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68-Year-Old Lacey wins Pro 4 Thriller; McCormick, Hendrix, Jackson allfeature winners.
by Andrew McNaughton/Lebanon I-44 Speedway
(Lebanon) He's nearly 70 years old and still thrilling race fans.
Don Lacey's Pro 4 finished inches ahead of Don Mulhbauer in was was
easily the closest finish of the 2007 season at the Lebanon I-44
Speedway Saturday night.
"It's age," said Lacey from Victory Lane. "In one month I'll be 69.
The age will do it."
Lacey finished ahead of Mulhbauer, who was at Lacey's bumper for
nearly the entire 12-lap feature. The Pro 4's make periodic
appearances at the high banks of the Lebanon I-44 Speedway, and after
this race, fans will be eager to see them back soon.
There was plenty of other action to keep fans on the edges of their
seats Saturday. Brandon McCormick started on the pole, and lead all
20 laps of the Late Model feature.
McCormick gave the credit for the victory to his car.
"This Rayburn race car was awesome," he said after the win. "It's
easy when you start on the pole and the track is clean."
While McCormick cruised up front, it was 2006 track champion Brad
Looney who had to fight his way through the strong field of Late
Models.
McCormick admitted he was concerned about the hard charging Looney.
"I knew Brad was back there and I knew he'd be coming on strong."
Looney came from the back of the pack to claim a third place finish.
Looney caught up to the top three cars quickly, but had to fight hard
to get past Dustin Mooneyham to catch up with Darrell Mooneyham and
McCormick. Darrell Mooneyham finished just ahead of Looney to hold on
to second place. Dustin Mooneyham held on for fourth place, and Leroy
Johnson finished fifth.
The A-Modified provided more thrills Saturday night, as points leader
David Hendrix battled with Tony Jackson Jr. for nearly all 20 laps of
the feature. Hendrix took over the lead for the final time by gunning
past Jackson in the turns.
"He got underneath me a little bit [going into turns 1 and 2]," said
Hendrix about the winning pass on Jackson, Jr. ""I just got on the
gas, and it went, so I was lucky."
Hendrix has enjoyed success throughout the 2007 season, but has had to
adjust to the changing conditions of the track as the a Ozarks spring
gives way to a drier summer.
Another driver who has had to adjust to the changing conditions of the
track is Factory Stock driver Kris Jackson. Jackson's win streak was
snapped last week by Lonnie Henderson in the Factory Stock class, but
was back to his winning ways Saturday night, leading nearly all of the
15-lap feature.
"We've struggled on the dry slick, but I think we might have it," said
Jackson after his victory.
Jackson had previously won four features in a row, but Lonnie
Henderson broke Jackson's streak last Saturday. Henderson and Devin
Wollansky had strong runs, battling for second place much of the race.
In other racing Saturday night, Tyler Brown found his was back in
Victory Lane in the B-Modifieds Saturday night at the Lebanon I-44
Speedway, but not without some controversy. Jim Hayes was leading
Brown through turns 1 and 2, when Hayes got loose, and Brown got into
him.
"I apologize to Jim Hayes. He got a little sideways, and I didn't
check up in time," Brown said after the race. "We clipped each other,
and that's racing, but I'd just like to apologize."
Meanwhile, Joe Francis saw his chance to claim his first Bomber
victory of the year fade when his car began to push late in the 12-lap
feature. This gave Landin Johnson, running in second behind Francis,
the opening he needed to take over the week.
This was the second consecutive win for Johnson in his back-up car.
Johnson wrecked his regular ride attempting to qualify for the Factory
Stock feature back on July 3rd.
"This thing is working pretty good," Johnson said of his back-up car.
"It ain't much to look at... but it's getting me by"
In the Rookie class, Rich Reynolds won his fourth feature in 2007. He
joked that he might consider retirement instead of moving up to the
Bomber class if he continues his winning ways.
The Lebanon I-44 Speedway holds their regular weekly show this
Saturday night, with the Late Models, A-Modifieds, Factory Stocks,
B-Modifieds, Bombers, and Rookies. Gates open at 5PM, racing starts
at 7:30PM.
DATES AND SCHEDULES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CALL RANDY MOONEYHAM AT (417) 732-2766.
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Results for Lebanon I-44 Speedway Saturday, July 14, 2007:
Late Model
Feature (20 laps):
1. 42 Brandon McCormick
2. 20 Darrell Mooneyham
3. 14L Brad Looney
4. 0 Dustin Mooneyham
5. 28 Leroy Johnson
6. 6 Bob Cummins
7. 7W Trace Westling
8. 14B Tim Ballinger
9. 112 Darrin Hendrix
10. 99 Larry Jones
Heat 1 (8 laps):
1. 42 Brandon McCormick
2. 99 Larry Jones
3. 112 Darrin Hendrix
4. 7W Trace Westling
5. 5 Lake Mooneyham
Heat 2 (8 laps):
1. 20 Darrell Mooneyham
2. 28 Leroy Johnson
3. 0 Dustin Mooneyham
4. 6 Bob Cummins
5. 14L Brad Looney
6 14B Tim Ballinger
A-Modified
Feature (20 laps):
1. 54 David Hendrix
2. 56 Tony Jackson Jr.
3. 711 Matt Johnson
4. 118 Terry Beckham Jr.
5. 14 Justin Neuman
6. 2 Brian Brown
7. 37D Dan Gilbert
8. 11 Jimmy Willis
9. 49 Ben Ballard
10. 15R Jamie Ragland
11. 47 Corey Simpson
12. 23 Mookie Cunningham
13. T10 Rick Brown
14. L75 Eddie Whitney
Heat 1 (8 laps):
1. 56 Tony Jackson Jr.
2. 54 David Hendrix
3. 2 Brian Brown
4. 15R Jamie Ragland
5. T10 Rick Brown
6. 47 Corey Simpson
7. 87 Jack Jones
8. L75 Eddie Whitney
Heat 2 (8 laps):
1. 118 Terry Beckham Jr.
2. 711 Matt Johnson
3. 11 Jimmy Willis
4. 49 Ben Ballard
5. 14 Justin Neuman
6. 23 Mookie Cunningham
7. 37D Dan Gilbert
Factory Stock
Feature (15 laps):
1. 65 Kris Jackson
2. 76 Lonnie Henderson
3. 27 Devin Wolanski
4. 18 Jim Reaves
5. 11S Steve Schultz
6. 67 Kevin Crider
7. 01 Darrell Martin
8. 71 Randy Morris
9. 31D Marc Davis
Heat 1 (8 laps):
1. 18 Jim Reaves
2. 27 Devin Wolanski
3. 65 Kris Jackson
4. 67 Kevin Crider
5. 31D Marc Davis
Heat 2 (8 laps):
1. 76 Lonnie Henderson
2. 11S Steve Schultz
3. 01 Darrell Martin
4. 71 Randy Morris
5. 61 Mike Murzynski
B-Modified
Feature (15 laps):
1. T10 Tyler Brown
2. 37 Derrick Peterson
3. 21 Josh Woody
4. 23L Tyler Lewis
5. 14H Jim Hayes
6. 14N Shawn Nations
7. 8 Jason Otto
8. 29 Jeff Kinsley
9. 00W Ed Wilson
Heat 1 (8 laps):
1. 14H Jim Hayes
2. T10 Tyler Brown
3. 00W Ed Wilson
4. 29 Jeff Kinsley
Heat 2 (8 laps):
1. 21 Josh Woody
2. 8 Jason Otto
3. 14N Shawn Nations
4. 37 Derrick Peterson
5. 23L Tyler Lewis
Pro 4
Feature (12 laps):
1. 20 Don Lacey
2. 88 Lonnie Mulhbauer
3. 77 Ryan Hitt
4. 35 Bob Widener
5. 50 Teresa Widener
6. 89 Holly Brown
Heat 1 (8 laps):
1. 20 Don Lacey
2. 88 Lonnie Mulhbauer
3. 50 Teresa Widener
4. 11 Darrin Widener
5. 35 Bob Widener
6. 77 Ryan Hitt
7. 89 Holly Brown
Bombers
Feature (12 laps):
1. 5 Landin Johnson
2. 32 Joe Francis
3. 18 JC Morton
4. 70 Patrick West
5. 67 Kevin Morrison
6. 8 Cody Harmon
Heat 1 (8 laps):
1. 32 Joe Francis
2. 5 Landin Johnson
3. 18 JC Morton
4. 67 Kevin Morrison
5. 70 Patrick West
6. 99 Mike Slone
Rookie
Feature (12 laps):
1. 7R Rich Reynolds
2. 7L Josh Lewis
3. 17 Jeff Brown
4. 6T Austin Treadway
5. 43 Trent Wagy
Heat 1 (8 laps):
1. 7R Rich Reynolds
2. 7L Josh Lewis
3. 17 Jeff Brown
4. 43 Trent Wagy
5. 6T Austin Treadway
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