Larry Phillips won second of two 40-lap late model features at I-44 Speedway. - Larry Andrus Collection
Lebanon, Mo. (August 22, 1987) – The first special of the year at I-44 Speedway and the crowd was definitely ready as close to 6,000 fans came out to view the action.
In the late model division, 34 cars were signed in, and the competition was fierce as some of the big guns such as Kevin Gundaker, Jerry Inmon, and Terry Phillips failed to make the field for the “A” main.
The first 40-lap feature saw Billy Moyer Jr. on the pole position with young Rex McCroskey to his outside. When the green flag dropped, Moyer was long gone but a tremendous battle ensued between McCroskey, Willy Kraft, Ken Essary, and Larry Phillips. After sone slicing and dicing for the first 10 laps, Phillips found himself solidly in second place.
As the race went green to checkered, the finish read Moyer Jr., Phillips, Essary, Kraft, and McCroskey.
For the second 40-lap feature, the field was an inverted start from the finish of the first feature with Leslie Essary starting on the pole. As the green waved, it was Essary powering to the front early while all eyes were on Phillips, Moyer Jr., Kraft, and Ken Essary at the rear of the field.
L. Essary was trying to pull away from the field while Bill Frye was moving around Johnny Johnson for second. Meanwhile, Larry Phillips was making a charge through the talented field en route to the front.
At the halfway point, Leslie Essary was beginning to encounter lapped traffic. Phillips had run down Frye and made his move around him. A few laps later, Phillips was glued to Essary’s bumper.
Negotiating slower traffic, Essary and Phillips battled back and forth before Phillips was able to challenge to the outside and took over the top spot. The Springfield native never looked back the remaining 15 laps and won going away. L. Essary, Bill Frye, Ken Essary, and Darrell Mooneyham rounded out the top five.
Results –
Feature #1 –
1. Billy Moyer Jr.
2. Larry Phillips
3. Ken Essary
4. Willy Kraft
5. Rex McCroskey
6. Doug Ingalls
7. Wayne Brooks
8. Darrell Mooneyham
9. T.J. Pauschert
10.Mike Wallace
11.Ron Bolin
12.Roger Hines
13.Skip Thompson
14.Davis Willard
15.Doug Wiggs
Feature #2 –
1. Larry Phillips
2. Leslie Essary
3. Bill Frye
4. Ken Essary
5. Darrell Mooneyham
6. Willy Kraft
7. Johnny Johnson
8. Doug Ingalls
9. Rex McCroskey
10.Wayne Brooks
11.Terry Phillips
12.Mike Wallace
13.Johny Bone
14.Billy Moyer Jr.
15.Ron Bolin
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