O'REILLY AUTO PARTS MID-AMERICA RACING SERIES
I-30 Speedway
Saturday, July 26, 2003
by Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
LITTLE ROCK AR. The O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series visited the I-30 Speedway for the second time in 2003. The series' first trip to I-30 in May saw the feature event rained out.
Wendell Wallace prevailed in the first event of the evening, capturing the make-up feature. Wallace took the lead from Leslie Essary on the 22nd lap, and went the rest of the way en route to his first O'Reilly M.A.R.S. win of the season.
Donnie Barnhart was the pole-sitter for the make-up feature, with Essary to his outside. Essary shot to the lead as the green flag appeared, but Mike Bowers got his car upside down in turn three on a first lap flip. Bowers wasn't hurt, but his car was wreckered off the track.
Essary, once again, powered to the lead as the green flag appeared, with Barnhart, Wallace, Mike Brown, and Bill Frye falling in behind. Wallace took the second spot from Barnhart in turn four on the second lap. Essary and Wallace dueled, side by side, for the lead on lap five. Wallace briefly moved to the point on lap seven, but a lapped car prevented Wallace from establishing the top spot and Essary was back in front before the pair got back to the start-finish line.
Mike Brown improved past Barnhart for third on lap nine, and Dewaine Hottinger was fifth by lap 12.
Essary and Wallace were nose to tail in heavy traffic by lap 13. Essary was facing four cars, racing for position, with Wallace glued to his bumper. The pair raced with the slower cars until lap 22, when Wallace finally got a run on the high side in turn two. Wallace moved to the lead, and was five carlenghts out front by lap 25.
Garrett Durrett brought out the caution as he was turned around on the frontstretch on lap 26. Durrett had to be wreckered off the track and was finished for this event.
Mike Brown powered into second on the restart, but Essary was back by on lap 27. Wallace was 10 carlenghts out front by lap 30. Donnie Barnhart worked back past Brown for third in turn two on lap 34. Bryan Millican brought out the caution on lap 36 as he was stopped in turn two with broken stearing.
Barnhart moved to second on the restart, and had pulled even with Wallace on the white flag lap. Wallace pulled ahead in turn four heading back to the checkers. Wendell Wallace claimed the win, with Donnie Barnhart, Leslie Essary, Bill Frye, and Mike Brown making up the top five. Dewaine Hottinger, Jeff Taylor, Terry Phillips, Jerry Buck, and Odie Green rounded out the top ten.
Peyton Taylor, younger brother of Jeff Taylor, shocked the O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series regulars by going wire to wire in the regularly scheduled feature event. Taylor, driving the W&W Concrete GRT, won in only his second night in the car, and claimed his first career Late Model feature.
Taylor also won the pole, and had Wendell Wallace to his outside. Taylor and Wallace rode side by side for the first three laps, before Taylor edged into the lead in turn two on the fourth lap. Taylor moved out to a five carlength advantage by lap seven.
Steve Rushin got under Walllace, and took the second spot in turn two on lap nine. Duke Whiseant pushed Wallace back another spot in turn four on lap 10.
Taylor was approaching traffic by lap 16, and had cleared a pair of slower cars by lap 20. Taylor was in clear traffic by lap 22, and opened a 10 carlength lead on Rushin.
The caution flag waved on lap 24, for Dewaine Hottinger, who had pulled up on the backstretch. Charlie Randolph took advantage of the restart, and rocketed into third place. Wallace moved by Whiseant into fourth on lap 29, while out front, Taylor was opening a comfortable margin on Rushin by lap 30.
Peyton Taylor continued to put ground between himself and the field, and came home with his first O'Reilly M.A.R.S. and Late Model win. Steve Rushin, Charlie Randolph, Wendell Wallace, and Duke Whiseant made up the top five. Joey Mack, Kenny Merchant, Leslie Essary, Mike Brown, and Jeff Floyd rounded out the top ten.
Entries: 33
Top Qualifier: Donnie Barnhart (1st Feature); Peyton Taylor (2nd Feature)
W&W Concrete Hard Charger: Charlie Randolph (1st Feature)
Provisionals: Jack Sullivan, Shane Essary (1st Feature)
Jeff Taylor (2), Gary Stolba (2); 2nd Feature
Lap Leaders: Leslie Essary, 1-21, Wendell Wallace 22-40 (1st Feature)
Peyton Taylor 1-40 2nd Feature
Cautions: 3 (1st Feature); 1 (2nd Feature)
MAKE UP A FEATURE (40 Laps, from May 10)
Finish/Driver/Start/Chassis/Motor/Make/Money Won
1) Wendell Wallace, (7) GRT/Craft/Taurus; $3,000
2) Donnie Barnhart, (1) GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $2,000
3) Leslie Essary, (2) GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $1,250
4) Bill Frye, (4) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $1,100
5) Mike Brown, (5) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $1,000
6) Dewaine Hottinger, (8) GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $750
7) Jeff Taylor, (14) Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $700
8) Terry Phillips, (10) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $675
9) Jerry Buck, (12) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $650
10) Odie Green, (15) GRT/PTS/Monte Carlo; $625
11) Charlie Randolph, (19) GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $600
12) Tommy Surrett, (16) Rocket/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $575
13) Joey Mack, (17) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $550
14) Jason Snodgrass, (6) GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $525
15) Jeff Floyd, (11) GRT/Kuntz/Taurus; $500
16) Bryan Millican, (18) Rocket/Baker/Monte Carlo; $500
17) Jack Sullivan, (20) GRT/Dickens/Grand Prix; $500
18) Garrett Durrett, (9) Warrior/Craft/Taurus; $500
19) Steve Rushin, (13) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
20) Shane Essary, (21) GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
21) Mike Bowers, (3) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
(scratch: Mark Norris)
A FEATURE (40 Laps)
1) Peyton Taylor, (1) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $3,000
2) Steve Rushin, (4) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $2,000
3) Charlie Randolph, (7) GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $1,250
4) Wendell Wallace, (2) GRT/Craft/Taurus; $1,100
5) Duke Whiseant, (5) GRT/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $1,000
6) Joey Mack, (3) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $750
7) Kenny Merchant, (6) Warrior/Craft/Taurus; $700
8) Leslie Essary, (16) GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $675
9) Mike Brown, (10) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $650
10) Jeff Floyd, (11) GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $626
11) Shane Harris, (20) GRT/Stanton/Intrepid; $600
12) Mike Bowers, (18) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $575
13) Donnie Barnhart, (12) GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $550
14) Dewaine Hottinger, (15) GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $525
15) Jerry Buck, (17) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
16) Terry Phillips, (9) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
17) Shane Essary, (14) GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
18) Bill Frye, (13) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $500
19) Jack Sullivan, (8) GRT/Dickens/Grand Prix; $500
20) Jeff Taylor, (21) Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $500
21) Odie Green, (19) GRT/PTS/Monte Carlo; $500
22) Gary Stolba, (22) GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Joey Mack, Benton MO 2) Duke Whiseant, Texarkana AR 3) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 4) Donnie Barnhart, North Little Rock AR 5) Odie Green, Fouke AR 6) Paul Boshers, Sheridan AR 7) Brian Holliway, Sheridan AR 8) Jerry Walker, Southhaven MS (scratch: Tommy Surrett)
2nd Heat 1) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 2) Kenny Merchant, Ruston LA 3) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 4) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 5) Mike Bowers, North Little Rock AR 6) Bryan Millican, Cleveland TX 7) Keith Craft, Arkadelphia AR 8) Shane Diamant, North Little Rock AR
3rd Heat 1) Peyton Taylor, Desha AR 2) Jack Sullivan, Greenbriar AR 3) Charlie Randolph, Muskogee OK 4) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 5) Jerry Buck, Harviell MO 6) Jeff Taylor, Batesville AR 7) Gary Solba, Willow Springs MO 8) Eric Conner, Amity AR
4th Heat 1) Wendell Wallace, Batesville AR 2) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 3) Jeff Floyd, Walnut Ridge AR 4) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 5) Jason Snodgrass, Mountain Home AR 6) Shane Harris, Sheridan AR 7) Garrett Durrett, Simsboro LA 8) Joe Walkenhorst, Grain Valley MO
1st Last Chance Qualifier (12 Laps, two transfer) 1) Jerry Buck 2) Odie Green 3) Bryan Millican 4) Tommy Surrett 5) Eric Conner 6) Jerry Walker 7) Jeff Taylor 8) Keith Craft (scratch: Gary Stolba)
2nd Last Chance Qualifier 1) Mike Bowers 2) Shane Harris 3) Garrett Durrett 4) Shane Diamant 5) Paul Boshers 6) Jason Snodgrass 7) Brian Holliway 8) Joe Walkenhorst
MARS POINTS AS OF: 07/27/03
1 66F FRYE, BILL GREENBRIAR, AR 1608
2 75P PHILLIPS, TERRY SPRINGFIELD, MO 1604
3 F1 FLOYD, JEFF WALNUT RIDGE, AR 1514
4 5T TAYLOR, JEFF BATESVILLE, AR 1502
5 5E ESSARY, LESLIE CRANE, MO 1466
6 427B BROWN, MIKE FT. GIBSON, OK 1386
7 81B BUCK, JERRY HARVIELL, M0 1362
8 60B BOWERS, MIKE NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR 1302
9 65H HOTTINGER, DEWAINE RUSSELLVILLE, AR 1286
10 9R RANDOLPH II, CHARLIE MUSKOGEE, OK 1270
11 14JR RUSHIN, STEVE POPLAR BLUFF, MO 1238
12 97M MACK, JOEY BENTON, MO 1226
13 18S SULLIVAN, JACK GREENBRIAR, AR 1088
14 33S STOLBA, GARY WILLOW SPRINGS, MO 1078
15 15E ESSARY, SHANE AURORA, MO 1006
16 27T TAYLOR, STACY JACKSONVILLE, AR 928
17 88WW WALLACE, WENDELL BATESVILLE, AR 753
18 G2 GIBSON, DAVID ASH FLAT, AR 747
19 21W WALKER, JERRY SOUTHAVEN, MS 616
20 12M MERRILL, RAYMOND SALLISAW, OK 587
I-30 Speedway
Saturday, July 26, 2003
by Larry Olson; Mountain Home, AR
LITTLE ROCK AR. The O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series visited the I-30 Speedway for the second time in 2003. The series' first trip to I-30 in May saw the feature event rained out.
Wendell Wallace prevailed in the first event of the evening, capturing the make-up feature. Wallace took the lead from Leslie Essary on the 22nd lap, and went the rest of the way en route to his first O'Reilly M.A.R.S. win of the season.
Donnie Barnhart was the pole-sitter for the make-up feature, with Essary to his outside. Essary shot to the lead as the green flag appeared, but Mike Bowers got his car upside down in turn three on a first lap flip. Bowers wasn't hurt, but his car was wreckered off the track.
Essary, once again, powered to the lead as the green flag appeared, with Barnhart, Wallace, Mike Brown, and Bill Frye falling in behind. Wallace took the second spot from Barnhart in turn four on the second lap. Essary and Wallace dueled, side by side, for the lead on lap five. Wallace briefly moved to the point on lap seven, but a lapped car prevented Wallace from establishing the top spot and Essary was back in front before the pair got back to the start-finish line.
Mike Brown improved past Barnhart for third on lap nine, and Dewaine Hottinger was fifth by lap 12.
Essary and Wallace were nose to tail in heavy traffic by lap 13. Essary was facing four cars, racing for position, with Wallace glued to his bumper. The pair raced with the slower cars until lap 22, when Wallace finally got a run on the high side in turn two. Wallace moved to the lead, and was five carlenghts out front by lap 25.
Garrett Durrett brought out the caution as he was turned around on the frontstretch on lap 26. Durrett had to be wreckered off the track and was finished for this event.
Mike Brown powered into second on the restart, but Essary was back by on lap 27. Wallace was 10 carlenghts out front by lap 30. Donnie Barnhart worked back past Brown for third in turn two on lap 34. Bryan Millican brought out the caution on lap 36 as he was stopped in turn two with broken stearing.
Barnhart moved to second on the restart, and had pulled even with Wallace on the white flag lap. Wallace pulled ahead in turn four heading back to the checkers. Wendell Wallace claimed the win, with Donnie Barnhart, Leslie Essary, Bill Frye, and Mike Brown making up the top five. Dewaine Hottinger, Jeff Taylor, Terry Phillips, Jerry Buck, and Odie Green rounded out the top ten.
Peyton Taylor, younger brother of Jeff Taylor, shocked the O'Reilly Auto Parts Mid-America Racing Series regulars by going wire to wire in the regularly scheduled feature event. Taylor, driving the W&W Concrete GRT, won in only his second night in the car, and claimed his first career Late Model feature.
Taylor also won the pole, and had Wendell Wallace to his outside. Taylor and Wallace rode side by side for the first three laps, before Taylor edged into the lead in turn two on the fourth lap. Taylor moved out to a five carlength advantage by lap seven.
Steve Rushin got under Walllace, and took the second spot in turn two on lap nine. Duke Whiseant pushed Wallace back another spot in turn four on lap 10.
Taylor was approaching traffic by lap 16, and had cleared a pair of slower cars by lap 20. Taylor was in clear traffic by lap 22, and opened a 10 carlength lead on Rushin.
The caution flag waved on lap 24, for Dewaine Hottinger, who had pulled up on the backstretch. Charlie Randolph took advantage of the restart, and rocketed into third place. Wallace moved by Whiseant into fourth on lap 29, while out front, Taylor was opening a comfortable margin on Rushin by lap 30.
Peyton Taylor continued to put ground between himself and the field, and came home with his first O'Reilly M.A.R.S. and Late Model win. Steve Rushin, Charlie Randolph, Wendell Wallace, and Duke Whiseant made up the top five. Joey Mack, Kenny Merchant, Leslie Essary, Mike Brown, and Jeff Floyd rounded out the top ten.
Entries: 33
Top Qualifier: Donnie Barnhart (1st Feature); Peyton Taylor (2nd Feature)
W&W Concrete Hard Charger: Charlie Randolph (1st Feature)
Provisionals: Jack Sullivan, Shane Essary (1st Feature)
Jeff Taylor (2), Gary Stolba (2); 2nd Feature
Lap Leaders: Leslie Essary, 1-21, Wendell Wallace 22-40 (1st Feature)
Peyton Taylor 1-40 2nd Feature
Cautions: 3 (1st Feature); 1 (2nd Feature)
MAKE UP A FEATURE (40 Laps, from May 10)
Finish/Driver/Start/Chassis/Motor/Make/Money Won
1) Wendell Wallace, (7) GRT/Craft/Taurus; $3,000
2) Donnie Barnhart, (1) GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $2,000
3) Leslie Essary, (2) GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $1,250
4) Bill Frye, (4) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $1,100
5) Mike Brown, (5) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $1,000
6) Dewaine Hottinger, (8) GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $750
7) Jeff Taylor, (14) Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $700
8) Terry Phillips, (10) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $675
9) Jerry Buck, (12) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $650
10) Odie Green, (15) GRT/PTS/Monte Carlo; $625
11) Charlie Randolph, (19) GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $600
12) Tommy Surrett, (16) Rocket/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $575
13) Joey Mack, (17) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $550
14) Jason Snodgrass, (6) GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $525
15) Jeff Floyd, (11) GRT/Kuntz/Taurus; $500
16) Bryan Millican, (18) Rocket/Baker/Monte Carlo; $500
17) Jack Sullivan, (20) GRT/Dickens/Grand Prix; $500
18) Garrett Durrett, (9) Warrior/Craft/Taurus; $500
19) Steve Rushin, (13) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
20) Shane Essary, (21) GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
21) Mike Bowers, (3) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
(scratch: Mark Norris)
A FEATURE (40 Laps)
1) Peyton Taylor, (1) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $3,000
2) Steve Rushin, (4) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $2,000
3) Charlie Randolph, (7) GRT/BMS/Monte Carlo; $1,250
4) Wendell Wallace, (2) GRT/Craft/Taurus; $1,100
5) Duke Whiseant, (5) GRT/Dickens/Monte Carlo; $1,000
6) Joey Mack, (3) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $750
7) Kenny Merchant, (6) Warrior/Craft/Taurus; $700
8) Leslie Essary, (16) GRT/Mike's/Grand Prix; $675
9) Mike Brown, (10) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $650
10) Jeff Floyd, (11) GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $626
11) Shane Harris, (20) GRT/Stanton/Intrepid; $600
12) Mike Bowers, (18) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $575
13) Donnie Barnhart, (12) GRT/Kuntz/Grand Prix; $550
14) Dewaine Hottinger, (15) GRT/Kuntz/Monte Carlo; $525
15) Jerry Buck, (17) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
16) Terry Phillips, (9) GRT/Hatfield/Monte Carlo; $500
17) Shane Essary, (14) GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
18) Bill Frye, (13) GRT/Kuntz/Mustang; $500
19) Jack Sullivan, (8) GRT/Dickens/Grand Prix; $500
20) Jeff Taylor, (21) Larry Shaw/Kuntz/Taurus; $500
21) Odie Green, (19) GRT/PTS/Monte Carlo; $500
22) Gary Stolba, (22) GRT/Hatfield/Grand Prix; $500
1st Heat (12 Laps) 1) Joey Mack, Benton MO 2) Duke Whiseant, Texarkana AR 3) Shane Essary, Aurora MO 4) Donnie Barnhart, North Little Rock AR 5) Odie Green, Fouke AR 6) Paul Boshers, Sheridan AR 7) Brian Holliway, Sheridan AR 8) Jerry Walker, Southhaven MS (scratch: Tommy Surrett)
2nd Heat 1) Steve Rushin, Poplar Bluff MO 2) Kenny Merchant, Ruston LA 3) Dewaine Hottinger, Russellville AR 4) Bill Frye, Greenbriar AR 5) Mike Bowers, North Little Rock AR 6) Bryan Millican, Cleveland TX 7) Keith Craft, Arkadelphia AR 8) Shane Diamant, North Little Rock AR
3rd Heat 1) Peyton Taylor, Desha AR 2) Jack Sullivan, Greenbriar AR 3) Charlie Randolph, Muskogee OK 4) Leslie Essary, Crane MO 5) Jerry Buck, Harviell MO 6) Jeff Taylor, Batesville AR 7) Gary Solba, Willow Springs MO 8) Eric Conner, Amity AR
4th Heat 1) Wendell Wallace, Batesville AR 2) Terry Phillips, Springfield MO 3) Jeff Floyd, Walnut Ridge AR 4) Mike Brown, Ft. Gibson OK 5) Jason Snodgrass, Mountain Home AR 6) Shane Harris, Sheridan AR 7) Garrett Durrett, Simsboro LA 8) Joe Walkenhorst, Grain Valley MO
1st Last Chance Qualifier (12 Laps, two transfer) 1) Jerry Buck 2) Odie Green 3) Bryan Millican 4) Tommy Surrett 5) Eric Conner 6) Jerry Walker 7) Jeff Taylor 8) Keith Craft (scratch: Gary Stolba)
2nd Last Chance Qualifier 1) Mike Bowers 2) Shane Harris 3) Garrett Durrett 4) Shane Diamant 5) Paul Boshers 6) Jason Snodgrass 7) Brian Holliway 8) Joe Walkenhorst
MARS POINTS AS OF: 07/27/03
1 66F FRYE, BILL GREENBRIAR, AR 1608
2 75P PHILLIPS, TERRY SPRINGFIELD, MO 1604
3 F1 FLOYD, JEFF WALNUT RIDGE, AR 1514
4 5T TAYLOR, JEFF BATESVILLE, AR 1502
5 5E ESSARY, LESLIE CRANE, MO 1466
6 427B BROWN, MIKE FT. GIBSON, OK 1386
7 81B BUCK, JERRY HARVIELL, M0 1362
8 60B BOWERS, MIKE NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR 1302
9 65H HOTTINGER, DEWAINE RUSSELLVILLE, AR 1286
10 9R RANDOLPH II, CHARLIE MUSKOGEE, OK 1270
11 14JR RUSHIN, STEVE POPLAR BLUFF, MO 1238
12 97M MACK, JOEY BENTON, MO 1226
13 18S SULLIVAN, JACK GREENBRIAR, AR 1088
14 33S STOLBA, GARY WILLOW SPRINGS, MO 1078
15 15E ESSARY, SHANE AURORA, MO 1006
16 27T TAYLOR, STACY JACKSONVILLE, AR 928
17 88WW WALLACE, WENDELL BATESVILLE, AR 753
18 G2 GIBSON, DAVID ASH FLAT, AR 747
19 21W WALKER, JERRY SOUTHAVEN, MS 616
20 12M MERRILL, RAYMOND SALLISAW, OK 587
