O'REILLY AUTO PARTS MID-AMERICA RACING SERIES
Lebanon I-44 Speedway
Saturday, May 3, 2003
By Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
LEBANON MO. Terry Phillips is on a hot streak in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series, reminiscent of his 2000 championship season. Phillips claimed his third O'Reilly M.A.R.S. win in a row, and fourth of the season Saturday at the Lebanon I-44 Speedway. Phillips lapped up to the sixth place car in a long run after two early race cautions. Phillips moved into the series point lead.
Bill Frye earned the pole position, with Phillips to his outside. The pair raced side by side for the first two laps. Phillips was scored the leader of lap one, but Frye took the top spot in turn four on the second circuit to establish the point. Mike Brown, Chad Lyle, and Jeff Taylor fell in behind Frye and Phillips early in the race. Chris Smyser took the fifth spot on lap four.
Phillips and Frye were dueling side by side again on lap five when the caution flag waved for Joey Mack, David Gibson, and Charlie Randolph, who all got together in turn two. Gibson retired for the night, Mack and Randolph rejoined the field at the rear.
Chad Lyle took the third spot from Brown on lap seven, but the caution flag waved again on lap eight for Steve Rushin, who was stalled on the backstretch.
Frye opened a five carlength advantage over Phillips by lap 10. Alan Vaughn came from his seventh row starting position, to fifth on lap 13. Vaughn had found the top side of the racetrack to his liking, and powered past Brown to fourth two laps later. Leslie Essary followed Vaughn's example, and moved to fifth, riding the cushion on lap 17.
Frye and Phillips were side by side again on lap 18, then Phillips dove to the bottom, getting by Frye in turn four on lap 19. Phillips was starting to lap slower cars by lap 21, and had pulled to a ten carlength lead at that point. Phillips expanded his lead to 15 carlengths by lap 25.
Vaughn was still using the high side of the track to his advantage, and took over third from Chad Lyle in turn two on lap 28. Phillips encountered four cars racing for position ahead of him on lap 30. Phillips cleared the first two, then Frye got stuck behind those two cars allowing Phillips to get further out of sight.
Leslie Essary improved past Lyle for the fourth spot on lap 31. Phillips was most of a straightaway ahead of Frye by lap 35. Charlie Randolph nipped Lyle at the checkers for the fifth spot.
Terry Phillips took the win, with Bill Frye, Alan Vaughn, Leslie Essary, and Charlie Randolph making up the top five. Chad Lyle, Jeff Taylor, Raymond Merrill, Chris Smyser, and Justin Fulton rounded out the top ten.
Lebonan I-44 Speedway
Lebanon, Mo.
Entries: 30
Top Qualifier: Bill Frye
Hard Charger: Alan Vaughn
Provisionals: Jerry Buck, Mike Bowers
Lap Leaders: Terry Phillips 1, 20-40; Bill Frye 2-19
Cautions: 2
A FEATURE (40 Laps)
Finish/Start/Driver/Chassis/Motor/Make/Money Won
1) (2) Terry Phillips, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $3,000
2) (1) Bill Frye, GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $2,000
3) (13) Alan Vaughn, Rocket/Smitty's/Grand Prix; $1,250
4) (7) Leslie Essary, GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $1,100
5) (10) Charlie Randolph, GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $1,000
6) (3) Chad Lyle, Rayburn/Dickens/Grand Prix; $750
7) (4) Jeff Taylor, Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $700
8) (17) Raymond Merrill, GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $675
9) (5) Chris Smyser, MasterSbilt/Clements/Grand Prix; $650
10) (18) Justin Fulton, Larry Shaw/Baker/Grand Prix; $625
11) (14) Jeff Floyd, GRT/Kuntz/Taurus; $600
12) (8) Dewaine Hottinger, GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $575
13) (21) Jerry Buck, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $550
14) (20) Jason Snodgrass, GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $525
15) (6) Mike Brown, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
16) (16) Brandon McCormick, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
17) (22) Mike Bowers, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
18) (9) Joey Mack, GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $500
19) (15) Steve Rushin, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
20) (11) Shane Essary, GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
21) (18) Stacy Taylor, GRT/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $500
22) (12) David Gibson, Rocket/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Chad Lyle, Lone Jack MO 2) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 3) Alan Vaughn, Belton MO 4) David Gibson, Ash Flat AR 5) Jason Snodgrass, Mountain Home AR 6) Ken Dickenson, Lebanon MO 7) Reid Millard, Jefferson City MO 8) Jerry Buck, Harviell MO
2nd Heat 1) Chris Smyser, Lancaster MO 2) Joey Mack, Benton MO 3) Charlie Randolph, Muskogee OK 4) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 5) Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw OK 6) Justin Fulton, Muskogee OK 7) Brad Looney, Republic MO (scratch, Mike Bowers, North Little Rock AR)
3rd Heat 1) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 2) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 3) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 4) Brandon McCormick, Lebanon MO 5) Rob Hough, South Coffeyville OK 6) Gary Stolba, Willow Springs MO 7) Jerry Walker, Southhaven MS
4th Heat 1) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 2) Jeff Taylor, Batesville AR 3) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 4) Jeff Floyd, Walnut Ridge AR 5) Stacy Taylor, Jacksonville AR 6) Ken Essary, Cape Fair MO 7) Jack Sullivan, Republic MO
Last Chance Qualifier (15 Laps, four transfer) 1) Raymond Merrill 2) Stacy Taylor 3) Justin Fulton 4) Jason Snodgrass 5) Rob Hough 6) Mike Bowers 7) Ken Dickenson 8) Gary Stolba 9) Reid Millard 10) Jerry Walker 11) Brad Looney 12) Jerry Buck 13) Ken Essary 14) Jack Sullivan
Lebanon I-44 Speedway
Saturday, May 3, 2003
By Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
LEBANON MO. Terry Phillips is on a hot streak in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series, reminiscent of his 2000 championship season. Phillips claimed his third O'Reilly M.A.R.S. win in a row, and fourth of the season Saturday at the Lebanon I-44 Speedway. Phillips lapped up to the sixth place car in a long run after two early race cautions. Phillips moved into the series point lead.
Bill Frye earned the pole position, with Phillips to his outside. The pair raced side by side for the first two laps. Phillips was scored the leader of lap one, but Frye took the top spot in turn four on the second circuit to establish the point. Mike Brown, Chad Lyle, and Jeff Taylor fell in behind Frye and Phillips early in the race. Chris Smyser took the fifth spot on lap four.
Phillips and Frye were dueling side by side again on lap five when the caution flag waved for Joey Mack, David Gibson, and Charlie Randolph, who all got together in turn two. Gibson retired for the night, Mack and Randolph rejoined the field at the rear.
Chad Lyle took the third spot from Brown on lap seven, but the caution flag waved again on lap eight for Steve Rushin, who was stalled on the backstretch.
Frye opened a five carlength advantage over Phillips by lap 10. Alan Vaughn came from his seventh row starting position, to fifth on lap 13. Vaughn had found the top side of the racetrack to his liking, and powered past Brown to fourth two laps later. Leslie Essary followed Vaughn's example, and moved to fifth, riding the cushion on lap 17.
Frye and Phillips were side by side again on lap 18, then Phillips dove to the bottom, getting by Frye in turn four on lap 19. Phillips was starting to lap slower cars by lap 21, and had pulled to a ten carlength lead at that point. Phillips expanded his lead to 15 carlengths by lap 25.
Vaughn was still using the high side of the track to his advantage, and took over third from Chad Lyle in turn two on lap 28. Phillips encountered four cars racing for position ahead of him on lap 30. Phillips cleared the first two, then Frye got stuck behind those two cars allowing Phillips to get further out of sight.
Leslie Essary improved past Lyle for the fourth spot on lap 31. Phillips was most of a straightaway ahead of Frye by lap 35. Charlie Randolph nipped Lyle at the checkers for the fifth spot.
Terry Phillips took the win, with Bill Frye, Alan Vaughn, Leslie Essary, and Charlie Randolph making up the top five. Chad Lyle, Jeff Taylor, Raymond Merrill, Chris Smyser, and Justin Fulton rounded out the top ten.
Lebonan I-44 Speedway
Lebanon, Mo.
Entries: 30
Top Qualifier: Bill Frye
Hard Charger: Alan Vaughn
Provisionals: Jerry Buck, Mike Bowers
Lap Leaders: Terry Phillips 1, 20-40; Bill Frye 2-19
Cautions: 2
A FEATURE (40 Laps)
Finish/Start/Driver/Chassis/Motor/Make/Money Won
1) (2) Terry Phillips, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $3,000
2) (1) Bill Frye, GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $2,000
3) (13) Alan Vaughn, Rocket/Smitty's/Grand Prix; $1,250
4) (7) Leslie Essary, GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $1,100
5) (10) Charlie Randolph, GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $1,000
6) (3) Chad Lyle, Rayburn/Dickens/Grand Prix; $750
7) (4) Jeff Taylor, Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $700
8) (17) Raymond Merrill, GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $675
9) (5) Chris Smyser, MasterSbilt/Clements/Grand Prix; $650
10) (18) Justin Fulton, Larry Shaw/Baker/Grand Prix; $625
11) (14) Jeff Floyd, GRT/Kuntz/Taurus; $600
12) (8) Dewaine Hottinger, GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $575
13) (21) Jerry Buck, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $550
14) (20) Jason Snodgrass, GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $525
15) (6) Mike Brown, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
16) (16) Brandon McCormick, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
17) (22) Mike Bowers, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
18) (9) Joey Mack, GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $500
19) (15) Steve Rushin, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
20) (11) Shane Essary, GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
21) (18) Stacy Taylor, GRT/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $500
22) (12) David Gibson, Rocket/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Chad Lyle, Lone Jack MO 2) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 3) Alan Vaughn, Belton MO 4) David Gibson, Ash Flat AR 5) Jason Snodgrass, Mountain Home AR 6) Ken Dickenson, Lebanon MO 7) Reid Millard, Jefferson City MO 8) Jerry Buck, Harviell MO
2nd Heat 1) Chris Smyser, Lancaster MO 2) Joey Mack, Benton MO 3) Charlie Randolph, Muskogee OK 4) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 5) Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw OK 6) Justin Fulton, Muskogee OK 7) Brad Looney, Republic MO (scratch, Mike Bowers, North Little Rock AR)
3rd Heat 1) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 2) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 3) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 4) Brandon McCormick, Lebanon MO 5) Rob Hough, South Coffeyville OK 6) Gary Stolba, Willow Springs MO 7) Jerry Walker, Southhaven MS
4th Heat 1) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 2) Jeff Taylor, Batesville AR 3) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 4) Jeff Floyd, Walnut Ridge AR 5) Stacy Taylor, Jacksonville AR 6) Ken Essary, Cape Fair MO 7) Jack Sullivan, Republic MO
Last Chance Qualifier (15 Laps, four transfer) 1) Raymond Merrill 2) Stacy Taylor 3) Justin Fulton 4) Jason Snodgrass 5) Rob Hough 6) Mike Bowers 7) Ken Dickenson 8) Gary Stolba 9) Reid Millard 10) Jerry Walker 11) Brad Looney 12) Jerry Buck 13) Ken Essary 14) Jack Sullivan
