(LEBANON, Missouri, by Sarah Woodhurst) Chrissy Wallace of Concord, North Carolina claimed her third ASA Late Model victory of the season after taking the lead late in the ‘Firecracker 50’ at Lebanon I-44 Speedway on Saturday night, pocketing the $1,000 champion’s purse. Wallace started last in the 19-car field because of her Late Model feature race win the week before, but was able to work her way to the front in a race that was filled with eleven caution flags for spins and accidents on the 3/8-mile asphalt oval track.
“There was plenty of wrecks, but we just had to be patient,” Wallace said. “I just had to stay calm. My uncle was keeping me calm on the radio. I knew we had the car to win; it was just the fact of getting around Kenny (Ken Dickinson).”
Steve Holt of Strafford led the first half of the race until a backstretch slip-up ended his night. Ken Dickinson then took over the lead on the restart with Jimmy Vanzandt and Wallace on his heels. Grant Sharp got in on the action around lap 39 and put up a hard-fought battle with Wallace for second place. The final caution of the night came on lap 43. Dickinson led the pack off of turn four on the restart, which set up a final-laps duel between him and Wallace. Wallace was able to get around Dickinson on lap 47 and didn’t look back. Dickinson held on to the second place spot, while Vanzandt finished third, followed by Sharp in fourth and Chris Beaver of Neosho rounding out the top five.
The ASA Modified division featured a 12-car field that was only slowed for one early-race caution during the 20-lap event. Tyler Scott of Nixa picked up his third straight feature win after taking the lead early and putting on a dominating performance. Lebanon’s own Mike Coryell claimed the second place spot followed by Riley Sharp, Payton Lucas, and Terry Taylor, all of Fair Grove, respectively.
“It’s so much fun to come out here and compete in the mod division at I-44,” Scott said. “I really can’t put into words how fun this is. Thank you to all the fans that come out. This is really, really awesome to see all you guys here on the Budweiser Wild Side and in the Grandstands. Thank you.”
The ASA Sportsman division only had five stock cars checked in, but put on an exciting show for the track’s largest crowd this season. Aaron Douglas of Lebanon put his #7 machine out front where he and Rick Sharp of Fair Grove fought for the top spot. While these two drivers were swapping spots, JC Newell of Stoutland and Ozark’s Toby Harden put on their own battle for the third place position. Lap seven saw Douglas fall back in the field and Sharp took advantage of this opportunity to gain the lead. Sharp led the field to the checkered flag followed by Harden in second, Newell in third, and Douglas in fourth. Ava’s Rex Sawyer rounded out the top five but did not complete the race due to early race engine problems.
Dustin Reeves of Camdenton claimed both of the Road Warrior heat and feature victories. Three cars checked in to the full-size, steel-body stock car class. After Lebanon’s Gary Ball and Mike Scott of Rogersville pulled off track on lap five due to mechanical failure, the race was ended on lap six in a ‘survival of the fittest’ fashion. Reeves took home the hardware, with Ball and Scott rounding out the field.
The Chargers put on an action-packed show for the fans with Rolla’s Josh Ratliff taking home his second consecutive victory this season. Ratliff and Gary Davenport of Lebanon swapped spots for most of the 10-lap race and were followed across the line by Jimmy Poindexter of Willard and Nick Cherry of Springfield. Shawn Jones’ 4-cylinder subcompact car was cursed with a flat tire, while Casten Jones retired to the pits early in the race.
The Outlaw Mini Stock racecars will be back next Saturday, July 9th for the “Kickin’ Asphalt’ show at the 3/8-mile high-banked paved Lebanon I-44 Speedway, along with the five ASA stock car racing classes, plus a penny scramble for the kids. Gates will open at 5 pm, with racing action beginning at 7:30. Additional information about upcoming events, racecar construction rules and championship points is available online at www.i44speedway.net.
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RACE RESULTS FOR JULY 2, 2011 – LEBANON I-44 SPEEDWAY (LEBANON, MISSOURI)
LATE MODELS
HEAT 1
1) 77 Mike Slone
2) 93 Chrissy Wallace
3) 35 Steve Holt
4) 18 Jim Reeves
5) 11x Phil Harris
6) 67 Jimmy Vanzandt
7) O2 Brian Brown
HEAT 2
1) 46 Cole Williams
2) 10 Dale Roper Jr
3) 45 Chris Beaver
4) 7 Jeremy Manes
5) 21x Rodney Phillips
6) 11 John McGrath
HEAT 3
1) 21 Ken Dickinson
2) 27 Joe Ross
3) 2 Grant Sharp
4) 20 Austin Fullerton
5) 98 Terry Smith
6) 46x Chad Walter
FEATURE
1) 93 Chrissy Wallace
2) 21 Ken Dickinson
3) 67 Jimmy Vanzandt
4) 2 Grant Sharp
5) 45 Chris Beaver
6) 98 Terry Smith
7) 46x Chad Walter
8) 7 Jeremy Manes
9) 18 Jim Reeves
10) 20 Austin Fullerton
11) 10 Dale Roper Jr
12) 11 John McGrath
13) 11x Phil Harris
14) O2 Brian Brown
15) 21x Rodney Phillips
16) 27 Joe Ross
17) 35 Steve Holt
18) 46 Cole Williams
19) 77 Mike Slone
MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1
1) 57 Tyler Scott
2) 29 Rod Icenhower
3) 26 Payton Lucas
4) 33 Riley Sharp
5) 44 Kevin Blackburn
6) 8-DNS Jason Otto
HEAT 2
1) 66 Terry Taylor
2) 91 David Bates
3) 25 Stephen Counterman
4) O1 Darren Fullerton
5) 3 Brennon Willard
6) 5 Mike Coryell
FEATURE
1) 57 Tyler Scott
2) 5 Mike Coryell
3) 33 Riley Sharp
4) 26 Payton Lucas
5) 66 Terry Taylor
6) 8 Jason Otto
7) 29 Rod Icenhower
8) 25 Stephen Counterman
9) 44 Kevin Blackburn
10) 3 Brennon Willard
11) O1 Darren Fullerton
12) 91 David Bates
SPORTSMAN
HEAT 1
1) 10 Rick Sharp
2) 1 Toby Harden
3) 83 JC Newell
4) 7 Aaron Douglas
5) 29 Rex Sawyer
FEATURE
1) 10 Rick Sharp
2) 1 Toby Harden
3) 83 JC Newell
4) 7 Aaron Douglas
5) 29 Rex Sawyer
ROAD WARRIOR
HEAT 1
1) 6 Dustin Reeves
2) 35 Gary Ball
3) 34 Mike Scott
FEATURE
1) 6 Dustin Reeves
2) 35 Gary Ball
3) 34 Mike Scott
CHARGERS
HEAT 1
1) 7 Shawn Jones
2) 21 Josh Ratliff
3) 5 Jimmy Poindexter
4) 10 Gary Davenport
5) 27 Nick Cherry
6) 34 Caston Jones
FEATURE
1) 21 Josh Ratliff
2) 10 Gary Davenport
3) 5 Jimmy Poindexter
4) 27 Nick Cherry
5) 7 Shawn Jones
6) 34 Caston Jones
From Sarah Woodhurst