Crabtree scores Southern Nationals win

With the sun scorching down, the fans filled into Tennessee’s Action Track to see the return of the Super Late Models courtesy of the Southern Nationals. Four action packed divisions of racing were on the schedule in a special Tuesday night showdown.
Up first was the Sportsman division paying $800 to the winner. A stacked filled of some of the best Sportsman drivers around were set to do battle in front of the packed crowd. Clyde Stanton set fast time in time trails with youngster Zach Sise on the front row beside him. After a quick caution for Kyle Cole who spun, Stanton took control of the 22 car field with Sise, and Justin Winters in his tire tracks. Trouble struck early when Health Alvey got sideways in turn one collecting Terry Poore and point leader Kyle Courtney. Both Poore and Alvey would be done for the night with heavy damage. Philip Thompson had a solid qualifying effort but pulled off track early with issues. Several issues for the guys in the top 6 as Andy Ogle also pulled off track shortly after. Back under green and Mark King dove under Jed Emert on the restart and took the fourth position away but the very next lap Emert retook the spot. Just ahead of them the battle was on for the runner up spot between Winters and Sise. Stanton would inch away from the pack and pick up the big $800 win.
1: ‪#‎C11 Clyde Stanton
2: ‪#‎J1‬ Justin Winters
3: #9 Zach Sise
4: #98 Jed Emert
5: #31 Brad Seagle
6: #99 Mark King
7: #33 Warren McMahan
8: ‪#‎4h Hunter Kerr
9: #79 Joshua Sneed
10: #50 Adam Mitchell
11: #18 James Cole
12: #12 Drew Deaver
13: #58 Cody Brake
14: #171 Kyle Courtney
15: #68 Brandon Starnes
16: #24 Philip Thompson
17: #41 Richard Bailey
18: #11 Cody Smith
19: #68 Andy Ogle
20: #7 Heath Alvey
21: #2 Terry Poore
22: #15 Wade Howerton
July20_0906
Up next was the 20 lap Mini Stock feature. With 12 wins in the 2016 season, John Byers was absent on the night which meant the door was wide open for a new winner. With only four cars on the track you might think it wouldn’t be a very exciting race but you’d be wrong. The green waved and point leader Thomas Clark put his #41 machine on point ahead of Jamie James, Joe McKinney and Ryan Wade. Wade was on the move from the word go as he moved himself into the second position in the opening laps. Clark, Wade and James were door to door, and bumper to bumper the entire race going three wide for the top spot at times. Wade would eventually take over the top spot and hold off Clark for the win. However Wade would be disqualified post race and the win would be given to Clark.
1: #41 Thomas Clark
2: #55 Joe McKinney
3: #13 Jamie James
DQ: #11b #11 Ryan Wade
Up next was the $3,500 Southern Nationals Super Late Models. 23 cars would start the A main with David Crabtree putting his #c5 machine into the lead on the start with Donald McIntosh, Devin Gilpin, Chris Brown and Vic Hill rounding out the top five. Crabtree had his machine hooked up as he began to inch away from McIntosh until a caution for a slowing Pierce McCarter slowed the pace. McIntosh had dominated most of the Super Late Model races at 411 Motor Speedway but he had his hands full with Gilpin who was working the inside line trying to get the second spot. The night would come to an early end for John Tweed who slowed bringing out another caution. McIntosh seemed to be lacking forward grip as he lost another spot to Chris Brown. Vic Hill was also turning up the heat on the #7 for position as the laps ticked away. The caution would wave once again this time for Billy Ogle Jr whose #201 machine went up in smoke in turn 4 ending his night early. Vic Hill and Walker Authur had an intense battle for the fifth position as they traded positions and paint a couple times in the second half of the 35 lap event. Crabtree found himself caught up in lap traffic in the closing laps allowing Gilpin to eat into his lead. The veteran Crabtree would pick his way through the slower traffic and pick up the big $3,500 payday. 
1: ‪#‎C5 David Crabtree
2: ‪#‎1G Devin Gilpin
3: #21 Chris Brown
4: #7 Donald McIntosh
5: #1 Vic Hill
6: #8 Craig Vosbergon
7: #87 Walker Authur
8: #23 Cory Hedgecock
9: #50 Shannon Buckingham
10: ‪#‎11b Stacy Boles
11: #11 Skylar Marlar
12: #71 Pierce McCarter
13: #21 Robby Moses
14: #25 David Doherty
15: #7 Ricky Weiss
16: #4 Brian Ligon
17: ‪#‎56H Jordon Horton
18: ‪#‎J0 John Ownbey
19: #0 Ross White
20: #97 Bobby Giffin
21: #77 Gavin Landers
22: #201 Billy Ogle Jr
23: ‪#‎J8 Jadon Frame
July20_0923
The fourth and final event on the night would be the 20 lap Classic Car feature. John Stevens, fresh off a win at Tazewell speedway Saturday night would earn the pole via winning his heat race earlier in the day. Stevens would take the lead on the start ahead of Joe Keck and Adam Pressley. Lee Merritt already had several wins on the 2016 season in the classic car division but had issues early on. Coming off turn four, Joe Keck spun collecting Merritt in the process. The damage would be too significant for Merritt to continue and the #78 machine took the long slow ride on the hook. Pressley was hot on the heels of Stevens as the two battled it out for the top spot. Pressley looked like he might have something for the leader but slowed and bounced off the wall coming off turn four ending his night. With Pressley done for the night that turned the runner up spot over to Josh Chesney. Chesney would also turn up the heat on the lead in the second half of the race but Stevens would hold on to pick up the win. 
1: #7 John Stevens
2: #777 Josh Chesney
3: #18 Joe Keck
4: #8 Eli Keck
5: #24 Scott Lacy
6: #17 Quincy Arnwine
7: #23 Adam Pressley
8: #88 Ritchie Overholser
9: #11 Tim Stevens
10: #9 John Byers
11: #78 Lee Merritt
DNS: #0 Chris Nix
July20_0953July20_0585
July20_0649
July20_0665
July20_0714
July20_0784
July20_0854
July20_0932
July20_0948

Comments are closed