Jackson Motor Speedway
MARS sweep at Jackson pays Phillips $8,000
From track reports
BYRAM, Miss. (May 31) — Fighting off challenges from home-state driver Neil Baggett, three-time O'Reilly MARS DirtCar Series champion Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., completed a weekend series sweep at Jackson Motor Speedway with a flag-to-flag triumph. Phillips added the $6,000 victory to his $2,000 triumph the previous night to boost his weekend earnings to $8,000 as he increased his MARS-leading career victories total to 63. | Slideshow | Phillips captures weekend opener
While the polesitting Phillips led all the way, Baggett, of Shannon, Miss., turned up the heat on the leader late in the race. The third-starting Baggett peaked under the leader exiting turn four on the final lap, but Phillips held on to win by a half-car length at the quarter-mile oval south of Jackson. Baggett finished second while sixth-starting Jeremy Payne, a teammate of Phillips, was third. Seventh-starting Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., crept forward to finish fourth and James Ward of Lettsworth, La., rounded out the top five.
Notes: Phillips drives a GRT Race Car powered by a Hatfield engine and sponsored by Andy's Frozen Custard. ... A lap-21 caution appeared for a spin by five-time MARS champion Bill Frye, who started 15th. ... Phillips rallied from the tail to win the seven-car first heat. ... Landon Frith had the pole for the third heat, but he spun in the first turn and had to start on the tail. He finished last. ... MARS competitors take a break until heading to the June 20-21 O'Reilly Auto Parts Late Model Challenge, which pits all the O'Reilly-sanctioned regional series against one another.
MARS @ Jackson: (1) Terry Phillips, (2) Neil Baggett, (3) Jeremy Payne, (4) Billy Moyer, (5) James Ward, (6) Dusty Johnston, (7) Steve Rushin, (8) Anthony Burroughs, (9) David Ashley, (10) Ronny Adams, (11) David Breazeale, (12) Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, (13) Billy Moyer Jr., (14) Jimmy Cliburn, (15) Bill Frye, (16) Dennis Duncan, (17) Chris Jones, (18) Jack Sullivan, (19) Dane Dacus, (20) Scott Slay, (21) Jason Cliburn, (22) Brook Strength. Heat race winners (among 28 cars): Phillips, Johnston, Burroughs, Payne. Consolation winner: Sullivan.
