Lakeside Speedway
Bowyer's cars run 1-2 at old stomping grounds
Dale McDowell wins in NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer's car. (fasttrackphotos.net)
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Oct. 2) — Dale McDowell of Rossville, Ga., outran protege Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark., on Saturday at Lakeside Speedway to capture the finale of the Clyde Ellis Late Model Showdown. McDowell, racing at car owner Clint Bowyer's old stomping grounds, earned $5,000 for his first career victory on the Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association. | Slideshow | Turner captures weekend opener
Landers finished second in McDowell's backup car while six-time MLRA champion Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kan., tightened the championship chase with a third-place finish. Travis Dickes of Madison, Neb., and Keith Foss of Winona, Minn., rounded the geographically broad top five finishers at the half-mile oval, which hosts its biggest Late Model event in conjunction with NASCAR action at Kansas Speedway.
McDowell started outside the front row and battled MLRA points leader Brad Looney of Republic, Mo., early while Friday's winner, Eric Turner of Springfield, Mo., was through after just one lap.
McDowell took command and raced to victory while Purkey held the second spot until Landers took it on lap 20. Purkey's third-place finish drew him within two points of Looney, who faded to a 10th-place finish in the 40-lap feature.
Notes: McDowell's Warrior Race Car has an Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engine and is sponsored by Cheerios and Dollar General. ... Former race winner Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., improved from 12th to sixth. ... The event drew 60 modifieds. ... Among drivers failing to make the MLRA feature: Skip Frey, Gary Christian, Mike Collins, Alan Vaughn, Kevin Kile, Jason Bodenhamer, Scott Koskovich, Bill Koons, Jason O'Brien and Friday's polesitter Matt Johnson. ... Next up for MLRA competitors is Oct. 8-9 action at Thunder Hill Speedway in Mayetta, Kan.
Clyde Ellis Showdown: (1) Dale McDowell, (2) Jared Landers, (3) Al Purkey, (4) Travis Dickes, (5) Keith Foss, (6) Terry Phillips, (7) Jesse Stovall, (8) Kyle Berck, (9) Kurt Kile, (10) Brad Looney, (11) Jeremy Payne, (12) Delbert Smith, (13) Andrew McKay, (14) Tony Jackson Jr., (15) Dave Eckrich, (16) Joe Kosiski, (17) J.D. Hubert, (18) Justin Asplin, (19) John Anderson, (20) Brandon McCormick, (21) David Turner, (22) Evan Hubert, (23) Sonny Findling, (24) Eric Turner. Heat race winners (among 41 cars): Looney, McDowell, Turner, Smith. Consolation winners: Eckrich, Berck. Provisional starters: Asplin, Kosiski.
