Timms leads the lap that counts to claim Larry Phillips Memorial at Lucas Oil Speedway

 

WHEATLAND, Missouri (Sept. 3, 2017) – After a battle of attrition, Randy Timms was the man standing in victory lane at the conclusion of Saturday night’s wild Larry Phillips Memorial at Lucas Oil Speedway.
“Apparently it took some misfortune for my teammate, but we’ll take it any way we can get it,” Timms said after his first career Lucas Oil MLRA win.

Timms led only one lap – the final one – in winning a race named in honor of Larry Phillips, the five-time NASCAR Weekly Racing Series national champion. Timms, of Wheatland, Okla., earned $5,575 for the win.

 

Kris Jackson captured the night’s co-headliner, leading flag-to-flag in the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod main event.

 

Timms started 14th and, unlike many other contenders, stayed out of trouble in the 50-lap main event. This after teammate Jesse Stovall was on the cusp of victory, only to experience heartbreak.

 

Driving a car owned by Oklahoma racer Shannon Scott for the first time, Stovall had a sizeable lead when he slowed suddenly and pulled into the infield on lap 49 with a broke rear end.

“I didn’t even know Jesse left the track,” Timms said. “I thought we were racing for second. When we came off four and I saw (a lapped car) in front of me, I looked up and was like, ‘holy crap, did we just win this?’ I was rolling around and saw 5 (his car number) on the scoreboard. I was like, ‘what happened?'”

When Stovall broke, Billy Moyer Jr., inherited the lead coming to the white flag. But Moyer slid too high in turn two on the final lap and Timms drove past.

Rodney Sanders, after starting 24th, also got past Moyer and finished second. Moyer wound up third with MLRA points leader Terry Phillips finishing fourth.

“Randy did a heck of a job. Congrats to him,” Moyer said. “He was doing a good job and Rodney did a heck of a job. I have a good car here. The driver made an error. Completely, 100 percent my fault. We took the white and I saw the 5 (Timms) and the lap before, I knew he was right on me.

“When Stovall broke, it made me drive a little harder I guess and I was better. The lap I messed up, I kind of went in too soft. It’s all my fault. If I’d have run it in there like the lap Stovall broke, I’d have been fine.”

The eventful feature saw only 10 of the 24 starters still running at the finish.

Payton Looney used a strong start from his outside front row starting position to beat J.C. Wyman take the lead on lap one. The 23-year-old, in his first race since rebuilding his car from an accident a week earlier, set a blistering pace in opening a half-straightaway lead in the early going.

Stovall got past Wyman and into second by lap 12 and began to reel in Looney, who had to battle lapped traffic. When Looney got too high and into the cushion in turn two on lap 18, Stovall pounced and grabbed the lead.

Those two, along with third-place Logan Martin, put on a thrilling battle over the next three laps until the race’s third caution bunched the field.

Looney and Martin made contact on lap 24, coming out of turn four, with Martin getting the worst end. A winner of his first MLRA feature on Friday at Lakeside Speedway, Martin drove to the pits.

Just as Stovall seemed to open a comfortable lead, Looney rejuvenated his chances and was closing in. But Looney again slid high, into the loose dirt in turn two, and popped the wall to end his night on lap 31.

Stovall charged to a comfortable lead over Timms when the race’s eighth caution, on lap 39, brought Timms, Moyer Jr., and Sanders into contention.

Stovall, who returned this week after missing some races due to a concussion suffered in a July accident at I-80 Speedway, appeared to be a clear winner. But it was not to be.

The race’s purse, ending in the No. 75 was a tribute to Larry Phillips’ iconic car number. The family of Bob Brown, a promoter at the Springfield Fairgrounds Speedway when Phillips was dominant, contributed an additional $500 to the feature winner.

 

Jackson captures B-Mod win: Kris Jackson of Lebanon, Mo., led all the way to win the 30-lap Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod feature, taking home $1,075.

Jackson, from his outside row two position, split front-row starters Justin Pike and Ricky Watkins just after the drop of the green and had the lead coming out of turn two on the opening lap.

The third caution of the race, on lap five, bunched the field. But the race went caution-free the rest of the way with Jackson, expertly working his way through lapped traffic in the second half of the race, pulling away to win by a straightaway’s margin over Randy Zimmerman of Fort Scott, Kan.

Jackson said the victory was special because he grew up watching Larry Phillips pile up victories at Lebanon I-44 Speedway.

“I’m from Lebanon and I very seldom missed a Saturday night race growing up as a kid,” Jackson said. “I remember him paddling their butts over and over again. To be honest, I didn’t like him because he was so fast. That’s the only reason I didn’t like him.

 

“But I have an unbelievable respect for that man, for what he’s done for racing in this area.”

Jake Richards of Lansing, Kan., finished third with Donald Jackson of Lebanon, Mo., in fourth and Ryan Gillmore of Springfield, Mo., fifth.

 

LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY RESULTS (Sept. 2, 2016)

LARRY PHILLIPS MEMORIAL
Lucas Oil MLRA Late Models
A Feature – 1, Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla. 2, Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas. 3, Billy Moyer Jr., Batesville, Ark. 4, Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo. 5, Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo. 6, Austin Rettig, Sikestone, Mo. 7, Bob King, Independence, Mo. 8, Dave Eckrich, Oxford, Iowa. 9, Joe Gorby, Bartlesville, Okla. 10, Mark Harrison, Kingfisher, Okla. 11, Jesse Stovall, Billings, Mo. 12, Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan. 13, Will Vaught, Crane, Mo. 14, Joe Godsey, Bentonville, Ark. 15, Payton Looney, Republic, Mo. 16, Kris Jackson, Lebanon, Mo. 17, Logan Martin, West Plains, Mo. 18, Jeff Roth, Bentonville, Ark. 19, Jeremy Grady, Story City, Iowa. 20, Scott Crigler, Alton, Mo. 21, Brad Looney, Republic, Mo. 22, Tony Jackson Jr., Lebanon, Mo. 23, Dean Moore, Grand Junction, Colo. 24, Kaeden Cornell, Willard, Mo.

Swift Springs Heat 1 – 1, Payton Looney. 2, Jeremy Grady. 3, Terry Phillips. 4, Dean Moore. 5, Chase Junghans. 6, Joe Godseey. 7, Scott Crigler.
Casey’s General Store Heat 2 – 1, Jesse Stovall. 2, Logan Martin, 3, Tony Jackson Jr. 4, Randy Timms. 5, Kris Jackson. 6, Austin Siebert. 7, Rodney Sanders.
Chix Gear Racewear Heat 3 – 1, Dave Eckrich. 2, Will Vaught. 3, Jeff Roth. 4, Bob King. 5, Kaeden Cornell. 6, Jacob Magee.
Malvern Bank Heat 4 – 1, Billy Moyer Jr. 2, Joseph Gorby. 3, Brad Looney. 4, Austin Rettig. 5, J.C. Wyman. 6, Mark Harrison.

Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods
Feature – 1, Kris Jackson, Lebanon, Mo. 2, Randy Zimmerman, Fort Scott, Kan. 3, Jake Richards, Lansing, Kan. 4, Donald Jackson, Lebanon, Mo. 5, Ryan Gillmore, Springfield, Mo. 6, Luke Nieman, Nortonville, Kan. 7, Rex Harris, Macks Creek, Mo. 8, Thomas Young, Greenfield, Mo. 9, Justin Pike, El Dorado Springs, Mo. 10, Mike Striegel, Hermitage, Mo. 11, Eric Turner, Hermitage, Mo. 12, Rodney Cordon, Independence, Mo. 13, Taylor Moore, Bois D’Arc, Mo. 14, Quentin Taylor, Flemington, Mo. 15, Kenneth Pike, El Dorado Springs, Mo. 16, Ricky Watkins, Brookline, Mo. 17, Richard Mayee, Oologah, Okla. 18, Michael Bowers, Rogersville, Mo. 19, Bobby Williams, Hermitage, Mo. 20, David Hendrix, Waynesville, Mo. 21, Tyler Milner, Mo. 22, Gary Fain, Lone Jack, Mo. 23, Shawn Strong, Republic, M o. DNS Robbe Ewing, Stockton, Mo.

Heat 1 – 1, Donald Jackson. 2, Justin Pike. 3, Randy Zimmerman. 4, Ryan Gillmore. 5, Taylor Moore. 6, Richard Mayee. 7, Jacob Long. 8, Evan McQuitty. 9, Kenny Shelton.
Heat 2 – 1, Luke Nieman. 2, Rodney Cordon. 3, Gary Fain. 4, Robbe Ewing. 5, Quentin Taylor. 6, Tyler Milner. 7, Andy Chrisenberry. 8, Cale Turner.
Heat 3 – 1, Kenneth Pike. 2, Ricky Watkins. 3, Shawn Strong. 4, Thomas Yount. 5, Bobby Williams. 6, David Hendrix. 7, Donnie Fellers. DNS Chase Hubbard.
Heat 4 – 1, Mike Striegel. 2, Jake Richards. 3, Kris Jackson. 4, Rex Harris. 5, Eric Turner. 6, Michael Bowers. 7, Jason Thurman. 8, Mike Green.
B Feature 1 – 1, David Hendrix. 2, Bobby Williams. 3, Quentin Taylor. 4, Richard Mayee. 5, Donnie Fellers. 6, Evan McQuitty. 7, Mike Green, Fair Grove, Mo. DNS Andy Chrisenberry, Chilhowee, Mo.
B Feature 2 – 1, Taylor Moore. 2, Michael Bowers. 3, Eric Turner. 4, Tyler Milner. 5, Kenny Shelton. 6, Cale Turner, Fulton, Mo. 7, Jason Thurman, Chanute, Kan. 8, Jacob Long, Greenfield, Mo. DNS Chase Hubbard, Owasso, Okla.

 

Drag Boat finals Sunday: The 7th annual Diamond Drag Boat Nationals on Lake Lucas wrap up on Sunday.

 

Sunday schedule
8 a.m. – Spectator gates open
9 a.m. – Round 1 Eliminations (PM, PO)
9:30 a.m. – Round 1 Eliminations (TFH, TAH, TAF)
10:30 a.m. – Round 1 Eliminations (QE, PE, TE, ME, SE, RR, PWC, JR)
12:30 p.m. – Round 2 Eliminations (PM, PO)
1 p.m. – Round 2 Eliminations (TFH, TAH, TAF)
1:30 p.m. – Round 2 Eliminations (QE, PE, TE, ME, SE, RR, PWC, JR)
2:30 p.m. – Round 3 Eliminations (PM, PO)
2:45 p.m. – Round 3 Eliminations (JR, PWC, RR, SE, ME, TE, PE, QE)
3 p.m. – Final Round Eliminations (All Classes)

 

Sunday tickets

Adults GA/Pit Pass Combo (16 and up) – $25
Seniors (62 and up)/Military GA/Pit Pass Combo (62 and up) – $22
Youth GA/Pit Pass Combo (age 6 to 15) – $10
Kids GA/Pit Pass Combo (age 5 and under) – FREE
Family Pass GA/Pit Pass Combo $50 Includes Admission for 2 Adults and Up to 3 Kids Ages – (6-15)
Adult 3-Day GA/Pit Pass Combo – $50
Seniors (62 and up)/Military 3-Day GA/Pit Pass Combo – $44
Youth Ages (6-15) 3-Day GA/Pit Pass Combo – $20

 

Next on the dirt: The Lucas Oil Speedway dirt track will be quiet next weekend. Next up is the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling Nationals, Sept. 15-16.

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Category: Missouri