Anthony Rushing drew a three-car inversion for the heats. (DirtonDirt.com) COLUMBUS, Miss. (Sept. 28) — Anthony Rushing of Kosciusko, Miss., was the fastest among nearly 80 qualifiers at the 18th annual Magnolia State 100 at Columbus Miss.
Rushing will start inside the second row in his heat race after drawing for a three-car inversion for each of the event's six heat races.
With all the qualifiers split up into six groups, Rushing was the fastest among the first group (14.03 seconds) while Shane Clanton (14.19) of Locust Grove, Ga., was fastest in the second group. Mike Marlar (14.44) of Winfield, Tenn., was fastest in group three and Byron Michael (14.64) of Florence, Ala., was fastest in the fourth group.
Leading the fifth group was World 100 winner Jimmy Owens (14.45) and the sixth group was topped by Jason Cliburn (14.56) of Star, Miss., the night's final qualifier.
Each of those six drivers will start inside the second row in their heat races.
Marlar makes only second Columbus appearance
Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., doesn't know every nook and cranny of Columbus Speedway. "I've only seen this place one time," Marlar said before qualifying.
Of course, that one time Marlar saw the high-banked third-mile oval was in 2004 when he captured the 15th annual Magnolia State 100 to win what was then a career-high $20,004.
Marlar, who was fastest in his qualifying group in his second trip to Columbus, and he figures he'll be a pretty big fan of the track for a while. "I'll have to run bad a few times before I get in a hole here," he said.
Can you help a fella with a ride?
Hometown driver Rick Rickman briefly thought his Magnolia State 100 weekend was going to be over before it started. When he pulled his yellow No. 86 onto the track for hot laps, quickly noticed a ill-sounding engine and knew he couldn't run it at full speed.
"To work all week to get ready for it and then have to site in the bleachers and watch" would've been a bummer, Rickman said.
But when Rickman came back to the pits, he checked with fellow Mississippi driver Dean Carpenter about his backup No. 51 car. Carpenter gave Rickman the OK and they switched the wheels and tires on the car so Rickman could go out and hot lap in the final session.
Rickman's a veteran of four-bar suspension cars but got his first taste of the different-style Rayburn Race Car in a handful of practice laps. His first reaction? "It's got a lot of forward bite in it," Rickman said.
Odds and ends
Friday's Magnolia State 100 festivities drew more than 240 total race cars and nearly 80 Super Late Models. ... Hot laps wrapped up about 8:50 p.m. ... Most of the fastest qualifying laps were run right up against the wall. ... The track record is 13.28 seconds. ... Dean Carpenter is the Columbus track champion in 2007. ... Don O'Neal, last year's winner, is piloting a car owned by Mississippi engine builder Jay Dickens .... Jeff Wells, driving Kyle Beard's backup car, was making just his second career Late Model start.
Time trials (unofficial)
First group
Pos., Driver (car no.), hometown, fast time
1. Anthony Rushing (70 1/2), Kosciusko, Miss., 14.03
2. Michael England (5E), Glasgow, Ky., 14.33
3. Jimmy Cliburn (88), Star, Miss., 14.36
4. Dane Dacus (54), Arlington, Tenn., 14.39
5. Don O'Neal (1), Martinsville, Ind., 14.40
6. Justin Rattliff (16), Campbellsville, Ky., 14.45
7. Dean Carpenter (51), Coldwater, Miss., 14.63
8. Larry Boutwell (58), Baker, Fla., 14.64
9. James Ward (w3), Lettsworth, La., 14.67
10. Brian Rickman (17), Columbus, Miss., 14.69
11. Joey McKinney (63), Booneville, Miss., 15.04
12. Clint Logan (9), Philadelphia, Miss., 15.18
13. Marty Hardy (M6), Terry, Miss., 15.36
14. Bo Gordon (34), Cleveland, Miss., 15.90
Second group
Pos., Driver (car no.), hometown, fast time
1. Shane Clanton (25), Locust Grove, Ga., 14.19
2. Jack Sullivan (18), Greenbrier, Ark., 14.54
3. Ronny Lee Hollingsworth (8), Northport, Ala., 14.59
4. Mike Boland (222), Cuba, Ala., 14.60
5. Jason Markewitz (6), Rogers, Ark., 14.73
6. Rick Rickman (51), Columbus, Miss., 14.84
7. Chris McElhenney (27), Decatur, Miss., 14.87
8. Kyle Beard (86), Trumann, Ark., 15.39
9. Mark Tice (77), Avon, Miss., 15.25
10. Dennis Duncan (8), Terry, Miss., 15.28
11. Ryan Plaisance (25), Westwego, La., 15.35
12. Mark Sartain (1), Corinth, Miss., 15.42
13. Keith Flurry (11), Amery, Miss., 15.96
Third group
Pos., Driver (car no.), hometown, fast time
1. Mike Marlar (34), Winfield, Tenn., 14.44
2. Neil Baggett (21), Shannon Miss., 14.79
3. Anthony Burroughs (121), Athens, Ala., 14.81
4. Earl Pearson Jr. (44), Jacksonville, Fla., 14.93
5. Brad Neat (41), Dunnville, Ky., 14.94
6. Jerry Owens (c66), Killen, Ala., 14.95
7. Jason Smith (12), Laurel, Miss., 15.13
8. David Ashley (14), Zachary, La., 15.21
9. Roger Shirley (57), Meridian, Miss., 15.25
10. Keith Miller (291), hometown unavailable, 15.34
11. Greg Fore (77), Greenville, Miss., 15.44
12. Ross Campanova (18), Clarksburg, Miss., 15.35
13. Wiley Williams (4), Quitman, Miss., 15.88
Fourth group
Pos., Driver (car no.), hometown, fast time
1. Byron Michael (B17), Florence, Ala., 14.64
2. Kelly Hanvey (K0), Cullman, Ala., 14.71
3. Bryan Barber (10), Buffalo, Ky., 14.90
4. Garrett Durrett (58), Simsboro, La., 15.00
5. Terry Smith (99), Oxford, Ala., 15.01
6. Chris Ragan (c16), Corinth, Miss., 15.06
7. Scott Slay (6), Clinton, Miss., 15.06
8. Daniel Brown (10), Aberdeen, Miss., 15.48
9. Mark Dodson (32), Caledonia, Miss., 15.49
10. Jason Phillips (327), Milton, Fla., 15.52
11. Doug Showah (D8), Indianola, Miss., 15.91
12. Marty Holcomb, hometown unavailable, 16.23
13. Rob Litton (6x), Alexandria, La., 16.16
Fifth group
Pos., Driver (car no.), hometown, fast time
1. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 14.45
2. Chris Wall (71), Holden, La., 14.62
3. David Breazeale (54), Four Corners, Miss., 14.79
4. Jamie Elam (12), Senatobia, Miss., 14.84
5. Tony Knowles (66), Tyrone, Ga., 14.84
6. Tony Morris (M31), Murfreesboro, Tenn., 14.88
7. Chad Thrash (1c), Meridian, Miss., 14.91
8. Eddie Rickman (68), Columbus, Miss., 15.14
9. Billy Moyer Jr. (21jr), Batesville, Ark., 15.05
10. Jason Sanderford (82), Stewart, Miss., 15.57
11. Bradley Price (28), Hamilton, Ala., 15.70
12. Patrick Michelle (86), Belle Chase, La., 15.83
13. Bill Hasselle (13), Marion, Miss., 16.76
Sixth group
Pos., Driver (car no.), hometown, fast time
1. Jason Cliburn (888), Star, Miss., 14.56
2. Wendell Wallace (88), Batesville, Ark., 14.66
3. Clint Smith (44), Senoia, Ga., 14.73
4. Shawn Edwards (5), Louisville, Miss., 14.75
5. Bub McCool (57j), Vicksburg, Miss., 14.86
6. John Gill (i4), Mitchell, Ind., 14.87
7. Justin McRee (25), Woodstock, Ala., 14.88
Rodney Wing (K-3), Meridian, Miss., 14.88
Jim McDuffie (760), Meridian, Miss., 14.99
Freddy Smith (00), Seymour, Tenn., 15.18
Tombo Callahan (20), Weir, Miss., 15.49
Dewayne Keifer (13), St. Genevieve, Mo., 15.53
Jeff Wells (186), Trumann, Ark., 16.23
