Mother Nature again tried to rain on our parade, but the fans, drivers, crew, and staff at the 411 Motor Speedway made it all work out and the entire program was completed despite Mother Nature’s best efforts. In Classic, it was Adam Engel pulling away with the feature win. In Street Stock, Travis Reno returned to victory lane. In Mini Stock, “The Rooftop Rocket” Rocky McNabb rocketed to the win. In NeSmith Crates, Greg “Skinny” Martin blasted to the win with fireworks flying on the post-race cool-down lap. In Thunder & Lightning, Robbie Comer stole the lead on lap 10 and cruised to the win, but the action was in turn 1 as Cory Whitted and Rocky Ogle got together heading into 1. Whitted wound up on top of the concrete barriers just outside turn 1. In Topless Modified, Marvin Romines powered away with the race lead, and in Limited Late Model action, Josh Collins again blistered the field on his way to victory lane.
Next up on the schedule is a special event this Friday August 10th at the 411 Motor Speedway! The cars and stars of the Southern Regional Racing Series comes to town in a $3,000 to win Super Late Model special. Joining the Supers will be the NeSmith Crates, Thunder & Lightning, Mini Stock, and Classic divisions.
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Classic
Mitchell Childress and Adam Engel your front row, ready to roll, GREEN FLAG! Engel with the lead off turn 2, Childress in 2nd, Robert Skinner in 3rd. Marvin Ray, Shannon Reese, and Bart Baxter round out the field. Engel continuing to show the way as he clicks off lap 2, Childress hot on his heels as Ray closes in on Skinner. Engel still showing the way as he clicks off lap 6. Childress still on his heels, now about 2 car lengths separate the 2 off 2. Skinner now has some breathing room over Ray as Reese closes in on his rear bumper, now Skinner closes in on Childress, looks inside off 4, quickly falls in line. Engel now has about a 10 car length lead here as he clicks off the halfway point in this feature. Baxter having some sort of issue tonight, he’s in danger of going a lap down to the field. Engel and Baxter had a tight race last time the Classic drivers ran here, but now Baxter drops a lap to the race leader. Skinner still chasing Childress off 2 with 13 laps complete, Engel to a sizeable lead. Childress now gives up the 2nd spot as Skinner makes his way around on the high side off 4, now Childress makes contact with Skinner, as Engel has checked out. Checkers in the air on this one, Engel with the win, Skinner takes 2nd and 3rd goes to Childress.
Cautions: None
Leaders: 28-Engel (1-20)
Street Stock
Travis Reno and Jeff McLemore side by side off 4, GREEN FLAG! Reno quickly into the race lead, McLemore in 2nd, Austin Atkins in 3rd, Jr. Merriman in 4th. Dale Watson inside Daniel Lawson for 5th off 4, completes the pass as he chases down Merriman. Reno walking away with this one so far, McLemore in 2nd, Atkins in 3rd. Watson reeling in Merriman off 2, looks inside in 3, falls in line off 4. Watson powers inside Merriman in 3, Merriman pulls away off 2. Jason Ogle still trying to find room around Lawson, got a lapper, can’t split them, now Reno not far from those drivers. Atkins now with smoke showing from his machine as Ogle finally gets around Lawson. Watson still working on Merriman for the 4th spot, as Atkins closes in on McLemore, but Reno is a long way ahead as 12 laps are complete. Watson now tries to work with lap traffic to get around Merriman, now Watson gets around Merriman as Kaleb Trent slides up and makes contact with Merriman. Reno still out front, McLemore in 2nd working through lap traffic as Atkins starts to close in. Reno a half straightaway to the good here with just a couple circuits remaining. Checkers in the air, Reno with the win, McLemore in 2nd, and 3rd will go to Atkins.
Cautions: None
Leaders: 77-Reno (1-20)
Mini Stock
Rocky McNabb and Dillon Martin side by side, GREEN FLAG! Off the bat, the caution-free night ends as Kenneth Daniels goes around after some help in turn 2. Caution on lap 0, so it’ll be a complete restart.
Green flag back in the air, McNabb powers on the throttle off 4, makes slight contact with Martin in the middle of 1 and 2, they’ll all continue cleanly. He’s out to a sizeable lead as Tim West is in 2nd place. West and McNabb saw the sparks fly as those two had contact in the heat race, hopefully everything has settled down between those two. Martin in 3rd as he’s got a mirror full of the entire field. David Singleton slicing and dicing his way up through the field as McNabb has opened up over a straightaway lead over 2nd place. West in 2nd, 3rd is Lee Merritt as Mike Townsend, Keith Sands, and Singleton are all knotted up for position there, they’re all nose to tail, Merritt gives a bump to West, Sands tries to turn left but has no idea Singleton is to his inside, it’s a cluster off 4 as everyone is trying to get around West. Merritt hot on his bumper, Sands on his inside, now Singleton around Townsend, now Alex Squires joins the 6 car battle now as Keith Sands gets sideways off 2, spins in the mud, and caution will fly here on lap 10. Merritt finally made it around West before the caution flew.
Green flag in the air, but now caution flies as Merritt goes around in turn 3, collects Keith Sands, Robert Burris also involved, Townsend, and Singleton. Singleton losing fluid on the track. Keith Sands got into the wall in turn 3 trying to avoid the melee. Caution here on lap 11.
Green flag in the air, but into turn 3 West gets sideways, hangs onto it, Townsend pulls inside and they make contact and West bounces off the wall in 4. Caution still on lap 11.
Green flag back in the air, McNabb into turn 1 with the lead, Townsend in 2nd, Martin in 3rd. Squires looks outside Merritt for the 4th spot as white flag flies. Checkers in the air, McNabb with the win, Townsend takes 2nd and 3rd goes to Martin!
Cautions: 4
Leaders: 51-McNabb (1-13)
NeSmith Crate Late Models
Adam Beeler and Greg Martin side by side, ready to roll, GREEN FLAG! They thunder into turn 1, side by side all the way back! Martin off turn 2 as he POWERS away from Beeler, Ryan King inside Beeler in 3, falls in line off 4. Martin the leader, Beeler in 2nd, King 3rd, Jason McCall in the 4th spot with Marty Calloway in 5th. Trevor Sise trying to hold off Cory Cate. Martin off turn 4 as Beeler starts to turn up the wick, now he dives inside for the lead. 9 laps now complete, Beeler still applying pressure as lap traffic is not far ahead. King reeling both drivers in as they complete halfway. Martin in command, Beeler still waiting on a bobble from the 24 machine, but he might be waiting a while. Martin now with 2 lappers just ahead, he makes his way around, and now King powers inside Beeler in the lap traffic, blasts into the 2nd spot with 4 laps to go off 2! King chasing down Martin now with 3 laps to go. Martin with a slight bobble, now has a lapper in his way, makes quick work as the white flag flies. King has one more lap to try something, but he’s ran out of time, Martin the winner, King 2nd, and 3rd goes to Beeler. Some post-race fireworks fly as Beeler ran up to the bumper and jacked up King through 3 and 4 after the checkers. Not real sure what happened there since it looked to me like King never even came close to touching Beeler off 2 when he powered around the lapper and Beeler.
Cautions: None
Leaders: 24-Martin (1-20)
Thunder & Lightning
Apaches Quinton and Michael Boyd your front row as Robbie Comer was your fast qualifier but he has won 2 in a row, so he’s relegated to 3rd. Ready to roll, GREEN FLAG! Boyd and Quinton may contact in turn 2, Boyd now on the inside as Rocky Ogle looks to make it 3 wide into 1, now they sort themselves out as Quinton is the leader, Ogle in 2nd, Ogle trying to challenge as Comer powers around Boyd. Scott Atkins in the 5th spot. Freddy Hillard leading Tommy Huston, Cory Whitted, Tom Huston, and Barry Duncan. Quinton has his hands full as Ogle powers inside off 4, falls back in line. These drivers are making quick laps as already 5 laps are complete. Quinton the leader, Ogle in 2nd, and here comes Comer. Comer trying to find a way around both drivers as Ogle falls in line, now powers inside off turn 2, side by side for the lead into 3, Ogle washes up, they make very slight contact, they’ll continue on as lap traffic becomes a factor. Now Comer in 2nd through that exchange, now Comer looks around Quinton, looks inside off turn 2, still inside off 4. Comer now powers inside off turn 2 as Quinton squeezes him low, now Comer off turn 4 makes the move and powers away. Quinton in 2nd, Ogle in 3rd. Boyd in the 4th spot as Duncan has powered in to 5th it looks like. Comer with more lap traffic now as Whitted almost gets into Tommy, now there’s a hornets nest as Comer tries to look around as Quinton has a left-rear tire down on that machine, now Whitted and Ogle make contact into 1, and Whitted has got into the wall, and he wound up on top of the barriers. The water main feeding the pipe to supply the water truck was broken and water gushed across the race track for a few minutes. Whitted is ok, water was shut off, and the car was pulled from the predicament it was in.
Green white checker coming up, ready to roll, GREEN FLAG! Comer with the lead off turn 2, Ogle in 2nd, Boyd in 3rd. Checkers in the air due to time, Comer the winner, Ogle in 2nd, and Boyd comes home 3rd.
Red Flags: 1
Leaders: 21-Quinton (1-9); 42-Comer (10-15)
Topless Modified
Due to the weather and due to the time it took to get the car off the wall in the previous feature, this feature will be cut to 12 laps.
Marvin Romines and William Hux side by side, GREEN FLAG! Romines quickly with the race lead, Jerry Hux in 2nd now, Keith Gregory in 3rd with William Hux rounding out the field with 3 laps now complete. Gregory works inside Jerry Hux off turn 4, as Romines has checked out so far. Jerry Hux now up high in 3, Gregory peeks inside, but again falls in line. Now with 9 laps complete, Romines a straightaway lead over the new 2nd place man Gregory. Jerry Hux in 3rd and William Hux in 4th. Checkers in the air on this one, Romines takes the win, Gregory in 2nd, 3rd goes to Jerry Hux, and 4th goes to William Hux.
Cautions: None
Leaders: 57-Romines (1-12)
Limited Late Model
Chase King and Josh Collins side by side, both cars are fast here tonight, they’re ready, they THUNDER off turn 4, GREEN FLAG! Collins quickly takes the lead off turn 2, Chase King in 2nd, Ryan King in 3rd, Ruben Mayfield in tow but now caution flies for a bad start.
Green flag back in the air, Collins again with the lead off turn 2, Chase King in 2nd, Mayfield down low on Ryan King off 4, Ryan King powers through the corner and leaves Mayfield in the dust. Brad Lowe now just behind Mayfield with Rusty Ballenger in 6th. Collins in control, Chase King in 2nd, Ryan King in 3rd with Mayfield still hanging tough as 5 laps are complete. Collins isn’t getting far ahead of Chase King, those 2 have opened daylight between themselves and Ryan King, now Chase King peeks inside off 4, falls back in line. Lap traffic will become a factor before long as the lap times are wicked fast. Chase King with a slight bobble as Collins continues to show the way. Collins working through lap traffic as Scott Gardner slows through 1 and 2, he’ll pull off to the infield, but now Chase King is around in turn 4. Caution here on lap 11.
Green flag in the air, Collins leads the charge into 1, Mayfield almost gets into Ryan King, but all is well as Lowe powers to Mayfield’s inside, washes up, makes contact, Lowe around in turn 2. Caution here on lap 12. Now Mayfield rams Lowe under the caution, and Lowe returns the favor, so both drivers have been disqualified.
Green flag back in the air, Collins again with the thunderous pedal off turn 4 Ryan King in the 2nd spot, Ballenger now in 3rd with Jason Cardwell 4th. Chris Marcum in the 5th spot as Chase King powers around Butch Bayless off 2. Chase King now inside Marcum as Marcum is carrying the left-front wheel around the track. Collins trying to open up the advantage over Ryan King as he begins to pull away slightly. Ballenger in the 3rd spot a good distance back as Chase King closes in on Cardwell. These drivers are flying around this 3/8’s mile oval as Collins closes in on lap traffic again, this time the 6th place car of Marcum. Chase King completes the pass over Cardwell, as Collins has made his way around Marcum. Collins now with a clean track ahead, Ryan King is a half straightaway behind him with the white flag in the air. This one is in the books, Collins with the win, Ryan King in 2nd and 3rd goes to Ballenger.
Cautions: 3
Leaders: 63-Collins (1-30)