FYFFE. AL – A standing-room-only record crowd saw local favorite Tom Maddox of Centre, AL win the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series 40-lap feature race on Saturday night at Thunder Mountain Speedway. Maddox took the lead on lap six, and then held off all challengers driving the M&M Hauling and Grading Rayburn.
The high speeds, close racing and heavy lapped traffic on the 4/10-mile high-banked clay oval led to 12 cautions flags, and several cars that needed to be fished out of the infamous creek that flows outside turn one. Even the winner had his own close encounter.
“I got into a lapped car and it must has bent something because my throttle was stuck halfway open,” Maddox said. “This is a great win for us because there was some good drivers and cars out there that we had to beat.”
Maddox had his hands full with ten laps to go, as Curtis Cline of Douglasville, GA was challenging for the lead in his J.L. Brooks Construction Warrior. As the two leaders came down the front straightaway side-by-side on lap 33, they split the lapped car of Anthony Hill of Carrollton, GA.
Maddox made it by Hill on the inside, but Hill’s Rocket made contact with Cline on the outside. Cline hit the front straightaway wall, and then spun off the high-side of turn one and into the creek. Maddox then went on after the restart to post the win with a seven car-length advantage over the second-place car of Zach Nichols of Cedartown, GA in the All South Racing Products GRT.
StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series point leader David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN was looking for his fifth-straight win of the season Saturday night, but had a long row to hoe after starting his Dixon Plumbing Mastersbilt from the 11th starting spot. Gentry ended up finishing in the third spot.
Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA was another mover through the field, as he started 17th and finished fourth in the WMF Racing Products Mastersbilt. Robert Gant of Flat Rock, AL spun on lap two, and came from the back of the pack to take the fifth spot in the Bullet Performance Engines Mastersbilt powered by the R&D Ford crate engine.
Jeff Smith of Villanow, GA was sixth in the All South Racing Products Warrior, and Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA took the seventh spot in the Scotty’s Muffler Newman. Frankie Beard of Hartwell, GA started 23rd and finished eighth in the Old 29 Golf Carts Barry Wright to earn the NeSmith Chevrolet Hard Charger Award and the Rookie of the Race Award.
Jeremy Pruitt of Chattanooga, TN finished ninth in the Finish Line Concrete Warrior, and Gathan Burns of Piedmont, AL rounded out the top ten in the Burns Timber Company Burns.
Maddox was also the WMF Racing Products Fast Qualifier and picked up a $500 bonus with a lap around the 4/10-mile clay oval in 15.930 seconds for an average speed of 90.395 miles per hour.
Cline won the StormPay.com Lightning Quick 6 Dash to earn the pole position and took the lead on the initial start of the race, but the start was called back when Mitchell Browning of Buchanan, GA spin the B&B Specialized Hauling GRT in turn two. Browning’s teammate Nichols took advantage of the restart by taking the lead on the restart from the outside of the front row.
Nichols led Cline, Smith, Gant, Maddox, and Nipper to complete the first lap, but the field was slowed again on lap two when the caution came out after Ryan Gifford of Winchester, TN spun the Market Street Performance GRT off the high side of turn one. On the restart, Gant spun in turn two, and had to give up the fourth spot, and go to the rear of the 26-car field for the restart.
That moved Maddox up to the third spot for the next restart, and when the field went green, he passed Cline for the second spot. That pass was negated when Hill spun in turn three. The next restart saw championship contender Shannon Buckingham of Morristown, TN climb the front straightaway wall in the S&S Millwright Barry Wright while running seventh.
Buckingham was able to continue, but had front end damage that toed out the front wheels. Maddox passed Cline again for the second spot on the restart, and this time it stuck as the field completed the second lap. Maddox then dove to the bottom of the track to challenge Nichols for the lead.
Four more caution flags for spins slowed the battle for the lead, but a lap six restart saw Maddox again use the inside groove to power under Nichols to take the lead. Cline passed Nichols for the second spot on lap eight. By lap 15, Maddox led Cline, Nichols, Smith, Nipper, and Samuel Brown of Fyffe, AL in the ORC Race Cars ORC.
Brown, running a GM Performance 602 steel-head engine, spun out of the sixth spot down the front straightaway on lap 16. That moved Gentry into the sixth spot for the restart, and Gant had worked his way back up to the 11th spot. After the restart, Gant worked his way back into the top ten on lap 20.
A lap 21 restart saw Gant pass Burns for the ninth spot. On lap 22, Gentry passed Nipper to move up to the fifth spot, and Gant passed Burns to take over the ninth spot. Cline picked up the pace and caught Maddox in lapped traffic to challenge for the lead on lap 27.
Maddox and Cline raced side-by-side for the lead in lapped traffic for the next five laps until Cline and the lapped car of Hill got together on lap 33. In the closing laps of the race, Gentry passed Smith for the third spot on lap 35. Fields and Gant hooked up together to pass Nipper and Smith to take fourth and fifth respectively.
The next event for the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series will be the $5,000-to-win Coca Cola 75 at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS on September 1-2.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 14 AT THUNDER MOUNTAIN SPEEDWAY IN FYFFE, AL ON 8/19/06:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 5 43 Tom Maddox Centre, AL 40 $3,000
2. 2 12 Zach Nichols Cedartown, GA 40 $1,250
3. 11 56 David Gentry Lewisburg, TN 40 $850
4. 17 16 Jeff Fields Aragon, GA 40 $700
5. 4 22 Robert Gant Flat Rock, AL 40 $650
6. 3 00 Jeff Smith Villanow, GA 40 $550
7. 6 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA 40 $500
8. 23 21b Frankie Beard (R) Hartwell, GA 40 $550
9. 7 5 Jeremy Pruitt Chattanooga, TN 40 $400
10. 10 19 Gathan Burns Piedmont, AL 40 $375
11. 24 25 Michael Keener Douglasville, GA 40 $350
12. 16 G1 Todd Minner Murfreesboro, TN 40 $300
13. 22 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 40 $280
14. 20 10h Anthony Hill Carrollton, GA 39 $260
15. 21 27n Roy Newsome Shelbyville, TN 39 $250
16. 8 44 Shannon Buckingham Morristown, TN 38 $240
17. 1 44c Curtis Cline Douglasville, GA 32 $420
18. 25 151 Daran Anderson Scottsboro, AL 24 $200
19. 14 159 Chad Green Scottsboro, AL 20 $200
20. 9 000 Samuel Brown Fyffe, AL 15 $200
21. 18 58 Dennis Jarrells Wellington, AL 15 $200
22. 15 42 Kenny Hall Geraldine, AL 11 $200
23. 12 2 Ryan Gifford Winchester, TN 5 $200
24. 19 17 Mitchell Browning Buchanan, GA 4 $200
25. 13 27 Joe Denby Tullahoma, TN 4 $200
26. 26 393 D.J. Hayes Ider, AL 4 $200
ENTRIES: 26
WMF RACING PRODUCTS FAST TIME: Maddox, 15.930 Seconds, 90.395 Miles Per Hour
STORMPAY.COM POLE AWARD: Maddox
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Nichols, 1-5; Maddox, 6-40
LAPS LED: Maddox, 35; Nichols, 5
NeSMITH CHEVROLET HARD CHARGER: Beard (started 23rd and finished 8th)
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Beard
CAUTIONS: 12
STORMPAY.COM LIGHTNING QUICK 6-LAP DASH: 1. Cline; 2. Nichols; 3. Smith; 4. Gant; 5. Maddox; 6. Nipper.
STORMPAY.COM DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 8/19/06:
The high speeds, close racing and heavy lapped traffic on the 4/10-mile high-banked clay oval led to 12 cautions flags, and several cars that needed to be fished out of the infamous creek that flows outside turn one. Even the winner had his own close encounter.
“I got into a lapped car and it must has bent something because my throttle was stuck halfway open,” Maddox said. “This is a great win for us because there was some good drivers and cars out there that we had to beat.”
Maddox had his hands full with ten laps to go, as Curtis Cline of Douglasville, GA was challenging for the lead in his J.L. Brooks Construction Warrior. As the two leaders came down the front straightaway side-by-side on lap 33, they split the lapped car of Anthony Hill of Carrollton, GA.
Maddox made it by Hill on the inside, but Hill’s Rocket made contact with Cline on the outside. Cline hit the front straightaway wall, and then spun off the high-side of turn one and into the creek. Maddox then went on after the restart to post the win with a seven car-length advantage over the second-place car of Zach Nichols of Cedartown, GA in the All South Racing Products GRT.
StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series point leader David Gentry of Lewisburg, TN was looking for his fifth-straight win of the season Saturday night, but had a long row to hoe after starting his Dixon Plumbing Mastersbilt from the 11th starting spot. Gentry ended up finishing in the third spot.
Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA was another mover through the field, as he started 17th and finished fourth in the WMF Racing Products Mastersbilt. Robert Gant of Flat Rock, AL spun on lap two, and came from the back of the pack to take the fifth spot in the Bullet Performance Engines Mastersbilt powered by the R&D Ford crate engine.
Jeff Smith of Villanow, GA was sixth in the All South Racing Products Warrior, and Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA took the seventh spot in the Scotty’s Muffler Newman. Frankie Beard of Hartwell, GA started 23rd and finished eighth in the Old 29 Golf Carts Barry Wright to earn the NeSmith Chevrolet Hard Charger Award and the Rookie of the Race Award.
Jeremy Pruitt of Chattanooga, TN finished ninth in the Finish Line Concrete Warrior, and Gathan Burns of Piedmont, AL rounded out the top ten in the Burns Timber Company Burns.
Maddox was also the WMF Racing Products Fast Qualifier and picked up a $500 bonus with a lap around the 4/10-mile clay oval in 15.930 seconds for an average speed of 90.395 miles per hour.
Cline won the StormPay.com Lightning Quick 6 Dash to earn the pole position and took the lead on the initial start of the race, but the start was called back when Mitchell Browning of Buchanan, GA spin the B&B Specialized Hauling GRT in turn two. Browning’s teammate Nichols took advantage of the restart by taking the lead on the restart from the outside of the front row.
Nichols led Cline, Smith, Gant, Maddox, and Nipper to complete the first lap, but the field was slowed again on lap two when the caution came out after Ryan Gifford of Winchester, TN spun the Market Street Performance GRT off the high side of turn one. On the restart, Gant spun in turn two, and had to give up the fourth spot, and go to the rear of the 26-car field for the restart.
That moved Maddox up to the third spot for the next restart, and when the field went green, he passed Cline for the second spot. That pass was negated when Hill spun in turn three. The next restart saw championship contender Shannon Buckingham of Morristown, TN climb the front straightaway wall in the S&S Millwright Barry Wright while running seventh.
Buckingham was able to continue, but had front end damage that toed out the front wheels. Maddox passed Cline again for the second spot on the restart, and this time it stuck as the field completed the second lap. Maddox then dove to the bottom of the track to challenge Nichols for the lead.
Four more caution flags for spins slowed the battle for the lead, but a lap six restart saw Maddox again use the inside groove to power under Nichols to take the lead. Cline passed Nichols for the second spot on lap eight. By lap 15, Maddox led Cline, Nichols, Smith, Nipper, and Samuel Brown of Fyffe, AL in the ORC Race Cars ORC.
Brown, running a GM Performance 602 steel-head engine, spun out of the sixth spot down the front straightaway on lap 16. That moved Gentry into the sixth spot for the restart, and Gant had worked his way back up to the 11th spot. After the restart, Gant worked his way back into the top ten on lap 20.
A lap 21 restart saw Gant pass Burns for the ninth spot. On lap 22, Gentry passed Nipper to move up to the fifth spot, and Gant passed Burns to take over the ninth spot. Cline picked up the pace and caught Maddox in lapped traffic to challenge for the lead on lap 27.
Maddox and Cline raced side-by-side for the lead in lapped traffic for the next five laps until Cline and the lapped car of Hill got together on lap 33. In the closing laps of the race, Gentry passed Smith for the third spot on lap 35. Fields and Gant hooked up together to pass Nipper and Smith to take fourth and fifth respectively.
The next event for the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series will be the $5,000-to-win Coca Cola 75 at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS on September 1-2.
OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 14 AT THUNDER MOUNTAIN SPEEDWAY IN FYFFE, AL ON 8/19/06:
POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN LAPS $ WON
1. 5 43 Tom Maddox Centre, AL 40 $3,000
2. 2 12 Zach Nichols Cedartown, GA 40 $1,250
3. 11 56 David Gentry Lewisburg, TN 40 $850
4. 17 16 Jeff Fields Aragon, GA 40 $700
5. 4 22 Robert Gant Flat Rock, AL 40 $650
6. 3 00 Jeff Smith Villanow, GA 40 $550
7. 6 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA 40 $500
8. 23 21b Frankie Beard (R) Hartwell, GA 40 $550
9. 7 5 Jeremy Pruitt Chattanooga, TN 40 $400
10. 10 19 Gathan Burns Piedmont, AL 40 $375
11. 24 25 Michael Keener Douglasville, GA 40 $350
12. 16 G1 Todd Minner Murfreesboro, TN 40 $300
13. 22 10 Matthew Turner Dawsonville, GA 40 $280
14. 20 10h Anthony Hill Carrollton, GA 39 $260
15. 21 27n Roy Newsome Shelbyville, TN 39 $250
16. 8 44 Shannon Buckingham Morristown, TN 38 $240
17. 1 44c Curtis Cline Douglasville, GA 32 $420
18. 25 151 Daran Anderson Scottsboro, AL 24 $200
19. 14 159 Chad Green Scottsboro, AL 20 $200
20. 9 000 Samuel Brown Fyffe, AL 15 $200
21. 18 58 Dennis Jarrells Wellington, AL 15 $200
22. 15 42 Kenny Hall Geraldine, AL 11 $200
23. 12 2 Ryan Gifford Winchester, TN 5 $200
24. 19 17 Mitchell Browning Buchanan, GA 4 $200
25. 13 27 Joe Denby Tullahoma, TN 4 $200
26. 26 393 D.J. Hayes Ider, AL 4 $200
ENTRIES: 26
WMF RACING PRODUCTS FAST TIME: Maddox, 15.930 Seconds, 90.395 Miles Per Hour
STORMPAY.COM POLE AWARD: Maddox
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Nichols, 1-5; Maddox, 6-40
LAPS LED: Maddox, 35; Nichols, 5
NeSMITH CHEVROLET HARD CHARGER: Beard (started 23rd and finished 8th)
ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Beard
CAUTIONS: 12
STORMPAY.COM LIGHTNING QUICK 6-LAP DASH: 1. Cline; 2. Nichols; 3. Smith; 4. Gant; 5. Maddox; 6. Nipper.
STORMPAY.COM DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 8/19/06:
- David Gentry – 1284
- Shannon Buckingham – 1246
- Jeff Smith – 1128
- Jeff Fields – 1116
- Zach Nichols – 1032
- Frankie Beard (R) – 994
- Matthew Turner – 888
- Ronnie Johnson – 886
- Carnell Parker III – 800
- Jeff Purvis – 768
- Jordy Nipper – 620
- Ryan Gifford – 564
- Michael Keener – 506
- Michael Page (R) – 500
- Terry Lumley - 382
