Opening the night of speed was Open Wheel Modified qualifying.
Double-Duty Driver Randle Sweeney (182) put his car on the poll of the Dash with a 14.224. Lined up with Sweeney in the Dash - first row was Michael Lee (55), who hung on at least for the first lap. Starting into the second lap of the Dash, Lucas Lee (12) and Charles Zimmerman (93) got tangled in turn 1 and brought out the yellow. The restart wasn't so undefined as Sweeney jumped out for a good lead while Tim Dierlam (BW3) fought his way out of the pack to close. By the half-way point Zimmerman worked his way up to challenge Miller for third place, but didn't quite edge past. Sweeney took the checkered first; Dierlam, trying to gain on Miller, was in third and Zimmerman on his tail. Michael Lee (55) ended up in the third row of the feature with his 5th-place finish, along with Lucas who left the track early. Seven was the lucky number for track champion David Flowers (99) where he finished in both the heat race and feature race in those places. All was well in the 10-car Open Wheel heat until Gerald Hodge (10) almost stalled his car just before the crossed flags came out. Restarting after the caution, Mike Neighbors (711N) would make Flowers work hard for the top spot. Going high in turn three, Flowers hit the wall bad enough to leave the track and start him in the seventh row of the feature. Determination was seeping out of the track by the time the checkered fell, giving Neighbors a much deserved win.
Neighbors was followed by Gil Smith (7X), Darrell Brown (36) and finally Daniel Bates (21) in this high attrition heat that more than half the field didn't finish. The Open Wheel Feature proved otherwise, as Sweeney led a tight pack for the first 5 laps until a yellow flag came out. The lead would change enough allowing Clayton Miller to get the lead and receive the checkered flag ahead of Dierlam, Neighbors taking 3rd place, Zimmerman in 4th and Smith in 5th.
Only two of the thirteen Late Model drivers that raced Clarksville Speedway this weekend timed in the twelve-second bracket, and the racing that followed kept the crowd on the edge of their seat until the checkered flag flew. Tony Albright (1) won the poll with his 12.884 lap and narrowly escaped Randle Sweeney's (33) 12.898 spin around the 1/4-mile clay oval. Other drivers in the Dash, Gary (F14) and Richard Frost (15), Carnell Parker III (75) put low thirteen's on the clock during time trials to spin up enthusiasm in eager fans. Inches were the only thing separating the cars for most of the Dash run, at least until Gary Frost scraped the wall in turns 3 and 4 about the same place Flowers left his mark. Albright and Sweeney would put themselves in the first row of the feature again, with Richard Frost and Carnell Parker III right behind. With nearly as much sensation that the Dash had, the Late Model heat race of seven cars had action in every corner, without a single caution to stop them. Gary Johnson (20) had Wendell Bratton (24) on his rear bumper for all eight laps - they finished that way in 1st and 2nd. Benji Putty (21) and Vince Grondzki (32) were in their own world looking for third place. Putty would take 3rd despite Grondzki's many efforts to pass. When the green dropped on the Late Model Feature, Sweeney almost looked like he was letting Albright slide into an easy lead. By the time the race was half over, that picture would change drastically. Most drivers favored a low groove as the track wore in and Sweeney would have to cut his own just above it. With one lap to go, the Burr 33 held out with enough punch to let Sweeney take the checkered just inches ahead of Albright. Crossing with just as much glory, Gary Frost, Parker III and Richard Frost finished out the top five.
Brian Caudle (RC1) led the Pro Street field qualifying his car in
14.715 seconds. Double-Duty Driver Michael Lee put the King 55 through the clock in 14.780. They were the only 2 Pro Street drivers to get under the fifteen second mark. Appropriately lined up in the Dash, Caudle would jump out to a good lead but Lee would work fast to close the distance. Track champion Larry Hamm (11L) didn't leave himself too far behind, but by the time the checkered fell, Caudle would be out with mechanical trouble and Hamm would take second-place. The Barber racing team took fourth in the Dash and Larry Barber Sr. (J54) would drive to a win in the heat. Caudle couldn't recover in time to make the feature which left poll-sitter Michael Lee to contend with the skills of Larry Hamm. Hamm came out on top, showing the way for Lee to the checkered.
Jarod Stokes driving the Barber T54 would place 3rd, while the rest of the top 5 finishers came out of the Barber Team. Bernd Kollmann (35) stayed the distance to give the Barbers a run for their money and finished sixth.
In the 1st Mini Modified Heat, three little stock cars would pass through the crossed flags door-to-door and start into the 5th lap.
Ronnie Richardson (15) gave the crowd a scare when his car caught fire and he lost his engine. Richardson was all right but his car didn't make the feature. It left Brian Smith (13X) to take first, Floyd Clinard Jr.
(05) to place and Track Champion Don Donegan (54) to show third in the exciting run. Charles Newberry (23) took the checkered in Mini Modified Heat 2 which put him next to Smith in the first row of the feature.
Smith also won the feature, leading Newberry and Clinard to their second and third place wins.
Street Stock cars fared heavily in the first heat where Ronnie Hedgepath (H55) earned the feature poll. Half the field in this class would find it impossible to cross the finish line. Sitting next to Hedgepath in the feature lineup would be Dale McCord (45) who, after a caution, overcame the likes of Ronnie Turner (14), Matt Musser (8) and Dale Phillips (87) where a three-way race for first-place occupied the first few laps of the Heat. Both McCord and Hedgepath scored top in the feature where McCord wins 1st-Place. Dale Phillips (87), Allen Scott
(A10) and Joe "Timmy" Wilson (29) round out the top 5.
Double-Duty Driver Randle Sweeney (182) put his car on the poll of the Dash with a 14.224. Lined up with Sweeney in the Dash - first row was Michael Lee (55), who hung on at least for the first lap. Starting into the second lap of the Dash, Lucas Lee (12) and Charles Zimmerman (93) got tangled in turn 1 and brought out the yellow. The restart wasn't so undefined as Sweeney jumped out for a good lead while Tim Dierlam (BW3) fought his way out of the pack to close. By the half-way point Zimmerman worked his way up to challenge Miller for third place, but didn't quite edge past. Sweeney took the checkered first; Dierlam, trying to gain on Miller, was in third and Zimmerman on his tail. Michael Lee (55) ended up in the third row of the feature with his 5th-place finish, along with Lucas who left the track early. Seven was the lucky number for track champion David Flowers (99) where he finished in both the heat race and feature race in those places. All was well in the 10-car Open Wheel heat until Gerald Hodge (10) almost stalled his car just before the crossed flags came out. Restarting after the caution, Mike Neighbors (711N) would make Flowers work hard for the top spot. Going high in turn three, Flowers hit the wall bad enough to leave the track and start him in the seventh row of the feature. Determination was seeping out of the track by the time the checkered fell, giving Neighbors a much deserved win.
Neighbors was followed by Gil Smith (7X), Darrell Brown (36) and finally Daniel Bates (21) in this high attrition heat that more than half the field didn't finish. The Open Wheel Feature proved otherwise, as Sweeney led a tight pack for the first 5 laps until a yellow flag came out. The lead would change enough allowing Clayton Miller to get the lead and receive the checkered flag ahead of Dierlam, Neighbors taking 3rd place, Zimmerman in 4th and Smith in 5th.
Only two of the thirteen Late Model drivers that raced Clarksville Speedway this weekend timed in the twelve-second bracket, and the racing that followed kept the crowd on the edge of their seat until the checkered flag flew. Tony Albright (1) won the poll with his 12.884 lap and narrowly escaped Randle Sweeney's (33) 12.898 spin around the 1/4-mile clay oval. Other drivers in the Dash, Gary (F14) and Richard Frost (15), Carnell Parker III (75) put low thirteen's on the clock during time trials to spin up enthusiasm in eager fans. Inches were the only thing separating the cars for most of the Dash run, at least until Gary Frost scraped the wall in turns 3 and 4 about the same place Flowers left his mark. Albright and Sweeney would put themselves in the first row of the feature again, with Richard Frost and Carnell Parker III right behind. With nearly as much sensation that the Dash had, the Late Model heat race of seven cars had action in every corner, without a single caution to stop them. Gary Johnson (20) had Wendell Bratton (24) on his rear bumper for all eight laps - they finished that way in 1st and 2nd. Benji Putty (21) and Vince Grondzki (32) were in their own world looking for third place. Putty would take 3rd despite Grondzki's many efforts to pass. When the green dropped on the Late Model Feature, Sweeney almost looked like he was letting Albright slide into an easy lead. By the time the race was half over, that picture would change drastically. Most drivers favored a low groove as the track wore in and Sweeney would have to cut his own just above it. With one lap to go, the Burr 33 held out with enough punch to let Sweeney take the checkered just inches ahead of Albright. Crossing with just as much glory, Gary Frost, Parker III and Richard Frost finished out the top five.
Brian Caudle (RC1) led the Pro Street field qualifying his car in
14.715 seconds. Double-Duty Driver Michael Lee put the King 55 through the clock in 14.780. They were the only 2 Pro Street drivers to get under the fifteen second mark. Appropriately lined up in the Dash, Caudle would jump out to a good lead but Lee would work fast to close the distance. Track champion Larry Hamm (11L) didn't leave himself too far behind, but by the time the checkered fell, Caudle would be out with mechanical trouble and Hamm would take second-place. The Barber racing team took fourth in the Dash and Larry Barber Sr. (J54) would drive to a win in the heat. Caudle couldn't recover in time to make the feature which left poll-sitter Michael Lee to contend with the skills of Larry Hamm. Hamm came out on top, showing the way for Lee to the checkered.
Jarod Stokes driving the Barber T54 would place 3rd, while the rest of the top 5 finishers came out of the Barber Team. Bernd Kollmann (35) stayed the distance to give the Barbers a run for their money and finished sixth.
In the 1st Mini Modified Heat, three little stock cars would pass through the crossed flags door-to-door and start into the 5th lap.
Ronnie Richardson (15) gave the crowd a scare when his car caught fire and he lost his engine. Richardson was all right but his car didn't make the feature. It left Brian Smith (13X) to take first, Floyd Clinard Jr.
(05) to place and Track Champion Don Donegan (54) to show third in the exciting run. Charles Newberry (23) took the checkered in Mini Modified Heat 2 which put him next to Smith in the first row of the feature.
Smith also won the feature, leading Newberry and Clinard to their second and third place wins.
Street Stock cars fared heavily in the first heat where Ronnie Hedgepath (H55) earned the feature poll. Half the field in this class would find it impossible to cross the finish line. Sitting next to Hedgepath in the feature lineup would be Dale McCord (45) who, after a caution, overcame the likes of Ronnie Turner (14), Matt Musser (8) and Dale Phillips (87) where a three-way race for first-place occupied the first few laps of the Heat. Both McCord and Hedgepath scored top in the feature where McCord wins 1st-Place. Dale Phillips (87), Allen Scott
(A10) and Joe "Timmy" Wilson (29) round out the top 5.
