Outlaw Motor Speedway
Payne thieves Outlaw, grabs $2,500 MARS win
By Brian Garrison
O'Reilly MARS DIRTcar Series
Jeremy Payne (74) led all 35 laps at Outlaw Motor Speedway. (Ron Mitchell)
MUSKOGEE, Okla. (April 24) — Starting outside the front row, Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., led all 35 laps at Outlaw Motor Speedway for a $2,500 victory on the O'Reilly MARS DIRTcar Series in the return of Super Late Models to the 6-year-old Oklahoma track. | Slideshow
Competitors got a final shot at Payne on a restart following a lap-30 caution, but he won the five-lap shootout to the checkered flag. Fifth-starting Will Vaught of Crane, Mo., took the second spot from Payne's teammate Terry Phillips of Springfield, on the race's lone restart while five-time MARS champion Bill Frye of Greenbrier, Ark., and Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kan., rounded out the top five at the 3/8-mile oval south of Muskogee. Polesitter John Anderson of Omaha, Neb., faded to a sixth-place finish.
The yellow flag fell only once during the race for a tangle exiting turn two involving Tony Jackson Jr. and Dan Pablo.
Notes: Payne's GRT Race Car has a Hatfield Racing Engine and sponsorship from Andy's Frozen Custard. ... Payne notched his fourth career MARS victory and first of the season. ... Payne's previous MARS victory came Aug. 28, 2008, at Springfield (Mo.) Raceway. ... John Anderson rallied from seventh to finish second in his heat race, earning the pole position via passing points. ... Eric Turner of Hermitage, Mo., was the highest finishing series rookie in finishing seventh as he rallied from his 15th starting spot. ... Al Purkey was the only driver among the top five who didn't start in the first three rows; Purkey started 10th. ... Brad Looney of Republic, Mo., started third but ended up ninth. ... The event was the first Super Late Model race at the Muskogee track since July 1, 2006, when Terry Phillips won on the MLRA circuit. ... The previous Late Model event at Outlaw was Aug. 1, 2008, when Ken Essary won on the Limited Late Model Show-Me Racin' Series. ... Next up for MARS competitors is a Sunday, April 26, event at Monett (Mo.) Speedway, a makeup from an April 19 rainout.
O'Reilly MARS @ Outlaw: (1) Jeremy Payne, (2) Will Vaught, (3) Terry Phillips, (4) Bill Frye, (5) Al Purkey, (6) John Anderson, (7) Eric Turner, (8) Wendell Wallace, (9) Brad Looney, (10) Brandon McCormick, (11) Stacy Taylor, (12) Raymond Merrill, (13) Tony Jackson Jr., (14) Bill Koons, (15) Leroy Johnson, (16) Darrell Mooneyham, (17) Dan Leatherman, (18) Clint Hatley, (19) Tim Adams, (20) Dan Pablo, (21) Chris Hawkins, (22) Randy Mitchell. Heat race winners (among 24 cars): Vaught, Looney, Phillips. Consolation winner: Mooneyham.
