O'REILLY AUTO PARTS MID-AMERICA RACING SERIES
Malden Speedway
Friday, July 4, 2003
by Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
MALDEN MO. Terry Phillips picked up O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series win number seven in 2003, and his career 30th. Phillips led all 40 laps from his outside front row starting position, leading his nearest rival, Bill Frye for the entire length of the race. Another Phillips and Frye duel for the series championship appears to be taking shape.
Bill Frye claimed his second pole in as many nights, with Phillips to his outside. A pile-up on the first attempt to start the race resulted in Jeff Taylor recieving enough damage to his car to have to go out on the hook. Taylor was done for the night.
The field got started on the next attempt, and Phillips headed Frye, Jeff Floyd, Joey Mack, and Steve Rushin for four laps before the first of three cautions. Leslie Essary brought out caution number one, stopped with a flat tire in turn four. One lap after the race restarted, it went back to yellow as Mike Brown, and Mike Bowers were tangled in turn two. Leslie Essary caused the yellow to wave on lap six, this time something was broke on his car, and Essary retired for the night at that point.
The field restarted at the six lap mark, and Billy James shot into the fourth spot, with Joey Mack falling back to fifth. Phillips opened a five carlength lead on lap eight, then was pacing the field by ten carlengths on lap 10.
The top three cars, Phillips, Frye, and Floyd, had broken away from the field, and Frye had begun to close back in on Phillips by lap 17. The pair were nose to tail by lap 20, and the leaders were looking at traffic. Phillips was faced by three cars racing for position by lap 22. Phillips was able to clear the traffic a bit easier than Frye, and had opened a five carlength lead by lap 27.
Phillips had put two lapped cars between himself and Frye by lap 29, and was pacing the two-time champion by 10 carlengths. Now Frye had Jeff Floyd on his back bumper, and Phillips was able to pull out to a half straightaway margin by lap 32. Joey Mack worked his way back around Billy James for the fourth spot by lap 34.
Terry Phillips lead the final laps, and came home with the win. Bill Frye, Jeff Floyd, Joey Mack, and Billy James made up the top five. Jerry Buck, Todd Hall, Steve Rushin, Dewaine Hottinger, and Stacy Taylor rounded out the top ten.
Entries: 29
Top Qualifier: Bill Frye
W&W Concrete Hard Charger: David Gibson
Provisionals: Charlie Randolph (2), David Gibson
Lap Leaders: Terry Phillips 1-40
Cautions: 4
A FEATURE (40 Laps)
1) Terry Phillips, (2) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $3,000
2) Bill Frye, (1) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $2,000
3) Jeff Floyd, (4) GRT/Kuntz/Taurus; $1,250
4) Joey Mack, (5) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $1,100
5) Billy James, (9) Rocket/Robinson/Monte Carlo; $1,000
6) Jerry Buck, (14) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $750
7) Todd Hall, (11) GRT/Hall/Grand Prix; $700
8) Steve Rushin, (7) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $675
9) Dewaine Hottinger, (6) GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $650
10) Stacy Taylor, (15) GRT/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $625
11) Charlie Randolph, (21) GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $600
12) David Gibson, (22) Rocket/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $575
13) Jack Sullivan, (13) GRT/Dickens/Grand Prix; $550
14) Gary Stolba, (3) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $525
15) Barry Barkley, (17) Schwartz/Vaughn/Monte Carlo; $500
16) Mike Brown, (12) Rocket/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
17) Mike Bowers, (8) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
18) Nathan Retting, (19) Larry Shaw/Robinson/Grand Prix; $500
19) Stacy Caldwell, (16) GRT/Performance/Monte Carlo; $500
20) Shane Essary, (20) GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
21) Leslie Essary, (18) GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $500
22) Jeff Taylor, (10) Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $500
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 2) Mike Bowers, North Little Rock AR 3) Joey Mack, Benton MO 4) Jack Sullivan, Greenbriar AR 5) Barry Barkley, Jonesboro AR 6) Dean Carpenter, Coldwater MS 7) Scott Hutchinson, Johnston City IL (scratch: Charlie Randolph)
2nd Heat 1) Gary Stolba, Willow Springs MO 2) Jeff Taylor, Batesville AR 3) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 4) Jerry Buck, Harviell MO 5) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 6) Scott Gibbs, Bloomfield MO 7) Nathan Retting, Sikeston MO
3rd Heat 1) Jeff Floyd, Walnut Ridge AR 2) Billy James, Sikeston MO 3) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 4) Stacy Taylor, Jacksonville AR 5) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 6) Carey Conaway, Jonesboro AR 7) David Gibson, Ash Flat AR
4th Heat 1) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 2) Todd Hall, Charleston MO 3) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 4) Stacy Caldwell, Nettleton MS 5) John Pafford, Eads TN 6) Shon Stuart, Corning AR 7) Kent Bailey, Sturdivant MO
Last Chance Qualifier (15 Laps, four transfer) 1) Barry Barkley 2) Leslie Essary 3) Nathan Retting 4) Shane Essary 5) David Gibson 6) Carey Conaway 7) Charlie Randolph 8) John Pafford 9) Kent Bailey 10) Shon Stuart 11) Scott Gibbs 12) Scott Hutchinson (scratch: Dean Carpenter)
Malden Speedway
Friday, July 4, 2003
by Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
MALDEN MO. Terry Phillips picked up O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series win number seven in 2003, and his career 30th. Phillips led all 40 laps from his outside front row starting position, leading his nearest rival, Bill Frye for the entire length of the race. Another Phillips and Frye duel for the series championship appears to be taking shape.
Bill Frye claimed his second pole in as many nights, with Phillips to his outside. A pile-up on the first attempt to start the race resulted in Jeff Taylor recieving enough damage to his car to have to go out on the hook. Taylor was done for the night.
The field got started on the next attempt, and Phillips headed Frye, Jeff Floyd, Joey Mack, and Steve Rushin for four laps before the first of three cautions. Leslie Essary brought out caution number one, stopped with a flat tire in turn four. One lap after the race restarted, it went back to yellow as Mike Brown, and Mike Bowers were tangled in turn two. Leslie Essary caused the yellow to wave on lap six, this time something was broke on his car, and Essary retired for the night at that point.
The field restarted at the six lap mark, and Billy James shot into the fourth spot, with Joey Mack falling back to fifth. Phillips opened a five carlength lead on lap eight, then was pacing the field by ten carlengths on lap 10.
The top three cars, Phillips, Frye, and Floyd, had broken away from the field, and Frye had begun to close back in on Phillips by lap 17. The pair were nose to tail by lap 20, and the leaders were looking at traffic. Phillips was faced by three cars racing for position by lap 22. Phillips was able to clear the traffic a bit easier than Frye, and had opened a five carlength lead by lap 27.
Phillips had put two lapped cars between himself and Frye by lap 29, and was pacing the two-time champion by 10 carlengths. Now Frye had Jeff Floyd on his back bumper, and Phillips was able to pull out to a half straightaway margin by lap 32. Joey Mack worked his way back around Billy James for the fourth spot by lap 34.
Terry Phillips lead the final laps, and came home with the win. Bill Frye, Jeff Floyd, Joey Mack, and Billy James made up the top five. Jerry Buck, Todd Hall, Steve Rushin, Dewaine Hottinger, and Stacy Taylor rounded out the top ten.
Entries: 29
Top Qualifier: Bill Frye
W&W Concrete Hard Charger: David Gibson
Provisionals: Charlie Randolph (2), David Gibson
Lap Leaders: Terry Phillips 1-40
Cautions: 4
A FEATURE (40 Laps)
1) Terry Phillips, (2) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $3,000
2) Bill Frye, (1) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $2,000
3) Jeff Floyd, (4) GRT/Kuntz/Taurus; $1,250
4) Joey Mack, (5) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $1,100
5) Billy James, (9) Rocket/Robinson/Monte Carlo; $1,000
6) Jerry Buck, (14) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $750
7) Todd Hall, (11) GRT/Hall/Grand Prix; $700
8) Steve Rushin, (7) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $675
9) Dewaine Hottinger, (6) GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $650
10) Stacy Taylor, (15) GRT/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $625
11) Charlie Randolph, (21) GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $600
12) David Gibson, (22) Rocket/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $575
13) Jack Sullivan, (13) GRT/Dickens/Grand Prix; $550
14) Gary Stolba, (3) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $525
15) Barry Barkley, (17) Schwartz/Vaughn/Monte Carlo; $500
16) Mike Brown, (12) Rocket/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
17) Mike Bowers, (8) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
18) Nathan Retting, (19) Larry Shaw/Robinson/Grand Prix; $500
19) Stacy Caldwell, (16) GRT/Performance/Monte Carlo; $500
20) Shane Essary, (20) GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
21) Leslie Essary, (18) GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $500
22) Jeff Taylor, (10) Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $500
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 2) Mike Bowers, North Little Rock AR 3) Joey Mack, Benton MO 4) Jack Sullivan, Greenbriar AR 5) Barry Barkley, Jonesboro AR 6) Dean Carpenter, Coldwater MS 7) Scott Hutchinson, Johnston City IL (scratch: Charlie Randolph)
2nd Heat 1) Gary Stolba, Willow Springs MO 2) Jeff Taylor, Batesville AR 3) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 4) Jerry Buck, Harviell MO 5) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 6) Scott Gibbs, Bloomfield MO 7) Nathan Retting, Sikeston MO
3rd Heat 1) Jeff Floyd, Walnut Ridge AR 2) Billy James, Sikeston MO 3) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 4) Stacy Taylor, Jacksonville AR 5) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 6) Carey Conaway, Jonesboro AR 7) David Gibson, Ash Flat AR
4th Heat 1) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 2) Todd Hall, Charleston MO 3) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 4) Stacy Caldwell, Nettleton MS 5) John Pafford, Eads TN 6) Shon Stuart, Corning AR 7) Kent Bailey, Sturdivant MO
Last Chance Qualifier (15 Laps, four transfer) 1) Barry Barkley 2) Leslie Essary 3) Nathan Retting 4) Shane Essary 5) David Gibson 6) Carey Conaway 7) Charlie Randolph 8) John Pafford 9) Kent Bailey 10) Shon Stuart 11) Scott Gibbs 12) Scott Hutchinson (scratch: Dean Carpenter)
