Looney, Cutshaw, and Hendrix continue reign at I-44 Speedway
By Dusty Luthy

LEBANON, MO (July 8, 2006 - It's become a race to see who can unseat Late Model king Brad Looney at the Lebanon I-44 Speedway. But it was a race that only Looney won on Saturday night, bringing in his eighth speedway victory of the season.

Sitting high atop the points throne, Looney is one of only three drivers to win a regular points Late Model feature. But Saturday night, Looney wasn't as carefree sliding around the corners.

Looney dedicated the win to his grandfather-in-law, Clyde Mooneyham. Mooneyham, who died on Thursday, was a great race fan, with kin racing in several of the evening's divisions.

"I've known Clyde all my life," Looney said. "He always went to all the ball games when I played ball, always went to the races at Monett, just a good guy.

"He was just a good guy and will be missed," he said.

Darrell Mooneyham won the pole after starting last in his heat and making it to second. Looney, starting outside pole, took the lead after a daring three-wide run down the back stretch on the first lap. Looney went high on Mooneyham while fourth-place starter Dusty Johnston took the inside and second place.

The top three held their spots to the finish while the battle for fourth and fifth heated up. With Danny Atkinson running fourth, Larry Moon was bringing up fifth when he was passed on the inside groove on turns one and two on the third lap by Burl Woods.

After fading to sixth, Atkinson came back and darted on the inside past Woods and Moon to take fourth on the sixth lap. Woods was able to come back on the 18th lap and pass Atkinson on the outside for the fourth spot to hold it to the end.

Driving smooth and fast, Looney was able to pass all the way up to finish in front of the fifth-place Atkinson.

The driver on the hot streak, Looney will be back next week in hopes of taking a Mid America Racing Series.

"I'm going to try to come here and make the race and finish this time," Looney said. "Instead of having motor trouble or whatever, but I think we'll be in good shape."

In the series' second appearance at the speedway this season, Looney will face drivers like Terry Phillips, Bill Frye and Jeff Floyd. Phillips holds one speedway victory on the regular season with Frye taking the first MARS appearance win.

Summertime is when Modified driver Jeff Cutshaw's season really begins. The defending I-44 Speedway Modified track champion only started winning in the past six weeks as the hot summer heat dries the track out more than the tackier tracks of the spring and fall.

Saturday night, Cutshaw won his fifth feature of the season on the dry-slick track, pushing his second-place points total a little close to leader Justin Neuman's.

"I like dry slick tracks because it takes the equipment out of it as much as anything else," Cutshaw said. "If somebody's got a bigger motor or better motor or something like that, it just kind of evens the field out a little more. It just makes it a little easier. You've just got to be a little smoother with the car and everything, so it just makes it a little easier for me."

Cutshaw won the pole after winning his heat and never gave up the lead. The starting line-up finished as they started: Terry Beckham Jr., Jesse Stovall, Dave Elson and Steve Martin.

From Cross Timbers, Cutshaw said his time in the pits is pretty low key compared to other drivers.

"This car's been great all year long," Cutshaw said of his Scotty Allen chassis. "Haven't had to change anything on it; we run the same thing everywhere we go and the car is consistently fast everywhere we go with it. We don't have to change much. I see a lot of people in the pits changing springs and everything else and we put fuel in ours and go race again."

The Legends cars were on hand to give fans a change-up in racing styles. Patrick Johnson started the feature on the pole and finished the feature on victory lane.

Tony Hatfield held an early second place, but Chuck Comer was able to get around him for second when Hatfield went a little too high on the track. Comer continued his run on Johnson, but couldn't get past him.

The top two in Factory Stock points, Lake Mooneyham and David Hendrix, started the feature out front. Hendrix, the season points leader, was able to get a good run on Mooneyham and held the feature in first flag-to-flag for his eighth win of the season. Mooneyham finished the feature a strong second.

In their first appearances to the track, Brian Tillman and Damon Tillman took third and fourth respectively. Tim Riffle brought up fifth place.

In a close finish, Jeff Scroggins edged out Super Stock points leader Ben Newell for the feature victory. The win is Scroggins' third for the season, one less than Newell and Josh Woody, who is second in points.

Landin Johnson won his first Bomber victory of the season. With one lap to go and on a restart, Donnie Jackson broke the rules and passed Johnson for the lead before the cone signaling a single-file, no-pass start. Track officials sent Jackson tailback.

Josh Lewis also won his first Rookie victory of the season when lap leaders Shawn Strong and J.C. Morton got tangled up on the last lap in turns one and two. Lewis was able to make it through the chaos to take the checkered flag.

Up next: July 15 will be the second appearance of the Mid America Racing Series. Regular MARS drivers Terry Phillips, Bill Frye and Jack Sullivan will be on hand to challenge the local driving talent of Brad Looney, Brandon McCormick and Dusty Johnston, among others. Special pricing will be in effect.



RESULTS:

Late Models

Heat 1

1. 14 Brad Looney
2. 4a Danny Atkinson
3. 16 Dusty Johnston
4. 26 Burl Woods
5. 51 Donnie Gemes
6. 28 Leroy Johnson



Heat 2

1. 99 Larry Jones
2. 20 Darrell Mooneyham
3. 72 Larry Moon
4. 6 Bob Cummings
5. 31j Ron Johnson
6. 31h Bob Hiller



Feature

1. 14 Brad Looney
2. 16 Dusty Johnston
3. 20 Darrell Mooneyham
4. 26 Burl Woods
5. 4a Danny Atkinson
6. 51 Donnie Gemes
7. 72 Larry Moon
8. 31j Ron Johnson
9. 6 Bob Cummings

DNS: 99 Larry Jones, 28 Leroy Johnson, 31h Bob Hiller



Modifieds

Heat 1

1. 98 Jeff Cutshaw
2. 00 Jesse Stovall
3. 56 Tony Jackson Jr.
4. t98 Larry Tindle
5. 44 Robert Hopkins
6. 47 Corey Simpson
7. 12m Christopher Moon



Heat 2

1. 118 Terry Beckham Jr.
2. 71e Dave Elson
3. 21m Steve Martin
4. 14n Justin Neuman
5. 85 Jody Tillman
6. 23 Mook Cunningham
7. 2k Robert Kirkland



Feature

1. 98 Jeff Cutshaw
2. 118 Terry Beckham Jr.
3. 00 Jesse Stovall
4. 71e Dave Elson
5. 21m Steve Martin
6. 44 Robert Hopkins
7. 12m Christopher Moon
8. 23 Mook Cunningham
9. 14n Justin Neuman
10. t98 Larry Tindle
11. 2k Robert Kirkland
12. 47 Corey Simpson

DNS 56 Tony Jackson Jr., 85 Jody Tillman



Legends

Heat 1

1. 25 Patrick Johnson
2. 18 Tony Hatfield
3. 12j Justin Comer
4. 5 Rob Watson
5. 12 Dave Comer
6. 22 Tony Jenson
7. 43 Rhonda Casey



Heat 2

1. 83 Chuck Comer
2. 23 Travis Ashwood
3. 44 Park Jones
4. 87 Cassie Hutchinson
5. 8 Jim Bingaman
6. 71 Paul Horton
7. Ryan Crabtree

DNS 81 Chad Shields



Feature

1. 25 Patrick Johnson
2. 83 Chuck Comer
3. 12 Dave Comer
4. 18 Tony Hatfield
5. 44 Park Jones
6. 23 Travis Ashwood
7. 12j Justin Comer
8. 5 Rob Watson
9. 71 Paul Horton
10. 87 Cassie Hutchinson
11. 22 Tony Jenson
12. 8 Jim Bingaman
13. 43 Rhonda Casey
14. 31 Ryan Crabtree

DNS 81 Chad Shields



Factory Stock

Heat 1

1. 54 David Hendrix
2. 84 Damon Tillman
3. 83t Brian Tillman
4. 4 Dusty Rhoads
5. 14p Bud Pursley
6. 40m Mike Chandler



Heat 2

1. 5 Lake Mooneyham
2. 76 Lonnie Henderson
3. 83r Tim Riffle
4. 37p Derrick Peterson
5. 83e James Ellis



Feature

1. 54 David Hendrix
2. 5 Lake Mooneyham
3. 83t Brian Tillman
4. 84 Damon Tillman
5. 83r Tim Riffle
6. 76 Lonnie Henderson
7. 37p Derrick Peterson
8. 14p Bud Pursley
9. 83e James Ellis
10. 40m Mike Chandler
11. 4 Dusty Rhoads



Super Stock

Heat 1

1. 83 Ben Newell
2. 8 Jeff Scroggins
3. 29 Jeff Kinsley
4. 41 James Flood
5. 50m Mike Mitchell
6. 14 Tim Ballinger
7. 161 Dewayne Applegate
8. 55 Steve Rees



Feature

1. 8 Jeff Scroggins
2. 83 Ben Newell
3. 55 Steve Rees
4. 14 Tim Ballinger
5. 41 James Flood
6. 29 Jeff Kinsley
7. 50m Mike Mitchell
8. 161Dewayne Applegate



Bombers

Heat 1

1. t10t Tyler Brown
2. 21 Landin Johnson
3. 5 Jacob Fry
4. 42 Donnie Jackson
5. 8h Cody Harmon



Heat 2

1. 23 Jason Huey
2. 32 Joe Francis
3. 9 Darrin Crisler
4. 44 Dennis Harmon
5. 7p Brandon Pister



Feature

1. 21 Landin Johnson
2. 23 Jason Huey
3. t10t Tyler Brown
4. 32 Joe Francis
5. 7p Brandon Pister
6. 44 Dennis Harmon
7. 8 Cody Harmon
8. 42 Donnie Jackson
9. 5Jacob Fry



Rookie

Heat 1

1. 14s Shawn Strong
2. 6 J.C. Morton
3. 7r Rich Reynolds
4. 14 Tim Ballinger
5. 7L Josh Lewis
6. 5 Bill Anthony
7. 07 Tim Hall



Feature

1. 7L Josh Lewis
2. 7r Rich Reynolds
3. 14b Tim Ballinger
4. 14s Shawn Strong
5. 07 Tim Hall
6. 6 J.C. Morton

5 Bill Antho