Lucas Oil Speedway
Iowan rattles Missouri foes with Wheatland win
Chad Simpson emerges from his winning No. 25 at Wheatland. (Mike Musslin)
WHEATLAND, Mo. (April 9) — Chad Simpson of Mount Vernon, Iowa, raced to his second career victory on the Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association on Saturday at Lucas Oil Speedway, the tour's home track. Simpson earned $3,000 in snapping Brad Looney's two-race MLRA win streak while outrunning four home-state drivers in the top five at the sparkling 3/8-oval. | Slideshow
Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., finished second with Brandon McCormick of Lebanon, Mo., in third. Springfield, Mo., teammates Jeremy Payne and Terry Phillips rounded out the top five finishers, while Looney finished 21st in the 24-car field after tangling on the lap-34 restart with David Turner of Creighton, Mo. Turner crossed the finish line second but officials later penalized him, placing him 24th.
The event drew a whopping 55 Late Models to the track that hosts four series events.
Notes: Simpson's MasterSbilt Race Car is sponsored by Liebe Trucking, GATR Volvo GMC and Five Star Shop Service. ... Among drivers failing to make the main event: Mike Collins, Chris Simpson, Shane Essary, Chris Spieker, Byron Allison, Bryant Goldsmith, Justin Asplin, Al Humphrey and Kurt Kile. ... Next up for MLRA competitors is the April 30 Sunflower State Showdown, a $10,000-to-win event at the Great American Dirt Track in Jetmore, Kan.
MLRA @ Wheatland: (1) Chad Simpson, (2) Jesse Stovall, (3) Brandon McCormick, (4) Jeremy Payne, (5) Terry Phillips, (6) Jack Sullivan, (7) Alan Vaughn, (8) Al Purkey, (9) Kyle Berck, (10) R.C. Whitwell, (11) John Anderson, (12) Matt Furman, (13) Denny Eckrich, (14) Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, (15) Dave Eckrich, (16) Chris Smyser, (17) Tony Jackson Jr., (18) Jason O'Brien, (19) Joe Kosiski, (20) Bill Koons, (21) Brad Looney, (22) Nick Marolf, (23) Eric Turner, 24. David Turner. Heat race winners (among 55 cars): Payne, Marolf, Phillips, Stovall, Chad Simpson. Consolation winners: Jackson, Dave Eckrich, Hollingsworth.
Correction: Updates with details of David Turner being dropped from second to 24th in finish.
