OKTAHA — Outlaw Motor Speedway regular Jeran Frailey had things his way for 57 laps in the second annual Turkey Leg Enduro on Saturday afternoon at Outlaw Motor Speedway.
But then a right rear flat sent him to the pits, knocking him out of contention and opened the door for Tom Mansfield to win the $1,000 price for taking the checkered flag in the 100-lap race. The win was Mansfield’s second Enduro triumph in three weeks.
The South Coffeyville resident won a $1,000 for taking the 100 lap Coffeyville race earlier this month. He said he has designs going to Enid for a third race next weekend.
“I hope things can hang together just one more week,” Mansfield said of the car.”We’ll pull the car back home and check her out and make q decision after that.”
The 48-year-old racing veteran who calls South Coffeyville home said he had no idea where he was running in the race, other than “not very many cars had passed us and we had passed a lot.
“I didn’t know until that 16 car — Frailey — went out that I was in the lead. Those last 19 laps just kept my foot in the gas and depended on my navigator — son-in-law Rusty Wilson — to let me know what was going on around the track and keep me out of trouble.”
For Wilson, it was his first-ever ride in a race car.
“I just looked out for traffic and red flags,” Wilson said. “I wasn’t nervous at all, but I’ll tell you this, I wouldn’t ride in any other race car other than one driven by Tom.”
Frailey, who races in the Outlaw Modified division at OMS, took the lead on lap 24 and seemingly had the race in hand until his tire went down. He went to the pits to change tire but by the time he got back in the race, there were only 11 laps left and Mansfield had things pretty much in control. Frailey is from Chouteau.
“In an Enduro race, anything can happen to your car at any time. I was just hoping mine would hang together to the checkered flag.”
The race was filmed by a crew from Boston for a NOVA special to be aired on the Public Broadcasting System sometime in January. The special will deals with a scientific study on the forces associated with racing a car on a dirt track and collisions. Several cameras — including an in-car camera — filmed the race.
Mansfield almost didn’t have a ride, he was suppose to sell his car last Thursday for $700, but the purchaser never showed up.
“I’m glad he didn’t, I made an additional $300 by keeping the car, and now I have a chance to win again if I to go to Enid.”
