Day: July 5, 2017 | Karnac Racing News

NANCE SWEEPS LAVONIA FOR FIRST FASTRAK CAREER WIN

LAVONIA, GA – Matthew Nance won his first career FASTRAK Pro Late Model Series South East Region Tour race by being hotter than a firecracker on the July 4th Weekend. Nance drove the Diversified Finishers Longhorn to Fast Time honors, won his eight-lap Heat Race, and then led all 40 laps of the feature to sweep the 6th Annual Charlie Mize Memorial at Lavonia Speedway.

While the Ronda, NC driver looked like he had the dominant race car, lapped traffic made things interesting on the last lap. For most of the race, Nance was able to maintain a 2.5 second lead over Brent Dixon of Elberton, GA.

In the last two laps of the race, Dixon was able to cut that deficient in half, and close to within a couple of car lengths as the lead duo took the white flag. Nance hung on for the win, with Dixon finishing second in the Jacky Jones Club 29.

“I was trying to be as patient as I could be with the lapped cars on the final lap of the race because I knew if I wasn’t, I could have thrown it all away,” Nance said. “I kept waiting to see someone alongside of me, but there was no one there. I’ve ran this series for two years, and FASTRAK has the best Pro Late Model drivers in the country. This is really special to win one of these races.”

Former FASTRAK Champion Ron Parker of Belwood, NC finished third in the Schaeffer Oil Rocket, and Danny Sanders of Athens, GA took the fourth spot in the Coors Light Longhorn. Frankie Beard of Hartwell, GA was fifth in the Jessica Cornett Racing/CMP Automotive Mastersbilt, and Benji Hicks of Mt. Airy, NC drove the T&K Enterprises Longhorn to a sixth-place finish.

Will Beard of Hartwell, GA finished seventh in the Old 29 Golf Carts Rocket, and Jensen Ford of Piney Flats, TN was the Hard Charger of the Race after starting 14th in the Tim Byrd Motorsports TNT and finished eighth. Peyton Freeman of Commerce, GA was ninth in the Freeman Plumbing Longhorn, and Phillip Thompson of Knoxville, TN rounded out the top ten in the Milmax Filtration Warrior and was the Rookie of the Race.

Ford came into the Charlie Mize Memorial Race with a two point lead over Hicks in what has become one of the closest championship point battles in motorsports this season. It couldn’t get any closer, right? Don’t take that bet! Ford and Hicks left Lavonia Speedway on Monday night sharing the FASTRAK SE point lead.

After the first six races of the 2017 FASTRAK SE season, the championship point lead has either changed or been shared after every race. In preliminary action on Monday night at Lavonia Speedway, Nance out-timed the 22-car field with a lap in 16.780 seconds. Along with Nance, the other two eight-lap heat races were won by Dixon and Parker.

Nance took control of the race from the drop of the green flag, as he charged from his outside front row starting spot to take the lead from polesitter Dixon, with Parker, defending FASTRAK SE Champion Cla Knight of North Augusta, SC in the Augusta Aquatics Longhorn, and Beard trailing in the top five.

The race leader set a fast pace in the opening laps, has he jumped out to a 12 car-length lead by lap four, and stretched that out to a half-straightaway lead over Dixon by lap six. Nance began to encounter the cars on the tail end of the lead lap on the tenth circuit, but Dixon could not close the gap.

The two second lead Nance built up on Dixon at the halfway point of the race went away on lap 23 when the first of three caution flags came out for Will Harris of Maysville, GA, who stalled his AFCO Rocket in turn two. When the field doubled up for the restart, Nance chose the inside, while Dixon took the outside to the right of the leader.

Parker chose the inside from the third spot to restart behind Nance. Traditionally, Knight would have went to the outside of Parker, but since FASTRAK rules state a driver has the option to go to the inside or the outside, Knight decided to try a different strategy and he chose the inside to restart behind Parker. Beard, from the fifth spot, filled the position outside of Parker.

The green light for the restart quickly gave way to the yellow caution bulb, as Knight ended up against the outside guardrail in turn one. Knight retired for the evening with damage on the right-front corner of his race car. Sam Hicks of Hartwell, GA slowed the field down for the final time on lap 24 when he spun the Old 29 Golf Carts Barry Wright in turn four.

Nance led Dixon, Parker, Sanders, Frankie Beard, Will Beard, Adam Partain of Hartwell, GA in the Partain Farms Barry Wright, Benji Hicks, Thompson and Ford down for the double-file restart. Hicks got up on the wheel when the green flag came out, as he advanced from eighth to sixth, a move that would end up putting him at the top of the points list with Ford at the end of the race.

With ten laps to go, Nance had a 1.855 second lead over Dixon, and it at first appeared lapped cars would not play a role in the race outcome. That all changed with two laps to go, as three lapped cars were racing each other for position as Nance closed in. Nance took the white flag behind them with no place to go. That also meant that Dixon, who closed fast, also had no place to go.

The next race for the FASTRAK Pro Late Model Series South East Region Tour will take place on Saturday night, July 22 at Screven Motorsports Complex in Sylvania, GA with the $2,000-to-win, $250-to-start Rebel Yell 40.

Check out the official website for the FASTRAK Racing Series at www.fastrakracing.com and continue to follow our social media networks for the FASTRAK Racing Series. Like and Follow our Fan Page on Facebook plus follow @FASTRAK_SE and/or @FASTRAK_MOV on Twitter to get up to the minute news and details as they become available.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 6 AT LAVONIA SPEEDWAY IN LAVONIA, GA ON 7/3/17:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 2 24n Matthew Nance Ronda, NC 40 $2,000
2. 1 1 Brent Dixon Elberton, GA 40 $1,000
3. 3 8 Ron Parker Belwood, NC 40 $700
4. 6 4 Danny Sanders Athens, GA 40 $600
5. 4 2 Frankie Beard Hartwell, GA 40 $500
6. 9 55 Benji Hicks Mt. Airy, NC 40 $450
7. 8 29 Will Beard Hartwell, GA 40 $400
8. 14 83 Jensen Ford Piney Flats, TN 40 $375
9. 13 F1 Peyton Freeman Commerce, GA 40 $350
10. 12 24T Phillip Thompson Knoxville, TN 40 $325
11. 11 11 David Smith Inman, SC 40 $315
12. 15 11h Derrek Harvey Toccoa, GA 40 $300
13. 16 44 Dylan Lewis Oakland, MD 39 $275
14. 18 371 Drew Benfield Toccoa, GA 39 $265
15. 17 9 Sam Hicks Hartwell, GA 38 $250
16. 21 66w Larry Waters Cumming, GA 36 $250
17. 7 87 Adam Partain Hartwell, GA 25 $250
18. 5 42 Cla Knight North Augusta, SC 22 $250
19. 22 21 Will Harris Maysville, GA 20 $250
20. 19 3a Eric Veal Royston, GA 16 $250
21. 10 14 Adam Smith Carnesville, GA 5 $250
22. 20 30 Cole Hardy Jefferson, GA 3 $250

ENTRIES: 22
FAST QUALIFIER: Nance, 16.780 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAP LEADER: Nance, 1-40
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Thompson
HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE: Ford (started 14th and finished 8th)
CAUTIONS: 3
MARGIN OF VICTORY: .638 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 34 Minutes and 46.611 Seconds
NEXT EVENT: July 22, Screven Motorsports Complex, Sylvania, GA, $2,000-to-win, $250-to start Rebel Yell 40

GROUP QUALIFYING:

GROUP 1:
POS	CAR #	DRIVER	HOMETOWN	CHASSIS	1ST LAP	2ND LAP	TIME
1	1	Brent Dixon	Elberton, GA	Club 29	17.013	17.031	17.016
2	87	Adam Partain	Hartwell, GA	Barry Wright	17.131	17.293	17.131
3	2	Frankie Beard	Hartwell, GA	Mastersbilt	17.490	17.221	17.221
4	F1	:Peyton Freeman	Commerce, GA	Longhorn	17.290	17.229	17.229
5	14	Adam Smith	Carnesville, GA	Rocket	NT	17.317	17.317
6	3a	Eric Veal	Royston, GA	Rocket	17.399	17.359	17.359
7	44	Dylan Lewis	Oakland, MD	Mastersbilt	NT	NT	NT

GROUP 2:
POS	CAR #	DRIVER	HOMETOWN	CHASSIS	1ST LAP	2ND LAP	TIME
1	24n	Matthew Nance	Ronda, NC	Longhorn	16.886	16.780	16.780
2	42	Cla Knight	North Augusta, SC	Longhorn	17.052	16.865	16.865
3	11	David Smith	Inman, SC	TNT	17.397	16.872	16.872
4	29	Will Beard	Hartwell, GA	Rocket	17.141	17.046	17.046
5	83	Jensen Ford	Piney Flats, TN	TNT	17.058	17.308	17.058
6	30	Cole Hardy	Jefferson, GA	Longhorn	17.348	17.169	17.169
7	9	Sam Hicks	Hartwell, GA	Barry Wright	17.847	18.046	17.847

GROUP 3:
POS	CAR #	DRIVER	HOMETOWN	CHASSIS	1ST LAP	2ND LAP	TIME
1	24T	Phillip Thompson	Knoxville, TN	Warrior	17.659	16.866	16.866
2	8	Ron Parker	Belwood, NC	Rocket	17.126	16.976	16.976
3	55	Benji Hicks	Mt. Airy, NC	Longhorn	17.159	17.091	17.091
4	4	Danny Sanders	Athens, GA	Longhorn	17.204	17.228	17.204
5	371	Drew Benfield	Toccoa, GA	Longhorn	17.453	17.347	17.347
6	11h	Derrick Harvey	Toccoa, GA	Walter Newman	17.380	17.423	17.380
7	66w	Larry Waters	Cumming, GA	Rocket	17.436	17.831	17.436
8	21	Will Harris	Maysville, GA	Rocket	18.080	17.987	17.987

HEAT RACES ( Laps):

1ST HEAT: 1. Dixon; 2. F. Beard; 3. Partain; 4. A. Smith; 5. Freeman; 6. Lewis; 7. Veal.

2ND HEAT: 1. Nance; 2. Knight; 3. W. Beard; 4. D. Smith; 5. Ford; 6. S. Hicks; 7. Hardy.

3RD HEAT: 1. Parker; 2. Sanders; 3. B. Hicks; 4. Thompson; 5. Harvey; 6. Benfield; 7. Waters; 8. Harris.

FASTRAK PRO LATE MODEL SERIES SOUTH EAST REGION POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 7/3/17:

1. 83 Jensen Ford – 183
1. 55 Benji Hicks – 183
3. 24n Matthew Nance – 175
4. 8 Ron Parker – 172
5. 42 Cla Knight – 162
6. 24T Phillip Thompson (R) – 140
7. 44 Dylan Lewis (R) – 133
8. 2 Frankie Beard – 111
9. 30 Tyler Bare – 98
10. 11 David Smith – 96
11. F1 Peyton Freeman – 73
12. 7a Corey Almond – 66
13. 2w Justin Williams – 59
14. 99 Teddy Tate (R) – 56
15. 14 Adam Smith – 52

THE 2017 MARKETING PARTNERS FOR THE FASTRAK RACING SERIES ARE CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE, HOOSIER RACING TIRE, VP RACING FUEL, BEYEA HEADERS, ROCKET CHASSIS, TNT RACE CARS, ARIZONA SPORT SHIRTS, SIMPSON SAFETY EQUIPMENT, SAFECRAFT FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS, ROCK AUTO.COM, AND THOMAS CLARKE PERFORMANCE.

By Scott|2017-07-05T18:52:57-04:00July 5th, 2017|Fastrak Late Model Series, Front Page News, Regional|Comments Off

Ivedent Lloyd Jr. and Big Frog Motorsports Land in Tri County Victory Lane

Ocala, Florida (07/05/17) – Ivedent Lloyd Jr. Racing enjoyed a strong holiday weekend in the Big Frog Motorsports #58 Dave’s Towing/ XR1 Rocket Chassis Late Model/ Cornett Racing Engines Super Late Model. While dodging Mother Nature the team captured a Top 5 and a win.

“Ivedent and I have been friends for a long time, and we worked out a deal to have him pilot our Super Late Model, when we don’t have races scheduled with Devin Dixon,” noted Augie David Burttram with Big Frog Motorsports. “This is a really great situation for all of us, and it was awesome to see Ivedent getting the win at Tri County Race Track on Monday. A special thanks goes out to everyone who supports our team.”

Piloting the Big Frog Motorsports #58 entry, Ivedent Lloyd Jr. visited Senoia Raceway (Senoia, Georgia) on Saturday night for the Southern All Star Series sanctioned, Michael Head Jr. Memorial. Drawing 36 Super Late Models for the event, honoring the late son of former SAS champion Mike Head, Ivedent posted the fourth-fastest time in qualifying, locking him into the 4th-starting position for the feature. With $5,454 on the line, Lloyd Jr. raced in the Top 5 for the duration of the 54-lap finale before ultimately registering a 4th-place finish behind Clint Smith, Austin Horton, and Cody King with Tristan Sealy coming in 5th.

After Mother Nature ended their night at Rome Speedway (Rome, Georgia) on Sunday after laying down the third fastest lap in time trials, the Big Frog Motorsports team headed to TriCounty Racetrack (Brasstown, North Carolina) on Monday for the Super Late Model event.

Bringing home his first win of the season in the team’s car, Ivedent Lloyd Jr. topped the field in the Independence Day Championship feature, picking up the $1,500 payday.

Tuesday night’s Southern Nationals Bonus Series event at North Georgia Speedway (Chatsworth, Georgia) was rescheduled due to weather.

Complete results can be found at www.SASDirt.com and www.TriCountyRaceTrack.com .

This Saturday, July 8 Devin Dixon will return to the driver’s seat as Big Frog Motorsports rolls into Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, Florida) for the annual Powell Memorial. The program pays $5,000 to the winner. For more information on the event, please visit www.VSPDirtLife.com .

Big Frog Motorsports would like to thank their principal and associate sponsors including Dave’s Towing, Big Frog Shocks, Big Frog Signs and Graphics, Ocala Tractor, Southway Crane Service, M&W Transport, FK Rod Ends, Schaeffers Oil, Racecar Engineering, Wilwood Brakes, Keyser Manufacturing, Rocket Chassis, Sunoco Race Fuels, Koury Racing Engines, Integra Shocks, Hoosier Race Tire by Brian, Daytona Sensors LLC, Schoenfeld Headers, COMP Cams, AR Bodies, Vahlco Wheels, Leaf Firesuits, JE Pistons, Red Line Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, Fast Shafts, Callies Race Products, Superior Bearings, Ferrea Valves, Butlerbuilt Seats, C&R Racing, Leaf Racewear, and MSR Mafia Marketing Services.

For the latest team news and updates on Big Frog Motorsports please visit www.BigFrogMotorsports.com .

By Scott|2017-07-05T18:47:48-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, Regional|Comments Off

William’s Wins “Masters of the Pro’s” 144 Claims First Green Jacket

Salem, IN (July 4, 2017) – Cole Williams has been a strong performer for several seasons in a Pro Late Model, winning track championships in that class at both Lebanon I-44 Speedway and Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, but Williams has now put himself in contention to be one of the top Pro Late Model drivers in the country with his win in the Short Track U.S. Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway on May 21st and a dominating win in last night’s JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance Masters of the Pro’s” 144 at Lebanon I-44 Speedway.

“This is awesome, I’ve wanted to get the green jacket and a win in this event since it started,” remarked Williams in victory lane. “To get this win means a lot for our team, getting the win at Bristol was awesome, and then to follow it up with winning this race, this is unbelievable. I have a lot of fans at this track, it’s great to have their support. I couldn’t do it without this awesome team and the support of my sponsors and my family!”

Williams took advantage of his outside pole starting position after Fury Race Cars Fast Qualifier Michael Clancy Jr. drew a seven for the events invert. Williams powered around the outside of pole sitter Austin Kunert to grab the early lead. The win did not come easy, even though Williams led all 144 laps of the event, the first time anyone has ever done that.

Williams had to fight off challengers on seven different restarts through the event, drivers who battled hard with Williams for the lead included Chandler Smith, who briefly passed Williams, the only car to do so all night, but a yellow flag came out right after the pass before a lap was scored, giving the lead back to Williams.

Other challengers for the lead included series points leader Jack Dossey III, Cole Rouse and Stephen Nasse, who battled with Williams from the green flag after the lap 100 break until a flat tire ended Nasse’s charge and brought out a late yellow with six laps remaining. Williams then held off the late charge of Dossey III to get the win and the $8000 payoff and the coveted green jacket. Williams was awarded the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race for holding off all challengers to get the win and the Earnest Performance Lap Leader Award.

“Those guys all raced me hard, but clean,” added Williams. “Nasse had a good car, but I kept him on the bottom so he couldn’t keep his momentum up. It was a tough 144 laps, the toughest I’ve ever ran!”

Dossey III would match his best series finish with his second straight second place finish to add to his series points lead and picked up his second straight FLUIDYNE Cool Under Pressure Award. Cole Rouse came from his 11th place starting position to finish in third place and earn a Great Lakes Tire/Hoosier Performance Award and the Racing Electronics Hardcharger Award. Smith hung on to get a fourth place finish. Austin Kunert came back from having to go to the tail twice during the event to get a fifth place finish and earned the Sweet Manufacturing Sweet Move of the Race Award.

Local racer Mandy Chick would come back from an early spin to finish in sixth, her all-time series best finish. With that finish she earned a Great Lakes Tire/Hoosier Performance Award and the VanDoorn Racing Development Rookie of the Race Award. Nasse would battle back from his late flat tire to finish in seventh. Local racer Kaleb Allison finished in eighth place. ARCA Racing Series veteran racer Joe Cooksey finished in ninth place. Rookie Thomas Hufferd finished in 10th place in his series debut, his pit crew picked up the PitBoxes.com Pit Crew of the Race Award for their hard work all weekend on Hufferd’s car in their first ever race at I-44.

Williams and Salem Speedway winner Jack Smith are both now locked into the new Chase Championship format, if they compete in at least 75% of the races leading up to the final four Chase events, to crown the 2017 series Champion.

The series’ will have its second of four straight weeks of racing in its first ever event at Kil-Kare Raceway this Sunday, July 9th. More information on the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance is available at www.cra-racing.com.

By Scott|2017-07-05T18:43:32-04:00July 5th, 2017|CRA Racing Series, Front Page News, Regional|Comments Off

Phillip Cobb Wins Donnie Tanner Memorial 50-lap Feature In Dramatic Fashion At East Bay Raceway Park

GIBSONTON — At East Bay Raceway it was Brian Barse winning in the Outlaw Fours, Jamie Tinkham in the Mini Sprints, Justin Webster in the Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Sprints, Danny Bowman, Jr. in the 4 Cylinder Bombers and Phillip Cobb in the Donnie Tanner Memorial 50-lap feature for the Late Models.

In the Outlaw Fours it was Brian Barse picking up the win over points leader Greg Pae who finished second and Billy Dukes, Jr. finishing in the third spot.

In the Mini Sprints it was Jamie Tinkham picking up his third feature win of the year while Dirk Miller finished second with teammate David Hall third.

In the Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Sprints it was Justin Webster picking up back to back wins while Hayden Campbell finished second and Dylan Colding third.

In the 4 Cylinder Bombers it was points leader Danny Bowman, Jr. picking up his fourth win of the year while DJ Taylor finished second and Robert Kissam finishing third.

And in the final race of the night it was the Donnie Tanner Memorial 50-lap Late Model feature with Phillip Cobb spinning backwards after got tangled with Doug Horton who was battling for the win out of the final turn. Cobb got the win over second place Jack Nosbisch, Jr. and Shan Smith finished in the third position.Official results are pending tire sample results.

Action continues this Saturday July 8th with the Late Model Sportsman having double features, Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds, V8 Warriors will run double features also, 4 Cylinder Bombers and the Micro Sprints. For information, visit eastbayracewaypark.com or call 813-677-7223.

EAST BAY RACEWAY
Saturday’s results
Outlaw Fours (15-lap feature)
1. 5 Brian Barse
2. 65 Greg Pae
3. 15 Billy Dukes, Jr.
4. 53 Brandon Yates
5. 7 Nick Hebrank
6. 19 Jake Hampton
7. 48 Vernon Hart, Jr.
8. 41e Mark Moniz
9. 96 Robert Lilly
10. 21 Corey Hall (DNS)

Mini Sprints (15-lap feature)
1. 51 Jamie Tinkham
2. 66 Dirk Miller
3. 67 David Hall
4. 86 Russ Heider
5. 101 Brent Lebo
6. 2 Richard Braylon
7. 33 John Inman
8. 17 Austin Craddock
9. 64 Adam Barnes
10. 79 Frank Hurst
11. 15 Bill Whitley (DNS)

Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Sprints (20-lap feature)
1. 21 Justin Webster
2. 5 Hayden Campbell
3. 23d Dylan Colding
4. 50 Joe Zuczek
5. 01 Anthony D’Alessio
6. 22g Johnny Gilbertson
7. 11b Billy Bridges
8. 3t Johnnie Alexander
9. 55 Kurt Taylor
10. 3k Guy Bos
11. 96x Rick Voisey
12. 96 Nikki Voisey
13. 6 Brandon Grubuagh
14. 9 Billy Boyd, Jr.
15. 12b Bryan Eckley

4 Cylinder Bombers (15-lap feature)
1. 46 Danny Bowman, Jr.
2. T4 DJ Taylor
3. 911 Robert Kissam
4. T2 Thomas Adams
5. 4x Britt Mann
6. 14b Bailey Purcell
7. 3 Patrick Fiore
8. 0 Gary Lucas
9. 24 David Wilbur
10. 124 Ricky Rutledge, Jr.
11. 3d Daniel Casey
12. 4 Crissy Wood

Late Models (50-lap feature)
1. 03 Phillip Cobb
2. 12 Jack Nosbisch, Jr.
3. 28 Shan Smith
4. 21p Josh Peacock
5. 311 Kenny Monahan
6. 52 John Bradley
7. 9 Jimmy Waldrop
8. 11 Doug Horton
9. 141 Steve Brendle
10. 11m Megan Meyer
11. 13 Thomas Burnside
12. 87 John Norris
13. 0 Rich Pratt
14. 6 Adam Boyd

By Scott|2017-07-05T18:41:25-04:00July 5th, 2017|East Bay Raceway Park, Front Page News, Local|Comments Off

“Cat Daddy” Clint Smith Back In Southern All Star Victory Lane

SENOIA, GA—The Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series returned to the Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA., Saturday night for the Michael Head Jr Memorial and a familiar name with the Southern All Stars Series as well as the fans was in victory lane for the first time since a 2009 and that was 4 time Southern All Star Champion Clint Smith of Senoia, GA., who battled with series points leader Austin Horton of Newnan, GA., to get his first series since his last win at the Cleveland Speedway. Smith took the lead once but a caution flew before the lap was completed and had to go back to second but a few laps later Smith worked his by Horton to capture his 13th series. Smith was elated in victory lane about the win and was honored to win the race that was dedicated to the son of one of his biggest rivals on the series Mike Head who won the series championship in 1991. Horton padded his series points lead a few more markers as he came home in the second spot, third went to Cody King in his best run with the series, fourth to another two time Southern All Star Champion Ivedent Lloyd and Tristan Sealy fifth.

Finishing in the sixth spot was Eric Hickerson, seventh to Riley Hickman from his 7th starting spot, 8th to Michael Page, ninth went to Landon Bagby of Lithia Springs, GA., in first run with the series this year and in tenth was Dillon Tidmore from his 24th starting spot.

RACE TIDBITS: Michael Page won the $154 from Wood Motorsports for fast qualifier as well as the Dash for Cash of $250 from Five Star Hyundai of Warner Robbins, GA., Three former Southern All Star Champions were in the show Smith, Lloyd and Hickman, 8 of the top 10 in points were at Senoia. Horton increased his point lead over Reaid, 2016 Cruise with the Champions/Dirtondirt.com Rookie of the Year Brad Skinner moved into he top five in series standings. The top four in series our in series points are only separated by 140 points going into this week’s race at Thunderhill. Drivers making their first starts with the series in 2017 included Cody King, Landon Bagby, Bubba Pollard asphalt veteran making his first series start on dirt, Ashton Winger, Shane Fulcher, Tod Darda, Dalton Cook, Kitt Sealy. Over 9 inches of rain fell on the speedway the past week and track conditions that led to the unusually rough track conditions at Senoia.

Smith Sponsors: RaceTek Engines/Rocket Chassis/Southern Fibernet/Cliburn Truck Lines/Ernie D’s Enterprises/JP Drilling/Arizona Sports Shirts/SAE Parts/RDI/Clint Smith Race Cars

Car Count: 37

SUNOCO RACE FUELS GROUP QUALFYING: Group A: T J Reaid 14.181; Group B: Austin Horton 13.885

PPM Race Products B Mains: Tristan Sealy/Cody King

AR Bodies Last Car Lead Lap: Tristan Sealy

COR Suspensions 10th Place Finisher: Dillon Tidmore

36 Racing & Fabrication Hard Charger: Dillon Tidmore

Race Car Engineering Hard Luck Award: T J Reaid

BrakeOMeter 4th Place Finisher Award: Ivedent Lloyd

Results Pending Tire Test: 1.Clint Smith; 2.Austin Horton; 3.Cody King; 4.Ivedent Lloyd; 5.Tristan Sealy; 6.Eric Hickerson; 7.Riley Hickman; 8.Michael Page; 9.Landon Bagby; 10.Dillon Tidmore; 11.Todd Morrow; 12.Casey Roberts; 13.Bubba Pollard; 14.Brad Skinner; 15.Ashton Winger; 16.Matt Parry; 17.Shane Fulcher; 18.Heath Hindman; 19.Dusty Carver; 20.Tod Darda; 21.Dalton Cook; 22.T J Reaid; 23.Jason Fitzgerald; 24.Kitt Sealy

DNS: Corey Payton; Craig Scott; Kayne Hickman; Mason Massey; Russell Ogletree; Thomas Mewborn; John Owenby; Rickey Williams; Glenn Morris; Austin Kirkpatrick; Jeremy Faircloth; Jordy Nipper; James Roulette

The next Southern All Stars event will be on Saturday night July 8th at the Thunderhill Raceway in Lawrenceburg, TN., a 40 lap $4,000 to win event.

For more information on the www.thunderhillracewaypark.com

For more information concerning the Southern All Stars contact Lynn Acklin – General Manager: 256-924-4546 www.sasdirt.com

2017 SOUTHERN ALL STAR POINTS STANDINGS: 1.Austin Horton 828; 2.T J Reaid 732; 3.Tristan Sealy 718; 4.Eric Hickerson 688; 5.Brad Skinner 510; 6.Bo Shirley 466; 7.Casey Roberts 458; 8.Clint Smith 402; 9.Matt Perry 356; 10.Riley Hickman 326

2017 CRUISE WITH THE CHAMPIONS/DIRTONDIRT.COM ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: 1.Austin Horton 828; 2.T J Reaid 732; 3.Tristan Sealy 718; 4. Eric Hickerson 688;

2017 AR Bodies Challenge: 1.Eric Hickerson 272; 2.Brad Skinner 189; 3.Todd Morrow 123; 4.Brandon Overton 106; 5.Josh Putnam 63; 6.Derek Ellis 35; 7.Jamie Perry 33; 8.Jeff Johns 30; 9.Jason Lyles 24; 10.Dean Carpenter 16; 11.John Minon 15; 12.Jason Walker 14

UPCOMING SOUTHERN ALL STAR DIRT RACING SERIES EVENT:
July 8th Thunderhill Raceway-Lawrenceburg, TN-$4,000 July 15th Magnolia Speedway-Columbus, MS $4,000

2017 Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series Sponsors:
*Hoosier Racing Tire “The Official Race Tire” of the Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series *Patriot Sports “The Official Merchandise Vendor” of the Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series *Sunoco Race Fuel “The Official Racing Fuel” of the Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series

2017 Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series Marketing Partners Include: AR Bodies, Brodix Cylinder Heads, , COR Suspensions, Cruise with the Champions, DirtonDirt.com, H3 Performance Graphics, Integra Racing Shocks, , MSR Mafia Web Design and Service, PPM Racing Products, RockAuto.com, 36 Racing & Fabrication, Racecar Engineering, BrakeOMeter

By Scott|2017-07-05T18:38:04-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, Regional, Southern All Stars|Comments Off

Schatz Picks up 13th Victory of the Outlaws Season

HURON, S.D — July 1, 2017 — Starting from the front row, Shane Stewart grabbed the lead exiting Turn 2 on the opening lap and set sail setting a blistering pace. With the main event being cut short by one lap due to track conditions, Stewart had to withstand one final restart. On that restart with one lap to go, Stewart restarted directly in front of Schatz. The top two of Stewart and Schatz headed down the backstretch coming to the checkers. Schatz was able to get a run on the high side coming out of Turn 2 allowing him to drive by Stewart to pick up his 13th victory of the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series season.

In a night that saw numerous flat tires throughout the 22-car field, the 30-lap race at Dakota State Fair Speedway was shortened to 29 laps due to track conditions.

Shane Stewart, the driver of the No. 2 Larson Marks Racing entry has been on a hot streak over the last couple of week. Having won two-in-a-row at West Liberty and Beaver Dam, just a week ago, Stewart was looking to pick up his fifth win of the season at Dakota State Fair Speedway on Saturday night.

After jumping out to an early lead on the start, Stewart set a blistering pace putting a gap between him and the No. 9 of Daryn Pittman who also started on the front row with Stewart. The first of six stoppages of the night was for the No. 93 who slowed at the top of Turn 1 with a flat tire. Sheldon Haudenschild would recover for a fifth-place finish.

Stewart would jump back out to a big lead on the restart. Schatz who was running third behind Pittman at the time was able to get by the No. 9 Great Clips machine on lap 22 for second. It was on lap 25 that Pittman sustained a flat tire, bringing out a yellow flag.

As the field was coming to get two laps to go at the stripe, Schatz dove aggressively under Stewart for the lead in Turn 3 and made it stick. However, the No. 5 of David Gravel went for a flip in Turn 1 at the same time, giving Stewart the lead back for the restart, Gravel was able to be pushed to the work area but could not return.

“We got by [Stewart] before the red came out,” Said Donny Schatz. “I knew it got to be where [Stewart] was going to stay down on the bottom groove and we just had a little bit left to get around him on the outside coming out of Turn 2.”

Due to track conditions, officials made the decision to the shorten the race by one lap. Stewart regained the lead after the previous lap was not scored complete. Stewart lead Schatz, Kaeding and the rest of the field to the restart where both the green and white flags were displayed.

“Man, that was tough,” said Shane Stewart. “I actually thought my tire was going flat coming to the green [on the last restart]. When [track] takes rubber like this the restarts are so hard on your tires.”

Stewart led into Turn 1 but Schatz used the top grove exiting Turn 2 to get by Stewart for the lead.

“You don’t ever want to lead that many laps and finish third,” said Shane Stewart. “It’s a testament to how good my car is right now. My guys did a great job, just wasn’t meant to be.”

“I’m here to win races, that’s what we’re here to do,” said Schatz regarding his winning pass. “When you’re in second and got an opportunity to win a race, that’s what you’re going to do – you’re going to go for it. You’re not going to do anything silly and we didn’t. We got the win and that’s what matters,” added Schatz.

Schatz would complete the rest of the 3/8th-mile en-route to his 13th victory of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car season.

“We definitely got our monies worth on the tires tonight,” said Donny Schatz who’s right-rear tire was bald.

“I didn’t think it was going to get that abrasive and rubbered up that early,” said Schatz. “Shane [Stewart] got out there and set a pretty good pace and I was trying to make the bottom work, it felt ok but those guys got away. I moved up and you could feel it – that’s the point you have to decide how hard you want to go. I’m glad I did that because there was no way I was going to be around at the end to have an opportunity to win that race.”

Stewart would eventually lose another position to Tim Kaeding in the No. 3 who took advantage of others misfortunes and drove up through the field from the 12th-starting spot.

“Man, this feels like a win for me,” said Tim Kaeding. “We’ve struggled pretty much all year. To run second with these guys on a rubbered down track like that and not pop a tire, I’m definitely going to enjoy a beer tonight.”

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to action on Thursday, July 6 for a make-up Feature at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, MN before heading off to Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI on Saturday and Sunday, July 7 and 8. Tickets for these events can be purchased on WorldofOutlaws.com/Tickets or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.

RESULTS FROM DAKOTA STATE FAIR SPEEDWAY:

Feature (29 Laps—shortened due to track conditions): 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$10,000]; 2. 3-Tim Kaeding [12][$5,500]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [2][$3,200]; 4. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$2,800]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [19][$2,500]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13][$2,300]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [11][$2,200]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [10][$2,100]; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman [1][$2,050]; 10. 19-Brent Marks [14][$2,000]; 11. 82-Thomas Kennedy [16][$1,500]; 12. 49-Brad Sweet [8][$1,200]; 13. 5-David Gravel [6][$1,100]; 14. 17B-Ryan Bickett [15][$1,050]; 15. 2K-Kevin Ingle [20][$1,000]; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$900]; 17. 47-Brant O’Banion [21][$800]; 18. 4-Paul McMahan [4][$800]; 19. 13-Clyde Knipp [18][$800]; 20. 19P-Paige Polyak [9][$800]; 21. 1A-Jacob Allen [17][$800]; 22. 101-Chuck McGillivray [22][$800]; Lap Leaders: Shane Stewart 1-28, Donny Schatz 29; KSE Hard Charger Award: 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[+14]

By Scott|2017-07-05T18:35:40-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, National, Sprint Cars|Comments Off

CARRIER CASHES IN AT MUSKINGUM COUNTY SPEEDWAY

ZANESVILLE, OH (July 3, 2017) – Eddie Carrier Jr. took over the lead on lap 25 when Devin Moran suffered heartbreaking mechanical issues. He then went on to dominate the remainder of the race to win the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned event on Monday Night at the Muskingum County Speedway. It was Carrier’s ninth career LOLMDS victory.

Carrier becomes the 14th different winner this season on the LOLMDS tour, in his Keaton’s Collision Center, Durham-powered Longhorn Chassis entry. The 46-year-old driver withstood several charges from Scott Bloomquist who left the race under caution on lap 48. Afterwards, Carrier went unchallenged the rest of the way.

Hudson O’Neal collected his second-straight podium finish with a career best runner-up finish in the Todd Burns-owned, Club 29 entry as he out-dueled Tim McCreadie in the Sweeteners Plus, Longhorn. Don O’Neal and Josh Richards completed the top five.

“Thank you to Longhorn Chassis, as well as Rick and Jake Keaton for giving me such a good car. I am a big guy and to find a car that fits is tough sometimes, but we have had something special going on the last two weeks. We won at Florence last week and to come here and beat these guys, that’s huge.”

“Scott’s [Bloomquist] going to race you clean; he and I have run together so much over the years that we know what to expect out of each other. I was fighting and trying to hold him off.”

Hudson O’Neal closed the gap on fellow LOLMDS Rookie of the Year candidate Gregg Satterlee, who finished in 24th. “What an amazing race track and race, Donnie [Moran] knows what he’s doing. Tim [McCreadie] and I had good race, once I cleared him I thought I had a shot at Eddie. I have to go down there [to the pits] and thank my crew. They have given me a great race car the last two nights.”

McCreadie with his third-place finish closed the gap on the top-two in points. “Man, when I passed little O’Neal I thought I had a good shot at the win, but he came back and got back around me. The bottom just never took off all night. He [O’Neal] and Devin [Moran] are respectful on and off the race track. It’s hard to find that nowadays there are some that forget where there right rear quarter-panel is.”

Completing the top ten were Rod Conley, Boom Briggs, Earl Pearson Jr., Jimmy Owens, and Mason Zeigler.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Monday, July 3rd, 2017
Bear Welding Services 60
Muskingum County Speedway – Zanesville, OH

Miller Welders Fast Time Group A: Devin Moran/ 14.928 seconds
Miller Welders Fast Time Group B: Josh Richards / 15.082 seconds

Eibach Springs Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Devin Moran, Tim McCreadie, Don O’Neal, Steve Francis, Darrell Lanigan, Rick Mardis, Bob Mayer, Craig Wolford

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Gregg Satterlee, Mason Zeigler, Jimmy Owens, Ben Mott, Jerry Aber, Shane McLoughlin, Dennis Erb, Jr.

Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Scott Bloomquist, Hudson O’Neal, Boom Briggs, Josh Richards, RJ Conley, John Wyer, Rod Conley, Steve Casebolt

QA1 Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Eddie Carrier, Jr., Earl Pearson, Jr., Doug Drown, Jared Hawkins, Steven Kester, Larry Bellman, Jr., Larry Holbrook, Freddie Carpenter

Penske Racing Shocks B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): Darrell Lanigan, RJ Conley, John Wyer, Rod Conley, Rick Mardis, Steven Kester, Bob Mayer, Jerry Aber, Larry Bellman, Jr., Larry Holbrook, Freddie Carpenter, Shane McLoughlin, Steve Casebolt –DNS, Dennis Erb, Jr.-DNS, Craig Wolford-DNS

Feature Finish (60 Laps):

FINISH	START	CAR #	DRIVER NAME	HOMETOWN	EARNINGS
1	4	10C	Eddie Carrier, Jr.	Salt Rock, WV	$12,000
2	6	71	Hudson O’Neal	Martinsville, IN	$6,300
3	5	39	Tim McCreadie	Watertown, NY	$4,200
4	9	5	Don O’Neal	Martinsville, IN	$3,550
5	14	1R	Josh Richards	Shinnston, WV	$2,950
6	20	71R	Rod Conley	Wheelersburg, OH	$1,800
7	10	99B	Boom Briggs	Bear Lake, PA	$2,200
8	8	1	Earl Pearson, Jr.	Jacksonville, FL	$2,100
9	11	20	Jimmy Owens	Newport, TN	$2,000
10	7	43A	Mason Zeigler	Chalk Hill, PA	$1,100
11	2	0	Scott Bloomquist	Mooresburg, TN	$2,075
12	23	28E	Dennis Erb, Jr.	Carpentersville, IL	$1,750
13	15	1m	Ben Mott	White Lake, MI	$1,025
14	1	9	Devin Moran	Dresden, OH	$1,000
15	24	c4	Freddie Carpenter	Parkersburg, WV	$1,000
16	13	15	Steve Francis	Bowling Green, KY	$1,700
17	22	77	Steven Kester	Holland, OH	$1,000
18	12	240	Doug Drown	Wooster, OH	$1,000
19	19	16	John Wyer	Zanesville, OH	$1,000
20	21	2	Rick Mardis	West Lafayette, OH	$1,000
21	18	71c	RJ Conley	Wheelersburg, OH	$1,000
22	17	14	Darrell Lanigan	Union, KY	$1,700
23	16	1H	Jared Hawkins	Fairmont, WV	$1,000
24	3	22	Gregg Satterlee	Rochester Mills, PA	$1,700

Race Statistics
Entrants: 31
Lap Leaders: Devin Moran (Laps 1 – 24); Eddie Carrier Jr. (Laps 25 – 60)
Cautions: Darrell Lanigan (Lap 2); RJ Conley (Lap 8); Steve Francis (Lap 18); Debris (Lap 21); Devin Moran (Lap 24); Ben Mott (Lap 26); Mason Zeigler (Lap 48)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Dennis Erb Jr.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Miller Welders Fast Time Provisional: Freddie Carpenter
Wrisco Feature Winner: Eddie Carrier Jr.
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Rod Conley (Started: 20th; Finished: 6th; Advanced 14 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Scott Bloomquist
Allstar Performance Power Move of the Race: Rod Conley
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Eddie Carrier Jr.
Hot Rod Processing Rookie of the Race: Hudson O’Neal
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Durham Racing Engines
Ohlins Shocks Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Zach Frields
Fastest Lap of the Race: Devin Moran (Lap #7 – 15.6412 seconds)
Safecraft Most Laps Led: Eddie Carrier Jr. (26 Laps)
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Devin Moran
Time of Race: 33 minutes 34 seconds

Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:

POS	CAR #	DRIVER NAME	HOMETOWN	POINTS	EARNINGS
1	0	Scott Bloomquist	Mooresburg, TN	4260	$131,400
2	1R	Josh Richards	Shinnston, WV	4245	$113,450
3	39	Tim McCreadie	Watertown, NY	4230	$110,850
4	5	Don O’Neal	Martinsville, IN	3955	$78,350
5	1	Earl Pearson, Jr.	Jacksonville, FL	3865	$86,150
6	14	Darrell Lanigan	Union, KY	3750	$61,425
7	20	Jimmy Owens	Newport, TN	3745	$70,675
8	28E	Dennis Erb, Jr.	Carpentersville, IL	3665	$56,000
9	22	Gregg Satterlee	Rochester Mills, PA	3510	$57,025
10	15	Steve Francis	Bowling Green, KY	3420	$43,975
11	71	Hudson O’Neal	Martinsville, IN	3325	$44,475
12	99B	Boom Briggs	Bear Lake, PA	3170	$36,425

By Scott|2017-07-05T18:33:36-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, National|Comments Off

Schatz Scores Win 12 on Return to The Dirt Oval, Where He Won 12 Years Ago

JOLIET, IL — June 27, 2017 — Eight-time champion and current points leader Donny Schatz took the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 15 Arctic Cat machine through the checkers to win the FVP Outlaw Clay Classic at The Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway, stealing the lead from Kraig Kinser with only five laps to go. Although Kinser saw his best race of the season to date, Schatz rode him hard, and he ultimately landed in eighth with Kasey Kahne Racing teammates Brad Sweet and Daryn Pittman following Schatz through the checkers.

“Kraig [Kinser] was really good at the start,” said Schatz from Victory Lane. “He took off there on the bottom. I didn’t quite know if the bottom or the top, the middle, what was going to happen. I just had to give a little time for the race car to come in and the tires to get warm. You kind of had to be all over really. It was a guessing game there for a while, and then we had to restart. Being on the outside I kind of felt like I was hung out to dry a little bit, and Brad [Sweet] got by. Obviously they were really good. I think he started a ways back.”

Sweet, who walked away with the KSE Hard Charger Award, started in 13 and worked his way into second. A restart with 13 laps to go saw a three-wide battle for the lead between Kinser, Schatz and Sweet, in which Kinser prevailed, holding the lead for eight more laps, while Sweet and Schatz continued the battle for second with exchanges.

Throughout the race, another tough battle was playing out behind the leaders between Pittman and David Gravel, ending in Pittman’s favor after several exchanges.

Pittman, who set Quick Time at 13.637 second, was the only one in Victory Lane who even ran the Craftsman Club Dash, which was led by Jason Sides and Paul McMahan.

Starting on the pole after winning the Dash, Sides led the first four laps of the Feature as Kinser charged up from midfield in position 11 in some of his finest racing this season.

By Lap 5, Kinser was leading, with Sides and Brian Brown behind him as Schatz and Sweet followed suit, diligently taking on car after car, working their way up, and McMahan was losing ground.

Overall, it an exciting return to the half-mile oval, which last saw true oval-track racing twelve years ago. And while the racing was certainly better this time around, one thing remained the same: the champion. Schatz won at the track on July 8, 2005 during the Series’ last visit. Twelve years later, he scored win number 12 of the season.

The FVP Outlaw Clay Classic continues tomorrow with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series, while the Sprint Car Series heads for Spring Valley, MN for the Clash at the Creek at Deer Creek Speedway. Tickets are available online.

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

THE DIRT OVAL AT ROUTE 66 RACEWAY ABBREVIATED RESULTS:

Feature (30 Laps) – 1. 15-Donny Schatz [8][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [13][$5,500]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [4][$3,200]; 4. 5-David Gravel [6][$2,800]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [1][$2,500]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [9][$2,300]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [17][$2,200]; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser [11][$2,100]; 9. 41-Jason Johnson [10][$2,050]; 10. 99-Brady Bacon [5][$2,000]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [18][$1,500]; 12. 18-Ian Madsen [15][$1,200]; 13. 3-Tim Kaeding [20][$1,100]; 14. 17B-Bill Balog [7][$1,050]; 15. 24-Terry McCarl [16][$1,000]; 16. 59H-Justin Henderson [12][$900]; 17. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$800]; 18. 27Z-Sean Zemunik [23][$800]; 19. 10V-Matt Vandervere [22][$800]; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart [19][$800]; 21. 21-Brian Brown [3][$800]; 22. 4-Paul McMahan [2][$800]; 23. 17A-Austin McCarl [24][$800]; 24. 1M-Danny Lasoski [14][$800]; Lap Leaders: Jason Sides 1-4, Kraig Kinser 5-25, Donny Schatz 26-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 49-Brad Sweet[+11]

Qualifying – 1. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.637; 2. 5-David Gravel, 13.722; 3. 99-Brady Bacon, 13.726; 4. 4-Paul McMahan, 13.782; 5. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.782; 6. 59H-Justin Henderson, 13.819; 7. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.875; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.887; 9. 1A-Jacob Allen, 13.93; 10. 17B-Bill Balog, 13.958; 11. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.007; 12. 21-Brian Brown, 14.012; 13. 24-Terry McCarl, 14.076; 14. 1M-Danny Lasoski, 14.113; 15. 2-Shane Stewart, 14.122; 16. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.141; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.166; 18. 18-Ian Madsen, 14.225; 19. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.278; 20. 10V-Matt Vandervere, 14.441; 21. 71-Max McGhee, 14.448; 22. 64-Scott Thiel, 14.466; 23. 17A-Austin McCarl, 14.467; 24. 19-Brent Marks, 14.524; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 14.544; 26. 3-Tim Kaeding, 14.588; 27. 27Z-Sean Zemunik, 14.65; 28. 51B-Joe B, 14.713; 29. 13-Clyde Knipp, 14.747; 30. 23-Russel Borland, 14.758; 31. 7J-Joe Swanson, NT

By Scott|2017-07-05T18:30:44-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, National, Sprint Cars|Comments Off

Caution: Stewart Is on a Streak

BEAVER DAM, WI — June 24, 2017 — In a night full of cautions and chaos, and even a bit of rain after Time Trials, Larson Marks Racing driver Shane Stewart secured a weekend sweep as he took the checkers for the second night in a row, this time at the Jim “JB” Boyd Memorial presented by Karavan Trailers at Beaver Dam Raceway.

Greg Wilson, who led the race for 24 laps, came in just short of the podium as Kerry Madsen charged from the back to come in second with Jason Johnson behind him.

“That was a crazy long race,” said Stewart from Victory Lane as the racing wrapped up near 1:00AM.

It was a night full of hardship at the high-banked third-mile. A bit of rain after Time Trials delayed the racing and made for a challenging surface. A number of cautions during the second Heat had the crowd on the edge of their seats and set the tone for the 40-lap Feature. “They’re picking them off one by one,” said a fan in the backstretch grandstand. “There’s too much grip. It’s going to be the last man standing.”

Greg Wilson came in second in that Heat, in which only four drivers managed to complete all 10 laps, so he was looking at the last row of the Craftsman Club Dash. A full Dash inversion, with a draw of eight, however, moved him to the front, just outside of Donny Schatz, which is just where he started the Feature. Wilson wasn’t about to let that get away from him. He charged out ahead of Schatz in Lap 1.

Schatz got a second chance, just as Stewart got at West Liberty Raceway the night before, but he came out less than victorious.

A caution in Lap 1 forced a re-start, and set the field back to its original position. Jac Haudenschild bit the wall in Turn 2 with the Stenhouse Jr./Wood Racing No. 17 and was out of the race.

Wilson took the lead again on the restart, and Stewart passed Schatz for second in Lap 6, starting a battle between them. Unfortunately, the battle resulted in contact between the two drivers that sent the Arctic Cat No. 15 flying into the air before taking several flips on the backstretch with 33 laps to go. Although the Series champ came out unharmed, he was done for the night.

“I’ve got to say sorry to Donny,” said Stewart from Victory Lane. “I didn’t mean to get into him. I got backed up there a little bit, and I didn’t see him go last minute. He’s definitely the last person that you’d ever want to wreck.”

Sheldon Haudenschild was the next driver to taste the wall. More and more cautions followed, and while Wilson and Stewart battled it out up front, Kerry Madsen and Jason Johnson made themselves busy, climbing lap after lap and taking advantage of every restart.

Madsen had some challenges earlier in the night. He had a strong lead in his Heat when he spun into the wall between Turns 3 and 4, losing a wheel and limping off into the work area while his car was towed. But he refused to be defeated. He went on to win the Last Chance Showdown and make the Feature, where he started in the 21 spot. Yes, 21. And with only two laps to go, there he was, passing Wilson for second.

For Stewart it was a different kind of second: his second win in just two nights, and his second race with new crew chief Lee Stauffer. Asked what Stauffer has brought to the team, Stewart replied, “Confidence. We just lacked a little bit of that. He has a lot of self confidence, and so has brought a lot to the team. He’s a good leader.”

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series meets up with the Late Model Series next at the Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL for the FVP Outlaw Clay Classic on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 27 and 28. Tickets are still available online.

BEAVER DAM RACEWAY ABBREVIATED RESULTS:

Feature (40 Laps) – 1. 2-Shane Stewart [4][$10,000]; 2. 2M-Kerry Madsen [21][$5,500]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson [9][$3,200]; 4. W20-Greg Wilson [2][$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$2,500]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog [16][$2,300]; 7. 3-Tim Kaeding [17][$2,200]; 8. 4-Paul McMahan [12][$2,100]; 9. 5-David Gravel [10][$2,050]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [14][$2,000]; 11. 59H-Justin Henderson [13][$1,500]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [23][$1,200]; 13. 2X-Parker Price-Miller [22][$1,100]; 14. 25-Jacob Blackhurst [8][$1,050]; 15. 10W-Scotty Thiel [18][$1,000]; 16. O2-Mike Reinke [11][$900]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$800]; 18. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [20][$800]; 19. 15-Donny Schatz [1][$800]; 20. 19-Brent Marks [24][$800]; 21. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [25][$]; 22. 79-Blake Nimee [15][$800]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [19][$800]; 24. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$800]; 25. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6][$800]; Lap Leaders: Greg Wilson 1-24, Shane Stewart 25-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 2M-Kerry Madsen[+19]

Qualifying Flight A – 1. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.228; 2. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 11.329; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.415; 4. 25-Jacob Blackhurst, 11.432; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.442; 6. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.46; 7. 59H-Justin Henderson, 11.472; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.532; 9. 19-Brent Marks, 11.555; 10. O2-Mike Reinke, 11.567; 11. 3-Tim Kaeding, 11.568; 12. 79-Blake Nimee, 11.584; 13. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.586; 14. 51B-Joe B, 11.61; 15. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.633; 16. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, 11.806; 17. 10V-Matt Vandervere, 11.863; 18. 22-Todd King, 11.946; 19. 12W-Josh Walter, 12.188

Qualifying Flight B – 1. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.071; 2. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.153; 3. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 11.188; 4. 2-Shane Stewart, 11.198; 5. 5-David Gravel, 11.263; 6. 17B-Bill Balog, 11.291; 7. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.303; 8. 4-Paul McMahan, 11.31; 9. 2X-Parker Price-Miller, 11.356; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.453; 11. 10W-Scotty Thiel, 11.642; 12. 9X-Paul Nienhiser, 11.7; 13. 99-Kyle Marten, 11.712; 14. 68-Dave Uttech, 11.837; 15. 43-Jereme Schroeder, 11.97; 16. 23-Russell Borland, 11.977; 17. 73-Ben Schmidt, 12.134; 18. 23D-Trey Datweiler, 12.21; 19. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski, 12.256

By Scott|2017-07-05T18:27:30-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, National, Sprint Cars|Comments Off

Brandon Sheppard wins Outlaws vs. Summer Nationals Showdown

PEVELY, MO— July 1, 2017— Brandon Sheppard claimed his eighth win of the 2017 World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series season and his second win of the 2017 DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Saturday. This win additionally advanced him to 13-career Summer Nationals wins, ultimately placing him 13th on the all-time wins list.

“We had a really good racecar… and we had a good rhythm goin’ once we got goin’,” said Sheppard. “This racetrack is awesome. I love coming here and it means a lot to get a win here at I-55. It’s been a while since I’ve been here but it’s definitely been a while since I got a win here.”

Sheppard and his Rocket 1 Racing team claimed their first Summer Nationals win of the season just two days earlier at Plymouth Speedway by out dueling a late race charge from Scott Bloomquist.

The race at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 marked the first time that the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series collided with the DIRTcar Summer Nationals for one show. Placing two of the best Dirt Late Model tours on one stage did not leave the fans disappointed, as many times throughout the event fans were up and out of their seats cheering, gasping, and/or booing. Nothing got more of a reaction out of the fans than a crash on lap-43 wiping out all but one car in the top-five.

Brandon Sheppard was leading the field at the time so avoided the wreck. Behind him Shirley, Madden, Erb and Heckenast were fighting for the final two podium spots. With multiple sliders and three-wide action around the track, it was only a matter of time until the inevitable. With seven laps to go, Shirley got under Madden’s left rear tangling the pair. Erb and Heckenast were trailing closely behind so there was no time to avoid the wreck.

“Lap traffic was terrible to get through,” said Erb. “Every time I would get behind those lap cars, it would just kill all of my momentum and then we would get all bunched up. Squirrel (Shirley) got in there hot when Madden slid him and they wrecked and I did everything I could to keep going but the track was covered up. It sucks. We gave away a lot of money tonight.”

The event was running on Summer Nationals rules so the cars involved in the wreck had to go to the tail of the feature, even if they did not cause the wreck. Rather than returning to the field Madden and Shirley headed off the track and to the pit area. On Shirley’s way out, Madden’s crew guy threw a stick at Shirley’s car in displeasure with the way things unfolded.

Eric Wells and Rick Eckert were able to cash in on the other driver’s misfortune by moving up the ranks to finish second and third.

“This place was really racey,” said Wells. “I was watching everyone in front of me and watching sparks flying. I was just trying to keep my stuff together. It’s a misfortune for Madden and Shirley and them guys involved in that crash but we’re happy with a second-place finish.”

“That wreck happened about 15 times, it just finally did happen,” said Eckert. “I lost a couple of spots trying to miss it the times that it didn’t happen but it was a gift to us because we were backing through the field there. I kept getting off of that top because I thought they were crashing and finally they did and I was lucky enough to be far enough away from it.”

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series will next head to Deer Creek Speedway for the Gopher 50 on July 8 for more information click here.

Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 Results:

Feature: 1. 1- Brandon Sheppard[3]; 2. 18w- Eric Wells[9]; 3. 7E- Rick Eckert[1]; 4. 25c- Shane Clanton[15]; 5. 1*- Chub Frank[11]; 6. 18- Shannon Babb[18]; 7. 32- Bobby Pierce[6]; 8. 9m- Devin Moran[16]; 9. 14m- Morgan Bagley[20]; 10. 21- Billy Moyer[12]; 11. 7R- Kent Robinson[13]; 12. 36- Logan Martin[5]; 13. 16- Rusty Griffaw[21]; 14. 6k- Michael Kloos[14];] 15. 21JR- Billy Moyer Jr[17]; 16. 11- Gordy Gundaker[22]; 17. B1- Brent Larson[19]; 18. 4G- Bob Gardner[25]; 19. 11H- Jeff Herzog[24]; 20. 2- Joey Coulter[23]; 21. 3s- Brian Shirley[4]; 22. 44m- Chris Madden[10]; 23. 91- Tyler Erb[7]; 24. 99JR- Frank Heckenast Jr[8]; 25. 40B- Kyle Bronson[2]

By Scott|2017-07-05T18:25:42-04:00July 5th, 2017|Front Page News, Late Models, National|Comments Off

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