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Thursday 23 Apr 98 – A RISING STAR
Lori, Cliff, and I were in Lebanon visiting her parents on vacation.
Lori was going shopping with the sisters and putting Cliff through the
familiar "try this on" torture treatment. I grabbed my father-in-law
(Don) and my camera and dragged him off to take some pictures of I-44 from
the highway. I got a few shots when I notice a Ford F-150 slowly
pull out on the track. It was the track caretaker out picking up
some trash. I convince Don to drive down to the track where I can
wave him down. I got his attention and asked if we could come take
some pics from the track. He told us to pull down to the pits.
The caretaker is Mr. Gene Hall. He is the complete grounds crew for
both I-44 Speedway in Lebanon, and Speedway USA in Bolivar (more than an
hour apart). Gene is probably the hardest working person employed
by Bill Willard, the owner of the tracks and Willard construction, and
Willard Quarries and Willard…you get the picture. 
Gene
is a warehouse of local racing information. Gene however never gets
to see a race. He mans the pit gates during the races and cannot
see the track from there :-( He tells us that there is
a new kid on the scene in Lebanon, 21 year old Jamie McMurry. Larry
Phillips (the 5 time WRS Champion) runs at Lebanon and Bolivar and
HE says that Jamie is the best young driver he has ever raced against.
This from a driver who was handed his first major loss by a 17 year old
Mark Martin at Springfield MO, fairgrounds a few years back. Hmmm,
can't wait for Saturday now. Gene lets me walk the track and I get
some good shots of the track in pristine pre-race condition.
Don and I do a little piddling around in town and drop by O'Reilly Auto Parts to get a belt for his lawn mower. Both of my brothers-in-law, Aaron and Tony work at O'Reilly so we do a little visiting too. While talking to Aaron he mentions that one of the drivers is going to be out testing at I-44 this afternoon. Aaron wanted some pictures of the car, since he talked them into a new paint scheme for this season. You see Aaron mixes some nice DuPont paints and convinced them that the Black car needed some brighters colors and got them to put on some nice bright yellow and red to stand out. Well, I have to ask who this driver is that he wants pictures of. Jamie McMurry is the answer. What luck. Don and I jump back in the car and dash back to the track.
When
we get there they had just taken the car off of the trailer and doing some 
last
minute adjustments before moving out onto the track for some quick laps.
The car is a Late Model Monte Carlo with Sponsorship from Pedigree Pet
Food and it looks good. Lebanon normally has only one day of testing
a week on Tuesday. They are testing today because they are going
to be running an ARTGO race in Lacrosse, WI this weekend. Darn it.
Jamie makes several runs throughout the afternoon. 
He
isn't going for a record or anything, but does manage to turn a 14.72.
Not bad for practice on a very warm track. (Mid 70s in full afternoon
sun). More people begin to show up, for the week's second test.
Even THE Bill Willard shows up to observe practice. One of
Bill's sons, David, is the owner of Jamie's car.
Since the track was having a second session, several other teams showed
up. Mike Montague in his Late Model Pontiac powered by a Ford with
SVO heads came out for a test, 
and
Jamie was heard saying, "Now we've got a race." Mike's bright red
Pontiac made several laps. He looked quick, but I never got, or heard
any times. Don had never been to the pits before so this was a whole
new world to him and I think he really enjoyed it. I expended a roll
of film and about 1 ½ hours out here and Don and I head back to
the house after a very fun afternoon.
Saturday 25 Apr 98
Saturday rolls around and my parents come down to watch the race at
I-44 with us. The brothers in law went golfing, and everyone else
just backed out since rain had been predicted. It was looking dark,
and very windy, but nothing ever developed that would stop the evening's
activities. The Merriman Team Hauler nesteled into the second tier
of parking on the back stretch, right next to a track speaker and a port-a-john. 
The
tiered parking makes for some fine tailgate parties during the race and
the smoke from BBQs exceeds the smoke from tires on the track. There
are 5 classes running every weekend now: Pure Street, Street Stock,
Late Model Stock, Grand American Modified, and Grand American Late Model.
During the Pure Street heat races we noticed right away that one car,
the #52 Monte Carlo of Steve Maddux 
was
the only car that didn't squeal like a banshee in the turns. He was
taking a little different line than every one else too. He would
run high down the straights, then turn hard and cut to the bottom of the
turn in the middle. Squaring off the corners of the track.
He was making very good time doing this and saving tires in the process,
even more important for a series that runs on normal street tires.
During the LM, and GALM heat races, the previous weeks feature winners
sandbagged, as they would be in the feature anyway. Lebanon's one-set-a-week
tire rule probably has something to do with this. 
Another
interesting thing I guess I should mention here is that there are three
truck running in the LM class at Lebanon. 
One
of the truck drivers, Randy Bessey wasn't listening when they said
a truck couln't win in the LM class and came into the night as a defending
feature winner at both Lebanon and Bolivar.
On to the Features. The #52 that dad & I had noticed in the
heats thoroughly trounced his competition in the 15 lap feature.
The Street Stock 20 lap feature was pretty uneventful won by Chris Nichols
driving a standard short track Camaro. 
The Late Model Stocks took to the track next. The unscathed #6
Grand Prix of Chris Chisolm, after several spins in hot laps and the heat
races pulls to the infield with engine trouble prior to the green flag.
The #6 spent more time facing the wrong direction than any other car out
there.
He got
the car running during the first caution, but even considering the
late start he spun that pontiac 3 times during the 15 lap feature.
When it was said and done, Charlie Johnson, the #0 was giving his
interview at the start finish line.
Next was the O'Reilly Auto Parts Modifieds (Grand American Modifieds).
It was a good battle with no less than 5 cars fighting for the lead at
any time. Good clean racing which ened with the #25 of Jim
McMurry (Jamie's Dad) taking the checkers. 
In the victory lane interview at the track Jim said that he wouldn't be
driving the car any more. The car, a veteran with many wins would
be piloted by his son Jamie at Bolivar, since Speedway USA was making the
modifieds its feature division.
Finally the Grand American Late Models took to the track. A quick
scan of the track found the #75 Sportsman Pickup Covers Grand Prix
of Larry Phillips 
running
near the end of the field, a result of the sandbagging in the heat race.
The green flag flew. Larry was in normal form tonight and passed
the first two cars in the first two laps. At lap nine Larry had made
his way up to third place when it happened. The #67 Monte Carlo of
Mark Pilant goes real low into turn three all by himself. He doesn't
slow down at all and slides sideways into 4 up the banking. When
the right side tires go off the banking they dig in and the car flips side
over side and lands in the catch fence upside down about 15-20 feet off
of the ground and is thrown back towards the track. 
Stunned silence. The track crews dash toward the crumpled metal that
used to be the Monte Carlo. Almost immediately the track announcer
(who is a track official and roams the infield during the race with a wireless
microphone) tells the crowd that Mark is moving and is climbing out of
the car. A large collective sigh of relief. There are few in
the crowd who have seen a worse wreck. There was not a piece of sheet
metal that remained on the car. Mark was aware and unhurt but
that car will probably never run again. 
It
was the most horrible twisted wreck of metal you have seen on a short track.
The race was red flagged for only about 30 minutes due to the incredible
performance, and professionalism of the I-44 crew. The cars refired
and took several warm up laps and got back green in just a few laps.
Larry Phillips soon moved into second past Mike Montegue's SVO powered
Pontiac. Larry Phillips takes the lead on lap 15 just as a caution
came out. When they sorted it out, they put Larry back in second
behind the #14 Pontiac of Tim Swearengin. After it went green Tim
and Larry battled hard until lap 22 when Phillips finally got past, and
another caution flew. 
Once again they lined Phillips up behind Swearengin. When they throw
the green flag Phillips and Swearengin battled for only two laps before
Phillips took the lead and Lori who has been video taping this feature
reports that the battery on the video camera was dead. AAGGGGHHH!!!
Phillips cannot pull away from Swearengin and with two laps to go Swearengin
begins to make a move on the outside. They run the last two laps
side by side with Swearengin gaining ground with every turn. When
they take the checkers Phillips crosses ½ the length of his hood
in front of Swearengin. What a race!!
Thanks to all the great people at I-44 Speedway, and of Jamie McMurray Motorsports for a great weekend!!!
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