Scott James picks up Leftover win

It was time for the third Annual Leftover at Tennessee’s Action track. A little rain the night before made for a super fast track and 189 of the best drivers were on hand to do battle.

The first race of the night would be the Crate Late Model feature. Austin Neely has had a pretty good 2018 as he picked up the Steelhead Championship at Volunteer Speedway earlier in the year. On this night he would jump out front on the start with Chris Chandler, Tyler Arrington and Greg Martin. Martin had hit the setup on his #24 just right as he began to pick his way up putting the pressure on Arrington and taking the spot away. Trouble for the #14 of Jerry Green who came to a stop on the backstretch bringing out the caution. After his car was removed, it was back to action and Jody Horton made his move putting himself into the top five. Chandler had a strong run going but would have a rough crash as he #88 made hard contact with the turn two wall bringing out the red flag. Chandlers machine would have heavy damage and he was obviously done for the night but was able to walk away. Martin had now worked his way up to the second spot as he set his sights on the leader. Going into turn one Neely would leave the bottom of the track open and it would cost him as Martin would power by and take the lead away. Rusty Ballenger would also get by Neely and take the second place. Up front Martin would hold off the two challengers and pick up the big win.

Eric Hux has had a great last few races and this was no exception as he set fast time in qualifying. Hux would set sail on the start of the feature ahead of his teamamte Wayne Rader, Eddie Stewart, Gary Blanken and Robbie Comer. A scary moment as the #4 of Dwayne Wilkerson would go up in a huge fireball. The driver would be okay but it was a very scary moment. Back under green and the top four quickly began to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. The battle was on between Stewart and the newly crowned Volunteer Speedway Champion Gary Blanken for the third spot just behind the top two. Comer and Austin Atikins also had a great battle for position but Comer would pull off track short of the finish. Hux would run away to a huge lead and pick up a dominating win.

Next up was the 50 lap $5,000 to win Leftover Super Late Model event. Over 40 of the top Super Late Model drivers were in attendance to do battle on the super fast track. In qualifying, Michael Chilton would break the Super track record putting everyone on notice that it was gonna be a barn burner. The green waved and the field screamed off into turn one with Chilton showing the way ahead of Ryan King, Scott James, Donald McIntosh and the 2017 Leftover winner Jackie Boggs. McIntosh and King would get together in the opening laps sending King for a spin. Both drivers would continue on but King would have to restart from the rear after getting attention from his crew. Back under green and McIntosh was showing why I call him Money McIntosh as he moved into the second spot behind Chilton. David Crabtree also had a great run going in the first half of the race but would have to retire short of the finish. Trouble for one of the pre race favorites, Ray Cook who also wouldn’t see the finish. McIntosh was up into the second spot but would cut a tire on the restart ending his night. Boggs was on go as he looked to defend his Leftover Title moving into the third spot. Chilton had been out front every lap but lost an air filter and had to pull of less than 20 laps from the finish. That handed the lead over to Scott James in his #83 machine. James would hold off Chris Garnes to pick up the win.

Jed Emert would set fast time in qualifying earning the pole for the A main. Keeping him company on the front would be Zach Sise in his familiar #9 machine. Sise would use the outside line to take the lead on the start ahead of Emert, DJ Shannon and Clyde Stanton. Sise would quickly began to ease away out front but the fight was on between track champion Brad Seagle and Warren McMahan, Sise was setting a blistering pace but that found him in lap traffic quickly. Seagle would make the pass on McMahan after a lengthy battle taking the spot away as the newly crowned Champion tried to work his way up into the top five. Brad Dyer was pretty fast in hot laps but would pull off track shy of the finish with a flat left front tire and retire for the night. Up front Sise would hold on after a late restart to pick up the win.

Next up was the open wheel modified division. Another track record would fall as Adam Stricker would shatter the old track record putting his name in the 411 history book. However on the start it would be Tommy Bailey who put his #20 on point taking the lead. Trouble for the #509 of Kevin Copher who slowed bringing out the caution early. Stricker would do battle with Bailey for the top spot until he smacked the turn two wall ending his night. After he was removed from the track it was back to racing. The top five cars had put some distance on the rest of the pack with Bailey still showing the way. A small trail of smoke began to emit from the back of the leader as the laps ticked on. Later on his hood would come up and he began to slow and came to a spot in turn two ending his chances of victory. That would hand the lead over to  Lucas Lee who would go on to pick up the win.

The final race of the night would be the Classic Car feature. Lee Merritt dominated both 411 and Volunteer winning the track Championship at both tracks and he picked up where he left off by earning himself another pole position. However on the start it would be Quincy Arnwin who took the lead with Merritt, Shaun Sise, Will Carey and Luke Ellis in chase. Arnwine and Merritt would swap the lead a couple times putting on a great show for the fans in attendance. Arnwine looked like he might have the fastest car of the night but would go for a spin in turn four sending him to the tail of the pack. A great battle between Ritchie Overholser, Carey and Sise for the third spot. Sise had made his way up into the second spot but the second half of the race. Leader Merritt would pull off under a caution and wouldn’t return. Ellis would slow late in the race and Josh Chesney would also have problems on the same lap as he went spinning into the infield. Sise would hold on out front to pick up his first career win.