4) Menzie, 5) Haskins, 6) McDowell, 7) Bodenhamer, 8) Badder, 9) Miller, 9) Woods, 11) Frye, 12) Hottinger
B Feature #2
1) Millard, 2) J. Anderson, 3) Zeitner, 4) Dunham, 5) Larry D. Clawson, 6) Turner, 7) Drake, 8) Danburg, 9) Larry Clawson, 10) Foster, 11) Gotschall,
12) Kirby
A Feature
1) Sullivan, 2) Vaughn, 3) Mach, 4) Payne, 5) Phillips, 6) Purkey, 7) J.
Anderson, 8) James, 9) Frye, 10) McCormick, 11) Rushin, 12) Turner, 13) Millard, 14) Bodenhamer, 15) Stolba, 16) Barker, 17) Huber, 18) Eckrich, 19) Johnston, 20) E. Anderson, 21) Jones, 22) Rayburn, 23) Simpson, 24) Vaught
Midwest Walnut Lucky Stars Award ($1000): Reid Millard Performance Bodies Nose Piece (5th Place): Terry Phillips Taylor Wire Super Sevens Award: Brandon McCormick Racing Optics Clear Vision Award: David Turner Weld Racing Hard Charger: John Anderson
