Batesville Motor Speedway
Sullivan completes weekend sweep at Batesville
From track reports
LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (July 18-19) — Batesville Motor Speedway hosted two races and two sanctioning bodies during the weekend, but only one winner. Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., overcame engine woes and swept both feature events for a pair of victories worth $5,000 on the O'Reilly Mid-South Racing Association and Allstate Dirt LateModel Racing Association.
In Friday's opener, the polesitting Sullivan led all 30 laps en route to a $2,000 victory in a caution-plagued race. Sullivan topped hometown driver Wendell Wallace, Greenbrier's Bill Frye and Duke Whiseant of Texarkana, Ark. Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., who started back in the pack, got up to second before a scrape with the wall knocked him out. Kyle Beard of Trumann, Ark., who entered the race coming off two straight victories, ran among the top five, spun and rallied to finish eighth. Sullivan damaged his No. 18's engine in the final laps and swapped powerplants before Saturday's action.
In Saturday's finale, the fifth-starting Sullivan worked his way toward the front early in the race to take the lead from the polesitting Wallace, who fought hard to regain the spot the rest of the way. Sullivan earned $3,000 for the 35-lap victory over Wallace while Stovall finished third in a race slowed by a single caution on lap 16. Frye and Whiseant rounded out the top five.
Notes: Sullivan's GRT Race Car has a Hatfield engine and sponsorship from Bear Mountain Racing, New Vision Graphics, and Central Arkansas Pest Services. ... Sullivan has won the past three MSRA events he's entered and is the only three-time winner on the series in 2008. ... Batesville's NASCAR legend Mark Martin was on hand as a spectator for Friday's racing. ...The Larry Shaw Hard Charger honors went to Dewaine Hottinger on Friday (he started 20th, finished ninth) and Stacy Taylor (19th to ninth) ... Saturday's event drew 34 drivers representing six states. ... Among drivers failing to make Friday's feature: Dane Dacus, Ronny Adams, Leslie Essary and Justin Asplin. ... Among drivers failing to make Saturday's feature: Dacus, Dusty Johnston and Jared Landers. ... MSRA and DLRA competitors will do it all over again July 27 at Monett (Mo.) Speedway for a $2,000-to-win event.
July 18 feature: (1) Jack Sullivan, (2) Wendell Wallace, (3) Bill Frye, (4) Duke Whiseant, (5) Jeff Floyd, (6) Joey Mack, (7) Chance Hines, (8) Kyle Beard, (9) Dewaine Hottinger, (10) Justin Wells, (11) Billy Moyer Jr., (12) Jon Kirby, (13) Dustin Mooneyham, (14) Tony Jackson Jr., (15) Brandon McCormick, (16) Shane Diamant, (17) LeRoy Johnson, (18) Jeff Sloan, (19) Jesse Stovall, (20) Randy Mitchell, (21) Steve Rushin, (22) Stacy Taylor.
July 19 feature: (1) Jack Sullivan, (2) Wendell Wallace, (3) Jesse Stovall, (4) Bill Frye, (5) Duke Whiseant, (6) Chris Jones, (7) Jeff Floyd, (8) Steve Rushin, (9) Stacy Taylor, (10) Joey Mack, (11) Tony Jackson Jr., (12) Billy Moyer Jr., (13) Brandon McCormick, (14) Justin Wells, (15) Jon Kirby, (16) Ken Essary, (17) Dustin Mooneyham, (18) Jeff Sloan, (19) Ronny Adams, (20) Kyle Beard, (21) Leslie Essary, (22) Patrick Johnson.
