O'REILLY AUTO PARTS MID-AMERICA RACING SERIES
Batesville Speedway
Friday, April 11, 2003
by Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
LOCUST GROVE AR. Leslie Essary opened the 2003 O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series season the way any driver would like to, with a win. Essary came from the rear of his heat race to garner the pole, then had to rally back past Terry Phillips to take the win. Essary picked up $3,000 for his efforts.
Essary held the pole with Mike Bowers to his outside. Two attempts to start the feature failed before Essary moved to the lead, with Bowers right behind. Billy Moyer, Terry Phillips, and Wendell Wallace raced three wide behind the first pair. Phillips took third, then shot past Bowers into second in turn two on the second lap.
Moyer moved past Bowers to third on the frontstretch on lap three, while Phillips used the high side of the track to drive past Essary to the lead in turn two on the fourth circuit. Phillips was out to a 10 carlenght advantage by lap six.
Wendell Wallace took the third spot from Moyer in turn four on lap seven. Out front, Phillips was pulling away, a half straightaway ahead of Essary by lap 10. Phillips was starting to lap back markers, but the caution flag waved on lap 12 for Raymond Merrill, who was stopped on the backstretch.
Wallace drove by Essary for second on the re-start, but Essary took the spot back in turn four on lap 15. Alan Vaughn drove to the fifth position on lap 16.
Phillips was maintaining a 10 carlength lead on Essary at the halfway point in the race, but Essary started to cut into Phillip's lead, which was down to 5 carlengths by lap 23. Essary was riding Phillip's back bumper by lap 25.
Essary was able to pull past Phillips for the lead as the frontrunners started to encounter traffic again. Essary was hugging the bottom of the track, and Phillips dropped down to the bottom to join him.
Phillips turned his attentions to holding off Wendell Wallace, but Wallace was able to get under Phillips for second in turn four on lap 31. Essary paced Wallace and the field by 10 carlengths by lap 35, but Joey Mack brought out the caution on lap 38, as he got turned around in turn three.
Bill Frye shot into second on the restart, then pulled even with Essary going down the backstretch. Leslie Essary was able to hold off the defending champion, and come home with the win. Bill Frye, Wendell Wallace, Terry Phillips, and Billy Moyer rounded out the top five. Alan Vaughn, Jeff Taylor, Steve Rushin, Stacy Taylor, and Mike Brown rounded out the top ten.
Entries: 34
Top Qualifier: Leslie Essary
Hard Charger: Stacy Taylor
Provisionals: Jeff Floyd, Joey Mack
Lap Leaders: Leslie Essary 1-3, 26-40; Terry Phillips 4-25
Cautions:
A FEATURE (40 Laps)
1) Leslie Essary, GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $3,000
2) Bill Frye, GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $2,000
3) Wendell Wallace, GRT/Craft/Taurus; $1,250
4) Terry Phillips, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $1,100
5) Billy Moyer, MasterSbilt/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $1,000
6) Alan Vaughn, Rocket/Smitty's/Grand Prix; $750
7) Jeff Taylor, Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $700
8) Steve Rushin, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $675
9) Stacy Taylor, GRT/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $650
10) Mike Brown, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $625
11) Dewaine Hottinger, GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $600
12) Jerry Buck, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $575
13) Robbie Starnes, Larry Shaw/DynoTech/Grand Prix; $550
14) Jeff Floyd, GRT/Kuntz/Taurus; $525
15) Donnie Barnhart, GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $500
16) Gary Stolba, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
17) Charlie Randolph, GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $500
18) Joey Mack, GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $500
19) Raymond Merrill, GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $500
20) Shane Essary, GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
21) Mike Bowers, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
22) Travis Mears, Rocket/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Wendell Wallace, Batesville AR 2) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 3) Alan Vaughn, Belton MO 4) Stacy Taylor, Jacksonville AR 5) Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw OK 6) Joey Mack, Benton MO 7) Jack Sullivan, Greenbriar AR 8) Chris Moore, Nesbit MS (scratch: David Gibson)
2nd Heat 1) Mike Bowers, North Little Rock AR 2) Jeff Taylor, Batesville AR 3) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 4) Donnie Barnhart, North Little Rock AR 5) Charlie Randolph, Muskogee OK 6) Jason Snodgrass, Mountain Home AR 7) David Ashley, Zachary LA 8) Shane Diamant, North Little Rock AR 9) Jeff Floyd, Walnut Ridge AR
3rd Heat 1) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 2) Jerry Buck, Harviell MO 3) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 4) Travis Mears, Newport AR 5) Gary Stolba, Willow Springs MO 6) Brandon Ball, West Plains MO 7) Garrett Durrett, Simsboro LA 8) Dean Carpenter, Coldwater MS
4th Heat 1) Billy Moyer, Batesville AR 2) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 3) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 4) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 5) Robbie Starnes, Baytown TX 6) Ace Ihm, Hazel Green WI 7) Rex McCroskey, Springfield MO 8) John Pafford, Eads TN
1st Last Chance Qualifier (15 Laps, two transfer) 1) Gary Stolba 2) Stacy Taylor 3) Brandon Ball 4) Joey Mack 5) Jeff Floyd 6) Chris Moore 7) Garrett Durrett 8) Dean Carpenter 9) David Ashley
2nd Last Chance Qualifier 1) Donnie Barnhart 2) Raymond Merrill 3) Jack Sullivan 4) Jason Snodgrass 5) Rex McCroskey 6) Ace Ihm 7) Shane Diamant 8) John Pafford
Batesville Speedway
Friday, April 11, 2003
by Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
LOCUST GROVE AR. Leslie Essary opened the 2003 O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series season the way any driver would like to, with a win. Essary came from the rear of his heat race to garner the pole, then had to rally back past Terry Phillips to take the win. Essary picked up $3,000 for his efforts.
Essary held the pole with Mike Bowers to his outside. Two attempts to start the feature failed before Essary moved to the lead, with Bowers right behind. Billy Moyer, Terry Phillips, and Wendell Wallace raced three wide behind the first pair. Phillips took third, then shot past Bowers into second in turn two on the second lap.
Moyer moved past Bowers to third on the frontstretch on lap three, while Phillips used the high side of the track to drive past Essary to the lead in turn two on the fourth circuit. Phillips was out to a 10 carlenght advantage by lap six.
Wendell Wallace took the third spot from Moyer in turn four on lap seven. Out front, Phillips was pulling away, a half straightaway ahead of Essary by lap 10. Phillips was starting to lap back markers, but the caution flag waved on lap 12 for Raymond Merrill, who was stopped on the backstretch.
Wallace drove by Essary for second on the re-start, but Essary took the spot back in turn four on lap 15. Alan Vaughn drove to the fifth position on lap 16.
Phillips was maintaining a 10 carlength lead on Essary at the halfway point in the race, but Essary started to cut into Phillip's lead, which was down to 5 carlengths by lap 23. Essary was riding Phillip's back bumper by lap 25.
Essary was able to pull past Phillips for the lead as the frontrunners started to encounter traffic again. Essary was hugging the bottom of the track, and Phillips dropped down to the bottom to join him.
Phillips turned his attentions to holding off Wendell Wallace, but Wallace was able to get under Phillips for second in turn four on lap 31. Essary paced Wallace and the field by 10 carlengths by lap 35, but Joey Mack brought out the caution on lap 38, as he got turned around in turn three.
Bill Frye shot into second on the restart, then pulled even with Essary going down the backstretch. Leslie Essary was able to hold off the defending champion, and come home with the win. Bill Frye, Wendell Wallace, Terry Phillips, and Billy Moyer rounded out the top five. Alan Vaughn, Jeff Taylor, Steve Rushin, Stacy Taylor, and Mike Brown rounded out the top ten.
Entries: 34
Top Qualifier: Leslie Essary
Hard Charger: Stacy Taylor
Provisionals: Jeff Floyd, Joey Mack
Lap Leaders: Leslie Essary 1-3, 26-40; Terry Phillips 4-25
Cautions:
A FEATURE (40 Laps)
1) Leslie Essary, GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $3,000
2) Bill Frye, GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $2,000
3) Wendell Wallace, GRT/Craft/Taurus; $1,250
4) Terry Phillips, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $1,100
5) Billy Moyer, MasterSbilt/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $1,000
6) Alan Vaughn, Rocket/Smitty's/Grand Prix; $750
7) Jeff Taylor, Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $700
8) Steve Rushin, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $675
9) Stacy Taylor, GRT/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $650
10) Mike Brown, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $625
11) Dewaine Hottinger, GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $600
12) Jerry Buck, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $575
13) Robbie Starnes, Larry Shaw/DynoTech/Grand Prix; $550
14) Jeff Floyd, GRT/Kuntz/Taurus; $525
15) Donnie Barnhart, GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $500
16) Gary Stolba, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
17) Charlie Randolph, GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $500
18) Joey Mack, GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $500
19) Raymond Merrill, GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $500
20) Shane Essary, GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
21) Mike Bowers, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
22) Travis Mears, Rocket/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Wendell Wallace, Batesville AR 2) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 3) Alan Vaughn, Belton MO 4) Stacy Taylor, Jacksonville AR 5) Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw OK 6) Joey Mack, Benton MO 7) Jack Sullivan, Greenbriar AR 8) Chris Moore, Nesbit MS (scratch: David Gibson)
2nd Heat 1) Mike Bowers, North Little Rock AR 2) Jeff Taylor, Batesville AR 3) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 4) Donnie Barnhart, North Little Rock AR 5) Charlie Randolph, Muskogee OK 6) Jason Snodgrass, Mountain Home AR 7) David Ashley, Zachary LA 8) Shane Diamant, North Little Rock AR 9) Jeff Floyd, Walnut Ridge AR
3rd Heat 1) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 2) Jerry Buck, Harviell MO 3) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 4) Travis Mears, Newport AR 5) Gary Stolba, Willow Springs MO 6) Brandon Ball, West Plains MO 7) Garrett Durrett, Simsboro LA 8) Dean Carpenter, Coldwater MS
4th Heat 1) Billy Moyer, Batesville AR 2) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 3) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 4) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 5) Robbie Starnes, Baytown TX 6) Ace Ihm, Hazel Green WI 7) Rex McCroskey, Springfield MO 8) John Pafford, Eads TN
1st Last Chance Qualifier (15 Laps, two transfer) 1) Gary Stolba 2) Stacy Taylor 3) Brandon Ball 4) Joey Mack 5) Jeff Floyd 6) Chris Moore 7) Garrett Durrett 8) Dean Carpenter 9) David Ashley
2nd Last Chance Qualifier 1) Donnie Barnhart 2) Raymond Merrill 3) Jack Sullivan 4) Jason Snodgrass 5) Rex McCroskey 6) Ace Ihm 7) Shane Diamant 8) John Pafford
