Another great night of racing is in the books at Tennessee’s Action Track! In Modified Mini action, it was all Michael Courtney as he smoked the field. Next was Street Stock where Travis Reno again started at the rear and powered his way to the front, however, he didn’t have enough as Shannon Emery took the checkers. In Mini Stock, it was Cole Trickle (Rocky McNabb) taking the win after drafting with Lee Merritt the first handful of laps. In NeSmith Crates, it was John Cobb taking the win. In Thunder & Lightning, it was Robbie Comer as he waxed the field. In Topless Modified, Flash again took the checkered flag as Keith Gregory notches his 8th win of the season. And finally, Josh Collins set fast time in the Limited with a blistering lap of 13.702, but it was all Brad Lowe as he stole the checkers.
Coming up this Saturday is another regular racing program as the season inches closer to the conclusion. There may only be about a month and a half left in the season but there’s A LOT of great racing to be seen yet! This Saturday we’ll have racing in Limited Late Model, NeSmith Crate Late Model, Thunder & Lightning, Street Stock, Topless Modified, Mini Stock, and Classic.
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Modified Mini
Brad Pressley and Michael Courtney ready to fire this thing off, GREEN FLAG! Courtney off with the lead off 2, Rocky McNabb on his tire tracks as he goes around the outside of Pressley. Pressley back to 3rd, with Tom Vann on his heels. Lap traffic almost gets our race leader but Courtney escapes trouble as caution flies here on lap 2.
Green flag back in the air here with 2 laps complete, Courtney mashes that loud pedal off 4, McNabb hot on his heels, now Dustin Stephens around Vann for the 4th spot as the top 3 are nose to tail. Now McNabb with a bobble in 4, Pressley dives to his inside, side by side off 2. Off 4, Pressley takes over 2nd as he chases down Courtney. Now Stephens pulls inside McNabb off 2, falls back in line, as Vann and Darren Goins close in to challenge, now Goins inside Vann off 2, but so far it’s all Courtney. Pressley in 2nd, Stephens inside McNabb for that position as McNabb slows off 2. Stephens and Vann now challenging for 3rd, falls back in line. Courtney in control here with 9 laps complete, but Pressley isn’t falling too far behind, possibly even closing in slightly. Stephens in the 3rd spot, Vann in 4th under fire from Goins. Now halfway as Aaron Hayes and Shane Taylor make slight contact, they’re just in front of the leader and gives plenty of room as Courtney slows up to give them extra room, that allows Pressley to close in some as he’s driving the wheels off his machine. He can smell that $500 that’s on the line and he wants it. Trying to close the gap now with only 5 laps remaining. Now Vann looking around Hayes, he’ll give up the spot to Goins as he pulls away from Vann. Courtney now pulling away from Pressley, as it’s an even gap back to the Stephens machine. Off turn 4, checkers in the air, Courtney will take the win, Pressley comes home in 2nd and 3rd goes to Stephens!
Cautions: 1
Leaders: C11-Courtney (1-20)
Street Stock
Dale Watson and Jason Ogle ready to roll, GREEN FLAG! Watson leads the field into turn 1, Ogle in 2nd with Shannon Emery in 3rd. Jr. Merriman in 4th but now Ogle has lost a driveshaft heading into turn 3, caution flies.
Green flag back in the air, Emery now takes over the outside front row spot, but it’s Watson leading the field into 1. Emery takes the lead off turn 2, but caution flies as Dale Jackson is around into the infield.
Green flag back in the air, this time Watson has the race lead, but Emery hot on his heels. Watson still in command in this one, Emery in 2nd, 3rd is Merriman with Billy Sands hot on his heels off 2. 5 laps now complete as Travis Reno is powering his way to the front, now he’s around Merriman and Sands. Now contact is made between the leaders, Watson makes contact with Emery, Emery now in 2nd as cars are bouncing off each other all over the place. Emery looks to be closing back in on Watson, lap traffic in the way, now Emery POWERS inside Watson, Watson gets sideways, now a broken suspension, caution here on lap 11. Lap traffic caused that one as the leaders ran out of room in turn 2.
Green flag back in the air, Reno dives inside Emery into 1, falls in line off 2. Emery with a strong mount tonight, seems to be driving away from Reno with only 7 laps remaining. Sands in the 3rd spot with Jonathan Sims in 4th, now Sims reeling in Sands for the 3rd spot as Emery is pulling away. Lap traffic may become a factor here as there’s now 2 laps remaining. Emery has no trouble around one lap car, white flag in the air, Reno has slight trouble with a lapper, as checkers are in the air on this one, Emery takes the win, Reno comes home 2nd and 3rd goes to Sands.
Cautions: 3
Leaders: 11-Watson (1-11); M2-Emery (12-20)
Mini Stock
Keith Sands and Lee Merritt side by side, ready to roll, GREEN FLAG! Merritt jumps to the lead into 1, Rocky McNabb in 2nd, David Singleton in 3rd, Keith Sands back to the 4th spot. Singleton now inside McNabb off 2, side by side for the 2nd spot, now they’re both looking for room around Merritt, now Singleton gets super sideways, gathers it up but loses a few spots, now we know why, flat right-rear tire, and now the suspension appears to be broken. Caution here on lap 3.
Green flag back in the air as Singleton returns to the speedway but quickly realizes the trouble with his machine and pulls into the infield. Up front, Merritt the leader, McNabb in 2nd, Keith Sands in 3rd. Mike Townsend now slows into 3, give Alex Squires the 4th spot as he has a mirror full of Mike Cooley. Merritt still in command, McNabb hot on his heels, peeks inside off 4, they complete lap 8, now McNabb pulls inside. McNabb trying to get a run on Merritt off one of the corners, working on setting the leader up, now closes to the rear bumper off 2, plays tag into turn 3, and again into 1, but can’t do anything else at this point. It looks like Daytona with Cole Trickle in the 2nd spot bump-drafting our leader, waiting for a change to slingshot! McNabb now pulls inside off turn 2, has to fall in line, now uses a lap car as a pick, give McNabb the race lead off turn 4! Merritt now trying to reel McNabb back in and challenge for the win, but McNabb is up on the cushion and pulling away with 4 laps remaining. Merritt now sideways off turn 2. Checkers in the air, McNabb with the win, Merritt in 2nd, and 3rd is Keith Sands.
Cautions: 1
Leaders: 14-Merritt (1-13); 51-McNabb (14-20)
NeSmith Crate Late Models
Jason McCall and John Cobb side by side, ready to roll, GREEN FLAG! Off 4, Cobb in the lead, Cory Hedgecock makes contact with Ryan King off turn 2, but now Brad Seagle gets sideways, spins on the backstretch, caution here on lap 1.
Green flag back in the air, Cobb mashes the loud pedal in 4 , several cars tangled into 3 as someone brake-checked the field. Cobb out front, McCall in 2nd, King in 3rd. Now McCall spins in turn 4, caution flies here on lap 3.
Green flag in the air, Dereck Blair jumps and passes several cars in turn 3 before the leader even fired. Cobb your leader, King in 2nd, Hedgecock in 3rd. Josh Henry and Trevor Sise with Cory Cate in tow, now Cate gets the turn 4 wall, but continues on. Cobb still in command, now Henry closing in on Hedgecock for the 3rd spot, as Cobb begins to pull away. Now caution flies here on lap 9, Curtis Thomas spins in turn 2.
Green flag in the air, looks like Blair was moved to the rear after jumping the last start. Henry now inside Hedgecock for position, now Cate racing hard as he’s closing in on Sise, now loses the handle and slides up in turn 3. Up front, Cobb your leader, King in 2nd, Hedgecock hanging onto 3rd for the time being with Henry and Sise rounding out the top 5, but now Sise has company, Seagle battles to his inside, dives low in 3, powers around on the inside. Cate now chasing down Sise once again for position, again slides up in 3, gives Marty Calloway the spot but now Blair has spun in turn 2, caution here on lap 15.
Green flag in the air, but someone continues brake checking and now 3 cars are piled up in 4. 98-McCall, 92-Cate, and 82-Blair all wadded up.
Green flag in the air as time has expired, it’ll be a 2 lap shootout. King inside Cobb into 1, drives inside in 3, white flag in the air. King still inside, but Cobb up high pulls away off 2. King settles for 2nd, 3rd goes to Hedgecock as Cobb takes the win.
Cautions: 5
Leaders: 40-Cobb (1-17)
Thunder & Lightning
Freddy Hillard and Barry Duncan side by side ready to rock and roll, GREEN FLAG! Robbie Comer quickly powers around 3 drivers, now he powers around Quinn Bender for 3rd, powers around Duncan for 2nd, but caution flies here as Scott Atkins spins in turn 2.
Green flag back in the air, Comer around Duncan for the 2nd spot, now looks around Hillard for the lead. Comer the leader, Hillard in 2nd, Duncan in 3rd but now Walter Sims powers around Duncan for the 3rd spot. 5 laps now in the books, Comer still the leader, Hillard still in 2nd. 3rd is Sims, Duncan 4th and rounding out the field is Rocky Ogle. Ogle nursing an injured arm tonight, but he’s making laps and collecting points, but now he pulls in off turn 2. Halfway home in this one, Comer still the leader with Hillard in 2nd. Hillard has now closed in on the race leader as attrition starts setting in. Now only 3 cars left on the speedway. Checkers in the air, Comer with the win, Hillard in 2nd and Sims takes 3rd.
Cautions: 1
Leaders: 74-Hillard (1-2); 42-Comer (3-20)
Topless Modified
Keith Gregory and William Hux your front row, green flag! Gregory off 2 with the lead, William in 2nd, Josh Driskill in 3rd, Marty Goodman in 4th with Jerry Hux and Eric Hux rounding out the field. Gregory powering away with the lead now as William Hux is in 2nd, Driskill in 3rd. Jerry Hux looking for room around Goodman, as Goodman gets high into 3, stays off the wall. Gregory still out front, William Hux in 2nd and Driskill 3rd. Eric Hux looking for room around Goodman now, has a peek outside, falls back in line, now gets a run into 3 and almost makes contact, but they’ll all continue on. Halfway on this one as Eric Hux looks for room around Goodman, now Jerry Hux has closed in on Driskill for 3rd, peeks inside, Driskill with a bobble, and Jerry Hux takes over 3rd, and now Driskill pulls off in 2. Gregory out front with 5 laps remaining, William Hux in 2nd with Jerry Hux in 3rd. Eric Hux continues to look for room around Goodman as Goodman has an ill handle on his machine on entry. Checkers in the air, Gregory takes the win, William Hux in 2nd with Jerry Hux in 3rd.
Cautions: None
Leaders: 44-Gregory (1-20)
Limited Late Model
Josh Collins set the fast time tonight with a very blistering lap top, now he falls back to 3rd due to winning 2 features in a row, so the front row consists of Cory Hedgecock and Brad Lowe, they’re ready to roll, GREEN FLAG! Lowe gets the jump off turn 2, Hedgecock in 2nd, Jason Cardwell 3rd, Collins on his inside off 4. Lowe, Hedgecock, Cardwell lead the parade around the speedway as caution flies in turn 2. Eric Tipton and Josh Henry tangle in turn 2.
Green flag one more time, Lowe off turn 2 with the lead, Hedgecock in 2nd, Cardwell in 3rd. Collins in 4th as he runs the high groove as he reels in Cardwell. Scott Gardner jut behind them as he’s pressured from Jason Manley and Vic Hill, up front, Lowe pulling away as Hedgecock leads the bottleneck off 2, Cardwell trying to find a way around, now Hill powers around Manley, inside Gardner off 2, dives inside in 3, give the spot to Hill. Cardwell still trying desperately to get around Hedgecock as Collins starts to close in and look for room around both. Hill pulls inside Collins off 4, falls in line, off 2 back inside as Cardwell gets around Hedgecock, now Collins looking for his way around Hedgecock, looks high in 3, has just enough room off 4. Collins still outside Hedgecock, now bobbles in 3, give the spot to Hill for a moment off 4. Hill and Collins side by side as Hedgecock gets tight off 4, now Cardwell with a bobble as Collins closes in on his bumper, now Rusty Ballenger closes in to challenge as Lowe has pulled away. 13 laps in the books here so far, Cardwell has stretched it out over Collins, Hedgecock still holding off Hill for the 4th spot, as Ballenger closes in on Hill. Lowe the leader, Cardwell in 2nd, Collins 3rd with Hedgecock 4th. Hill still trying to find a way around, this time gets a run off 2, but can’t stay inside into 3. Hedgecock having a difficult time in turn 2 as he loses a lot of ground, Hill still trying to find his way around as now Hill slides up, looking inside is Ballenger, falls back in line. Matt Henderson now up to challenge inside Gardner for about the 6th spot, now does a slide job and Gardner gives a nudge. Patience has to be running out for Hill, now he tries to pull outside Hedgecock for position, but caution flies here on lap 23. Hill got into the wall in turn 2, tough break for him.
Green flag back in the air, Lowe hard on the gas as Cardwell tries to stay close, now Hedgecock pulls inside Collins for position, he’s down low and completes the pass off turn 2. Collins now outside Hedgecock once again, as Cardwell is in the 2nd spot, now he spins off turn 4, collects Hedgecock. Caution car should be Cardwell.
Green flag back in the air, Collins with a charge off turn 2, tries to close in on Hedgecock as Hedgecock closes in on Lowe. Collins chasing down Hedgecock into 3. Hedgecock gets loose off 4, that allows Collins to pull inside, off 4, they’ll drag race, Lowe with the win, Collins gets 2nd and 3rd goes to Hedgecock.
Cautions: 3
Leaders: 16-Lowe (1-30)