7/10/2018
RacinBoys
Williams taps the keg and claims Missouri Cooperage Salute to 75 victory
By Dylan Bates (Lebanon, MO) -- Last Saturday night, July 7th, 2018, Lebanon I-44 Speedway payed their respects to the late Larry Phillips with a 75-lap Pro Late Model special event and capped off the night with a huge Independence Day firework display! The Salute to 75 was title sponsored by Missouri Cooperage, a company from Lebanon Missouri that constructs and sells wine and spirit barrels. Missouri Cooperage was a longtime sponsor of Mr. Larry Phillips, so it is only fitting that they would sponsor this great event. The 4th of July weekend is always an exciting time at the race track, the crowd is always
at capacity and you can bet on a firework display both on and off the track!
Chargers
The first round of fireworks started with the Chargers. In the heat race, Chris Albright in the No. 44, started front row inside and was able to fend off challenges from the No. 71 of Shannon Geller who came from fifth to second on the first lap. Shannon Geller’s younger brother Will Garner, in the No. 7D
rounded out the top three. The field was now set for the 20-lap feature event.
Chris Albright led the field to the green flag again and took command of the race from there. Behind Albright, Tyson Moore and Will Garner battled it out for the number two spot. At the end of lap five, Moore fell back to the fifth position
after he experienced some problems. Garner had moved into second and went to work on the leader of Albright. Opening night winner, Crystal Blake, was riding in the number three spot ready to make her move on the leaders. The battle went on for the remaining laps, but Albright was able to hold off past winners, Will Garner and Crystal Blake, to pick up his first win of the 2018
season.
Big 10 Late Models
Next up were the new Big 10 Late Models. In the heat race Dylan Bates, last week’s winner, led the field to the green. Bates led the first lap, but by the end of lap two your point leader, Jimmy Fohn, made the move to the inside and took over the lead. Throughout the remaining laps Fohn, Bates, and the third placeman,
Justin Blake, went to battle. Bates was able to hold off Blake for second while Fohn took the heat race win. In the feature, the No. 27 of Nick Cherry led the field to green with Justin Blake to his outside. Blake moved into the early lead with Bates and Fohn battling side-by-side for the number two spot. Fohn moved into the second position and then the yellow flag was displayed for the No 21 of Kris Jackson, the USRA dirt B-Mod point leader. The field was reset in Delaware Double-file formation with Blake in the lead spot. Fohn was able to hold off Bates on the restarts and then made a move for the lead around Blake. Fohn, Blake, and Bates remained nose to tail the remainder of the race while each of them made attempts to pass one another multiple times.
When the checkered flag was displayed it was Jimmy Fohn picking up his third win of the season, Justin Blake with a season-best second place and Bates rounded out the top three.
Street Stocks
Then the Street Stocks took the track. In the first heat, the No. 24 of Trevor Icenhower was able to pick up his second heat race win of the season with Tony Johnson hot on his heels. In heat number two, the No. 2 of Brock Johnson took control of the race early on and brought home the heat win with the No. 1 of Ben Johnson in the number two spot. The heat races were just a precursor of the exciting feature race we were about to witness. The No. 8 of Aaron Wilke led the field to the green with heat race winner, Trevor Icenhower, to his outside. Icenhower moved into the early lead while the No. 00 of Tony Johnson worked his way through the field to move into second. After a few early race cautions,
Tony Johnson and Trevor Icenhower were set to Cole Williams celebrating his Salute to 75 victory! Photo from Cole Williams Racing duke it out throughout the last 10 laps. On lap 8, Tony Johnson made the move to take over the lead, but the very next lap Icenhower had passed him back and led the next five laps with Johnson right behind him. On the 15th and final lap, Johnson made his move again on Icenhower and was able to beat Icenhower to the line
picking up his first Street Stock win. It should be mentioned that the No. 1 of Ben Johnson kept Tony Johnson honest throughout the race but ended up in third position.
Modifieds
Next up were the open-wheeled Modifieds. Brian Lewis led the field to the green in the heat race and was able to control the first two laps until the No. 00 of Chris Johnson moved to the point. Johnson led the next five laps but lost the lead on the final lap to the No. 7 of Ricky Icenhower. In the feature, the No. 15 of Chris Kerperien led the field to the green with Brian Lewis to his outside. Lewis made the move to take over the lead on lap one and held onto it until lap 10.
The No. 0 of Michael Juergenson was running in a close second place
until Icenhower made his move on lap nine. Just one lap later at the halfway point, Icenhower took control of the race from Brian Lewis and went on to pick up his fourth win of the season. On lap 16, Richard Lewis was able to move Juergenson out of the top three and then went to work on his father Brian for the remaining four laps. Richard could not finish the pass on his father before the checkered flag was displayed, but the father-son duo had a great battle to the finish for second.
Pro Late Models Salute to 75!
It was now time for the Grand Finale, the Pro Late Model Salute to 75! In heat number one, Brian Brown in the No. 02 and the Rookie, Ryu Taggart led the field to the green. Brown took control early on until contact was made between Brown and Tim Swearengin. This put the No. 76 of Jake Piel into the lead and
Brown into second. Piel went on to win the heat while Swearengin came back to finish second. In heat race number two, Steve Holt took the early lead and never looked back taking his first heat win of the season with Terry Limberopoulos in second and Jimmy Vanzandt in third. The field was now set for the Missouri Cooperage Salute to 75! Brian Brown and Terry Limberopoulos brought the field to the green nice and easy.
The No. 07 of Limberopoulos took the early while Brown rode in the number two spot. Deep in the field, the 2013 and 2014 Champions, Cole Williams and Kaleb Allison, were weaving their way through traffic on a mission to get to the front. On lap 14, your point leader had moved into second after starting 8th.
The race went caution free until lap 22 when contact was made between the leaders sending both cars to the rear of the field. This put the Sellersberg Indiana native, Cole Williams, in the lead. Steve Holt moved into second with the young gun Kaleb Allison behind him. Allison made the move and took over second until contact was made sending Jake Piel off the end of turn one and into the grass.
On the restart, Holt moved back into second and Allison back to third while Williams continued to put on a show out front. Holt held onto second for 14 more laps until contacted was made mid-pack ending Ronnie Hartford and, your point leader, Kennie Dickinson’s night. Allison managed to get around Holt for second and tried to run down Williams.
The caution came out again on lap 56 after a major collision on the backstretch between Ryu Taggart, Justin Blake and Jimmy Fohn ending Fohn and Blake’s night. Williams and Allison were one and two the remainder of the race, but not before Tim Swearengin challenged Allison for second several times.
Swearengin could not get around the Hendrick Motorsports employee and later got passed with two to go by early race leader, Terry Limberopoulos, for third. When the checkered flag was displayed it was Cole Williams picking up the win with Allison in second and Limberopoulos in third. The Salute to 75 was the only Crown-Jewel race that Williams had not won at I-44 Speedway, but he can now check it off of his list!
The Missouri Cooperage Salute to 75 was the most exciting event of the year so far. We saw great races from each division and possibly the development of some new rivalries! Be sure to come on out on Saturday, July 21st and see for yourself at the Emerson Copeland night at the races! Until then head over to our Facebook page or our website at i44speedway.net for track news and updates!
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott