Arkansas veteran Billy Moyer (outside) claimed the MLRA final and his second win of the weekend at West Plains Motor Speedway on Saturday, while #2 John Anderson's third place finish sealed up his championship on the Missouri-based tour. (Lloyd Collins)
MLRA: Moyer Sweeps West Plains; Anderson Clinches Title
Trenton Berry
WEST PLAINS, Mo. - Oct. 15. The Lucas Oil MLRA put the wraps on the 2011 season Saturday at West Plains Motor Speedway, and Billy Moyer repeated his Friday night performance and stood in AAA Missouri Victory Lane for the second time this weekend following the Lucas Cattle Company 40-lap feature.
"We had it right tonight," stated Moyer following the race. "We won last night (Friday), but it wasn't to my liking. We tweaked on some stuff. It felt like I liked it tonight."
Al Purkey races #1 Jack Sullivan for sixth place. Sixth finishing Purkey's big catch, however, was the one that got away as third finishing John Anderson nipped Purkey for the MLRA title. (Lloyd Collins)
Moyer took the lead on lap nine following a lap seven restart. Billy Moyer, Jr. was the runner up, and John Anderson finished third ahead of R.C. Whitwell and Tony Jackson, Jr.
The season championship came right down to the final race, with Anderson ahead of Al Purkey by four points. Anderson had a two position margin in his favor as he took to the track Saturday. Anderson and Purkey were in separate heat races and each driver finished second in their respective qualifying race.
New Comp Cams Super Dirt Series champion Brandon Smith (115) came out to play with the MLRA Saturday. Smith races with #15 David Turner and #88 Wendell Wallace. (Lloyd Collins)
Nebraska veteran Joe Kosiski (53) races between #00 Jesse Stovall and #88 Wendell Wallace. (Lloyd Collins)
Anderson came from sixth in his heat and started on the outside pole, while Purkey came from fifth and started fifth in the feature. Anderson's third place feature finish was good enough to award he and the Shop Quik Racing team the season title.
"It really was an up and down battle," Anderson said of his season. "Me and Purkey came down to the wire together. It was a class move by both of us to make it that way. We wanted to make it good for the fans. It did get a little nerve racking knowing I was up front and just had to stay in front of him. I just had to be smart and see what I could do there at the end."
Anderson wasn't the only big winner, as Peculiar, Missouri's Dustin Walker was crowned the 2011 Lucas Oil MLRA Rookie of the Year. "It's nice to work hard all year and actually get where you're trying to go," said Walker. "It was a rough season, but we got it done."
MLRA Champion John Anderson. (Lloyd Collins)
MLRA Rookie of the Year, Dustin Walker. (Lloyd Collins)
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Big Gains for Hubbard, Pearson, Ogle - The A-Team Has Been Updated 05-15-12
Scott James battles #13 Barry Doss in heat race action at Florence (Ky.) Speedway, but in the $2,000-to-win feature, the only thing anyone saw was the tail end of James' #81 car. (Roy Walker)
After plenty of trash-talking via the electronic media between Jeff Matthews and Ivedent Lloyd last week, it was #21 Lloyd who got the final word as he reeled in #33 Matthews to win Friday's LM feature at Oclala, Fla.'s Bubba Raceway Park. (R.E. Wing)
Fans at Markleysburg, Pa.'s Roaring Knob Motorsports Comlex were treated to dual LM features Saturday - one a makeup from a May 5th rainout. (Above) Tim Senic challenges eventual regular feature winner Chuck Harper, while Jared Hawkins (below) claimed the makeup race. (Tommy Micheals)
Henley, Missouri's Jason Russell leads the way to Victory Lane in the ULMS Late Model feature at Lucas Oil Speedway Saturday. (Chris Bork)
Some fierce racing action at Lucas Oil speedway. (Chris Bork)
Dalton, Ga.'s Craig Reece returned to Dixie Speedway Saturday and led all the way to win the Crate LM victory. (Steve Hixson)
Ray Guss Jr. races last week's Quad City Speedway winner, Mike Murphy, Jr. This time, it was advantage Guss. (Chris Damitz)
With a strong motor back into his mount, Veteran Lamar Scoggins claimed last Friday's Crate LM victory at Boyd's Speedway. (Steve Hixson)
Veteran racer Lance Matthees navigates Spring Lake, Minnesota's Deer Creek Speedway before taking Saturday's WISSOTA Late Model checkers. (Jason Durst)
Racing hard at mid-pack, it's the dueling 55s of Cory Mahder (inside) and Greg Nippoldt at Deer Creek. (Jason Durst)
Ryan King (above and below) swept both the Ltd. Late Model and Crate Late Model features Saturday at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn. (Chad Wells)
Still riding his wave in Iowa, Mike Murphy, Jr. in early action before taking the main event win at Davenport last Friday. (Chris Damitz)
Jason Jameson ran a gauntlet to finally capture another win Friday night at Moler
Raceway Park (see main page). (Roy
Walker)
After holding back a charge from Alex Ferree, Chub Frank drove home with a Friday night win at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. (John Stivason)
Bobby Pierce, Brett Sievert, and Mike Glynn race in a tight pack in Kankakee (Ill.) Speedway's "Crosstown Cup", but (below) it was ultimately Shawn Toczek (42) here racing the high side of Mike Provenzano, who sailed to the win. (Dan Simpson)
A-Team Leaders from 1997-2011 (Click on link for complete rundown)
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