Published May 23, 2009 11:12 pm -
Arkansas driver wins shootout at Outlaw Motor Speedway
Special to the Phoenix
OKTAHA — Johnny Bone won the first leg of the three-race North-South shootout at Outlaw Motor Speedway here late Friday night.
The shootout makes its final stop today in Monett, Mo. The second round was Saturday at Tri-State Speedway in Fort Smith, Ark.
The winner of the series will be determined by combining the finishes in three features for an average. A bonus of $1,000 goes to the winner. The other four finishers will also receive bonus money. To be eligible for the big purse, the drivers have to compete in all three races.
Bone led from the get-go, dashing ahead of pole-setter Jarrod Havens of Muskogee out of turn two. He scooted down the backstretch, leaving Havens and the rest of he field in his dust. Finding the high groove to his liking, his biggest lead was six seconds at the halfway of the 25-lap run.
Three caution flags slowed the race and let the pack catchup to Bone, but he was equal to the challenge.
The last threat to the Pea Ridge, Ark., driver came on lap 22 with a spin-out bringing out the caution. Steve Holzakamper of Fort Smith, Ark., was briefly on Bone’s bumper, but he didn’t have the muscle to catch the leader. He finished second with Muskogee’s Havens a close third. Jason Teague of Tahlequah, ran fourth.
360 Modified
Brandy Justice of Tahlequah, appeared to have his first feature win in sight, but a flat tire at the midway point opened things up for Braggs’ Patrick Goodnight to claim his second checkered flag of the year.
Justice jumped to a big lead from the outside in row one. But on lap 13 he slowed his car to a crawl on the backstretch while Goodnight, David Whittle, Muskogee, and Heath Weston, Muskogee, charged in front. Justice finally exited into the infield.
Goodnight and Whittle, a former track champion, battled with the leader the final seven laps, with Weston just a few cars behind. Weston was looking for his third feature win in a row.
Last year’s track champion, Muskogee’s Dennis Slater, spun into a hale bale and drain in front of the flag stand early in the race and was moved to the back of the pack for the restart. He eventually finished sixth behind Spiro’s Brookin Stephens and Muldrow’s Ryan Taylor.