National Championship Racing Association
Phillips Wins NCRA Late Model Main at Heartland Park

By David Smith, Jr. 
   
TOPEKA, Kan. (August 3, 2008) - Terry Phillips of Springfield, Missouri made it two feature victories in a row as he took command on lap eight and never looked back to win the O'Reilly/NCRA late model presented by ICM/Ethanol feature Sunday night at Heartland Park. The race was also held with the Topless Outlaw Racing Association (TORA).

Jason Bodenhamer and Phillips started on the front row for the thirty lap feature with Centerview, Missouri's Bodenhamer taking the lead as the green flag fell. Phillips, Kelly Boen and current series points leader Kyle Berck gave chase as Berck over took Boen for the runner up position on lap two. The red flag fell one lap later when Tyler Gottschalk and Delbert Smith got together entering turn three causing Gottschalk to hit the wall. He was uninjured but done for the night.

On the restart, Berck over took Phillips for the runner up position with a pass up top in turns three and four. Bodenhamer used the low line to keep a two car length lead over Berck, who found the top of the track too his liking. While the front two runners were battling for position, seventh starting John Anderson made his way towards the front, passing Boen for fourth before the caution fell on lap five for debree in turns three and four.

The restart saw Phillips return the favor to Berck as he used the high-line in turns one and two to retake the runner up position and set his sights on the leader. Lap seven saw Phillips make a run on Bodenhamer down the backstretch before using the top side in turns one and two the next time around to take the lead. Phillips quickly opoened a ten car length advantage by lap ten while behind him, Boen regained his move towards the front, passing Berck for second on lap eleven. 

The leaders approached lapped traffic for the first time on lap fourteen allowing Boen to close to within three car lengths. At the halfway point it was Phillips, followed by Boen, Berck, Anderson and Bodenhamer before the races final caution fell on lap seventeen.

On the final restart and with a clear track ahead of him, Phillips quickly set the pace but behind him the battle for second was heating up between Boen, Berck and Anderson. While Boen and Berck were battling for position down the backstretch, Anderson passed them both and secured the second spot entering turn three.

Phillips would enter lapped traffic again on lap twenty-three but worked the lapped cars to perfection and went the rest of the way unchallenged to pick up the victory. Anderson settled for second, ten car lengths behind at the finish. Boen settled for third with Berck fourrth. Ninth starting Al Purkey worked his way up to a fifth place finish.

The eight lap heat races for the twenty-eight car field were won by Phillips, Boen, Bodenhamer and Jeremy Payne while Mike Wiarda took home the "B" feature honors. 

 
O'Reilly Finish Line

1st Heat: 1. Terry Phillips 2. Bryant Goldsmith 3. John Anderson 4. Shawn Harker 5. David Brack 6. Wylan Petrie 7. Todd Doty. 

2nd Heat: 1. Kelly Boen 2. Travis Dickes 3. Tyler Gottschalk 4. Delbert Smith 5. Mike Wiarda 6. Chris Morgan 7. Kelly Dunn. 

3rd Heat: 1. Jason Bodenhamer 2. Al Purkey 3. Phil Barrow 4. Steve Foster 5. Gary Webb 6. Marty Doner 7. Mike McCleary. 


4th Heat: 1. Jeremy Payne 2. Kyle Berck 3. Greg larsen 4. Brad fortney 5. Cale Gotschock 6. T.J. McCleary 7. Bill Koons.
 

B Feature: 1. Mike Wiarda 2. Brad Fortney 3. David Brack 4. Marty Doner 5. Kelly Dunn 6. Gary Webb 7. Bill Koons 8. Chris Morgan 9. Wylan Petrie 10. Todd Doty 11. Steve Foster 12. TJ McCleary 13. Cale Gottschalk 14. Mike McCleary.

 

A Feature: 1. Terry Phillips 2. John Anderson 3. Kelly Boen 4. Kyle Berck 5. Al Purkey 6. Travis Dickes 7. Bryant Goldsmith 8. Jeremy Payne 9. Jason Bodenhamer 10. Mike Wiarda 11. Phil Barrow 12. Shawn Harker 13. Delbert Smith 14. Marty Doner 15. David Brack 16. Chris Morgan 17. Brad Fortney 18. Steve Foster 19. Wylan Petrie 20. Bill Koons 21. Todd Doty 22. Kelly Dunn 23. Gary Webb 24. Tyler Gottschalk 25. Greg Larsen.