O'REILLY AUTO PARTS MID-AMERICA RACING SERIES
Bolivar Speedway
Friday, May 2, 2003
By Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
BOLIVAR AR. Terry Phillips notched his second O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series feature event in a row, and his third of the season pulling even with Leslie Essary in series points standings. Phillips dashed past Jeff Taylor on the second lap, then dueled with Bill Frye in the mid-part of the race. Phillips was able to pull away from the field after a lap 28 caution en route to the win.
Kuntz and Company rookie of the year contender, Charlie Randolph claimed his first O'Reilly M.A.R.S. pole, with Taylor to his outside. Taylor powered to the lead as the green appeared. Randolph, Brad Looney, Phillips, and Frye fell in behind. Phillips drove by Looney on the opening lap, then took second from Randolph in turn four on the second lap.
Phillips drove under Taylor to the lead in turn four on the third go-round. Frye had moved into third at the same time, then bypassed Taylor for second in turn two on lap four. Dewaine Hottinger moved into the fifth spot on lap five.
Out front, Phillips was pacing Frye by 10 carlengths by lap seven. Frye was a half-straight ahead of Taylor in third as the leaders set a blistering pace. Phillips held a half carlength advantage by lap 10.
Phillips was starting to work traffic by lap 14, and that was all that Frye needed to narrow the gap. Phillips struggled to lap two slower cars, and was by them by lap 17, but Frye stayed glued to his back bumper.
Steve Rushin brought out the first caution on lap 18 as he stalled on the fronstretch. Rushin pitted, and rejoined the field at the rear. On the restart attempt, Charlie Randolph got turned around in turn two, and also tagged on the field at the rear.
Al Purkey shot to fourth on the restart, then moved past Taylor into third on the fronstretch on lap 19. Phillips and Frye stayed close this time, and were nose to tail by lap 22. The pair were side by side on lap 24, then Frye was able to power past Phillips into the lead in turn two on lap 25. The duo was back to side-by-side action on lap 26, and Phillips re-took the top spot in turn four.
Alan Vaughn brought out caution number two, as he pulled up on the backstretch with broken suspension. Phillips had the front row to himself on the Delaware re-start, with Frye and Purkey side by side. Leslie Essary took the fifth spot on lap 29.
While Purkey and Frye dueled for second, Phillips drove away from the field again, and was 10 carlengths ahead by lap 30, and 15 carlengths by lap 32. Essary drove into the fourth spot, past Taylor on lap 33.
Out front, Phillips was a half straightaway ahead of the field by lap 35, and was back into traffic by lap 36. Purkey took another run at Frye on lap 38, and was able to pull under him in turn four going to the checkers. Frye was able to hold on by half a carlength.
Terry Phillips came home with the win, with Bill Frye, Al Purkey, Leslie Essary, and Jeff Taylor making up the top five. Jeff Floyd earned hard charger honors taking sixth. Justin Fulton, Mike Brown, Brad Looney, and Jerry Buck rounded out the top ten.
Entries: 32
Top Qualifier: Charlie Randolph
Hard Charger: Jeff Floyd
Provisionals: Jeff Floyd (3); Steve Rushin (4)
Lap Leaders: Jeff Taylor, 1-2; Terry Phillips, 3-25, 27-40; Bill Frye 26
Cautions: 2
A FEATURE (40 Laps)
1) Terry Phillips, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $3,000
2) Bill Frye, GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $2,000
3) Al Purkey, Larry Shaw/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $1,250
4) Leslie Essary, GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $1,100
5) Jeff Taylor, Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $1,000
6) Jeff Floyd, GRT/Kuntz/Taurus; $750
7) Justin Fulton, Larry Shaw/Baker/Grand Prix; $700
8) Mike Brown, GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $675
9) Brad Looney, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $650
10) Jerry Buck, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $625
11) David Gibson, Rocket/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $600
12) Shane Essary, GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $575
13) Stacy Taylor, GRT/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $550
14) Steve Rushin, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $525
15) Raymond Merrill, GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $500
16) Gary Webb, GRT/Pro Power/Grand Prix; $500
17) Joey Mack, GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $500
18) Dewaine Hottinger, GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $500
19) Charlie Randolph, GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $500
20) Alan Vaughn, Rocket/Smitty's/Grand Prix; $500
21) Rusty Dukes, GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
22) Mike Bowers, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Charlie Randolph, Muskogee OK 2) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 3) Justin Fulton, Muskogee OK 4) Jerry Buck, Harviell MO 5) Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw OK 6) Todd Kallweit, Wheatland MO 7) Gary Stolba, Willow Springs MO (scratch: Archie Griffin)
2nd Heat 1) Jeff Taylor, Batesville AR 2) Stacy Taylor, Jacksonville AR 3) Mike Bowers, North Little Rock AR 4) Gary Webb, Blue Grass IA 5)Dustin Mooneyham, Aurora MO 6) Larry Jones, Eldorado Springs MO 7) Jeff Floyd, Walnut Ridge AR 8) Jerry Walker, Southhaven MS
3rd Heat 1) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 2) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 3) David Gibson, Ash Flat AR 4) Rusty Dukes, Fair Grove MO 5) Donnie Timmerman, Eldorado Springs MO 6) Jack Sullivan, Greenbriar AR 7) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 8) Melvin Smith, Buffalo MO
4th Heat 1) Brad Looney, Republic MO 2) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 3) Al Purkey, Coffeyville KS 4) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 5) Joey Mack, Benton MO 6) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 7) Alan Vaughn, Belton MO 8) Ken Essary, Cape Fair MO
Last Chance Qualifier (15 Laps, 4 transfer) 1) Raymond Merrill 2) Joey Mack 3) Leslie Essary 4) Alan Vaughn 5) Steve Rushin 6) Todd Kallweit 7) Jack Sullivan 8) Ken Essary 9) Donnie Timmerman 10) Archie Griffin 11) Jerry Walker 12) Dustin Mooneyham 13) Jeff Floyd (scratches: Gary Stolba, Melvin Smith, Larry Jones)
Bolivar Speedway
Friday, May 2, 2003
By Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
BOLIVAR AR. Terry Phillips notched his second O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series feature event in a row, and his third of the season pulling even with Leslie Essary in series points standings. Phillips dashed past Jeff Taylor on the second lap, then dueled with Bill Frye in the mid-part of the race. Phillips was able to pull away from the field after a lap 28 caution en route to the win.
Kuntz and Company rookie of the year contender, Charlie Randolph claimed his first O'Reilly M.A.R.S. pole, with Taylor to his outside. Taylor powered to the lead as the green appeared. Randolph, Brad Looney, Phillips, and Frye fell in behind. Phillips drove by Looney on the opening lap, then took second from Randolph in turn four on the second lap.
Phillips drove under Taylor to the lead in turn four on the third go-round. Frye had moved into third at the same time, then bypassed Taylor for second in turn two on lap four. Dewaine Hottinger moved into the fifth spot on lap five.
Out front, Phillips was pacing Frye by 10 carlengths by lap seven. Frye was a half-straight ahead of Taylor in third as the leaders set a blistering pace. Phillips held a half carlength advantage by lap 10.
Phillips was starting to work traffic by lap 14, and that was all that Frye needed to narrow the gap. Phillips struggled to lap two slower cars, and was by them by lap 17, but Frye stayed glued to his back bumper.
Steve Rushin brought out the first caution on lap 18 as he stalled on the fronstretch. Rushin pitted, and rejoined the field at the rear. On the restart attempt, Charlie Randolph got turned around in turn two, and also tagged on the field at the rear.
Al Purkey shot to fourth on the restart, then moved past Taylor into third on the fronstretch on lap 19. Phillips and Frye stayed close this time, and were nose to tail by lap 22. The pair were side by side on lap 24, then Frye was able to power past Phillips into the lead in turn two on lap 25. The duo was back to side-by-side action on lap 26, and Phillips re-took the top spot in turn four.
Alan Vaughn brought out caution number two, as he pulled up on the backstretch with broken suspension. Phillips had the front row to himself on the Delaware re-start, with Frye and Purkey side by side. Leslie Essary took the fifth spot on lap 29.
While Purkey and Frye dueled for second, Phillips drove away from the field again, and was 10 carlengths ahead by lap 30, and 15 carlengths by lap 32. Essary drove into the fourth spot, past Taylor on lap 33.
Out front, Phillips was a half straightaway ahead of the field by lap 35, and was back into traffic by lap 36. Purkey took another run at Frye on lap 38, and was able to pull under him in turn four going to the checkers. Frye was able to hold on by half a carlength.
Terry Phillips came home with the win, with Bill Frye, Al Purkey, Leslie Essary, and Jeff Taylor making up the top five. Jeff Floyd earned hard charger honors taking sixth. Justin Fulton, Mike Brown, Brad Looney, and Jerry Buck rounded out the top ten.
Entries: 32
Top Qualifier: Charlie Randolph
Hard Charger: Jeff Floyd
Provisionals: Jeff Floyd (3); Steve Rushin (4)
Lap Leaders: Jeff Taylor, 1-2; Terry Phillips, 3-25, 27-40; Bill Frye 26
Cautions: 2
A FEATURE (40 Laps)
1) Terry Phillips, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $3,000
2) Bill Frye, GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $2,000
3) Al Purkey, Larry Shaw/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $1,250
4) Leslie Essary, GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $1,100
5) Jeff Taylor, Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $1,000
6) Jeff Floyd, GRT/Kuntz/Taurus; $750
7) Justin Fulton, Larry Shaw/Baker/Grand Prix; $700
8) Mike Brown, GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $675
9) Brad Looney, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $650
10) Jerry Buck, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $625
11) David Gibson, Rocket/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $600
12) Shane Essary, GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $575
13) Stacy Taylor, GRT/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $550
14) Steve Rushin, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $525
15) Raymond Merrill, GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $500
16) Gary Webb, GRT/Pro Power/Grand Prix; $500
17) Joey Mack, GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $500
18) Dewaine Hottinger, GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $500
19) Charlie Randolph, GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $500
20) Alan Vaughn, Rocket/Smitty's/Grand Prix; $500
21) Rusty Dukes, GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
22) Mike Bowers, GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Charlie Randolph, Muskogee OK 2) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 3) Justin Fulton, Muskogee OK 4) Jerry Buck, Harviell MO 5) Raymond Merrill, Sallisaw OK 6) Todd Kallweit, Wheatland MO 7) Gary Stolba, Willow Springs MO (scratch: Archie Griffin)
2nd Heat 1) Jeff Taylor, Batesville AR 2) Stacy Taylor, Jacksonville AR 3) Mike Bowers, North Little Rock AR 4) Gary Webb, Blue Grass IA 5)Dustin Mooneyham, Aurora MO 6) Larry Jones, Eldorado Springs MO 7) Jeff Floyd, Walnut Ridge AR 8) Jerry Walker, Southhaven MS
3rd Heat 1) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 2) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 3) David Gibson, Ash Flat AR 4) Rusty Dukes, Fair Grove MO 5) Donnie Timmerman, Eldorado Springs MO 6) Jack Sullivan, Greenbriar AR 7) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 8) Melvin Smith, Buffalo MO
4th Heat 1) Brad Looney, Republic MO 2) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 3) Al Purkey, Coffeyville KS 4) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 5) Joey Mack, Benton MO 6) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 7) Alan Vaughn, Belton MO 8) Ken Essary, Cape Fair MO
Last Chance Qualifier (15 Laps, 4 transfer) 1) Raymond Merrill 2) Joey Mack 3) Leslie Essary 4) Alan Vaughn 5) Steve Rushin 6) Todd Kallweit 7) Jack Sullivan 8) Ken Essary 9) Donnie Timmerman 10) Archie Griffin 11) Jerry Walker 12) Dustin Mooneyham 13) Jeff Floyd (scratches: Gary Stolba, Melvin Smith, Larry Jones)
