Glencoe, AL (7/4/09) – Celebrating INDEPENDENCE DAY in grand style… Austin Dillon seemed to be the winner Saturday night of the $25,000. Crate Nationals event at Green Valley Speedway in Glencoe, Alabama. Then came the post race inspections. The richest Crate Late Model race in the history of dirt track racing took place over the holiday weekend and at the end of the 100 lap marathon, in the wee hours of the morning, the 19 year-old RCR development driver of the black Dale Earnhardt Sr. looking # 3 “Snap-On, Team Realtree” sponsored Warrior racecar, left the track DQ’d, which handed the payoff to Shanon Buckingham. The # 50 “Rusty Wallace Toyota” sponsored Bloomquist racecars driver from Morristown, Tennessee kept Dillon in his sights late in the going of the race and even drew door-to-door with the wood-be winner. Buckingham would cross the line just ahead of fellow Tennesseeian Billy Mayo and behind Dillon, but as dawn rose across the Alabama skyline the actual winner was crowned.
One POLE DAY action got underway after Thursday nights practice, with sixty-nine (69) official entrants. Qualifying Time Trials would lock in the racers into six (6) heat races. Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL set fast time and would have to use one of two FQ Provisionals to earn a starting position for Saturday’s “A” Main Feature. Heat # 1 rolled off with 36th overall qualifier local racer Brian Smith winning from the pole position. Thursday practice fast-man Jeff Smith (of Villanow, GA) was second with Justin McRee earning the final transfer nod. Sixth fast Ronnie Johnson missed being locked in by one spot and would take the other FQ Provisional. Heat # 2 was won by 5th starting Jason Heitt, from nearby Attalla, AL, whom qualified just outside the Top 10. Heitt was followed by former ICE BOWL CHAMPION Billy Mayo and Buckingham. Dillon raced past current GVS track points leader Tony Kemp for Heat # 3 race victory. William Thomas and Danny Peoples followed, earning transfer spots to the BIG DANCE.
Heat Race # 4 went to pole starter Tom Maddox of Centre, AL. Aaron Ridley and Jarred Landers got by second starting Carlton Freeman for transfer spots. Chip Brindle passed pole starter Todd Morrow in the 5th Heat Race. Morrow finished second holding back Larry Harrod. In the 6 th and final Friday night Heat Race, Chad Smith won from the outside front row. Third starting Chris O’Connor from Cantonment, Florida was second with Travis Pennington earning the nights final transfer nod. Saturday four B-Mains took center stage to transfer only the winners to the “A” Main Feature. James Cline, Billy James of Sikeston, Missouri, David Earl Gentry and Todd Coffman of Junction City, Kentucky were the winners. Two of the tracks points provisionals went to Kemp and Chris Noah. As a last chance possibility, Harker’s program also allowed for two (2) NON-Qualifiers races to determine the final two (2) starters. Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, Mississippi and Talladega’s Carlton Freeman won those two honors.
As the green flag waved over the twenty-eight (28) starters a pair of Georgian’s had FRONT ROW JOE honors. Chatsworth’s Brindle grabbed the lead from pole sitter Chad Smith of Cedartown and seemed in control for the first quarter of the event. Obtaining a half-straight-away lead it seemed as the $25,000 might be on it’s way back to the # 38c “Brindle Bros, CSC Towing.” team, but fourth starting Dillon had other ideas. A lap 26 caution drew Dillon and Maddox upon the leader and when Gentry spun on lap 30, Dillon passed Brindle on the high-side during a lap 31 restart. Dillon noises ahead, as Brindle tried to battle back. By this time all eyes are on Mayo’s # 115 “A&K Transport, Word of Life Minestries'” sponsored GRT racecar who’s up to 5th. By lap 45, Dillon’s lead in large with Maddox and Mayo trailing. Just prior to a fuel stop, Mayo’s nephew 2008 Top Tracks Crate Challenge Champion Todd Morrow was on the move and passed Maddox for third. Tire games begin to play into effect as Morrow, Thomas, Jeff Smith and Hiatt return to the rear of the field for changing shoes.
Dillon and Mayo are now flanked by Maddox in the # 9 “Burns Timber Co.” sponsored racecar as Brian Smith # 19 “B&W Pouring, Henderson Drywall” machine enters the Top 5. Landers on lap 64 rears a yellow as he spins, which stacks the field for a restart. Now B. Smith is directly behind Mayo with Buckingham beginning to show strength back in fifth. As the laps waned off, Brindle, Maddox and B. Smith all faded to Buckingham’s advance, leaving two Crate Tennessee Powerhouses to battle for second behind Dillon. Buckingham would take over second from Mayo with Dillon a few laps later crossing under the checkers. After all the photographs in victory lane, interviews and most people had left the facility, track officials work late (or early) into the morning to determine that Dillon’s motor was in fact illegal. Thus placing Buckingham as the winner. Mayo is credited with the runner-up finish, followed by Maddox in third, with Brian Smith and Chip Brindle officially rounding out the Top 5.
Finish, Car #, Driver, Hometown
1. Shannon Buckingham (# 50) of Morristown, TN
2. Billy Mayo (# 115) of Cleveland, TN
3. Tom Maddox (# 9) of Centre, AL
4. Brian Smith (# 19) of Sand Rock, AL
5. Chip Brindle (# 38c) of Chattsworth, GA
6. Aaron Ridley (# 81) of Chatsworth, GA
7. Ronnie Johnson (# 5) of Chattanooga, TN
8. William Thomas (# 22T) of Chattanooga, TN
9. Todd Morrow (# T16) of East Ridge, TN
10. Richie Stephens (# 95.3) of Phenix City, AL
11. Chad Smith (# 11) of Cedartown, GA
12. Danny Peoples (# 22) of Margaret, AL
13. Jason Hiett (# 1) of Attalla, AL
14. Ben Mccreary (# 21) of Baldwyn, MS
15. Travis Pennington (# 01) of Winston, GA
16. James Cline (# 3) of Oxford, AL
17. Jeff Smith (# 00) of Villanow, GA
18. Larry Harrod (# 27) of Plains, GA
19. Chris O’Connor (# 17C) of Cantonment, FL
20. Billy James (# 5) of Sikeston, MO
21. Jared Landers (# 777) of Welcome, NC
22. David Gentry (# 2) of Shelbyville, TN
23. Chris Noah (# 45N) of Boaz, AL
24. Justin Mcree (# 25) of Woodstock, AL
25. Carlton Freeman (# F33) Talladega, AL
26. Tony Kemp (# 16) of Carrollton, GA
27. Todd Coffman (# 35T) of Junction City, KY
DQ’d Austin Dillon (# 3) of Lewisville, NC
One POLE DAY action got underway after Thursday nights practice, with sixty-nine (69) official entrants. Qualifying Time Trials would lock in the racers into six (6) heat races. Richie Stephens of Phenix City, AL set fast time and would have to use one of two FQ Provisionals to earn a starting position for Saturday’s “A” Main Feature. Heat # 1 rolled off with 36th overall qualifier local racer Brian Smith winning from the pole position. Thursday practice fast-man Jeff Smith (of Villanow, GA) was second with Justin McRee earning the final transfer nod. Sixth fast Ronnie Johnson missed being locked in by one spot and would take the other FQ Provisional. Heat # 2 was won by 5th starting Jason Heitt, from nearby Attalla, AL, whom qualified just outside the Top 10. Heitt was followed by former ICE BOWL CHAMPION Billy Mayo and Buckingham. Dillon raced past current GVS track points leader Tony Kemp for Heat # 3 race victory. William Thomas and Danny Peoples followed, earning transfer spots to the BIG DANCE.
Heat Race # 4 went to pole starter Tom Maddox of Centre, AL. Aaron Ridley and Jarred Landers got by second starting Carlton Freeman for transfer spots. Chip Brindle passed pole starter Todd Morrow in the 5th Heat Race. Morrow finished second holding back Larry Harrod. In the 6 th and final Friday night Heat Race, Chad Smith won from the outside front row. Third starting Chris O’Connor from Cantonment, Florida was second with Travis Pennington earning the nights final transfer nod. Saturday four B-Mains took center stage to transfer only the winners to the “A” Main Feature. James Cline, Billy James of Sikeston, Missouri, David Earl Gentry and Todd Coffman of Junction City, Kentucky were the winners. Two of the tracks points provisionals went to Kemp and Chris Noah. As a last chance possibility, Harker’s program also allowed for two (2) NON-Qualifiers races to determine the final two (2) starters. Ben McCreary of Baldwyn, Mississippi and Talladega’s Carlton Freeman won those two honors.
As the green flag waved over the twenty-eight (28) starters a pair of Georgian’s had FRONT ROW JOE honors. Chatsworth’s Brindle grabbed the lead from pole sitter Chad Smith of Cedartown and seemed in control for the first quarter of the event. Obtaining a half-straight-away lead it seemed as the $25,000 might be on it’s way back to the # 38c “Brindle Bros, CSC Towing.” team, but fourth starting Dillon had other ideas. A lap 26 caution drew Dillon and Maddox upon the leader and when Gentry spun on lap 30, Dillon passed Brindle on the high-side during a lap 31 restart. Dillon noises ahead, as Brindle tried to battle back. By this time all eyes are on Mayo’s # 115 “A&K Transport, Word of Life Minestries'” sponsored GRT racecar who’s up to 5th. By lap 45, Dillon’s lead in large with Maddox and Mayo trailing. Just prior to a fuel stop, Mayo’s nephew 2008 Top Tracks Crate Challenge Champion Todd Morrow was on the move and passed Maddox for third. Tire games begin to play into effect as Morrow, Thomas, Jeff Smith and Hiatt return to the rear of the field for changing shoes.
Dillon and Mayo are now flanked by Maddox in the # 9 “Burns Timber Co.” sponsored racecar as Brian Smith # 19 “B&W Pouring, Henderson Drywall” machine enters the Top 5. Landers on lap 64 rears a yellow as he spins, which stacks the field for a restart. Now B. Smith is directly behind Mayo with Buckingham beginning to show strength back in fifth. As the laps waned off, Brindle, Maddox and B. Smith all faded to Buckingham’s advance, leaving two Crate Tennessee Powerhouses to battle for second behind Dillon. Buckingham would take over second from Mayo with Dillon a few laps later crossing under the checkers. After all the photographs in victory lane, interviews and most people had left the facility, track officials work late (or early) into the morning to determine that Dillon’s motor was in fact illegal. Thus placing Buckingham as the winner. Mayo is credited with the runner-up finish, followed by Maddox in third, with Brian Smith and Chip Brindle officially rounding out the Top 5.
Finish, Car #, Driver, Hometown
1. Shannon Buckingham (# 50) of Morristown, TN
2. Billy Mayo (# 115) of Cleveland, TN
3. Tom Maddox (# 9) of Centre, AL
4. Brian Smith (# 19) of Sand Rock, AL
5. Chip Brindle (# 38c) of Chattsworth, GA
6. Aaron Ridley (# 81) of Chatsworth, GA
7. Ronnie Johnson (# 5) of Chattanooga, TN
8. William Thomas (# 22T) of Chattanooga, TN
9. Todd Morrow (# T16) of East Ridge, TN
10. Richie Stephens (# 95.3) of Phenix City, AL
11. Chad Smith (# 11) of Cedartown, GA
12. Danny Peoples (# 22) of Margaret, AL
13. Jason Hiett (# 1) of Attalla, AL
14. Ben Mccreary (# 21) of Baldwyn, MS
15. Travis Pennington (# 01) of Winston, GA
16. James Cline (# 3) of Oxford, AL
17. Jeff Smith (# 00) of Villanow, GA
18. Larry Harrod (# 27) of Plains, GA
19. Chris O’Connor (# 17C) of Cantonment, FL
20. Billy James (# 5) of Sikeston, MO
21. Jared Landers (# 777) of Welcome, NC
22. David Gentry (# 2) of Shelbyville, TN
23. Chris Noah (# 45N) of Boaz, AL
24. Justin Mcree (# 25) of Woodstock, AL
25. Carlton Freeman (# F33) Talladega, AL
26. Tony Kemp (# 16) of Carrollton, GA
27. Todd Coffman (# 35T) of Junction City, KY
DQ’d Austin Dillon (# 3) of Lewisville, NC
