Springfield Raceway
Looney holds off Vaught for $3,000 at Springfield
Brad Looney shows off his $3,000 winner's check at Springfield. (Ron Mitchell)
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (March 24) – Reigning MARS DIRTcar Series champion Brad Looney of Republic, Mo., led every lap of Saturday night’s March Madness feature at Springfield, Mo., holding off a late charge from Will Vaught of Crane, Mo., at the quarter-mile oval. Looney earned $3,000 for a victory co-sanctioned by MARS and the Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association. | Slideshow
The eighth-starting Vaught moved by Tony Jackson Jr. of Lebanon, Mo., on a late restart for the second spot, but settled for the runner-up finish after his late rally fell just short. Jackson, who captured his first MARS victory in the tour’s opener at Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway on March 2, was third at the finish after challenging Looney during the middle stages of the 40-lap race.
Hometown driver Terry Phillips, who has eight championships between the MARS and MLRA tours, was fourth at finish after starting seventh while Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., who was plagued by multiple issues in his heat race, passed 13 cars to finish fifth and earn the race’s hard charger award.
Notes: Looney's Hatfield-powered Victory Circle Chassis is sponsored by Family Pharmacy, Federal Protection Inc., C&C Management and Republic Glass. ... The victory is Looney’s fifth on both tours. ... Looney earned the pole starting position thanks to a made three-point shot in a basketball shooting contest among the six drivers who earned the most passing points during the night’s heat races. ... Stovall, who drove a Fred Bishop-owned car to a career-high $10,000 victory last weekend at ArkLaTex Speedway in Vivian, La., was in an Al Humphrey-owned entry at Springfield. ... The MARS Series returns to action April 6 with a $5,555-to-win event at Thunderbird Speedway in Muskogee, Okla., while the MLRA’s next race is a $3,000-to-win event April 7 at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb.
March Madness: (1) Brad Looney, (2) Will Vaught, (3) Tony Jackson Jr. (4) Terry Phillips, (5) Jesse Stovall, (6) Kevin Sather, (7) John Anderson, (8) David Turner, (9) Mike Collins, (10) Dwayne Kiefer, (11) Justin Asplin, (12) Corey Zeitner, (13) Leroy Johnson, (14) Bill Koons, (15) Bryon Allison, (16) Brandon McCormick, (17) Brandon Morton, (18) Shane Essary, (19) Chad Simpson, (20) Brantlee Gotschall, (21) Ken Essary, (22) Dustin Mooneyham. Heat race winners (among 38 cars): Vaught, Kiefer, Allison, Looney, Sather.
