(LEBANON, MO.) – Lebanon I-44 Speedway
By Jordan Kuehne
LEBANON – With the winter doldrums in the rearview mirror (hopefully), spring finally upon us, and racing season ready to rev up its engine, Lebanon I-44 Speedway is set to begin its first season under the NASCAR HomeTracks banner. With plenty of changes completed or on their way, the 2013 season at Missouri’s only asphalt oval promises to be one full of storylines and fresh faces, rivalries and old standbys, as car counts are expected to rise in each class at I-44. Before tonight’s racing action begins, take the time to preview this season with a division-by-division glimpse into what might lie ahead.
O’Reilly Auto Parts NASCAR Pro Late Models: Mike Slone owned this class last season, en route to his second title in three years, but there were a host of competitors that ran well and challenged for wins every weekend including Matt Wallace, the championship runner-up. Slone will be back this season, eager to collect the first Missouri NASCAR state title that may come with a win in this division, but he’ll have to fend off a talented pack of drivers that includes last season’s Sportsman champion, Lil’ J.C. Newell, along with Louisville, Kentucky-area driver Cole Williams. The 16-year-old Williams made the long trek to I-44 on several occasions last season, recording a pair of big wins and marking himself as a contender for this season and beyond. A driver to keep an eye on is young Cory Dueser, who will be making the transition from a traveling class to try and steal a title at I-44. The usual suspects and others that finished in the top ten in points from 2012 include Jimmy Vanzandt, Dale Roper Jr., Brian Brown, Steve Holt, Ken Dickinson, Austin Fullerton, Jim Reaves, Grant Sharp and Brennon Willard will be in the mix as well in what could be the deepest and most exciting Late Model class in years.
Budweiser NASCAR Modifieds: Much like Slone owned the Pro Late Models, Tyler Scott dominated the Budweiser Modifieds in 2012. With a new season on the horizon, Scott is eager to prove that last year was no fluke, and he’ll bring a new car and the same fiery attitude with him that helped him earn a title last year. While Scott won the title with relative ease over young gun Payton Lucas, the top driver in the class during the second half of last season was the ‘Iceman’, Ricky Icenhower. Cool, calm and collected and a past NASCAR Regional Champion, Icenhower will look to add more trophies to his mantle, with an eye on the biggest one of all, a championship. Veteran hotshoe David Bates will also be a contender for wins throughout the year along with other 2012 front runners Stephen Counterman, Chris Johnson, Rocky Rash, Jay Bates, Terry Taylor, J.D. Kelley, Scotty Allen and Coca-Cola Chargers top dog Paul Jepson, who’s making the jump.
Monster NASCAR Sportsman: The first class without a 2012 champion bidding for a repeat is the Monster Sportsman. As Lil’ J.C. Newell moves up to battle the big boys in the Pro Late Models class, the best driver of the latter stages of the year, Robert Reeves, and his son, 2012 Road Warriors champion Dustin Reeves, will be looking to go 1-2 in a class that will be filled with action and excitement thanks to the new Outlaw bodies. Newell’s grandpa, J.C. Newell, will be in action looking to prevent the family domination that the Reeves recorded in separate classes last season along with drivers with experience at the high banks of Lebanon I-44 Speedway such as Jon Higdon, Darin Owens, Aaron Douglas, Chuck Higdon, Daulton Greven and Randy Besser will also be drivers to contend with and should find their way to victory lane on multiple occasions this season.
Hoosier Tires NASCAR Road Warriors: Dustin Reeves is gone, and for every other driver in the Hoosier Tire Road Warriors, that is a major relief. The class should be wide-open, although veteran Les Mallard, who scored his first win last year, and Justin Blake could be designated the favorites in the early stages. Any one driver could emerge in 2013 though, as Gary Ball, Michael Juergensen, Steve Shaw, Shawn Jones, Mike Funcannon, Riley Sharp and Alan Ellis, a newcomer sporting Reeves’ championship ride, might just be the darkhorse pick to rocket to a championship.
Coca-Cola NASCAR Chargers: With Jepson on his way up the ranks into the Modifieds, Lauren Buhr, who controlled the last month of the 2012 season, should be able to get off to a hot start. Buhr, whose car was so fast that her father was able to pilot it to a victory late last year, has the car to beat and the driving talent to back it up. The Chargers have a reputation of being the toughest division to peg at I-44, however, and that may be the case this season. A host of new drivers and cars made it out to practice sessions throughout April and any one of those wheelmen could emerge as a serious contender along with 2012 strong runners such as Jimmy Poindexter, Richard Lewis, Jordan Nesbitt, Jesse Poindexter, Nick Cherry and Amanda Page.
Lebanon I-44 Speedway is located four miles east of the Lebanon city limits on Historic Route 66 and Missouri’s only NASCAR sanctioned facility. Patrons using Interstate 44 may take Exit 135 and then drive approximately one mile east on Route 66 to the track’s main entrance. Additional information about this event, including a full schedule of events, the rules being enforced, and a purse distribution, will be released on the facility’s official website, www.i44speedway.net in the coming weeks. Keep up with news about Lebanon I-44 Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Lebanon-I-44-Speedway, and on Twitter (@i44Speedway).