Kenny Merchant tops I-30 Speedway and clinches 2003 O'Reilly SUPR Late Model Championship

Kenny Merchants tops I-30 Speedway and clinches

2003 O'Reilly SUPR Late Model Championship

Little Rock, Arkansas (September 27, 2003) – Kenny Merchant chased Brian Holloway for 38 laps before taking the lead and the win on lap 39 when Holloway slipped high exiting turn 4 at I-30 Speedway. With the victory, his eight of the year, Kenny Merchant clinched the 2003 O’Reilly SUPR Late Model Championship. Merchant arrived at I-30 Speedway needing 83 points to secure his first title and he went one step further, earning the B&K Underground Top Qualifier Award and then pursuing Holloway for 38 laps before taking the lead and the victory.

And with the championship in hand one would think that Merchant would be focused on the moment, but his thoughts and prayers were first for Dwayne Hommel. Hommel, the defending O’Reilly Southern All Stars Champion and a rising star in the world of Dirt Late Model racing is fighting for his life after a highway accident on Tuesday. “He is definitely one of the brightest people we have coming up in the sport. We wish him the best.”

Merchant thanked his long time supporters J.D. Caver, Keith Craft, Sanford Goddard and Warrior Race Cars for their support through the years. “J.D. has stuck with me thick and thin.” We had a good year. We didn’t have but two dnf’s, both happened when we were leading but that’s part of it. I mean last year we had dnf’s and missed a couple of shows and finished third in points and a couple of people chewed us out for missing a couple of shows but with eight dnf’s you’re not supposed to win the points. We won seven races last year and now we’ve won eight this year. We really had a bunch of luck, I mean the first of the year we just won for other people’s mistakes or misfortune, it’s just one of those deals.”

Brian Holloway was the surprise of the night winning his heat race and using his outside pole to take the lead at the drop of the green flag. A pair of early tangles helped thin out the field a bit but the battle up front was set with Holloway leading Merchant, Shane Harris, Ronny Adams and Rob Litton. The slick race track had the field working it was carefully through the corners as a slight slip could provide drivers with the chance to pass. That slip occurred on lap 21 as Harris slipped a bit in turn two and Adams tried to work under Harris. Harris checked up and Adams was pushed into Harris with an assist from Litton. Adams spun and Harris went to the pits for a quick tire change.

The battle up front remained between Holloway and Merchant with Litton moving in to third with Rusty Cummings and Raymond Merrill rounding out the top five. They would stay that way right through to the final laps when Holloway slipped out the groove in turn four with two laps to go and Merchant shot by to take the win. As Holloway put it, “I tried to protect the bottom and I went in there and I had to drive it straight to the corner and went I went straight to the corner I just couldn’t come off and when I showed him the bottom buddy he was like a cat, he pounced on it.”

Still Holloway was grateful for the strong run. “I have to give special thanks to Bill Frye, Bloomer and Bumpy. They’ve helped me as much as anything. I wouldn’t be here talking to you without them.”

Jon Mitchell had a heat race tangle and suffered a broken thumb in the process, but this didn’t keep him from earning a spot in the field and he then earned the Lloyd Wild Jr. Logging Hard Charger Award as he climbed from 19^th to 8^th in the feature.

25 O’Reilly SUPR Late Models were on hand. Kenny Merchant, Brian Holloway and Shane Harris took the heat race victories with Doug Ingalls topping the Last Chance race.

Official Results:

1. Kenny Merchant

2. Brian Holloway

3. Rob Litton

4. Rusty Cummings

5. Raymond Merrill

6. Mike Bowers

7. Doug Ingalls

8. Jon Mitchell

9. Shane Diamant

10. David Ashley

11. James Ward

12. Tommy Surrett

13. Donnie Barnhart

14. Shane Harris

15. Curt Lipsey

16. Odie Green

17. Paul Boshers

18. Ronny Adams

19. Keith Craft

20. Cody Chisolm

21. Terry Henson

22. Jody Prince

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