Lebanon, Mo. / Some information contributed by Ronnie Williams
For Immediate Release 7/31/2015 –
The Chase for a NASCAR Track And State Championship kicks in high gear Saturday night at The “High-Banks” of the action packed Lebanon I-44 Speedway as Scouting Night at the speedway will feature a 50 Lap O’Reilly Auto Parts Pro Late Model Feature along with the return of a long time favorite in the area. The Greenbrier, Ark. ace Bill Frye will be competing with the Pro Late Models making his asphalt late model debut.
Bill Frye, who started his racing career at I-44 Speedway in 1984 in the Super Stock class after winning the Springfield Fairgrounds track championship in that class in 1983. Frye, using the same blue Monte Carlo won the Super-Stock Track Championships in 1985 and 1987 before moving up to the Dirt Late Model class in 1988 while calling Squires, Mo. home. When Lebanon I-44 Speedway switched to the asphalt surface for the 1989 season, Bill was thinking about running the pavement before deciding to pursue the regional dirt traveling series. From there, Frye, always a fan favorite went on to win the 1991 MLRA Points Championship, while laying claim to 5 MARS Late Model Titles and was racing full-time on the traveling circuits and always a threat to win the event.
Even with all the titles and events Bill captured, he is probably best known for the 1997 World 100 event in which Scott Bloomquist took Bill around while Bill was leading and both were running for the win. During the caution Bill drove back around and “PAYED” the favor ending both drivers chances for the win.
Saturday night Bill will be driving the same car that Kenny Wallace drove to a 2nd place finish last season at I-44 and the car that set fast time for the Salute To 75 drove by Ken Schrader. Frye’s last full season of competing in the Dirt Late Models was in 2011 with a very limited schedule in 2012.
For 2014 NASCAR Pro Late Model Missouri State Champion Kaleb Allison, a lot of hours and hard work paid-off as “Special K” won his 1st feature of the season and became the 7th different winner out of 7 O’Reilly Auto Parts Pro Late Model events. Hoping they found the winning form from 2014, Allison is chasing current point leader “The Stoutland Rocket” JC Newell in the state and track point standings while the battle for 3rd only separates Paul Jepsen of Rolla and 11th place Payton Lucas by 100 points with a lot of racing to go this season. Allison trails Newell by only 33 markers for first place in the track standings.
Budweiser Modified point leader Tim Swearengin of Springfield is hungry for a win this season. While leading the track standings by over 100 points, Swearengin has yet to find the winners circle but has yet to finish out of the top 3. Everyone is awaiting the duel between 5 time winner Ricky Icenhower and 2-time winner David Bates. It seems as if the duo hasn’t gone head to head since over 4 weeks ago when Icenhower edged Bates although Bates was applying pressure all race long. The Modifieds are getting back in shape as the 2nd Annual Roper Classic is coming up quickly on Thursday Aug. 13th in which Kenny Wallace will be competing and the Modifieds race a 54 lap feature. Defending Champion Stephen Counterman and others are expected to be back in action this week.
Another new point leader in the Sportsman class will see “The Gentle Giant” JC Newell heading the point standings this Saturday night with a small 12 point lead over Lebanon’s Aaron Douglas. Veteran Ken Dickinson took home the feature honors last week becoming the 5th different winner out of 7 features. The Scheduled 40 lap distance feature on Aug. 29th could be interesting as car counts keep growing upward with a very competitive class of drivers.
The Hoosier Tire Street Stock feature was a popular event last week as Zack “The Z-Man” Morgan got his 1st ever win in a strong showing becoming the 5th different winner out of 8 features. Lebanon’s Jordan Nisbett holds a 117 point margin over “Papa Drake” Les Mallard of Fair Grove, but all it takes is another large car count, a bad night for leader Nisbett and a pack of 3 more drivers will be in contention for the title. This is the best season for competition in the last 2-3 seasons for this class with some very talented and improving drivers. Add Rick Sharp, lady driver Lauren Buhr, David Douglas, Nick Cherry, Chris and Tony Johnson and The Mopar Man Aaron Wilke’s return and this class is worth the price of admission alone.
Coca-Cola Charger point leader Ben White of Rolla grabbed win number 5, winning 3 in a row, but can’t shake 2013 Champion Jimmy Poindexter of Willard. Despite White’s 5 feature wins against Poindexter’s 2 wins only 11 points separate the lead duo. Nik Taylor is keeping the pressure on the top duo and Japheth Nisbett hops to turn his rough last 2 races around and getting back in the chase. Jesse Poindexter, Cory Nutt, Larry Hunter, Luke Oster, Mark Glorfeld kept improving each week and 2014 Champion Jason Walls makes things really interesting when he competes.
All 5 NASCAR Whelen All American Series short track racing classes will be in action with Grandstand, Fan Deck, VIP Suite & Wild Side gates opening at 4pm. NASCAR Testing through 5:40 with racing to start at 6:30. Grandstand Adult – $12, Senior and Military – $8.00, Junior ages 11-15 – $5, kids 10 and under are FREE / VIP Suite (subject to availability) $20, Fan Deck Adult – $12, Senior and Military – $8.00, Wild Side (tier parking) Adult – $15, Senior and Military – $11.00, Junior ages 11-15 – $8, kids 10 and under are FREE
2015 Lebanon I-44 Speedway NASCAR Whelen All American Series Point Standings
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Pro Late Models
1 15 JC Newell 749
2 47 Kaleb Allison 716
3 44 Paul Jepsen 626
4 3 Brennon Willard 622
5 67 Jimmy Vanzant 617
6 35 Steve Holt 602
7 O2 Brian Brown 601
8 2 Kyle Donahue 595
9 7 Kevin Donahue 586
10 O7 Terry Limberopoulos 544
11 26 Payton Lucas 520
12 5 Josh Woody 445
13 21 Ken Dickinson 393
14 O8 Jake Griffin 320
15 46 Cole Williams 299
16 66 Brian Woods 143
17 97 Ron Hartford 141
18 30 Dalton Kirk 138
19 51 Mike Slone 110
20 27 Joe Ross 52
21 O8 Richard Lewis 49
22 20 Cole Rouse 15
23 42 Mark Rouse 5
NASCAR Budweiser Modifieds
1 14 Tim Swearengin 922
2 6 Richard Lewis 812
3 7 Ricky Icenhower 718
4 15 Todd Lauvray 707
5 9 Brian Lewis 690
6 25 Stephen Counterman 568
7 10 Joe Bunkers 526
8 91 David Bates 477
9 29 Rodrick Icenhower 406
10 44 Kevin Blackburn 402
11 OO Chris Johnson 341
12 64 David Strode 326
13 1 Phil Harris 298
14 97 Ron Hartford 158
15 11 Mark Riddle 156
16 21 Adam Carmichael 88
17 66 Terry Taylor 68
18 0 Chris Kerperien 10
NASCAR Sportsman
1 84 James C Newell 785
2 7 Aaron Douglas 773
3 48 Jimmy Fohn 710
4 15 JC Newell 452
5 76 Jake Piel 307
6 21 Ken Dickinson 236
7 3 James Fohn 172
8 21 Randy Besser 103
9 79 AJ Bowman 88
10 83 Ben Newell 88
NASCAR Hoosier Tire Street Stocks
1 33 Jordan Nisbett 896
2 21 Les Mallard 779
3 14 Zach Morgan 704
4 27 Nick Cherry 600
5 22 Lauren Buhr 581
6 5 Rick Sharp 580
7 OO Chris Johnson 486
8 0 Tony Johnson 484
9 8 Aaron Wilke 472
10 77 David Douglas 449
11 30 David Jennings 401
12 99 Shawn Schmidt 300
13 7 Joey Auxier 175
14 2 Chris Shetler 164
15 14 Chris Nichols 125
16 22 George Buhr 108
17 5 Riley Sharp 98
18 90 Steve Shaw 88
19 5 Jimmy Poindexter 86
NASCAR Coca-Cola Chargers
1 44 Ben White 939
2 5 Jimmy Poindexter 928
3 21 Nik Taylor 833
4 55 Jesse Poindexter 737
5 22 Japheth Nisbett 692
6 25 Luke Oster 685
7 10 Jason Walls 561
8 19 Cory Nutt 479
9 74 Larry Hunter 347
10 40 Mark Glorfeld 283
11 43 Charles Appleby 266
12 95 Ethan Mathis 170
13 37 Jary Hudson 16
For more information visit the website at www.i44speedway.net and be sure to like us at Lebanon I-44 Speedway on Facebook for updated information on Missouri’s only NASCAR sanction facility and the only weekly asphalt track within 300 miles.
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For more information, contact:
Name:Kevin Greven
Title:General Manager
Phone:(417) 399-5756
Email address:kevin@lebanoni44speedway.com
About Lebanon I-44 Speedway
Lebanon I-44 Speedway is Missouri’s only NASCAR facility along with being the only weekly asphalt racing oval within 300 miles. The “High Banks” of I-44 Speedway proudly fly the NASCAR Whelen All American Series banner 20 plus weeks a year.
The track is in Lebanon, Missouri right along Interstate 44, on the historic Route 66 which adds easy access from any direction. Just about 45 minutes to the East of Springfield, Missouri on I-44 and just 2 hours West of St. Louis on I-44 as well as just 30 minutes south of Lake of the Ozarks makes it easy to find for all fans and racers.
Lebanon I-44 Speedway has a history of producing great racecar drivers, and some of the biggest stars in American motorsports honed their skills on our tracks high banked 3/8-mile asphalt oval. Legends such as the great Larry Phillips, the only 5-time national champion in NASCAR’s weekly racing series, along with NASCAR stars like Mike Wallace, Jamie McMurray, Carl Edwards, Chase Elliott, Tony Stewart and the late Tony Roper have either won races, track championships, regional championships or even national championships over the years.
Lebanon I-44 Speedway offers a top notch racing surface, aluminum backed Grandstand seating, “Wild Side” tier parking that you can pull up in your car or tailgate in your pickup and enjoy all of the racing from the edge of the track the beautiful VIP Suites in the middle of the front stretch and the new Budweiser Fan Deck.
Lebanon I-44 Speedway runs many special events throughout the race season as well as an exciting NASCAR weekly show that consists of Pro Late Models, Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks and the Chargers with special appearances by the United States Super Truck Series, Pro National Baby Grand Cars, CRA/JEGS All-Star Series, NASCAR racing special events and various Concerts.
For more information visit the website at www.i44speedway.net and be sure to visit and like the ever growing Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for updated information as drivers from Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Illinois compete each Saturday Night.
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www.i44speedway.net