Doug Ingalls returns to victory lane with big victory 

in 11th Annual Armadillo Nationals

Kilgore, Texas (August 3, 2002) - Hometown favorite Doug Ingalls, who only recently returned to the wheel of a Late Model, claimed the 37th O'Reilly SUPR victory of his career in topping the 11th Annual Armadillo Nationals.  Ingalls started on the outside pole and led every lap of the feature to take home the $8,000 winner's share.  Ingalls claimed the $5,000 winner's share, $50 per lap lead and a $500 bonus for leading the most laps.  B&K Underground Top Qualifier Jeff Chanler pursued Ingalls throughout the race but was unable to mount a serious challenge on the big 3/8th mile oval as the racetrack proved to be tough to pass on.

Ingalls, the three-time SUPR Champion won an O’Reilly SUPR feature for the first time since July 1999.  Ingalls was flying the colors of Sadler’s Smokehouse, sponsor of the Armadillo Nationals.  Ingalls, who has not raced full-time in the last 2 years, returned to the wheel of his Wall2Wall Performance Engines powered Chevrolet Monte Carlo GRT at the last O’Reilly SUPR event at Lone Star Speedway in mid-July.  “It was good just to get a win period.  Sometimes things just go your way.  The Good Lord was looking out for us.”

Ingalls had to hustle to get ready for the races as he lent his car to Lone Star Speedway promoter Terry Dickerson to help drum up interest in the event.  “I couldn’t even work on the car until Thursday night.  Then we started having motor problems in our heat race, it didn’t want to run in the lower rpm ranges, but I moved the car around in the heat race and got it up in the higher rpm ranges and it felt like an afterburner kicked in.”  Ingalls was able charge from fifth to first in the last 5 laps of his heat race, catching Tommy Surrett on the last lap and taking the lead in the final set of corners to earn a front row starting position. 

Ingalls and crewmember Dale Settles got up early Saturday morning and re-degreed the motor and it “Made all the difference in the world.  The motor performed flawlessly.”

Jeff Chanler earned the B&K Underground Top Qualifier award in the Jowers Motorsports PTS powered Chevrolet Monte Carlo Rayburn after winning the 3^rd heat race.  Chanler started on the pole but the racetrack favored the outside groove and Chanler was unable to keep Ingalls behind him at the start.  Chanler battled throughout the feature but could not get a clear run on Ingalls.

Rob Litton and Jay Blair, who battled it out in the 5^th heat race got back together in the feature with Litton once again able to hold off Blair who had worked his was past up to 5^th from his 9^th starting spot.

The battle for the 2002 O’Reilly SUPR Late Model Championships heated up when Rodney Wing slowed on the track with just 2 laps to go.  Wing not only relinquished fourth place in the running order, he also saw his point lead disappear.  David Ashley, who cut a tire down in his heat race and had to qualify through the last chance races, capped off a charge from his 21^st starting position to 8^th place in the final rundown.  The run earned him the Lloyd Wild Jr. Logging Hard Charger award and it also places Ashley 20 points ahead of Wing in the battle for the championship.

Kenny Merchant also closed in to within 56 points of first place in the championship chase as he also mounted an impressive charge through the field.  Merchant started 17^th after winning the first last chance race and then he worked his way to 6^th in the final rundown. 

Defending race champion Mike Bowers had a rough time defending the title.  He finished third in his heat race and started 14^th in the feature.  Bowers eventually dropped out of the feature late in the running and finished 17^th in the final rundown.

40 O’Reilly SUPR Late Models were on hand for the event.  Doug Ingalls, Chris Wall, Jeff Chanler, Rodney Wing and Rob Litton won the heat races with Kenny Merchant and Steve Latson topping the last chance races.

Official Results:

1.         Doug Ingalls

2.         Jeff Chanler

3.         Rob Litton

4.         Chris Wall

5.         Jay Blair

6.         Kenny Merchant

7.         Tommy Surrett

8.         David Ashley

9.         James Ward

10.       Kennith Crowe

11.       Jody Prince

12.       Jon Mitchell

13.       Jackie Ambern

14.       Sam Patrick

15.       Ryan Plaisance

16.       Rodney Wing

17.       Mike Bowers

18.       Keith Craft

19.       Curt Lipsey

20.       Duke Whiseant

21.       Ronny Adams

22.       Lee Davis

23.       Steve Latson

24.       Odie Green

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