Bristol Motor Speedway
Phillips earns $10,000 for winning race that honors father
From track and series reports
Terry Phillips (75) outran Bill Frye (66) at I-44. (Chris Bork)
Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., and Bill Frye of Greenbrier, Ark., grabbed co-sanctioned victories over Labor Day weekend in Missouri. Phillips hit the jackpot with a $10,000 victory in the fifth annual Larry Phillips Memorial at I-44 Speedway in Lebanon while Frye collected $3,000 at Monett Speedway. The events were sanctioned by the Mid-America Racing Series and O'Reilly Auto Parts Midwest LateModel Racing Association.
I-44 Speedway
LEBANON, Mo. (Sept. 1) — It's always an emotional experience running a race honoring your father, and Phillips increased the mixed emotions by picking up a big victory at I-44 Speedway.
Phillips made the winning pass on Bill Frye on the 14th of 40 laps, riding the high line around turns three and four on the high-banked red clay to overtake past Frye on the straightaway. Phillips never looked back.
"They got to fighting on for the bottom, and I thought 'There's my opportunity,' " Phillips said after going by Frye and John Anderson to take the lead. "They're trying to block each other, and they slowed down a little bit and I got by them.
"It's been a long time," Phillips said of his pursuit of a Larry Phillips Memorial crown. "This is special, I don't know what to say."
The racetrack was the site of many of Larry Phillips' career victories.
Frye ended up second to outrun Anderson, who won the Aug. 31 semi-feature at I-44. Dusty Johnston of Flippin, Ark., was fourth and hometown driver Brandon McCormick finished fifth. — Andrew McNaughton
Fifth annual Larry Phillips Memorial: (1) Terry Phillips, (2) Bill Frye, (3) John Anderson, (4) Dusty Johnston, (5) Brandon McCormick, (6) Stacy Taylor, (7) Jeremy Payne, (8) Gary Stolba, (9) Denny Woodworth, (10) David Turner, (11) Jack Sullivan, (12) Alan Vaughn, (13) Reid Millard, (14) Steve Rushin, (15) Brad Looney, (16) Justin Wells, (17) Will Vaught, (18) Larry Clawson, (19) Brian Shirley, (20) Al Purkey, (21) Burl Woods, (22) Chris Smyser, (23) Larry Jones, (24) Dustin Mooneyham. Car count: 32. Heat race winners: Johnston, Phillips, Anderson, Taylor. Semi-feature winner: Anderson.
Monett Speedway
MONETT, Mo. (Sept. 2) — Bill Frye shot to the lead on the third lap and never looked back to win the 36th Annual 4-State Championship in front of a capacity crowd at Monett. Al Purkey finished second with Peyton Taylor third, his best performance in a Steve Rushin-owned car.
Gary Stolba started on the pole and was immediately slowed when Darrell Mooneyham spun in the middle of one and two, collecting the cars of Jim Fulp and Ricky Frankel. Mooneyham and Fulp both exited the track.
Stolba again took the green, but Shane Essary powered into the lead as Frye dropped Stolba to third. Frye made his move on the third lap as Essary and Taylor took up chase of the No. 66.
Lapped traffic slowed Frye on the 12th lap, but Frye didn't lose much of his 20-length lead by the time a caution flew for a slowing Frankel on lap 21.
On the restart, Frye led Taylor with Terry Phillips, who started in the fifth row, up to third. A couple of mid-race cautions appeared and Taylor ducked into the pits during one caution period to replace a flat tire, giving up his second spot.
With nine laps remaining, seventh-running Jeremy Payne got turned sideways in front of much of the field, virtually blocking the track exiting turn four and triggering a pileup.
During the lengthy cleanup, Phillips was forced to pit with a flat right front tire.
It was all Frye the rest of the way as Purkey moved up to second and Taylor rallied back to finish third.
4-State Championship: (1) Bill Frye, (2) Al Purkey, (3) Peyton Taylor, (4) Shane Essary, (5) Jeremy Payne, (6) Will Vaught, (7) Brian Shirley, (8) Jason Bodenhamer, (9) Brad Looney, (10) Jack Sullivan, (11) Terry Phillips, (12) Brandon McCormick, (13) Gary Stolba, (14) Darrin Barton, (15) David Turner, (16) Larry Jones, (17) Alan Vaughn, (18) Denny Woodworth, (19) Dusty Johnston, (20) Ken Essary, (21) Rusty Griffaw, (22) Ricky Frankel, (23) Darrell Mooneyham, (24) Jim Fulp. Heat race winners: Vaughn, Taylor, Stolba, Frye, S. Essary. Consolation winners: Sullivan, Payne.
