Welshan scores Independence win

The forecast called for rain but that didn’t stop over 60 of the best drivers around from showing up at Tennessee’s action track for a special Independence day event.

With a 16.288 qualifying lap, Michael Woods put his #66 machine on the pole for the 20 lap Feature. The green waved and outside pole sitter Dale Watson jumped out to the early advantage with Neeley and Woods in chase. The pole position didn’t give Woods any advantage as he slipped back quickly into the 4th spot after just a couple laps. Up front Neeley was all over Watson for the top spot. Neeley would dive deep into turn one and push up into Watson sending the defending Street Stock Champion hard into the turn two wall. The night would be over for both drivers after just 4 laps. With Watson and Neeley behind the wall, Dwayne Fox found himself in the lead. Points leader Tracy Wolfe quickly moved up through the field working over Tyler Smith. Trouble would find Pete Wright as he spun bringing out the caution and erasing Fox’s lead. Fox clearly nailed the setup on his #27 machine as he quickly began to inch away from the field on the restart. The strong run for Wright came to an end on lap 9 as he slowed and pulled off the track. Up front it was all Fox who would pick up the win.

1: #27 Dwayne Fox
2: #11 Tracy Wolfe
3: #0z Jon Cook
4: #66 Michael Woods
5: #32 Tyler Smith
6: #22 Michael Millsaps
7: #12 JJ Green
8: #10 Mike Oler
9: #24 Jeff Ferguson
10: #001 Jerald Owens
11: #07A Audie Wyrick
12: #51 Pete Wright
13: #11 Dale Watson
14: #3 Austin Neeley
15: #44c Mike Winstead
16: #00 Brandon Crawford
DNS #14 Austin Atkins

With 3 wins already to his credit in 2015, Terry Poore set fast time in Sportsman qualifying with a 14.620 lap time. The race got intense quick as Poore and Coffey made significant contact on the opening lap damaging both cars, but both continuing on. Once the race got going Coffey set sail with Poore and Overholt in pursuit. Chad Spradlin looked low on Adam Mitchell for the 5th spot in the opening laps with Spradlin eventually prevailing. David Clark had a strong run going early and was all over Clyde Overholt for the 3rd spot. Unfortunately Clark would see that run go south as he spun coming off the final turn just a couple laps later. The top two had built up a large advantage over the field but the caution would erase all of it. On the restart Overholt took a look inside Poore coming off turn two but had to fall back in line. Coffey hit his marks perfectly in the closing laps and cruised to his first win of 2015.

1: #3 Rex Coffey
2: #2 Terry Poore
3: #4 Clyde Overholt
4: #155 Chad Spradlin
5: #50 Adam Mitchell
6: #1 David Clark
7: #722 Clayton Spradlin
8: #14 Lee Merritt
9: #14 Austin Atkins
10: #97 Aaron Guinn
11: #28 Justin James
12: #50m Jonathan Miracle
13: #11 Kip Sawyer

After winning his heat race earlier in the day, John Byers put his familiar #J7 machine on the pole for the 20 lap Mini Stock feature. Byers would take the lead on the start but trouble would find Chuck McMahan quickly as a tire came loose from his car bringing out the caution and ending his night. William Tallent would also pull off the track with issues in the opening laps. On the restart, Shannon Raley made his moving getting past Randy Lane and moving into the runner up spot behind Byers. Another car would fall out of the race as Michael Branham retired for the night. After just 8 laps Byers had already built up a big lead over Raley and Lane. The battle of the race was between the returning Chris Griffin and Tommy Metler for the 4th spot. By lap 13 Byers had ran away to a full straight-away lead over the pack. Just another day at the office for Byers who went on to pick up another win and extend his points lead.

1: #J7 John Byers
2: #88 Shannon Raley
3: #41 Randy Lane
4: #c8 Chris Griffin
5: #44 Tommy Metler
6: #31 David Darden
7: #322 Fireball Roberts
8: #32 Fireball Roberts Sr
9: #15t Michael Branham
10: #22 Tim Kilby
11: #4 Chuck McMahan
12L #18 William Tallent
DNS: #23 Sam Burgess

Up next was the always exciting Classic Car division. Two time winner in 2015 and current point leader Justin Overton would start on the front row with Joe “Hotrod” Keck for the 20 lap feature. Overton wasn’t gonna wait around, taking the lead as the green waved. Keck wasn’t gonna give him any breathing room as he was literally right on the back bumper in the opening laps. The man on the move was John Stevens who took the 4th spot just 2 laps into the race. On that same lap, Keck began working the inside groove coming off the corner under Overton. The top 3 of Overton, Keck and Stevens began to driver off from the field after a few laps. Stevens looked to have found something as he closed in on keck for 2nd. The pace was slowed on lap 9 for Ritchie Overholser going for a spin. On the restart Keck again dove to the bottom trying to wrestle the top spot away. Trouble for Adam Pressley on lap 15. A cut tire sent him spinning and bringing out the caution. With just two laps left, Rusty Welch made hard contact with the wall coming off turn two and pulled off track. Keck took one last look under Overton but it wasn’t meant to be.

1: #98 Justin Overton
2: #78 Joe Keck
3: #7 John Stevens
4: #8 Eli Keck
5: #07 Bobby Pressley
6: #88 Ritchie Overholser
7: #c74 Cliff Lane
8: #65 Michael Maiden
9: #1 Daisy Lockhart
10: #18 Rusty Welch
11: #07A Adam Pressley

Trevor Sise set fast time in qualifying for a very stout Late Model field with a 13.992 lap time. Sise would take the lead over Mayfield but Chaos would show it’s ugly head early with a multiple car accident in volving Mays, Fields, and Wesley Ball. Everyone would be able to continue on with just cosmetic damage. When the race finally got going Sise took the lead again with Mayfield, Welshan and Coffey. The top two quickly inched away from the Welshan with Mayfield looking inside for the lead. A little further back Hedgecock and Bobby Mayes fought it out for a spot just outside the top 5. “The Iceman: Jason Manley was a man on a mission moving past Coffey on lap 8 and into the 4th spot. Mayfield’s bid for the top spot hit a roadblock as he spun with William Overbey. However Mayfield would be given his spot back, keeping his hopes for a win alive. On the restart Welshan turned on the burners and powered into the the second spot on lap 13. Manley clearly found something in his #32 machine, moving past Mayfield and into 3rd at the halfway point. Welshan knocked on the door of the lead for several laps and on lap 18 he kicked that door open with an incredible slide job coming off turn two and into the lead. Manley looked the be the fastest car on the track as he moved past Sise and into 2nd. As the final laps ticked off he would close the gap and made one last charge coming off the final turn but couldn’t get enough traction to beat Welshan back to the start finish line.

1: #29 Jason Welshan
2: #32 Jason Manley
3: #23 Cory Hedgecock
4: #73 Trevor Sise
5: #00 Ruben Mayfield
6: #29 Rusty Ballenger
7: #88 Brad Coffey
8: #25 Bobby Mays
9: #63 Josh Collins
10: #1 Andy Pickelsimer
11: #28 Cort Carringer
12: #7 William Overbey
13: #3 Wesley Ball
14: #11 Josh Fields

Next Saturday night the Ultimate Super Late Models return!