The Duncan Banner

Local Sports

Related Photos

  • Ron Booth

    7-31 Nunley Brothers
July 31, 2006

Sibling rivalry

Nunleys make racing a family affair

Ron Booth

MARLOW — When looking for a brother duo at Lawton Speedway, Thomas and Lonnie Nunley have proven tough to beat. The brothers started their racing careers four years ago, and Thomas won the mini-stock division last year. This year, he is in position to do the same thing.

For most of the season, Lonnie has been in second place, but he was overtaken Saturday night by Cody Bowden out of Lawton.

As it stands, Thomas is first with 2,940 points, Bowden is second at 2,550, and Lonnie is third with 2,540.

There really is a little bit of rivalry between the two brothers.

“Last year, it came down to the last night and I was further behind than what I am now,” Lonnie said.

Thomas leads the point standings in the mini-stock division, and Lonnie is close behind him in third place.

“It’s real competitive,” Thomas said. “He’s been running me real close until last week (two weeks ago) and his transmission broke.”

“When he is out front, he is pretty tough to catch,” Lonnie said. “Of course, if I’m out front, I’m pretty tough to catch. I just haven’t been out in front much lately.”

Lawton is the closest place for area racers to compete, plus Thomas says there are plenty of other quality drivers at the track.

“It’s fun,” he said. “There is a lot of competition over there.”

A change of scenery is sometimes unavoidable.

“If we get rained out, we’ll go somewhere else,” Lonnie said.

In a desire to improve themselves and the competition around them, the Nunleys plan to make the move to modifieds next year.

“I’ve raced modifieds twice this year and I’ll go that next year,” Thomas said. “You have to relearn everything.”

The competition is what has attracted Lonnie to the upper class.

“There is more power and you get into a lot better drivers,” he said. “Most of the guys in modifieds have been racing for years. If you mess up, you don’t have a chance that night.”

However, racing mini-stocks does present its own challenges.

“They’ll beat you to death,” Lonnie said of driving the smaller cars.

For Thomas, the challenge comes from the handling of the cars.

“These cars aren’t designed to circle on dirt,” he said.

For all dirt-track races, there is the weekly challenge of getting a car prepared for the upcoming race.

“If you wreck it real good, it is challenging to get them put back together,” Thomas said.

The tight-knit group of racers that resides in Marlow can all be counted on to help out, Thomas said.

“We all help each other out,” Thomas said. “There are four or five of us that race over there.”

Text Only
Local Sports
  • Duncan, Comanche girls golf teams take state titles

    The Duncan Lady Demons shaved six strokes off their team score on the second day of the girls’ state golf tournament, breaking free from a tie with Bishop McGuinness to capture the class 5A state title by five strokes Thursday in Oklahoma City.

    May 3, 2012

  • Bond increased for less than clever citizen

    On second thought, Daniel Steven Sanchez might wish he’d not making a statement about relocating, during an arrest early last week.

    February 19, 2012

  • Marlow man is arrested for warning shot at paper carrier

    A newspaper carrier discovered the job could be more hazardous than expected, when a gun was fired in his direction while he was distributing.

    January 27, 2012

  • Headed to Indy

    Hey, Indianapolis. A Manning will be playing in your Super Bowl, after all.

    No, not that one.

    It'll be Eli Manning leading the New York Giants to a Super Bowl XLVI rematch against the New England Patriots — and this time on older brother Peyton's home field.

    "It doesn't matter to me where you're playing it or the fact that it's in Indianapolis," Eli Manning said. "I'm just excited about being in one."

    January 23, 2012

  • Tide rolls to top; Pokes remain No. 3

    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Alabama's convincing victory in the BCS championship wasn't enough to convince all 60 Associated Press college football poll voters that the Crimson Tide is No. 1.
    Four members of the media panel had Oklahoma State at No. 1, and Erik Gee, of KNML-AM in Albuquerque, N.M., picked LSU — as he said he would before the game.

    January 10, 2012

  • New look BCS in making

    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Bowl Championship Series as college football fans have come to know it is going away. Over the next six months, the people who oversee the much-maligned postseason format will talk about how to reconstruct the system for crowning a national champion. In the tumultuous 14-year history of the BCS, the appetite for change among college football's leaders has never been stronger.

    January 9, 2012

  • While Lewis exits, Jones and Norvell stay

    Oklahoma’s Big 12 and national championship hopes received a boost and a blow on Thursday. Quarterback Landry Jones announced he will return for his senior season, but defensive end Ronnell Lewis has decided to leave. Also Thursday, receivers coach Jay Norvell announced he was remaining with the Sooners.

    January 5, 2012

  • Tiki takes care of business

    For nearly an hour Saturday, people in the stands at the Stephens County Fair & Expo arena were cheering intently — to watch a cow answer the call of Nature.

    December 18, 2011

  • Blackmon first-team All-American

    NEW YORK  — Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon was a repeat first-team selection  on the Associated Press All-America football team announced on Wednesday.
    Blackmon, a two-time Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top receiver, caught 113 passes for 1,336 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Cowboys, ranked No. 3 in the final AP poll as well as the BCS standings, tied No. 2 Alabama with six selections each. Alabama had the most first-teamers with four.
    Also for OSU, safety Markelle Martin was a second-teamer and tackle Levy Adcock, center Grant Garner, kicker Quinn Sharp and cornerback Brodrick Brown made the third team.
    Oklahoma had three named — wide receiver Ryan Broyles and defensive end Frank Alexander to the second team and guard Gabe Ikard to the third team.

    December 15, 2011

  • Sophomore Brennan DeHart came in second in the boys 100 freestyle event Monday in Harrah Splash down

    After a successful meet against Altus and Mustang last week, the Duncan High swimming team was back in action Monday afternoon in Harrah, competing against Tuttle and Oklahoma Christian.

    December 15, 2011 1 Photo