8/13/2017
RacinBoys
Phillips tops MLRA 'King of the Hill' at Junction
By Trenton Berry, MLRA PR (McCool Junction, NE) -- - It was all smiles for the 75 camp at the end of the King of the Hill Late Late Model Shootout, Saturday night at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Nebraska. However, the lead up to parking in Andy's Frozen Custard Victory Lane was anything but typical.
PHOTO CREDIT: Todd Healy Photo (file)
Late in the feature, with Phillips leading, his preferred line was blocked with lapped cars. This allowed Rodney Sanders to close the gap and briefly take the lead. Contact ensued between both Phillips and Sanders, breaking the left front of Sanders' car.
Sanders hustled his way around a little longer and spun in turn two on the final lap. The spin also collected Tad Pospisil, who was in third and lead earlier in the race. Pospisil went across the nose of Sanders' car and ended on his lid. He was uninjured.
The race was deemed official by race control with the leader plus three additional cars taking the white flag. Per Lucas Oil MLRA rules once the white flag is thrown the next flag, regardless of color, ends the race.
"The track's so fast, you get behind someone you can't turn, you get an air push" commented Phillips about his exchange with Sanders late in the feature. "I got behind that lapped car and couldn't turn down on the bottom, so he got under me, but when I came down I had such a run on him and got beside him. We went in the corner, he was turning left and I was sliding up, we got hung up there. Then I hit some tacky stuff on the bottom of the back straightaway. That launched me ahead of him."
One night after suffering a blown engine, Lake Elmo, Minnesota's Brent Larson ended the night in the runner up position. It was a blessing to his team that the race was deemed official. He had a hole in his radiator and lost coolant, making a restart and finish likely impossible.
Austin Siebert quietly finished in third from his 10th place starting position. He was also the Casey's General Stores Hard Charger of the night.
Rodney Sanders and Tad Pospisil were both scored at the end of the lead lap for bringing out the yellow and red on the final lap. Four yellows slowed the pace of the feature. Early on, Tad Pospisil and Jeremy Grady won heat races. Grady was also the night's top qualifier in LucasOilRacing.TV Time Trials.
Next for the Lucas Oil MLRA is a trio of events in three states. It all gets started Thursday, August 31, at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska. The following evening action moves onto Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri wraps up the weekend on Saturday, September 2.
Prior to the races, points leader Jesse Stovall opted to miss the final night of racing from Junction Motor Speedway. This was due to lingering effects from a likely concussion suffered during Silver Dollar Nationals practice in July. The Lucas Oil MLRA wishes him the best in his continued recovery. The series regulars also voted to offer Stovall hardship points for the time missed.
With the win Saturday, Terry Phillips has taken over the points lead. He will be carrying the Midwest Sheet Metal Points Leader fluorescent yellow spoiler at the next event.
Junction Motor Speedway Contingencies 8/12/17
Andy's Frozen Custard Victory Lane - Tery Phillips
Casey's General Store's "Hard Charger of the Race" - Austin Siebert
DirtonDirt.com "Pole Award" - Tad Pospisil
GRT Race Cars - Payton Looney
Hooker Harness "11th Place Finisher" - Rodney Sanders
KRC "Hard Luck Award" - Tad Pospisil
Landrum Springs "Landrum Springs Performer of the Race" - Jeremy Grady
Malvern Bank & Trust "Most Laps Led" - Terry Phillips
Midwest Sheet Metal "Points Leader Spoiler Challenge" - Terry Phillips
Mittler Brothers Machine and Tool "Crew Chief of the Race" - Rocky Miller
Performance Bodies "Performer of the Race" - Terry Phillips
Real Racing Wheels - Joe Gorby
Sunoco "Rookie of the Race" - Payton Looney
Wehrs Machine - Austin Siebert
ProtectTheHarvest.com A Feature (40 Laps): 1. Terry Phillips 2. Brent Larson 3. Austin Siebert 4. Payton Looney 5. Kyle Berck 6. Randy Timms 7. Joe Gorby 8. Jeremy Grady 9. JC Wyman 10. Allan Hopp 11. Rodney Sanders 12. Tad Pospisil 13. Cale Osborn 14. Alex Humphrey 15. Mike Stadel 16. Matt Buller 17. Troy Nielson 18. Cliff Morrow
Swift Springs Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. Tad Pospisil 2. Brent Larson 3. Payton Looney 4. Terry Phillips 5. Randy Timms 6. Joe Gorby 7. JC Wyman 8. Troy Nielson
Casey's General Stores Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. Jeremy Grady 2. Kyle Berck 3. Matt Buller 4. Rodney Sanders 5. Austin Siebert 6. Allan Hopp 7. Mike Stadel 8. Alex Humphrey 9. Cliff Morrow
For all of the latest news and information fans are encouraged to visit the series website at www.MLRARacing.com.
Fans may also "like" the Lucas Oil MLRA Facebook page by clicking www.Facebook.com/lucasoilmlra or follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MLRA.
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
