Our final mid-week race is now in the books, and it was a great night of racing! Pierce McCarter took the checkers in Crate Late Model, while Rocky McNabb added another win to his total. JD Rector from the Crossville area made the trek out to 411, picking up another win to his outstanding career total, while Rusty Ballenger notched another win for the season.
Coming up on Saturday night is a regular racing program! All Blount County residents will get in the grandstands for only $5 with proof of residency! How cool is that?! So head on out to “Tennessee’s Action Track” this Saturday night for another great night of racing excitement!
Crate Late Model – A-Main
Green flag in the air for the Crates, front row looks like Pierce McCarter and David Crabtree. Crabtree jumps, we won’t go green this time, so we’ll try in another lap.
Green flag in the air one more time. Much better start this time by. Ryan King makes it 3 wide into 1, but Crabtree is your lap 1 leader. Jason Welshan in 3rd, King in 4th, Trevor Sise in the top 5 with Clyde Stanton closing in on him. P. McCarter trying to reel in Crabtree for the lead as they complete lap 3. Mack McCarter looking inside Brian Courtney for position at the rear of the field, as the drivers have sorted themselves out thus far, single file. Brian Ownby rides 7th, as M. McCarter makes the move and drives around Courtney, now Courtney drives back around in 1 on the high side. P. McCarter got as close as the rear spoiler of Crabtree, but still rides 2nd. 8 laps now complete, Welshan still in 3rd with King 4th and Sise 5th. Now Stanton powers inside Sise but has to fall in line off 2. Now P. McCarter looks inside down the backstretch for the lead here on lap 10, Crabtree almost gets the wall off 4 as M. McCarter slows and pulls into the infield off 2. P. McCarter your leader at lap 12 now. P. McCarter pulling away as he closes in on Courtney to put him a lap down. Stanton powers around the bottom of Sise and into the 5th spot, but Sise now makes contact in turn 2, he’ll go around and the caution will fly here on lap 15. Halfway home in this one.
Green flag in the air one more time, Welshan powers inside Crabtree out of turn 4, so caution flies once again for the jump.
Green flag in the air one more time. P. McCarter leads, Crabtree 2nd, Welshan 3rd, King 4th and Stanton your top 5 now. 10 laps remain in this one, P. McCarter off to about a 2 turn lead over Crabtree. Welshan in the 3rd spot, about 4 car lengths behind him with King about 2 behind Welshan. P. McCarter walks away with this one, Crabtree comes home 2nd and 3rd goes to Welshan.
Fast Qualifier: #71-Pierce McCarter 14.423
Cautions: 3
Leaders: C5 1-11; 71 12-30
Time of Race: 11:20
Mod-Mini
Green flag in the air for the Mod-Mini, Michael Courtney takes the outside line, Rocky McNabb on his inside into turn 1. Courtney takes off with the lead out of 2, McNabb in 2nd, Nick Perry in 3rd. Now Brad Pressley powers outside Tim Ladd for the spot off 2, takes the spot down the backstretch, now Ladd powers inside once more in 3, almost loses it in the center, hangs on, we’ll stay green. Courtney put on a clinic in the heat race. James Mitchell spins into the infield, but he’ll pull back on the speedway a couple feet to bring out the caution.
Green flag in the air one more time, Courtney pulls away again. Now Perry drifts up high in 1, Pressley pulls into 3rd but he has a mirror full of Ladd now. Mitchell spins in turn 2, caution will fly so that’ll be #2 for him.
Green flag in the air one more time. Courtney powers away once again with McNabb in tow. Pressley under fire once again from the Ladd machine. Ladd seems to be getting in the corner a lot harder than anybody but can’t carry it off the corner. Courtney still your leader here at halfway. McNabb in 2nd, Pressley in 3rd. Kurt Owens in the 7up machine is normally hard to beat, but tonight, he’s been tail-end charlie as he rides last of the remaining cars with the race leader not far behind. Courtney now has trouble in turn 1 and 2, flat right-rear tire on his machine, tough break for him. Caution flies and we’ll see if he can change his tire and he’ll have 3 laps to get it changed. The crew informs track officials that he is done for the night, so we’ll get ready to go green with McNabb your new leader, Pressley in 2nd and Ladd in 3rd!
GREEN FLAG in the air. Ladd looks inside Pressley one more time, can’t make it happen and he’ll fall in line off 2. McNabb pulling away ever so slightly from Pressley here now with 3 laps remaining. White flag in the air, Pressley now has a bobble, now Ladd is all over him. One more try for 2nd, checkers in the air, Pressley holds onto 2nd with Ladd in 3rd, but McNabb your winner!
Cautions: 3
Leaders: #C11 1-14; #01 15-20
Time of Race: 12:05
Mini-Stock/FWD
Derik Duggan and JD Rector your front row. Green flag in the air, cars slicing and dicing all over the place, the dicing finally claimed a victim as Bobby McClain gets sideways and gets sent on around by David Singleton, first caution flies. McClain can’t get his machine going, so he’ll pull into the infield.
Green flag in the air one more time, it’s a complete restart. Duggan gets the jump in the middle of 3 and 4, no green is thrown, several drivers don’t heed the caution and Angie Young gets turned in turn 2.
We’ll try it one more time, green flag in the air! Clean start this time. Rector takes the lead into turn 1 over Duggan, now the Chad Manning loses a wheel in turn 1, Mike Ellis also involved, as well as Keith Sands.
Single file restart this time, green flag in the air. Duggan powers in the gas, Rector all over his rear, now Rector pulls inside looking for the lead, it’ll be a dogfight for the $400 that’s on the line. Steve Owens, Jr. now into the 4th spot, but he has a mirror full of Sam Burgess. Ellis now into the infield for broken front axle. Rector powers into the lead into turn 3 over Duggan. Now 4 laps remain, Young pulls into the 2nd spot. Duggan in 3rd, Burgess in the 4th spot. Checkers in the air, Rector with the win, Young 2nd and 3rd goes to Duggan.
Cautions: 4
Time of Race: 13:26
Limited Late Model – A-Main
Rusty Ballenger and Mark Rosner is your front row, they’re ready to go, 30 laps, $1,000, GREEN FLAG! Ballenger with the jump, but Rosner hangs tough, Ballenger will lead lap 1 by a wheel, but Tony Schrimsher and Trevor Sise are around in turn 4, caution flies.
Green flag in the air one more time, complete restart, Ballenger and Rosner lead the field into turn 1. Rosner powers away out of turn 2 as David Crabtree and Pierce McCarter make contact. Brad Hall now on the inside of Crabtree with Jason Cardwell in 3rd and Ballenger in 2nd. Josh Henry now looking for a way around Crabtree as McCarter moves into the spot, now trouble in turn 2 and the caution flies. Hall and Cardwell got together, McCarter went low to avoid, had nowhere to go, got collected and slammed into the tractor tire. 3 laps are in the books.
Green flag in the air one more time. Rosner leads Ballenger and Cardwell into turn 1! Rosner trying to hang on, he has a mirror full of Ballenger down the backstretch. Ballenger looking strong so far, he’s still on the inside for the lead, but now falls in line off 4 here on lap 5. Ballenger all over the heels of Rosner now, Rosner working the high line. Cardwell still in 3rd, Hall in 4th, with Crabtree in 5th, Lowe in 6th, 7th is Henry, 8th is Shannon Bearden and 9th is Bobby Giffin. Ballenger now looks inside for the lead one more time here on lap 9, they’re side by side into 3. Ballenger makes the pass, takes over the lead here on lap 10, now Rosner has to chase down Ballenger. Lapped traffic will play a factor very shortly. Now Butch Bayless gets sideways right in front of the leader, gathers it up, all is clear, we’ll stay green. Ballenger your leader, Rosner in 2nd, about 4 car lengths back. Brad Lowe putting the pressure on Crabtree now as they’re closing in on Hall. Cardwell is closing in on Rosner here as 15 laps are in the books, halfway complete. Lowe now up the race track in 4, he’ll slow, and caution will fly here on lap 18.
Flagman issuing a warning to the Brian Courtney machine for racing the leaders. Green flag in the air one more time. Ballenger your leader, Rosner in 2nd, Cardwell 3rd, now Crabtree powers to the inside of Hall and takes over 5th. Now Henry tries to follow suit, gets sideways, hangs on but loses some ground. Meanwhile, Ballenger pulling away with 10 laps remaining, Rosner in 2nd with a mirror full of Cardwell. Hall trying to hang onto 5th, now we see Cardwell make contact with Rosner’s left-rear, they’ll stay side by side, now Cardwell powers under Rosner for position, Rosner powers back now as Crabtree joins the battle, while Ballenger pulls away. Cardwell in 2nd, Rosner in 3rd, Crabtree 4th and 5th is Hall. Crabtree peeks inside of Rosner, falls in line off 2 here on lap 26. Now 3 laps remain, Ballenger on a tear, Cardwell 2nd, Rosner 3rd, make it 2 to go. White flag in the air for Ballenger, Crabtree and Rosner still racing tooth and nail for the 3rd spot. Crabtree clears for a moment, checkers in the air, Ballenger with the win, Cardwell 2nd, Crabtree comes home 3rd!
Cautions: 3
Time of Race: 22:21
Fast Qualifier: #29-Rusty Ballenger – 14.227