Showdown in the Heartland II
Brill Motor Speedway
May 8, 2010

Turner Tames MARS/NCRA Showdown at Brill Motor Speedway

David Smith, Jr NCRA Press and Contingencies
Meeker, Oklahoma – May 8, 2010 - “The car was set up perfectly; all I had to do was drive it.” Those were the words of Hermitage, Missouri’s Eric Turner as he took the lead on lap ten and never looked back to take the third race of the “Showdown in the Heartland II” featuring the O’Reilly National Championship Racing Association and MARS DIRTCar series late model divisions Saturday night at Brill Motor Speedway in Meeker, Oklahoma.

After a brief caution at the start of the thirty lap feature for NCRA rookie of the year contender Jace Kaser of Lincoln, Nebraska, pole sitter Jack Sullivan of Greenbriar, Arkansas took control of the complete restart and quickly opened up a five car length lead as the green flag fell. Fellow outside front row starter Wendell Wallace battled fourth starting Al Purkey for the runner up position while third starting Turner settled into the fourth position.

By lap three Turner started his move to the front as he passed Purkey for third and one lap later got underneath Wallace for the runner up position. Turner, who won the season opener back in March in Clarksville, Tennessee, stayed right on the leaders bumper as the front runners began entering lapped traffic on lap nine. On lap ten Turner made his move entering turns one and two and, staying on the bottom of the track, got a run off turn two to separate himself from Sullivan to take the lead.

Turner began to switch to cruise control aboard his Hatfield Racing Engines powered GRT late model stock car as he had opened up a half stretch lead by the races midway point. Sullivan, Wallace, Purkey and Jeremy Payne were your top five at this point with Purkey beginning to make his move on Wallace for the third position. On lap twenty-three Purkey, a former two-time O’Reilly/NCRA champion, finally got underneath Wallace to take over that third spot.

But back up front there was no catching Turner as he cruised the rest of the caution free feature unchallenged to take the half stretch victory. “I have got to thank Rushin Towing and Swoffords AMOCO as they really help us make this possible.”

Sullivan would settle for the runner up spot while Purkey and Wallace settled for third and fourth respectively. Current O’Reilly/NCRA points Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colorado was the racers hard charger as the five time series champion started thirteenth to round out the top five.

Mechanical gremlins struck MARS DIRTCar series rookie of the year contender Gary Christian in his heat race forcing him to use a provisional and settle for a 22nd place finish and The Brake Man tough break award of the evening.

Wallace, Turner, Sullivan and Cory Zeitner took home the ten lap heat race victories while Larry Campbell gathered in the ten lap “B” features.

“Showdown in the Heartland II” featuring the MARS DIRTCar Series and the O’Reilly/NCRA late model divisions will conclude the four race swing on Sunday night at Monett Speedway in Monett, Missouri.

May 8 Results

A Feature: 1) Eric Turner 2) Jack Sullivan 3) Al Purkey 4) Wendall Walace 5) Kelly Boen 6) Will Vaught 7) Terry Phillips 8) Jeremy Payne 9) Cory Zeitner 10) Ken Schrader 11) Justin Wells 12) Larry Campbell 13) Jason O’Brien 14) Ryan Long 15) Dean Moore 16) Darrell Mooneyham 17) Gary Christian 18) Bill Koons 19) Dustin Mooneyham 20) Shawn Harker 21) Jace Kaser 22) Raymond Merrill 23) Zac Simmons 24) Justin Aspin

B Feature: 1) Larry Campbell 2) Ryan Long 3) Raymond Merrill 4) Zac Simmons 5) Jerry Warner 6) Shawn Harker 7) Jace Kaser 8) Justin Aspin 9) Wylan Petrie 10) Ryan Peacock 11) Gary Christian

1st Heat: 1) Wendall Wallace 2) Justin Wells 3) Jeremy Payne 4) Kelly Boen 5) Ryan Long 6) Jerry Warner 7) Jace Kaser

2nd Heat: 1) Eric Turner 2) Al Purkey 3) Terry Phillips 4) Will Vaught 5) Larry Campbell 6) Justin Aspin 7) Gary Christian

3rd Heat: 1) Jack Sullivan 2) Jason O’Brien 3) Dustin Mooneyham 4) Darrell Mooneyham 5) Zach Simmons 6) Shawn Harker 7) Wylan Petrie

4th Heat: 1) Cory Zeitner 2) Kenny Schrader 3) Bill Koons 4) Dean Moore 5) Raymond Merrill 6) Ryan Peacock

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A-Main  
1 99T Eric Turner Hermitage, MO
2 1 Jack Sullivan Greenbriar, AR
3 33 Al Purkey Coffeyville, KS
4 88 Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
5 33x Kelly Boen Henderson, CO
6 1V Will Vaught Crane, MO
7 75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
8 74 Jeremy Payne Springfield, MO
9 26JR Cory Zeitner Bellevue, NE
10 9 Ken Schrader Concord, NC
11 98 Justin Wells Aurora, MO
12 44 Larry Campbell Van Buren, AR
13 15J Jason O'Brien Atlantic, IA
14 18 Rylan Long Greenfield, MO
15 14 Dean Moore Grand Junction, CO
16 20 Darrell Mooneyham Verona, KS
17 58 Gary Christian Broken Bow, OK
18 29 Bill Koons Omaha, NE
19 2 Dustin Mooneyham Aurora, MO
20 40 Shawn Harker Nebraska City, NE
21 15 Jace Kaser Lincoln, NE
22 12 Raymond Merrill Salisaw, OK
23 23Z Zack Simmons Erie, KS
24 77A Justin Asplin Birch Tree, MO


Heat #1
1 88 Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
2 98 Justin Wells Aurora, MO
3 74 Jeremy Payne Springfield, MO
4 33x Kelly Boen Henderson, CO
5 18 Rylan Long Greenfield, MO
6 89 Jerry Warner LaVista, NE
7 15 Jace Kaser Lincoln, NE

Heat #2
1 99T Eric Turner Hermitage, MO
2 33 Al Purkey Coffeyville, KS
3 75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
4 1V Will Vaught Crane, MO
5 44 Larry Campbell Van Buren, AR
6 77A Justin Asplin Birch Tree, MO
7 58 Gary Christian Broken Bow, OK

Heat #3
1 1 Jack Sullivan Greenbriar, AR
2 15J Jason O'Brien Atlantic, IA
3 2 Dustin Mooneyham Aurora, MO
4 20 Darrell Mooneyham Verona, KS
5 23Z Zack Simmons Erie, KS
6 40 Shawn Harker Nebraska City, NE
7 49 Wylan Petrie Solmon, KS

Heat #4
1 26JR Cory Zeitner Bellevue, NE
2 9 Ken Schrader Concord, NC
3 29 Bill Koons Omaha, NE
4 14 Dean Moore Grand Junction, CO
5 12 Raymond Merrill Salisaw, OK
6  Peacock



Thanks Ron Mitchell for the track view this afternoon


Brill Motor Speedway in Meeker, OK will hosts its second Showdown in the Heartland event. Last year saw Kyle Berck of Marquette, Nebraska hold off Jason Bodenhamer to best a 33 car field in what some are calling the biggest event in the tracks history. The win was just one of two for Berck on the 2009 race season and helped him claim his second career series late model championship. Gates open at 4:30 PM with racing set for 7:00 PM with the feature winner taking home $2500. For race and ticket information, contact the track office (405) 769-6927.

As if witnessing some of the region’s top late model drivers isn’t enough, NASCAR star Kenny Schrader will be competing at Brill Motor Speedway in his Federated Auto Parts dirt late model.