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Gusty Christenberry
By Robert Walden
BULLS GAP, Tenn. (June 10) – “Give them wings and sideboards and they will fly!” And Gusty Christenberry of Seymour was flying high Tuesday night at Volunteer Speedway. Christenberry blasted into the lead at the drop of the green flag in the 35-lap Run What Ya Brung “Don Smith Ford” Super Late Model feature and had clear sailing en route to capturing the victory worth $2,000.
Christenberry wowed the crowd with a blistering lap around the high-banked, 4/10-mile oval in qualifying by establishing a new overall track record at 11.743-seconds … 122.630 mph. Christenberry’s fast-lap lowered the previous overall track record, which had been set on Aug. 18, 2000 in time trials for the United Sprint Car Series’ “North-South Shootout” by Malabar, Fla.’s Kenny Adams at 11:805-seconds … 121.982 mph.
Christenberry and second-fastest qualifier Brett Miller, made up the fastest front row in the history of “The Gap,” after Miller toured the track at 11.833-seconds … 121.694 mph.
The top-five completing the first lap were Christenberry, Miller, Duayne Hommel, Vic “The Thrill” Hill and Jeff Maupin. With Christenberry and Miller both turning lap times in the 11.20s in the early laps, the furious pace was slowed by the event’s first caution on lap 4 for a spin in turn two by Hill.
Following the restart, with both Christenberry and Miller “hooked up and haulin’ ” … Miller’s strong second-place run was derailed when the right-rear wheel center broke on his mount between turns three and four on lap 6. After putting a new wheel on, he tagged on at the tail of the field as Christenberry prepared to lead the field back to green.
Miller was a man on a mission, quickly moving back towards the front by passing Joe Armes on lap 9, and Hill and Greg Burchett on lap 10 to take over fourth in the running order. But another broken wheel on lap 12, which caused damage to the rear end, would end the night for Miller.
The race’s final caution waved on lap 14, when Hill and Kerry Jones, who were battling for third, got together on the front straightaway. Jones slammed hard into the outside concrete wall just past the flagstand and finally came to a stop in turn one.
Back under green, Christenberry was clearly the class of the field, driving the Armstrong Refrigeration – Jim & JoAnn Armstrong/Matco Tools – Ronnie & Dustin Dunlap/Roger & Cindy Kerr’s Competition Racing Equipment/Christenberry Trucking & Farms/Pro Shocks/Custom Race Engines/Hoosier Racing Tires/Landrum Springs/Exide Batteries/GRT Race Cars/No. c3 Grand Prix to his second win of the season. He grabbed the checkers over a straightaway ahead of Hill in second, Hommel in third, and Burchett and Armes in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Completing the top-10 at the finish were Bobby Edens, Maupin, Jones, Miller and Troy Eads.
“That was one fast ride, let me tell you,” said Christenberry with a grin on his face after climbing from his car in Victory Lane. “You’ll never take a ride at an amusement park that will equal this. This is a fast place, but it’s unreal just how much quicker we were getting around here tonight with the sideboard on the car and no weight restrictions, compared to how we normally run in the regular races.
“You definitely have to get a feel for what it’s like driving these cars, because you can run wide open all the way around the track. In the back of your mind at the end of the straightaway you’re thinking ‘I’ve got to lift off the gas.’ But with the sideboard you don’t have to crack the throttle. The cornering speeds are just unreal. With the high banks around this place, the G-forces on your body are tremendous. Running wide open it takes all you’ve got to hang onto the car. I’ll tell you, running 11-second laps you don’t even have time to catch your breath.”
With Johnson City’s Vic Hill and Corey Norman on the front row for the 25-lap “Ramey Ford” Limited Late Model feature, the first attempt to start the race saw a five-car pileup in the first turn. J. Allan, who started sixth, spun … and with nowhere to go Michael Smith, Greg Burchett, Terry Costner and Allen Perry were collected. All but Perry would be able to continue after track officials pulled away rubbing sheetmetal.
Hill launched into the lead over Norman racing into turn one on the second try, with Shane Roberts, Rusty Goddard and Smith in tow. Kip Pearson worked the low-side between turns three and four to take the fifth spot, but his stay there was short-lived as Allan passed him on lap 2 racing off the second turn to move into fifth.
Up front, Hill had Norman riding three car-lengths from his rear bumper early on, but a caution on lap 6 for debris on the track saw Norman retire to the pits for the night. Back under green Hill quickly opened a commanding lead, until contact while lapping a slower car caused the left-front tire on his EcoQuest Intl./Landair Trucking/Kia of Blueridge, Ga. & Murphy, N.C./Lowe Trucking/Four Seasons Realty/Vic Hill Race Engines & Supplies/Storie/GRT Race Cars/No. 1 Monte Carlo begin to lose air.
But Hill refused to pull into the pits, instead he three-wheeled his mount to a division-leading sixth feature win by barely holding off a hard-charging Goddard, Roberts, Dale Ball and Ricky Moore. Rounding out the top-10 finishers were Burchett, Steve Carr, Clint Solomon, Costner and Pearson.
Starting from the pole position in the 25-lap “Lawson Chevrolet” UMP Modified feature, Jimmy Owens of Newport grabbed the lead and never looked back in capturing his fourth victory of the season. Chasing Owens to the checkers were Wayne James, Rodney Kiker, Skimp Henry and Billy Palmer.
Jonesborough’s Bobby Mays remains a dominant force in the “Bachman Bernard” Sportsman division, as he recorded his seventh feature win over Tim Grindstaff, Tracy Wolfe, Chris Carver and Craigg Moore.
Kurt Owens of Newport made his first trip to victory lane this season following his win in the 4-Cylinder feature. Owens and Scott Thornton both drove around race-leader Scottie Hicks on a lap 4 restart, and while Owens begin to stretch his lead, Thornton and Hicks battled for the runner up position.
Hicks moved around Thornton for second on lap 10, but contact he made with a lapped car while racing off the fourth turn on lap 14, caused him to momentarily get out of the gas. With his teammate Thornton on his tail, he got into the rear of Hicks sending him hard into the outside concrete wall, then back across the track slamming into the inside retaining wall.
A scary incident on lap 18 saw Frank Dice get into the outside concrete wall exiting turn two and begin flipping wildly down the backstretch. With track emergency personnel quickly on the scene, after Dice caught his breath he climbed uninjured from the car to the cheers of the crowd.
With the field bunched up for a two-lap dash to the checkers, Owens sped away to win over Lee Sauceman, Thornton, Les Cox and Kevin Atwell to record the victory.
Newport’s Robert “Monk” Ledford grabbed the lead on the opening lap of the Hobby Stock feature, and when the checkered flag waved he was celebrating his second victory of the season. Finishing behind Ledford were Sonny Leatherwood, R.J. Mayes, Troy Thompson and Chris Gregg.
There will not be any racing at Volunteer Speedway on Saturday, June 14 … but “Fan Appreciation Night” is scheduled on Saturday, June 21. Fan Appreciation Night will offer “meet-and-greet” opportunities with all the racers, plus several giveaways to lucky fans in attendance, along with $5 adult grandstand admission. For more information, please contact the track at (423) 235-5020.
“DON SMITH FORD” SUPER LATE MODEL (35-laps)
1. Gusty Christenberry #c3-Seymour, TN
2. Vic Hill #25-Johnson City, TN
3. Duayne Hommel #H2-Newport, TN
4. Greg Burchett #32w-Church Hill, TN
5. Joe Armes #77-Petros, TN
6. Bobby Edens #71-Bulls Gap, TN
7. Jeff Maupin #11m-Greeneville, TN
8. Kerry Jones #6-Bristol, TN
9. Brett Miller #47-Asheville, NC
10. Troy Eads #52-Tazewell, TN
DNS: Dave Burks #B1-Abingdon, VA
“RAMEY FORD” LIMITED LATE MODEL (25-laps)
1) Vic Hill #1; 2) Rusty Goddard #42; 3) Shane Roberts #17s; 4) Dale Ball #2; 5) Ricky Moore #75; 6) Greg Burchett #32; 7) Steve Carr #77; 8) Clint Solomon #30; 9) Terry Costner #16; 10) Kip Pearson #00; 11) J. Allan #111; 12) Curt Taylor #T31; 13) Michael Smith #32s; 14) Brian Tinker #20; 15) Richard Adkins #A18; 16) Corey Norman #42n; 17) Richie Bean #11; 18) Allen Perry #99
“LAWSON CHEVROLET” UMP MODIFIED (25-laps)
1) Jimmy Owens #20; 2) Wayne James #4; 3) Rodney Kiker #7; 4) Skimp Henry #25; 5) Billy Palmer #36; 6) Chris Rickett #1; 7) Louis Hickey #74; 8) Kurt Owens #14; 9) Chris Pendleton #15; 10) Michael Asberry #2; 11) Shannon Emery #95; 12) Jerry Williams Jr. #3; 13) Jim Van Den Heede #02; 14) Don Scalf #13; 15) Shannon Greene #14x; 16) Richard Reagan #8c; 17) Wayne Rader #8r; 18) Stanley Donahoo #00; 19) Bobby Edens #71; 20) Dean Lewis #L2
“BACHMAN BERNARD” SPORTSMAN (25-laps)
1) Bobby Mays #19; 2) Tim Grindstaff #33; 3) Tracy Wolfe #12; 4) Chris Carver #71; 5) Craigg Moore #90; 6) Jimmy Dean #78; 7) Joe “Dirt” Good #911; 8) Allen Holt #24; 9) Shannon Emery #91; 10) Jesse Adkins #38; 11) Prentice Harvey #19
4-CYLINDER (20-laps)
1) Kurt Owens #7up; 2) Lee Sauceman #04; 3) Scott Thornton #15; 4) Les Cox #6; 5) Kevin Atwell #95; 6) Ernie Stubblefield #21; 7) Skimp Henry #25; 8) William Knight #12; 9) Tom Trivett #5; 10) Toby Jones #66; 11) Frank Dice #44; 12) Kenny Absher #11; 13) Scottie Hicks #H14; 14) Randy Lane #7; 15) Runah Henry #39; 16) Stacy Phillips #p15; 17) Jarrod McAnally #52; 18) Richard McMahan #4
HOBBY STOCK (15-laps)
1) Robert “Monk” Ledford #41; 2) Sonny Leatherwood #20; 3) R.J. Mayes #6m; 4) Troy Thompson #T12; 5) Chris Gregg #73; 6) Blake Kelley #K5; 7) Brad Kenyon #17; 8) Johnny Lane #41L; 9) Dana Ferrell #22; 10) Hugh “Wishbone” Scalf #56; 11) Todd Brooks #1; 12) Robert Corbett #94; 13) Ken Orton #33; 14) Chris Kenyon #71; 15) Dempsey Harold Jr. #09; 16) Jon Cook #0z; 17) Dale Reed #52; 18) Adam Kelley #8; 19) David Berry #74; 20) Everett Cobb #13; 21) Lynn Phillips #73p; 22) Terry Cobb #31; 23) Kevin Lacey #02
Volunteer Speedway: (423) 235-5020 www.VolunteerSpeedway.com
Doug Gillenwater-General Manager: (423) 817-0925
Gusty Christenberry
By Robert Walden
BULLS GAP, Tenn. (June 10) – “Give them wings and sideboards and they will fly!” And Gusty Christenberry of Seymour was flying high Tuesday night at Volunteer Speedway. Christenberry blasted into the lead at the drop of the green flag in the 35-lap Run What Ya Brung “Don Smith Ford” Super Late Model feature and had clear sailing en route to capturing the victory worth $2,000.
Christenberry wowed the crowd with a blistering lap around the high-banked, 4/10-mile oval in qualifying by establishing a new overall track record at 11.743-seconds … 122.630 mph. Christenberry’s fast-lap lowered the previous overall track record, which had been set on Aug. 18, 2000 in time trials for the United Sprint Car Series’ “North-South Shootout” by Malabar, Fla.’s Kenny Adams at 11:805-seconds … 121.982 mph.
Christenberry and second-fastest qualifier Brett Miller, made up the fastest front row in the history of “The Gap,” after Miller toured the track at 11.833-seconds … 121.694 mph.
The top-five completing the first lap were Christenberry, Miller, Duayne Hommel, Vic “The Thrill” Hill and Jeff Maupin. With Christenberry and Miller both turning lap times in the 11.20s in the early laps, the furious pace was slowed by the event’s first caution on lap 4 for a spin in turn two by Hill.
Following the restart, with both Christenberry and Miller “hooked up and haulin’ ” … Miller’s strong second-place run was derailed when the right-rear wheel center broke on his mount between turns three and four on lap 6. After putting a new wheel on, he tagged on at the tail of the field as Christenberry prepared to lead the field back to green.
Miller was a man on a mission, quickly moving back towards the front by passing Joe Armes on lap 9, and Hill and Greg Burchett on lap 10 to take over fourth in the running order. But another broken wheel on lap 12, which caused damage to the rear end, would end the night for Miller.
The race’s final caution waved on lap 14, when Hill and Kerry Jones, who were battling for third, got together on the front straightaway. Jones slammed hard into the outside concrete wall just past the flagstand and finally came to a stop in turn one.
Back under green, Christenberry was clearly the class of the field, driving the Armstrong Refrigeration – Jim & JoAnn Armstrong/Matco Tools – Ronnie & Dustin Dunlap/Roger & Cindy Kerr’s Competition Racing Equipment/Christenberry Trucking & Farms/Pro Shocks/Custom Race Engines/Hoosier Racing Tires/Landrum Springs/Exide Batteries/GRT Race Cars/No. c3 Grand Prix to his second win of the season. He grabbed the checkers over a straightaway ahead of Hill in second, Hommel in third, and Burchett and Armes in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Completing the top-10 at the finish were Bobby Edens, Maupin, Jones, Miller and Troy Eads.
“That was one fast ride, let me tell you,” said Christenberry with a grin on his face after climbing from his car in Victory Lane. “You’ll never take a ride at an amusement park that will equal this. This is a fast place, but it’s unreal just how much quicker we were getting around here tonight with the sideboard on the car and no weight restrictions, compared to how we normally run in the regular races.
“You definitely have to get a feel for what it’s like driving these cars, because you can run wide open all the way around the track. In the back of your mind at the end of the straightaway you’re thinking ‘I’ve got to lift off the gas.’ But with the sideboard you don’t have to crack the throttle. The cornering speeds are just unreal. With the high banks around this place, the G-forces on your body are tremendous. Running wide open it takes all you’ve got to hang onto the car. I’ll tell you, running 11-second laps you don’t even have time to catch your breath.”
With Johnson City’s Vic Hill and Corey Norman on the front row for the 25-lap “Ramey Ford” Limited Late Model feature, the first attempt to start the race saw a five-car pileup in the first turn. J. Allan, who started sixth, spun … and with nowhere to go Michael Smith, Greg Burchett, Terry Costner and Allen Perry were collected. All but Perry would be able to continue after track officials pulled away rubbing sheetmetal.
Hill launched into the lead over Norman racing into turn one on the second try, with Shane Roberts, Rusty Goddard and Smith in tow. Kip Pearson worked the low-side between turns three and four to take the fifth spot, but his stay there was short-lived as Allan passed him on lap 2 racing off the second turn to move into fifth.
Up front, Hill had Norman riding three car-lengths from his rear bumper early on, but a caution on lap 6 for debris on the track saw Norman retire to the pits for the night. Back under green Hill quickly opened a commanding lead, until contact while lapping a slower car caused the left-front tire on his EcoQuest Intl./Landair Trucking/Kia of Blueridge, Ga. & Murphy, N.C./Lowe Trucking/Four Seasons Realty/Vic Hill Race Engines & Supplies/Storie/GRT Race Cars/No. 1 Monte Carlo begin to lose air.
But Hill refused to pull into the pits, instead he three-wheeled his mount to a division-leading sixth feature win by barely holding off a hard-charging Goddard, Roberts, Dale Ball and Ricky Moore. Rounding out the top-10 finishers were Burchett, Steve Carr, Clint Solomon, Costner and Pearson.
Starting from the pole position in the 25-lap “Lawson Chevrolet” UMP Modified feature, Jimmy Owens of Newport grabbed the lead and never looked back in capturing his fourth victory of the season. Chasing Owens to the checkers were Wayne James, Rodney Kiker, Skimp Henry and Billy Palmer.
Jonesborough’s Bobby Mays remains a dominant force in the “Bachman Bernard” Sportsman division, as he recorded his seventh feature win over Tim Grindstaff, Tracy Wolfe, Chris Carver and Craigg Moore.
Kurt Owens of Newport made his first trip to victory lane this season following his win in the 4-Cylinder feature. Owens and Scott Thornton both drove around race-leader Scottie Hicks on a lap 4 restart, and while Owens begin to stretch his lead, Thornton and Hicks battled for the runner up position.
Hicks moved around Thornton for second on lap 10, but contact he made with a lapped car while racing off the fourth turn on lap 14, caused him to momentarily get out of the gas. With his teammate Thornton on his tail, he got into the rear of Hicks sending him hard into the outside concrete wall, then back across the track slamming into the inside retaining wall.
A scary incident on lap 18 saw Frank Dice get into the outside concrete wall exiting turn two and begin flipping wildly down the backstretch. With track emergency personnel quickly on the scene, after Dice caught his breath he climbed uninjured from the car to the cheers of the crowd.
With the field bunched up for a two-lap dash to the checkers, Owens sped away to win over Lee Sauceman, Thornton, Les Cox and Kevin Atwell to record the victory.
Newport’s Robert “Monk” Ledford grabbed the lead on the opening lap of the Hobby Stock feature, and when the checkered flag waved he was celebrating his second victory of the season. Finishing behind Ledford were Sonny Leatherwood, R.J. Mayes, Troy Thompson and Chris Gregg.
There will not be any racing at Volunteer Speedway on Saturday, June 14 … but “Fan Appreciation Night” is scheduled on Saturday, June 21. Fan Appreciation Night will offer “meet-and-greet” opportunities with all the racers, plus several giveaways to lucky fans in attendance, along with $5 adult grandstand admission. For more information, please contact the track at (423) 235-5020.
“DON SMITH FORD” SUPER LATE MODEL (35-laps)
1. Gusty Christenberry #c3-Seymour, TN
2. Vic Hill #25-Johnson City, TN
3. Duayne Hommel #H2-Newport, TN
4. Greg Burchett #32w-Church Hill, TN
5. Joe Armes #77-Petros, TN
6. Bobby Edens #71-Bulls Gap, TN
7. Jeff Maupin #11m-Greeneville, TN
8. Kerry Jones #6-Bristol, TN
9. Brett Miller #47-Asheville, NC
10. Troy Eads #52-Tazewell, TN
DNS: Dave Burks #B1-Abingdon, VA
“RAMEY FORD” LIMITED LATE MODEL (25-laps)
1) Vic Hill #1; 2) Rusty Goddard #42; 3) Shane Roberts #17s; 4) Dale Ball #2; 5) Ricky Moore #75; 6) Greg Burchett #32; 7) Steve Carr #77; 8) Clint Solomon #30; 9) Terry Costner #16; 10) Kip Pearson #00; 11) J. Allan #111; 12) Curt Taylor #T31; 13) Michael Smith #32s; 14) Brian Tinker #20; 15) Richard Adkins #A18; 16) Corey Norman #42n; 17) Richie Bean #11; 18) Allen Perry #99
“LAWSON CHEVROLET” UMP MODIFIED (25-laps)
1) Jimmy Owens #20; 2) Wayne James #4; 3) Rodney Kiker #7; 4) Skimp Henry #25; 5) Billy Palmer #36; 6) Chris Rickett #1; 7) Louis Hickey #74; 8) Kurt Owens #14; 9) Chris Pendleton #15; 10) Michael Asberry #2; 11) Shannon Emery #95; 12) Jerry Williams Jr. #3; 13) Jim Van Den Heede #02; 14) Don Scalf #13; 15) Shannon Greene #14x; 16) Richard Reagan #8c; 17) Wayne Rader #8r; 18) Stanley Donahoo #00; 19) Bobby Edens #71; 20) Dean Lewis #L2
“BACHMAN BERNARD” SPORTSMAN (25-laps)
1) Bobby Mays #19; 2) Tim Grindstaff #33; 3) Tracy Wolfe #12; 4) Chris Carver #71; 5) Craigg Moore #90; 6) Jimmy Dean #78; 7) Joe “Dirt” Good #911; 8) Allen Holt #24; 9) Shannon Emery #91; 10) Jesse Adkins #38; 11) Prentice Harvey #19
4-CYLINDER (20-laps)
1) Kurt Owens #7up; 2) Lee Sauceman #04; 3) Scott Thornton #15; 4) Les Cox #6; 5) Kevin Atwell #95; 6) Ernie Stubblefield #21; 7) Skimp Henry #25; 8) William Knight #12; 9) Tom Trivett #5; 10) Toby Jones #66; 11) Frank Dice #44; 12) Kenny Absher #11; 13) Scottie Hicks #H14; 14) Randy Lane #7; 15) Runah Henry #39; 16) Stacy Phillips #p15; 17) Jarrod McAnally #52; 18) Richard McMahan #4
HOBBY STOCK (15-laps)
1) Robert “Monk” Ledford #41; 2) Sonny Leatherwood #20; 3) R.J. Mayes #6m; 4) Troy Thompson #T12; 5) Chris Gregg #73; 6) Blake Kelley #K5; 7) Brad Kenyon #17; 8) Johnny Lane #41L; 9) Dana Ferrell #22; 10) Hugh “Wishbone” Scalf #56; 11) Todd Brooks #1; 12) Robert Corbett #94; 13) Ken Orton #33; 14) Chris Kenyon #71; 15) Dempsey Harold Jr. #09; 16) Jon Cook #0z; 17) Dale Reed #52; 18) Adam Kelley #8; 19) David Berry #74; 20) Everett Cobb #13; 21) Lynn Phillips #73p; 22) Terry Cobb #31; 23) Kevin Lacey #02
Volunteer Speedway: (423) 235-5020 www.VolunteerSpeedway.com
Doug Gillenwater-General Manager: (423) 817-0925
