MARS DIRTcar Series
Longdale Speedway
May 14, 2016
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Phillips hold off challengers in MARS weekend final at Longdale Speedway



by Dave Smith Jr
LONGDALE, Oklahoma (May 14) - In one of the most entertaining features you will see from start to finish, Terry Phillips held off several race long challenges and slower traffic to win the MARS DIRTcar late model feature finale Saturday night at Longdale Speedway in Longdale, Oklahoma to wrap up the tracks second annual “Walleye Rodeo Weekend.”

Phillips and Jesse Stovall started on the front row for the thirty lap feature with Phillips jumping out into the lead as the green flag fell. Stovall, Rodney Sanders and Ryan Gustin were the top four after the first lap was completed with Phillips opening a six car length advantage by lap three.

Lap eight saw the leaders reach the back of the field allowing Stovall to close the gap to two car lengths. Four laps later Stovall got a run on Phillips in turns one and two and pulled down along-side of Phillips heading down the backstretch. However, a lapped car slowed Stovall’s progress allowing Phillips to keep the lead.

Both Missouri residents would continue their side battle for the top spot with no more than one car length separating the two. On lap twenty they would be joined by Sanders as he closed in on the front runners, making it a three car battle for the lead. Sanders would take over the runner up position on lap twenty-two and began putting pressure on Phillips with both drivers running the bottom of the 4/10ths of a mile oval. Stovall started using the top side of the track and while all three were working lapped traffic, Stovall would get caught up in Jason Redman’s spin in turns three and four and would come to a stop to bring out the caution.



The final restart saw Phillips and his brand new Durham Motor powered Black Diamond chassis, get the edge entering turns one and two and as he drifted a bit high exiting turn two, Sanders tucked down low with both drivers racing side by side entering turn three. Phillips made the middle stick and from then on there was no stopping the newly inducted Springfield, Missouri Hall of Famer as he would go on to claim the ten car length victory and first MARS victory of the season and 88th series victory of his career.

Sanders held on for second while Gustin settled for third. Tony Jackson, Jr. came home fourth with Payton Looney rounded out the top five.

The three, eight lap heat races for the twenty-one car field were won by Looney, Stovall and Sanders.

The next event for the MARS DIRTcar series will be one week from tonight, May 21, at Springfield Raceway in Springfield, Missouri.

A-Main
1 75 Terry Phillips
2 20s Rodney Sanders
3 19R Ryan Gustin
4 56 Tony Jackson, Jr.
5 15L Payton Looney
6 5t Randy Timms
7 77A Justin Asplin
8 10 Jacob Magee
9 00 Jesse Stovall
10 81 Mark Harrison
11 ZZ Sloppy Hog
12 36 Jason Redman
13 14R Jeff Roth
14 26R Randy Roth
15 D11 David Hennan
16 229 Damian Patocka
17 28J Leroy Johnson
18 27 Brandon Mitchell
19 42M Brandon McCormick
20 15C Larry Campbell

Heat #1
1 15L Payton Looney
2 36 Jason Redman
3 ZZ Sloppy Hog
4 26R Randy Roth
5 D11 David Hennan
6 27 Brandon Mitchell
7 9G Joseph Gorby

Heat #2
1 00 Jesse Stovall
2 75 Terry Phillips
3 56 Tony Jackson, Jr.
4 81 Mark Harrison
5 28J Leroy Johnson
6 77A Justin Asplin
7 15C Larry Campbell

Heat #3
1 20s Rodney Sanders
2 19R Ryan Gustin
3 5t Randy Timms
4 42M Brandon McCormick
5 10 Jacob Magee
6 14R Jeff Roth
7 229 Damian Patocka


Event Photos courtesy of Ron Mitchell














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