Phillips picks up $10,000 Sooner Series payday

By John Rittenoure (Maxx Ramsey Photo) - ENID, Okla. (July 5, 2025) - A record Hayden Ross Motorsports Foundation Sooner Late Model Series payout was up for grabs Saturday and it was enough to lure Terry Phillips to make his first visit to Enid Speedway.

A total of $10,000 was awaiting the 50-lap main event winner and Phillips had no trouble earning the prize money and his first career Sooner Series win.

After winning the qualifying feature on Friday to lock in the pole for Saturday, Phillips roared into the lap 1 lead and went the distance around the 3/8’s mile oval. Kip Hughes gave chase from his inside second row starting position but fell to third 18 giving way to Jon Herring, Jr. After the yellow was thrown for a fuel stop on lap 26, Hughes shot back into second. Phillips encountered lapped traffic on lap 47 and Hughes moved to within striking distance. But Phillips gunned his number 75 and kept Hughes behind him. Herring held onto third, Damian Patocka drove into fourth and Delbert Smith rounded out the top five.

Sooner Late Model Series

Enid Speedway - Enid, Oklahoma

July 4-5, 2025

Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 02-Tanner Mullens[4]; 2. 75-Terry Phillips[6]; 3. 21-Christopher Wilhite JR[5]; 4. A2-Randy Wilson[1]; 5. 11H-Denver Howard[2]; 6. 171H-Drew Harless[7]; 7. 67-Caleb Ramer[3]

Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 66-Joe Godsey[1]; 2. 92S-Dan Smith[3]; 3. 4X-Dalon Helm[5]; 4. H1-Steve Hewitt Sr[4]; 5. 171-Dax Harless[2]; 6. 95-Tommy Bohnstedt[6]

Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 92-Delbert Smith[2]; 2. 3J-Jake Nightingale[1]; 3. 60-Kip Hughes[5]; 4. 96-Jon Herring Jr[6]; 5. 122-Damian Patocka[3]; 6. 99J-Nate Jantz[4]

Qualifying Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 75-Terry Phillips[2]; 2. 92S-Dan Smith[5]; 3. 60-Kip Hughes[8]; 4. 66-Joe Godsey[4]; 5. 96-Jon Herring Jr[10]; 6. 122-Damian Patocka[13]; 7. 4X-Dalon Helm[7]; 8. 92-Delbert Smith[3]; 9. 21-Christopher Wilhite JR[6]; 10. A2-Randy Wilson[12]; 11. 11H-Denver Howard[14]; 12. 99J-Nate Jantz[17]; 13. H1-Steve Hewitt Sr[11]; 14. 171H-Drew Harless[19]; 15. 3J-Jake Nightingale[9]; 16. 67-Caleb Ramer[18]; 17. 02-Tanner Mullens[1]; 18. 95-Tommy Bohnstedt[16]; 19. (DNS) 171-Dax Harless

Hayden Ross Motorsports Foundation A Feature 1 (50 Laps): 1. 75-Terry Phillips[1]; 2. 60-Kip Hughes[3]; 3. 96-Jon Herring Jr[5]; 4. 122-Damian Patocka[6]; 5. 92-Delbert Smith[8]; 6. 66-Joe Godsey[4]; 7. 21-Christopher Wilhite JR[9]; 8. 194-Scott Phillips[21]; 9. A2-Randy Wilson[10]; 10. 171-Dax Harless[19]; 11. 19-RJ Ramer[20]; 12. 95-Tommy Bohnstedt[18]; 13. 4X-Dalon Helm[7]; 14. 67-Caleb Ramer[16]; 15. 92S-Dan Smith[2]; 16. 99J-Nate Jantz[12]; 17. 11H-Denver Howard[11]; 18. (DNS) 171H-Drew Harless; 19. (DNS) H1-Steve Hewitt Sr; 20. (DNS) 02-Tanner Mullens; 21. (DNS) 3J-Jake Nightingale

Lap Leaders: 1-50 Terry Phillips.

Margin of victory: 1.447.

2025 Winners: 3/28 - Eli Ross, Enid Speedway; 4/11 - Eli Ross, Thunderbird Speedway; 4/12 -  Bryan Glaze, Crawford County Speedway; 5/30 - Brandon Conkwright, Humboldt Speedway; 5/31 - Kyle Berck, 81 Speedway; 6/20 - Christopher Wilhite, Enid Speedway; 6/28 - Eli Ross, Thunderbird Speedway; 7/5 - Terry Phillips, Enid Speedway.

2025 Top 10: 1. Dan Smith 3052; 2. Delbert Smith 2985; 3. Steve Hewitt, Sr. 2320; 4. Eric Brill 2170; 5. Colby Moore 1740; 6. Eli Ross, Gary Lowe 1525; 8. Joseph Gorby 1400; 9. Chris Hewitt 1305; 10. Dax Harless 1260.

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.