Vaught takes command late to capture Lucas Oil MLRA Larry Phillips Memorial at Lucas Oil Speedway

 

Wheatland, Missouri (September 3, 2016) – Once a rising star in the Late Model ranks, Will Vaught races only part-time these days as he raises a family and runs a business. He scored one of his biggest career victories Saturday night.

Vaught, of Crane, Mo., took the lead with 13 laps remaining and went on to win the Lucas Oil MLRA Larry Phillips Memorial Presented by G2 Gemini Apparel at Lucas Oil Speedway.

Josh Hughes of West Plains wound up an MLRA career-best second with J.C. Wyman of Griswold, Iowa, third.

“Everything just fell into place,” Vaught said in Andy’s Frozen Custard victory lane. “The Larry Phillips Memorial. He was one of my idols when I was little. This means everything.”

Vaught’s first-ever win at Lucas Oil Speedway was worth $5,075. The extra $75 was a tribute to Larry Phillips, the late great four-time NASCAR Weekly Racing Series National Champion.

For the majority of the race, it appeared that MLRA points leader Jesse Stovall was headed to victory. Stovall took the lead from Jason Papich on lap 13 and, after a lap 19 restart, soon opened a straightaway-length lead over Vaught.

But Stovall’s car began to leak white smoke that kept getting thicker with each lap. He slowed on lap 37 and pulled to the pits, giving Vaught a lead that he held the remainder of the 50-lap feature.

“I’ve been beat a lot by leading laps like Jesse was,” Vaught said. “He was setting a blistering pace. He had a good car and that’s heartbreak.”

Vaught, who started ninth in the feature, said he’s only entered seven or eight events this season, preferring to oversee the quarter-midget racing of his young children – son Maddox and daughter Mallory.

But he began preparing for the trip to Lucas Oil Speedway two weeks ago, working on a shocks and springs package.

“We always qualify good here and are good in the heats, and are mediocre in the features here,” he said. “Tonight we had something there. We are very blessed.”

Stovall settled for 16th, but gained ground in the championship chase as second-place Terry Phillips retired with early mechanical issues and finished 23rd.

Chase Junghans started 22nd and finished fifth and Tony Jackson Jr. of Lebanon finished sixth after starting 19th.

Turner wins Modified feature: Eric Turner of Hermitage held off hard-charging track champion Jeff Cutshaw of Bolivar to win the Pitts Homes USRA Modified feature and earn $1,200.

Turner, who also won the regular-season finale a week earlier, took the lead from Jason Russell on the 20th lap of the 30-lap race. Turner held on, barely, as he and Cutshaw weaved through slower traffic over the final two laps.

“Getting caught up in the lapped cars I was trying to be patient,” Turner said. “I knew (Cutshaw) would be down there.”

Turner advanced from a 14th starting position and moved into contention quickly.

“The car was good. I knew about lap 15 that we were ready to rock ‘n roll,” Turner said.

Russell wound up third with Mitch Keeter fourth.

Drag boat finals Sunday: The Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series wraps up the 6th annual Diamond Drag Boat Nationals on Sunday.

(Schedule)
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

(Admission)
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)
(All tickets include access to Drag Boat pit area)
Next on the dirt: The next action on the dirt track is the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling Nationals for the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League, Sept. 16-17.

LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY RESULTS (SEPT. 3, 2016)
Lucas Oil MLRA Late Models
Larry Phillips Memorial
A Feature – 1, Will Vaught. 2, Josh Hughes. 3, J.C. Wyman. 4, Tim Manville. 5, Chase Junghan. 6, Tony Jackson Jr. 7, Austin Siebert. 8, Payton Looney. 9, James Schereck. 10, Brantlee Gotschall. 11, Dave Eckrich. 12, Jeff Roth. 13, David Hennan. 14, Tad Pospisil. 15, Brad Looney. 16, Jesse Stovall. 17, Jon Mitchell. 18, Brandon Wilson. 19, Rickey Frankel. 20, Jason Papich. 21, Randy Timms. 22, Brent Larson. 23, Terry Phillips. 24, Jon Sheets.

Bilstein Shocks 1st heat – 1, Brad Looney. 2, Terry Phillips. 3, Brantlee Gotschall. 4, Tim Manville. 5, Bryon Allison. 6, Larry Jones. 7, Larry Ferris. 8, Tony Jackson Jr. 9, Dalton Ragsdale. 10, Daniel Jessen.

Casey’s General Store 2nd heat – 1, Jesse Stovall. 2, Will Vaught. 3, Austin Siebert. 4, Dave Eckrich. 5, Rickey Frankel. 6, Jason Hughes. 7, Chase Junghans. 8, Jacob Magee. 9, Bob King.

Chix Gear Racewear 3rd heat – 1, Jason Papich. 2, Randy Timms. 3, Brandon Wilson. 4, Jon Mitchell. 5, Joe Walkenhorst. 6, Josh Poe. 7, Jeff Roth. DNS, Tad Pospisil, Justin Asplin.

Malvern Trust & Savings Bank 4th heat – 1, Payton Looney. 2, J.C. Wyman. 3, Dvaid Hennan. 4, Josh Hughes. 5, Jon Sheets. 6, James Shereck. 7, Brent Larson. 8, Rob Hall. 9, Wylan Petrie.

B Main 1 – Roth. 2, Jackson. 3, Mitchell. 4, Asplin. 5, Jones. 6, Ragsdale. 7, Ferris. 8, Walkenhorst. 9, Jessen.

B Main 2 – 1, Sheets. 2, Shereck. 3, Junghans. 4, Hughes. 5, Magee. 6, Allison. 7, Larson. 8, Hail. 9, Petrie. 10, King.
Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds
A-Feature: 1. Eric Turner (Hermitage, MO), 2. Jeff Cutshaw (Bolivar, MO), 3. Jason Russell (Eugene, MO), 4. Mitch Keeter (Webb City, Mo), 5. Terry Schultz (Sedalia, MO), 6. Luke Driskell (Stilwell, KS), 7. Johnny Fennewald (Appleton City, MO), 8. Jason Pursley (Hermitage, MO), 9. Jon Sheets (Nevada, MO), 10. Trevor Latham (Rogers, AR), 11. Myles Newman (Alma, Ar), 12. Daniel Franklin (Eurika Springs, AR), 13. Jeremy Vaughn (Pocola, Ok), 14. Brandon Hunter (Cedarville, Ar), 15. Kevin Guinn (Fayetteville, AR), 16. Lucas Dobbs (El Dorado Springs, MO), 17. Scotty Bough (Nevada, MO), 18. Chris Tonoli (Hermitage, MO), 19. John Cammon (Wichita, Ks), 20. Allen Owen (Pocola, Ok), 21. Milt David (Carriger, Ok), 22. Dalton McKenzie (Van Buren, Ar.), 23. Nick Whitehead (Springfield, Mo), 24. Zachary Sanders (Kearney, MO).
B-Feature: 1. Jeremy Vaughn (Pocola, Ok), 2. Trevor Latham (Rogers, AR), 3. Chris Tonoli (Hermitage, MO), 4. Brandon Hunter (Cedarville, Ar), 5. Scotty Bough (Nevada, MO), 6. Nick Whitehead (Springfield, Mo), 7. Milt David (Carriger, Ok), 8. Kevin Guinn (Fayetteville, AR), 9. Jeff Douty (Butler, MO), 10. Alex Cammon (Witchita, Ks.), 11. Dave Elson (Springfield, Mo), 12. Lucas Gibbs (Udall, KS).

Heat 1: 1. Dalton McKenzie (Van Buren, Ar.), 2. Terry Schultz (Sedalia, MO), 3. Zachary Sanders (Kearney, MO), 4. John Cammon (Wichita, Ks), 5. Allen Owen (Pocola, Ok), 6. Luke Driskell (Stilwell, KS), 7. Chris Tonoli (Hermitage, MO), 8. Alex Cammon (Witchita, Ks.), 9. Nick Whitehead (Springfield, Mo), 10. Dave Elson (Springfield, Mo).
Heat 2: 1. Johnny Fennewald (Appleton City, MO), 2. Jeff Cutshaw (Bolivar, MO), 3. Jason Russell (Eugene, MO), 4. Lucas Dobbs (El Dorado Springs, MO), 5. Eric Turner (Hermitage, MO), 6. Trevor Latham (Rogers, AR), 7. Brandon Hunter (Cedarville, Ar), 8. Scotty Bough (Nevada, MO), 9. Jeff Douty (Butler, MO).
Heat 3: 1. Mitch Keeter (Webb City, Mo), 2. Myles Newman (Alma, Ar), 3. Daniel Franklin (Eurika Springs, AR), 4. Jason Pursley (Hermitage, MO), 5. Jon Sheets (Nevada, MO), 6. Jeremy Vaughn (Pocola, Ok), 7. Milt David (Carriger, Ok), 8. Kevin Guinn (Fayetteville, AR), 9. Lucas Gibbs (Udall, KS).

For complete Lucas Oil Speedway event information, archived stories, ticket info and schedule information for the season, visit lucasoilspeedway.com.

Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With it’s entrance located just outside the pit gate this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks.

Click www.LucasOilSpeedway.com for more information and detailed directions to the speedway or call the Track Hotline at (417) 282-5984.

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