8/1/2015
Kevin Donahue
Full Moon Racing Aug 1st race
Lebanon, Mo. / Some information contributed by Ronnie Williams
Current O'Reilly Auto Parts Pro Late Model Point leader JC Newell took the lead from Kyle Donahue on the 46th lap to capture his second win of the season and became the first repeat winner in Pro Late Model competition this season in an action packed 50 lap feature as the full moon rose high above Missouri's only NASCAR sanctioned facility and active asphalt short track making it a very interesting night.
Josh Woody jumped to the opening lead over Terry Limberopolous and Payton Lucas on the opening lap as drivers were not showing the normal patience in a longer distance event. This battle kept tight as young Donahue took the second place spot on lap thee and brought veteran Steve Holt in tow. By lap four, ninth place starter Brennon Willard had moved into the race for a top five spot bringing Newell with him. The first caution waved on lap four as Bill Frye making his asphalt pro late model debut and long-time modified ace driver Scotty Allen made contact. Allen's debut in the Pro Late Model was cut short as Frye made repairs and returned to action. On the restart, Donahue the 2014 NASCAR Missouri State Rookie of the Year made the move around leader Woody while Holt was right in the shadows as Willard and Newell were coming quickly. Action slowed on lap 11 for several pieces of debris as Donahue found Holt right on his bumper while the lead pack of Donahue, Holt, Willard and Newell began to break away with early leader Woody beginning to close back in on the pack leaving another tight pack behind him. Kevin Donahue and defending track champion Kaleb Allison began a charge to the top 5 and moved around Woody on lap 17 following a lap 16 caution for Paul Jepsen as he scraped the front stretch wall and spun in turn one. With Donahue and Holt battling hard for the top spot up front, Newell moved around Willard for third spot on lap 21 as Allison was working hard on Kevin Donahue for fifth and finally made the pass on the 25th circuit. Caution waved on lap 34 as Jepsen and Frye made contact when Jepsen spun off turn two and then the car stalled on the apron on the backstretch bunching everyone up while Kevin Donahue stalled under caution and retired to the pits. On the restart Newell put pressure on Holt and moved to second while keeping the younger Donahue in sight. The see-saw battle between Donahue and Newell for the lead allowed Holt, Willard and Allison to make it a pack of five at the front. After several laps of door to door racing, the full moon played havoc with a lap 41 caution as contact between Newell and Donahue on the backstretch saw Donahue with nowhere to go except the tight pit road exit at over 90 plus miles per hour. The 15 year old never broke stride as he circled around and back on the race track as the yellow waved as officials were concerned if he had wrecked the car on the exit road. They placed Donahue back in the lead with Newell, Holt, Willard, and Allison running in the top 5 as Brian Brown and Jimmy Vanzandt had quietly been moving forward in the pack. On the restart, Donahue shot ahead as Newell kept applying pressure in the middle lane while Holt kept showing Newell the nose of his car. The door to door battle kept up until Newell was able to make the winning pass off turn two down low with Donahue keeping close as Holt was trying to sneak a spot up. Newell became the first Pro Late Model repeat feature winner in 2015 with Kyle Donahue, Holt, Willard and Allison who was fighting a right front tire going flat during the latter part of the race as 12 cars finished on the lead lap after 50 circuits. Qualifying heat race wins were claimed by Woody, Kyle Donahue and Newell.
Article Credit: Ronnie Williams
