PRYOR CREEK, Okla. – Jesse Stovall fought off a hard-charging Terry Phillips to win the finale of the sixth annual ARMI Freedom Classic presented by Henryetta Ford at Salina Highbanks Speedway.
The event was co-sanctioned by COMP Cams Super Dirt Series presented by Lucas Oil and the Lucas Oil MLRA.
The win was worth $5,000 for the Missouri racer.
Polesitter Mitch McGrath was joined on the front row for the 40 lapper by Timothy Culp. Culp jumped to the early lead and paced the first four seconds before Jesse Stovall took control.
Stovall cruised for the next several laps before a lap 21 caution erased his advantage. The next 19 circuits saw feverish racing action throughout the pack as Stovall encountered heavy lapped traffic late. With Stovall in traffic, fellow Missourian Terry Phillips moved in to challenge for the top spot.
With seven laps remaining Phillips briefly grabbed the lead with a slider, but contact with Stovall slowed Phillips momentum. Stovall shot back to the lead and went on to lead the final laps for the victory. Phillips, Culp, Logan Martin and Chad Simpson completed the top-five.
“This place is something else. It was on the gas and around that cushion,” Stovall said. “I was trying to save my tires and I think they were starting to give up, and I let Terry get back there to me and I didn’t even know it. I seen him at the very last minute there when he slid across. He is a dear friend of mine and I think a hell of a lot of him. I wouldn’t want to do that to any racer and that was not intentional, I was just concentrating on not running over the cushion more than I was what was below me.”
The finish:
Jesse Stovall, Terry Phillips, Timothy Culp, Logan Martin, Chad Simpson, Payton Looney, Tony Jackson Jr., B.J. Robinson, Brian Rickman, Morgan Bagley, Will Vaught, Hunter Rasdon, Gavin Landers, Raymond Merrill, Joseph Gorby, David Payne, Jon Mitchell, Jason Papich, Charlie Cole, Mitch McGrath, Kyle Beard.