Official Results & Recap: June 9th, 2012

Thunder & Lightning
1.(1) David Miley, No. 71
2.(3) Robbie Comer, No. 42
3.(2) Rocky Ogle, No. 9
4.(5) Freddy Hillard, No. 74
5.(4) Scott Atkins, No. 20
6.(7) Barry Duncan, No. 31
7.(6) Jr. Garrett, No. J29
8.(8) Tommy Huston, No. 77

Another great night of racing action is in the books at Tennessee’s Action Track! First off, Adam Engel blazed to victory lane in the Classic division. Next up was Thunder & Lightning where David Miley schooled the field to claim the win despite a 19 minute red flag for a rain shower. In Mini Stock action, we saw the “Rooftop Rocket” blast off to the lead as he dodged heavy lap traffic all feature long. Travis Reno dueled with Larry Sullivan, surrendering the race lead in turn 3 on the final lap, but quickly stole it back when Sullivan couldn’t hang onto his machine and spun in 4. The next division was a barn burner where Justin Summers and Keith Gregory wore each other out and raced hard every single lap as these two were virtually side-by-side the final 9 laps, but Summers was the quickest gun in this shootout. And in Limited Late Model, Rusty Ballenger, Eric Tipton, and Josh Collins were dueling for the race lead on lap 25 until the 2012 Limited Late Model points leader Josh Collins made a rare mistake which resulted in him grinding the turn 2 wall. In the end, Rusty Ballenger claimed the checkers, and with Collins’ misfortune and Ballengers’ race win, the points lead in Limited Late Model is now tied between Collins and Ballenger!

Coming up this Saturday June 16th is another regular program but with increased purse! Limited Late Models will run for $1,000 with a $150 Fast Qualifier bonus! The Fast Qualifier will be the ONLY competitor getting locked into the show, all other drivers must run a heat race. Each heat race will pay $100 for the winner, $50 for 2nd, and $25 for 3rd, and each heat will be 8 laps instead of the usual 6. Also in action will be the Mini Stock, running for $500, Thunder & Lightning gunning for $400, Topless Modified for $400, and Classic running for $300! All divisions with the exception of Limited Late Model will run 20 laps and will earn $41 to start. See you all this Saturday!

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Classic
Adam Engel and Mitchell Childress your front row, green flag in the air! Childress immediately dives to the inside in turn 2, off turn 4 give the lead to Childress. Shannon Reece moves into the 2nd spot with Engel now back to the 3rd spot. Now 4 laps are in the books, Engel now steals the race lead as Reece looks on the inside of Childress, they rub off turn 4, but Engel is your race leader now. Engel opening his lead up over Reece. Now Marvin Ray does a spinning 360 in turn 2 and we’ll stay green! Engel your leader here with 12 laps complete as Childress has reeled in Reece, now dives inside off turn 4 but Engel is way ahead of them. Childress makes his way around Reece as Bobby Pressley reels in Reece here with 15 laps in the books. Pressley doing a little bump-drafting now as Ray powers around both of those drivers despite his 360 spin in turn 2!! Ray reeling in Childress but time will run out, Engel claims the win, Childress gets the 2nd spot with Marvin Ray coming home in the 3rd spot. Nice driving by Ray, I have to say!

Cautions: None
Leaders: 27-Childress (1-4); 28-Engel (5-20)

Thunder & Lightning
Green flag in the air for the Thunder & Lightning, David Miley quickly jumps to the race lead, Rocky Ogle in the 2nd spot, Robbie Comer in 3rd. Sprinkles now begin to fall on the speedway but the track is still dry. Miley has opened his lead up as Comer now looking for room around the Ogle machine as lap traffic is playing havoc with the race for 2nd, but Miley is in his own zip code. Miley working through lap traffic methodically, now as he places a lap on the 4th place driver of Freddy Hillard, but he’ll have a long distance to catch Comer in the 3rd spot. Now caution flies here on lap 17 as Ogle goes around in turn 4. The shower over the speedway has increased in intensity, so the red flag will be displayed.

After only 19 minutes under the red flag, the track is dried and we are back to green flag racing for a green/white/checker finish. Comer trying to reel in Miley as Miley tries to skate away. Checkers in the air, Miley comes home with the win, Comer claims 2nd and 3rd goes to Ogle!

Cautions: 1
Red Flags: 1
Leaders: 71-Miley (1-20)

Mini Stock
Rocky McNabb and Lee Merritt lead the field to the green! Merritt appears to lead the first lap as the top 4 are still side by side. McNabb down low  off turn 4, still side by side. Merritt on the high side, McNabb and Merritt still side by side. Now McNabb claims the race lead, he’s on the top side and Merritt is down low. Gavin Murphy in the 3rd spot with Keith Sands in 4th as the top 4 is single file. K. Sands now looks inside on Murphy, as it’s now a conveyor belt of cars. Derik Duggan now inside Mike Townsend for the 5th spot, K. Sands on the inside of Murphy as 4 cars are nose to tail as they’re lappers. Cars all over the race track as we see Randy Lane pull into the infield here. McNabb the race leader, Merritt in 2nd with K. Sands in the 3rd spot. Townsend on the inside of Murphy now as more lap traffic becomes a factor. Now Murphy nails the wall in turn 4, caution is out here on lap 11.

Green flag back in the air, K. Sands looks inside Merritt off turn 2 but falls back in line. David Singleton now looks inside Townsend but falls back in line. Singleton started dead last in this feature, knocking on the door of our 4th place car, now looks inside into 3 but falls back in line, off turn 4 looks again, now McNabb with some evasive action as David Taylor stalls up high in turn 2. Caution is out here on lap 14.

Green flag back in the air one more time, McNabb hammers on the loud pedal, drives away off turn 2, but Merritt isn’t done, he peeks inside, but McNabb pulls away slightly with now 3 laps remaining. K. Sands trying to hold off Singleton, Singleton gets to his bumper, now white flag in the air. Singleton dives inside into turn 1, they touch, both cars continue, checkers in the air, McNabb with the win, Merritt takes 2nd, and K. Sands hangs on in 3rd!

Cautions: 2
Leaders: 14-Merritt (1-2); 01-McNabb (3-20)

Street Stock
Green flag in the air, Larry Sullivan and Travis Reno your front row, Reno gets the jump off turn 2. Bradly Lewelling in the 3rd spot with Sullivan in 2nd, Dale Watson in 4th, Dwayne Fox rounding out the top 5. Reno your leader, Sullivan trying to reel in your race leader with 5 laps in the books. Reno, Sullivan, Lewelling, Watson, and Fox continue to be your top 5 drivers. Sullivan now closing the gap on Reno, but now off turn 2, Reno opens the lead back up to 3 car lengths. Sullivan is getting into the corners so much better than Reno, goes way high in turn 3, gets up in the loose dirt, and hangs onto his machine but now that allows Reno to have a huge lead. Nice save by the Sullivan machine! But now here on lap 12, caution flies as Jeremy Hershner loses fluid down the frontstretch.

Green flag back in the air, Reno mashes his loud pedal, opens a few car lengths over Sullivan, now Watson looks inside Lewelling for a moment, falls back in line. Sullivan isn’t going away quietly, he can get in the corner faster than Reno, but can’t make his way around Reno. Reno opens the gap up once again as Sullivan falls into the clutches of Lewelling, now both drivers close in on Reno into turn 3. Sullivan to the rear bumper, as time is running out. Off turn 4, white flag in the air, Sullivan stalking Reno, closes to the rear bumper, DIVES INSIDE IN TURN 3, slides up into Reno, Sullivan will get sideways way up high as his machine doesn’t stick, Reno turns left, Sullivan spins in 4, and Reno claims the win! Lewelling takes 2nd, Watson comes home 3rd.

Cautions: 1
Leaders: 77-Reno (1-20)

Topless Modified
Green flag in the air, Justin Summers and Keith Gregory your front row, but quickly caution will fly as Marvin Romines goes around in turn 2.

Green flag on the do-over, off turn 2, Gregory powers inside Summers, off turn 4, Gregory takes the race lead off 2 but now Patrick Evans goes around in turn 2, Tony Grooms has nowhere to go, caution flies again and it’ll be a complete restart once more. The whole right door is bashed in on Grooms’ machine but he appears to be able to continue.

Green flag again, Summers with the jump off 2 this time around, Gregory powers inside in turn 3, falls in line off turn 4. Summers your leader, Gregory in 2nd, Jerry Hux in 3rd with Mike Lewis 4th. Lewis trying to reel in J. Hux for the spot. Summers starting to pull away now with 5 laps in the books. Lewis down low on J. Hux, falls in line off 4, powers inside in 1 and back in line off 2. Summers has some lap traffic to deal with now as Gregory begins to close in, Gregory using the low line, but Summers is trying to pull away, now here comes Gregory, powers inside Summers into 1, gets a little loose, falls back in line, now Evans holds up Gregory as that allows a cushion for Summers to open up, but now Gregory pulls right back inside Summers off turn 4, dives inside into turn 1, Gregory almost spins his machine this time, stays green, but now Evans spins in turn 2. Caution here on lap 11.

Green flag back in the air, a true barn burner shaping up here! Summers leads the charge into turn 1, but he’s got a mirror chocked full of Gregory, as Gregory powers inside, again can’t complete the pass. J. Hux now making some noise, as Gregory pulls inside off turn 4, this time he’ll complete the pass and claim the race lead off 2! Gregory with a bobble in turn 2, Summers trying to reel Gregory back in, Summers isn’t going anywhere, peeks inside off 2 but falls back in line. Summers now dives inside for the race lead off turn 2, still side by side in turn 3, Summers falls in line off turn 4. Now side by side again off turn 2, and they’ll race door to door! BARN BURNER! Gregory sawing at the wheel, but now off turn 2, Summers claims the race lead! Gregory looks inside off turn 4, gets loose, white flag in the air! Checkers in the air, Summers claims the shootout duel, Gregory comes home 2nd and J. Hux comes home 3rd.

Cautions: 3
Leaders: 51-Summers (1-12); 44-Gregory (13-18); 51-Summers (19-20)

Limited Late Model
Rusty Ballenger and Tony Schrimsher lead the field to the green! Ballenger off turn 2 with the race lead, Josh Collins in 2nd, Pierce McCarter in 3rd, several cars making contact in turn 4, Schrimsher back to the 4th spot, Jason Cardwell on his inside, Ryan King behind him, Eric Tipton just to the outside of R. King, Scott Gardner behind him, now Tipton powers inside R. King into 3. Cardwell and Schrimsher make contact off turn 4, both drivers continue on. Ballenger your leader, Collins in 2nd, McCarter in 3rd. Chase King now inside Cory Cate into turn 3, give him the spot. Ballenger has a mirror full of Collins, as McCarter closes in on the top 2 drivers. Tipton now looks inside Cardwell for the 5th spot, Cardwell to the top side, stays outside Tipton off 2. Ballenger isn’t getting away from Collins as they stay nose to tail, McCarter just waiting to pounce on either driver’s mistake. Tipton has completed the pass on Cardwell, sets his sights on Schrimsher. Meanwhile up front, Ballenger starting to lay down some good laps as he’s stepped his lead out a little over Collins, but Collins starting to reel him back in, but both drivers may have lap traffic before long. Halfway in this one already, Ballenger still in command, as R. King powers inside Cardwell for the 5th spot, but now Wes Tilley spins in turn 4 to bring caution out here on lap 15.

Green flag back in the air, Collins looks inside Ballenger for a moment, can’t make it happen. Tipton now looks inside McCarter, claims the 3rd spot, sets his sights on Collins. Tipton dives inside Collins, falls in line down the backstretch, side by side off 4. Ballenger your leader, side by side for 2nd as Collins tries to pull away from Tipton, but Tipton is making noise. Now 10 laps to go. Collins looks outside on Ballenger, can’t make it stick this time by, now off turn 2 he’ll peek outside in turn 3, Tipton closing in on both drivers, might be 3 wide off turn 2, almost! Ballenger is the target, Collins on the top shelf, Tipton down low, now Ballenger can breathe for a moment. Ballenger running the low line, Collins now looks outside once more, can’t make anything happen with now 5 laps to go, now in turn 2, Collins gets a little too high, he’ll ride the wall, caution flies here on lap 25.
Green flag back in the air one more time, 5 lap dash for the cash. Ballenger pulls away slightly from Tipton, but Tipton isn’t going anywhere just yet. R. King now looks inside Schrimsher, now McCarter closes in on Tipton, now just 2 laps remaining. White flag in the air, Ballenger your leader, Tipton has 4 more chances. He looks inside into turn 1, falls in line off 2, tries one more time in 3, can’t make it happen as Ballenger claims the win. Tipton comes home in 2nd and 3rd goes to McCarter!

Cautions: 2
Leaders: 29-Ballenger (1-30)