August 26, 2023 | By John Rittenoure

Bailey edges Dixon at the checkered for first Sooner Series victory

TULSA, Okla. —  It was a battle to the finish Friday night at Tulsa Speedway.

Dustin Dixon was just one turn away from his first Complete Well Testing Sooner Late Model Series presented by Hayden Ross Motorsports Foundation victory, but it was not too be. Shayne Bailey pulled alongside off turn four and beat Dixon by inches at the finish line for the win.

“I got around him off the top of four. I just stayed on the gas,” Bailey said of his move for the win. “He was running sort of a protective line trying to keep the inside sowed up.”

Bailey, starting his first Sooner Series feature, gridded the race in 9th and worked his way to second midway through the 20-lapper. But contact with Dixon sent him to the rear for the restart. Bailey charged through the pack to second on lap 16 then used the high line to reel Dixon in.

“We got to second and the leader got crossways, we made contact and we went to the back,” Bailey, who hails from Missouri, said. I did not know how many cars were left. I realized nobody was on the top and I decided I was going to the top and and either go to the front or wreck it. And we went to the front.”

Dixon moved into the lead on lap two after leader Kip Hughes pulled out with mechanical problems. Dixon led throughout the race turning back challenges from Bailey and Jacob Magee who also worked into second for awhile.

For Dixon second was his best finish todate.

“It was pretty heartbreaking,” Dixon said of his loss at the finish line. “We kept trying to fight the track and the ruts were not like anything we have seen this year. I did not run the same line twice. I tried something different every time trying to get around the ruts.”

On the final turn Dixon tired everything he could to stop Bailey.

“We got a good push going in and he was running pretty hard on the outside,” Dixon said of Bailey. “We had to checkup because he got to us on the outside corner. I tried to fight back, but it was not enough.”

Finishing behind Dixon was Eric Brill in third, his best finish of the season. Brett Hansen charged from 15th to fourth earning him the Mark’s Machine Shoe Hard Charger award. Richard Shepler was fifth.

Next event is the $3,000-to-win James House Memorial Saturday at Caney Valley Speedway.

Complete Well Testing, Hayden Ross Motorsports Foundation
Sooner Late Model Series Results
Tulsa Speedway, Tulsa, Oklahoma
August 25, 2023

Complete Well Testing A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 7-Shayne Bailey[9]; 2. 078-Dustin Dixon[2]; 3. 65-Eric Brill[4]; 4. 7H-Brett Hansen[15]; 5. 88S-Richard Shepler[13]; 6. 26-Adrien Hickman[11]; 7. 9XX-Dakota Dellinger[17]; 8. 66-Eli Ross[16]; 9. 95-Zach Nickell[14]; 10. H1-Steve Hewitt Sr[10]; 11. 10-Jacob Magee[6]; 12. 1-Eddie Tidwell[7]; 13. 36-Jason Redman[5]; 14. 27X-Ron Brown[12]; 15. 229-Kip Hughes[1]; 16. 9-Joseph Gorby[3]; 17. 14-Joe Godsey[8]

O’Reilly Auto Parts Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 078-Dustin Dixon[4]; 2. 10-Jacob Magee[5]; 3. 14-Joe Godsey[2]; 4. 26-Adrien Hickman[1]; 5. 88S-Richard Shepler[6]; 6. 66-Eli Ross[3]

DesignOne Racewear Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 229-Kip Hughes[3]; 2. 65-Eric Brill[6]; 3. 7-Shayne Bailey[4]; 4. 1-Eddie Tidwell[1]; 5. 95-Zach Nickell[2]; 6. 9XX-Dakota Dellinger[5]

Hayden Ross Motiorsports Foundation Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 9-Joseph Gorby[2]; 2. 36-Jason Redman[5]; 3. H1-Steve Hewitt Sr[3]; 4. 27X-Ron Brown[1]; 5. (DNS) 7H-Brett Hansen

Lap Leaders: Kip Hughes 1, Dustin Dixon 2-19, Shayne Bailey 20.
Marks Machine Shop Hard Charger: Brett Hansen +11

2023 Winners
4/14 - Kip Hughes - Thunderbird Speedway
4/15 - Brett Hansen - Tulsa Speedway
4/29 - Brett Hansen - Monett Raceway
5/6 - Brett Hansen - Thunderbird Speedway
6/2 - Kip Hughes - Outlaw Motor Speedway
6/9 - Kip Hughes - Humboldt Speedway
6/10 - Kip Hughes - 81 Speedway
6/24 - Jace Parmley - Salina Highbanks Speedway
7/1 - Joseph Gorby - Enid Speedway
7/15 - Brett Hansen - Longdale Speedway
7/22 - Kip Hughes - Caney Valley Speedway
7/29 - Brett Hansen - Enid Speedway?
8/19 - Joseph Gorby - Longdale Speedway
8/25 - Shayne Bailey - Tulsa Speedway

Top 10 Standings: 1. Brett Hansen 5915; 2. Eli Ross, 5390; 3. Richard Shepler, 5295; 4. Joseph Gorby, 4855; 5. Eric Brill, 4295; 6. Dakota Dellinger, 4180; 7. Ron Brown, 4045; 8. Gary Lowe, 3685; 9. Kip Hughes, 3605; 10. Steve Hewitt, Sr., 3195.

About Complete Well Testing
Based in Oklahoma, Complete Well Testing is a family owned and operated company specializing in hydrostatic tubing testing and EMI tubing scanning.

Hayden Ross Motorsports Foundation
Hayden Ross Motorsports Foundation goal is to help grow both high school, trade school and college programs to start and or develop a motorsports program, club, or organizations at their school as well as individual motorsports programs. HRMF will provide financial grants, equipment, expertise, scholarships, and educational opportunities for these organizations and individuals. This program will allow students to overcome the hurdle of entering motorsports due to the high costs and specialized experience needed to get started. This program will allow these students the opportunity to be part of a team with one overall goal of success on the track, including budgeting, marketing, mechanical skills, logistics, and team building efforts. All while honoring the life lost to early of Hayden Diesel Ross, #forever66.

Sooner Late Model Series
The Sooner Late Model Series was formed in 2016 by Enid Speedway co-promoter Mark Brill. Brill felt there was not many opportunities for late model competitors to race in Oklahoma and the Sooner Late Model Series was formed. Now the series has grown beyond the borders of Oklahoma with events held in the neighboring states of Kansas, Texas and Arkansas