(LEBANON, Missouri, by Zack Morgan) It was another night of fast and furious ASA stock car racing at the Lebanon I-44 Speedway as we saluted the students for “Monster Energy presents Lebanon Schools Night at the Races”.
Forty-five cars checked in to the pits and qualifying races got underway. Rogersville’s Mike Scott took the Road Warrior qualifier over Gary Ball. Rick Sharp took home the sportsman qualifier followed by the Stoutland youngster JC Newell. Nixa’s Tyler Scott took home the modified qualifier with last week’s winner Jason Otto taking the second qualifier. The Late Models took to the track next as the young Cole Williams out of Sellersburg Indiana took the first qualifying race, while Concord North Carolina’s Chrissy Wallace snagged the second one. The OMSRA mini stocks made there second straight appearance on the high banks as Ashley Deschenes won the qualifying event. Belle native Caston Jones took home the first Charger qualifier while his relative Shawn Jones took the second one.
The Road Warriors where the first feature out on the track as it was a two-car battle between “The Bumblebee” Mike Scott and Lebanon’s Gary Ball. After going side by side for most of the race “The Bee” made it two in a row as he took home the 15 lap main event.
The stock car Sportsman class was next, and young JC Newell started on the front row while last weeks winner Rick Sharp started shotgun on the field in third. Newell jumped out to an early lead while Sharp battled with Lebanon’s Aaron Douglas. After making quick work of Douglass, Sharp set his eyes on the leader. Newell drove a great race but the wily veteran made his way around the youngster on the bottom to make it once again to Monster Energy Victory Lane.
The Mighty Modifieds took the track next as last week’s winner Jason Otto had to start off the race in ninth, and Tyler Scott had to race from the 6th position while Mike Coryell started on the pole. Scott made quick work of Fair Grove natives Rod Icenhower and Terry Taylor and quickly set his sights on Coryell. Side by side racing ensued for the next six laps as Coryell worked the topside and Tyler was right on his bumper riding the low groove. Scott finally made his move around the half way mark and never looked back. Coryell and Otto gave chase but to no avail as Tyler visited victory lane for the first time this season.
The Outlaw Mini Stocks took their turn at the main event as Greenwood’s “Super Dave” Wilson started on the pole, with Warrensburg native JW Blanekenship to his outside. Michael Deschenes started at the rear of the field per winning the feature first time out so he had his work cut out for him. At the start of the race it was a three-horse ordeal as Blankenship and Wilson took off from the field with Ashley Deschenes rocketing around the top. Michael was working hard back in fourth place as Ashley had made her way into the lead riding the topside. It was the Deschenes’s race to loose as it was Ashley and Michael riding first and second. Ashley was committed to the top line but Michael was coming fast. He finally made his move getting the great bite of off turn number four and never looked back as he would take his second trip to victory lane early in the season.
The premier class was due out next as twelve Late Models checked in for the feature. Defending champion Mike Slone of Rolla would have no easy task for a victory, however. Early in the race the early favorites looked to be Grant Sharp and Kenny Dickenson, but after a mid race caution involving Jimmy Vanzandt and Chrissy Wallace the two got together on the backstretch and spun so they had to rejoin the field at the rear. It was a race of attrition as Vanzandt sat atop the field and Slone was riding second once again. After some tough racing between the two, Slone emerged with the lead while Vanzandt and Williams battled it out for second. Coming out of turn four Williams and Vanzandt got together and put the field under yet another caution as Slone paced the field along with Wallace and Roper Jr. Slone had no problems picking up right where he left off as he too visited victory lane after a great restart.
The Chargers took to the track for the last feature of the night as Springfield’s Nick Cherry paced the field to the green flag. Cherry grabbed the early lead as there was a frenzy of action behind him with cars going three and four wide on the straightaways. A battle then ensued for the lead as Willard’s Jimmy Poindexter challenged Cherry. Poindexter grabbed the lead and never looked back as he grabbed his first trip to Monster Energy Victory Lane, to the delight of the large crowd enjoying nearly perfect weather conditions.
Next Saturday night, May 28, the track will host Military Appreciation Night presented by Lindsay Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep in St. Robert, where all active and retired military personnel will receive free admission with proper identification.
Lebanon I-44 Speedway will be “Kickin’ Asphalt” with a five-division ASA-sanctioned stock car racing show every Saturday night through September, with gates opening at 5:00 pm and racing action beginning at 7:30. Additional information and complete 2011 schedule is available on the track’s official website, www.i44speedway.net.
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| RACE RESULTS FOR MAY 21, 2011 | ||||||||||
| LATE MODELS | ||||||||||
| HEAT 1 | 1) | 46 | Cole Williams | HEAT 2 | 1) | 93 | Chrissy Wallace | |||
| 2) | 77 | Mike Sloan | 2) | 21 | Ken Dickinson | |||||
| 3) | 10 | Dale Roper Jr | 3) | 2 | Grant Sharp | |||||
| 4) | 35 | Steve Holt | 4) | 67 | Jimmy Vanzandt | |||||
| 5) | 18 | Jim Reaves | 5) | 45 | Crispen Beavers | |||||
| 6) | 20 | Austin Fullerton | 6) | 7 | Jeremy Manes | |||||
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| FEATURE | 1) | 77 | Mike Sloan | Rolla MO | ||||||
| 2) | 93 | Chrissy Wallace | Concord NC | |||||||
| 3) | 21 | Ken Dickinson | Lake Ozark MO | |||||||
| 4) | 46 | Cole Williams | Sellersburg IN | |||||||
| 5) | 10 | Dale Roper Jr | Fair Grove MO | |||||||
| 6) | 67 | Jimmy Vanzandt | Springfield MO | |||||||
| 7) | 20 | Austin Fullerton | Chelsea OK | |||||||
| 8) | 18 | Jim Reaves | Springfield MO | |||||||
| 9) | 45 | Crispen Beavers | Joplin MO | |||||||
| 10) | 2 | Grant Sharp | Conway MO | |||||||
| 11) | 7 | Jeremy Manes | Nixa MO | |||||||
| 12) | 35 | Steve Holt | Strafford MO | |||||||
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| MODIFIEDS | ||||||||||
| HEAT 1 | 1) | 57 | Tyler Scott | HEAT 2 | 1) | 8 | Jason Otto | |||
| 2) | 5 | Mike Coryell | 2) | 29 | Rodrick Icenhower | |||||
| 3) | 51 | Michael Stake | 3) | 66 | Terry Taylor | |||||
| 4) | 25 | Stephen Counterman | 4) | 26 | Payton Lucas | |||||
| 5) | 1 | Rocky Rash | 5) | |||||||
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| FEATURE | 1) | 57 | Tyler Scott | Nixa MO | ||||||
| 2) | 5 | Mike Coryell | Lebanon MO | |||||||
| 3) | 8 | Jason Otto | Richland MO | |||||||
| 4) | 29 | Rodrick Icenhower | Fair Grove MO | |||||||
| 5) | 66 | Terry Taylor | Fair Grove MO | |||||||
| 6) | 1 | Rocky Rash | Elkland MO | |||||||
| 7) | 26 | Payton Lucas | Fair Grove MO | |||||||
| 8) | 51 | Michael Stake | Phillipsburg MO | |||||||
| 9) | 25 | Stephen Counterman | Fair Grove MO | |||||||
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| SPORTSMAN | ||||||||||
| HEAT 1 | 1) | 10 | Rick Sharp | HEAT 2 | 1) | # | NAME | |||
| 2) | 83 | JC Newell | 2) | |||||||
| 3) | 7 | Aaron Douglas | 3) | |||||||
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| FEATURE | 1) | 10 | Rick Sharp | Fair Grove MO | ||||||
| 2) | 83 | JC Newell | Stoutland MO | |||||||
| 3) | 1 | Toby Harden | Lebanon MO | |||||||
| 4) | 7 | Aaron Douglas | Lebanon MO | |||||||
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| ROAD WARRIOR | ||||||||||
| HEAT 1 | 1) | 34 | Mike Scott | HEAT 2 | 1) | # | NAME | |||
| 2) | 35 | Gary Ball | 2) | |||||||
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| FEATURE | 1) | 34 | Mike Scott | Rogersville MO | ||||||
| 2) | 35 | Gary Ball | Lebanon MO | |||||||
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| CHARGERS | ||||||||||
| HEAT 1 | 1) | 34 | Caston Jones | HEAT 2 | 1) | 7 | Shawn Jones | |||
| 2) | 10 | Gary Davenport | 2) | 74 | Larry Hunter | |||||
| 3) | 27 | Nick Cherry | 3) | 5 | Jimmy Poindexter | |||||
| 4) | 14 | Ben Kramer | 4) | |||||||
| 5) | 17 | John Sims | ||||||||
| FEATURE | 1) | 5 | Jimmy Poindexter | |||||||
| 2) | 27 | Nick Cherry | ||||||||
| 3) | 34 | Caston Jones | ||||||||
| 4) | 74 | Larry Hunter | ||||||||
| 5) | 14 | Ben Kramer | ||||||||
| 6) | 17 | John Sims | ||||||||
| 7) | 18 | Jeff Kaut | ||||||||
| 8) | 7 | Shawn Jones | ||||||||
| 9) | 10 | Gary Davenport | ||||||||
| OMSRA | ||||||||||
| Heat 1 | 1) | 12 | Ashley Deschenes | |||||||
| 2) | 26 | Kevin Hunt | ||||||||
| 3) | 71 | Dave Wilson | ||||||||
| 4) | 4 | Joe Bunkers | ||||||||
| 5) | 86 | Michael Deschenes | ||||||||
| 6) | 80 | JW Blankenship | ||||||||
| Feature | 1) | 86 | Michael Deschenes | |||||||
| 2) | 12 | Ashley Deschenes | ||||||||
| 3) | 4 | Joe Bunkers | ||||||||
| 4) | 71 | Dave Wilson | ||||||||
| 5) | 26 | Kevin Hunt | ||||||||
| 6) | 80 | JW Blankenship | ||||||||