ELDON, MO – July 7, 2007 – Will Vaught wasn’t about to let another victory slip through his fingers.
 
With a late-race loss three days earlier still fresh in his mind, Vaught stayed focused from start-to-finish to capture Saturday night’s 40-lap MARS DIRTcar Series A-Main at Lake Ozark Speedway.
 
Vaught, 20, of Crane, Mo., passed Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kan., and Eric Turner of Hermitage, Mo., for the lead early in the distance and never looked back, erasing memories of the bitter defeat he absorbed in the MARS event on July 4 at Mid-America Speedway in South Coffeyville, Okla.
 
“I just concentrated on what I was doing in the rough (sections of the track),” said Vaught, who earned $3,000 for his second MARS triumph of the 2007 season. “I wasn’t gonna do what I did on Wednesday (at Mid-America), so I guess practice makes perfect.”
 
The rising young dirt Late Model star was the dominant force in the holiday special at Mid-America, but he was left as the runner-up to Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., after yielding the top spot due to a stumble in a rut just two laps from the finish.
 
Vaught made no miscues in Saturday night’s affair, which was co-sanctioned by the Midwest Late Model Racing Association (MLRA). The 2006 MARS DIRTcar Series Rookie of the Year controlled the action once he moved in front, keeping the veteran Purkey at arm’s length while racing to the checkered flag.
 
Purkey settled for second place, followed by four-time MARS champion Bill Frye of Greenbrier, Ark., who started 21st after a heat-race accident forced him to use a provisional to get in the A-Main, three-time MARS titlist Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., and the polesitting Turner.
 
“Our car was actually better than it was on Wednesday night,” said Vaught, who started fifth in his Circle M Auto Sales ‘GRT by Frye’ machine. “I was able to get up to third pretty quick, then after I followed Purkey and the 40 car (Turner) for a little while I drove by them and never saw anybody again.
 
“It feels good to get a win because I wasn’t happy about the way I lost the other night.”
 
Vaught, who recorded his first career MARS win on May 6 at Monett (Mo.) Speedway, joined Sullivan as the only repeat victors on this year’s tour. He also continued his maturation as dirt Late Model driver – a process that seems to have been accelerated thanks to the off-season education he received from Frye.
 
“I worked for Bill Frye during the winter and it’s made me better this year,” said Vaught, who lived at Frye’s home for much of his stint at the veteran star’s chassis and parts business. “I learned a lot about what to do to the car from him, little things that I didn’t know before.
 
“I owe most of the success we’re having this year to Bill. He’s helped me so much.”
 
The victory capped an impressive holiday week for Vaught. Prior to his second-place run at Mid-America, his ninth-place finish in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series event on July 3 at Missouri’s Lebanon I-44 Speedway earned him a $500 bonus for being the highest-finishing driver who wasn’t ranked among the top 12 in the WoO LMS point standings and had never won an Outlaws feature.
 
Vaught, who entered two ARCA stock car events in 2006 and is hoping to try his hand on asphalt again later this season, feels that challenging for the ’07 MARS title isn’t out of the question. He moved to second in the MARS standings with his victory, just 19 points behind Purkey, whose runner-up finish from the fourth starting spot vaulted him back to the top of the rankings.


“We’ll hopefully continue to improve and move up the ladder,” said Vaught, who mentioned that he might make his debut behind the wheel of a 305 Sprint Car this Saturday night at Springfield (Mo.) Speedway.
 
Thirty cars entered the event at the one-third-mile oval, which is in its first season under the direction of Kevin and Tammy Gundaker.
 
Heat winners were Turner, Mark Burgtorf of Quincy, Ill., Denny Woodworth of Mendon, Ill., and Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., and Chris Smyser of Lancaster, Mo., captured the B-Main.
 
The MARS DIRTcar Series will be idle until visiting Airport Speedway in Springfield, Mo., on Aug. 4 and Monett Speedway on Aug. 5.
 
MARS officials have also announced the addition of an event on Sat., Aug. 11, at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. The race will be co-sanctioned by the MLRA.
 
For more information on the MARS DIRTcar Series, visit www.midamericaracingseries.com.
 
MARS DIRTcar Series A-Main Finish (40 laps):
 
1. Will Vaught
2. Al Purkey
3. Bill Frye
4. Terry Phillips
5. Eric Turner
6. Denny Woodworth
7. Jeremy Payne
8. Alan Vaughn
9. Gary Stolba
10. Brandon McCormick
11. Jack Sullivan
12. Chad Zobrist
13. Tim Manville
14. Jason Bodenhammer
15. David Turner
16. Chris Smyser
17. Ricky Frankel
18. P.J. Haskins
19. Larry Clawson
20. Scott Drake
21. Steve Rushin
22. Tommy Elston
23. Mark Burgtorf
24. Randy Korte
 
DNQ: Billy Moyer Jr., Steve Grotz, Reid Millard, Tom Krankel, Kyle Beard, Joey Mack
 
MARS DIRTcar Series Point Standings:
 
1. Al Purkey 528 (-0)
2. Will Vaught 509 (-19)
3. Bill Frye 506 (-22)
4. Jeremy Payne 501 (-27)
5. Terry Phillips 498 (-30)
6. Jack Sullivan 497 (-31)
7. Brandon McCormick 437 (-91)
8. Steve Rushin 357 (-171)
9. David Turner 264 (-264)
10. John Anderson 240 (-288)
11. Joey Mack 235 (-293)
12. Gary Stolba 234 (-294)
13. Billy James 216 (-312)
14. Brad Looney 211 (-317)
15. Larry Jones 175 (-353)